Review by AVA LIVERSIDGE
The latest record, LP Harmonics, brought to us by Joe Goddard, the frontman for synthpop outfit Hot Chip will be released via Domino Records this Friday. It’s the third solo release of one of the United Kingdom’s most respected electronic musicians today.
Goddard sits comfortably at both the cutting edge of digital compositional techniques and in the nostalgic shadow of the house and warehouse scenes that first informed and inspired him.
The 14-track collection promises synthpop and dance cuts with a heavy dose of ambient influence. LP Harmonics is a wholly collaborative effort, offering only three tracks without features. Goddard reports to have taken the backseat in most of these collaborations, allowing his myriad partners to contour the wide-ranging record. Harmonics’ only through line is Goddard.
Lead single and album opener “Moments Die,” featuring vocal contributions from artist and friend of Goddard’s Barrie, immediately launches us into the intricate latticework of lush synthetic worlds. Every added layer seems to melt into the last: the track becomes richer without sounding overcrowded. Check out the official music video for “Moments Die,” directed by Nathan Castiel, now.
The ultimately uplifting synth opener pairs easily with “New World (Flow),” an unashamed pop cut featuring Fiorious. Standalone solo single “Follow You” emphasizes Goddard’s stream of consciousness vocals over imperceptibly intensifying rhythmic arrangements. Even on this solo cut, Goddard’s delicate layering creates the impression of having a conversation with oneself, with both instrumental and vocal lines interjecting as they climb and fall in concert.
Goddard remarked that the record’s conception came from “this idea of trying to divorce your conscious mind from the music-making process.” On Harmonics, Goddard relinquishes his position of frontman, even composer, and lets the music flow freely through fruitful collaboration. Joe Goddard’s upcoming LP Harmonics is likely to ascend to one of the most widely celebrated electronic releases of the season. Enjoy him and his quirky crew of collaborators.
Check out ‘Moments Die’ here:
Listen to the music of Joe Goddard here:
