Mutated beats from mysterious producer sophomore album. Alejandra Ghersi aka Arca seemed to pop up out of nowhere in the last few years. The young producer made almost instantly famous for her production work with Kanye West on the Yeezus album in 2013 and last year working with avant queen Bjork on her ninth studio album, Vulnicura, has since released a number of solo projects to critical acclaim. Mutant is the sophomore album released on Mute and has delved into realms unexplored on his first release. This is some SERIOUS sh*t. While the idea of "beats" has become quite the open world, it feels like Arca has tapped into other dimensions... like, literally. While I've been a proponent for all things weird and experimental since I was a kid, I can safely say I've never heard anything quite like this. I hear elements of the post clubbiness that Fade 2 Mind has been championing for years, but this goes WELL beyond that. This is what I imagine it would be like listening to Aphex Twin's Richard D James album or Atari Teenage Riot for the first time, pre-internet but also channels everything the internet has done for music at the same time. Such a wild ride, just listen with open ears.

• red colored double vinyl pressing
• housed in triple panel gatefold sleeve
• digital download included
• music label: Mute 2015

reviewed by Thyme Waster 1/2016