Instrumentals 2015

Last updated

Instrumentals 2015
Instrumentals 2015.jpg
Studio album by
Released17 July 2015
Genre
Length57:03
Label
Flying Saucer Attack chronology
Mirror
(2000)
Instrumentals 2015
(2015)

Instrumentals 2015 is the fifth studio album by the English experimental space rock band Flying Saucer Attack, released through Domino Recording Company on 17 July 2015.

Contents

Musical style

Instrumentals 2015 has been categorised by critics as post-rock, [1] [2] [3] shoegaze, [4] [5] space rock, and psychedelia. [4] Entirely devoid of vocals, [6] the album consists of 15 tracks [7] composed and performed solely by David Pearce using guitar, [1] [4] [5] which he manipulates to emulate a range of sonic textures. [3] [8] The instrument evokes comparisons to church bells, [1] [9] synthesisers, [9] stringed instruments, [3] [9] and natural phenomena such as steam and waves. [9] Multi-tracked guitars are employed to generate complex, layered soundscapes. [1]

The album incorporates elements of electronica, folk, lo-fi, [4] ambient, [3] [9] and drone music. [3] [4] These include references to "blossoming dronescapes" [5] and "aerated drone[s]", [3] and several tracks extend to nearly ten minutes in length. [5] [6] The production retains a lo-fi quality consistent with Flying Saucer Attack's earlier work, recorded at home using CD-R and tape, [4] resulting in a textured, grainy sound [2] [6] with audible noise. [10] The album's aesthetic has been described as possessing a "faded" [6] and "crackly" atmosphere. [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 76/100 [11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Clash 8/10 [2]
Exclaim! 6/10 [12]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
The Line of Best Fit 9/10 [5]
NME 7/10 [13]
Pitchfork 6.8/10 [7]
PopMatters 9/10 [10]
Tiny Mix Tapes TMT full.svgTMT full.svgTMT full.svgTMT full.svgTMT empty.svg [14]
Under the Radar 7/10 [15]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Instrumentals 2015 received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 19 critic scores. [11]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Instrumentals 2015
PublicationListRankRef.
The Wire Top 50 Releases of 2015
49

Track listing

Instrumentals 2015 track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Instrumental 1"0:58
2."Instrumental 2"2:57
3."Instrumental 3"6:26
4."Instrumental 4"4:10
5."Instrumental 5"1:38
6."Instrumental 6"1:22
7."Instrumental 7"6:55
8."Instrumental 8"1:14
9."Instrumental 9"4:07
10."Instrumental 10"2:51
11."Instrumental 11"4:14
12."Instrumental 12"0:41
13."Instrumental 13"1:53
14."Instrumental 14"7:48
15."Instrumental 15"9:41
Total length:57:03

Charts

Chart performance for Instrumentals 2015
Chart (2015)Peak
position
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC) [17] 13
UK Official Record Store (OCC) [18] 14

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Dennis, Jon (16 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack: Instrumentals 2015 review – a beautiful, austere return". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Salmon, Will (13 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack – Instrumentals". Clash . Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ehrlich, Hannah (14 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack — Instrumentals 2015". The Quietus. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Album Review: Flying Saucer Attack – Instrumentals 2015". Renowned for Sound. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Coney, Brian (30 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack return after 15 years with the stunning Instrumentals 2015". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Simpson, Paul. "Instrumentals 2015 – Flying Saucer Attack". AllMusic . Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  7. 1 2 Stosuy, Brandon (15 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack: Instrumentals 2015". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  8. Masters, Marc (8 July 2015). "Review: Flying Saucer Attack, 'Instrumentals 2015'". NPR . Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Poet, J. (10 August 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack: Resident Alien". Magnet Magazine. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 Olson, Benjamin Hedge (14 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack: Instrumentals » PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Instrumentals 2015 by Flying Saucer Attack Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  12. Edwards, Michael (15 July 2015). "Flying Saucer Attack". Exclaim!. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  13. Gardner, Noel (6 July 2015). "6 Great Albums That May Have Passed You By This Week". NME. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  14. Davenport, Joe (29 July 2015). "Music Review: Flying Saucer Attack: Instrumentals 2015". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  15. Pace, J. (19 June 2025). "Instrumentals 2015". Under the Radar. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  16. "Listen to The Wire's Top 50 Releases of 2015". The Wire . December 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  17. "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart on 24/7/2015". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  18. "Official Record Store Chart on 24/7/2015". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 4 August 2025.