Narkopop

Last updated
Narkopop
Gas - Narkopop.jpg
Studio album by
Gas
Released21 April 2017
Genre
Length87:35(vinyl)
71:18 (CD)
Label Kompakt
Producer Wolfgang Voigt
Gas chronology
Box
(2016)
Narkopop
(2017)
Rausch
(2018)

Narkopop is the fifth studio album by Wolfgang Voigt's Gas project, the first album under the moniker in 17 years [2] and his first on Kompakt. The album was released on 21 April 2017. [3]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.8/10 [4]
Metacritic 86/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
The A.V. Club B+ [7]
Exclaim! 9/10 [1]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Pitchfork 8.8/10 [11]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Resident Advisor 4.0/5 [13]
Uncut 8/10 [14]

On the review aggregate site Metacritic, Narkopop has a score of 86 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 14 reviews. [5] Paul Simpson at AllMusic calls it an "evolution and refinement" of the Gas sound. [6] Mark Richardson from Pitchfork complimented its "deeper, richer, and more luxurious sound" compared to prior Gas releases. [11]

Andrew Ryce at Resident Advisor gave a mostly positive review, but was ambivalent about its more "direct" style, noting "in this sharper relief, you can see the stitches in Voigt's usually seamless work." [13] Daniel Bromfield at Spectrum Culture called it "immovable, monolithic, not to be trifled with" but observed "there's little of the bewitching sound design of the original Gas records". [15]

Exclaim! ranked Narkopop at number six on their Top 10 Dance and Electronic Albums of 2017 list. [16]

Track listing

Vinyl pressing

All tracks are written by Wolfgang Voigt

Side A
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled4:26
2.Untitled9:44
Total length:14:10
Side B
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled3:50
2.Untitled3:34
3.Untitled6:03
Total length:13:27
Side C
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled4:43
2.Untitled8:40
Total length:13:23
Side D
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled6:07
2.Untitled7:02
Total length:13:09
Side E
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled17:09
Total length:17:09
Side F
No.TitleLength
1.Untitled16:17
Total length:16:17

CD pressing

No.TitleLength
1.Untitled4:26
2.Untitled9:44
3.Untitled3:50
4.Untitled3:34
5.Untitled6:03
6.Untitled4:43
7.Untitled8:40
8.Untitled6:07
9.Untitled7:02
10.Untitled17:09
Total length:71:18
Digital bonus track
No.TitleLength
1."Narkopop" (continuous mix)71:18
Total length:149:56

Note that the digital release has longer track lengths than the CD and vinyl editions. The digital bonus track is the runtime of the album on CD and vinyl (excluding the bonus track found on vinyl, not included on CD and digital releases).

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] 128
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [18] 178

Related Research Articles

<i>...I Care Because You Do</i> 1995 studio album by Aphex Twin

...I Care Because You Do is a studio album by the electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 24 April 1995 through Warp. Containing material recorded between 1990 and 1994, the album marked James's return to a percussive sound following the largely beatless Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994), and pairs abrasive rhythms with symphonic and ambient elements. The cover artwork is a self-portrait by James.

<i>Selected Ambient Works Volume II</i> 1994 studio album by Aphex Twin

Selected Ambient Works Volume II is the second studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James, under his pseudonym Aphex Twin. It was released on 7 March 1994 through Warp Records. Billed as a follow-up to James' debut Selected Ambient Works 85–92, the album differs in sound by being largely beatless ambient music. James said that it was inspired by lucid dreaming, and likened the music to "standing in a power station on acid."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolfgang Voigt</span> German musical artist

Wolfgang Voigt is a German electronic music DJ and producer from Cologne, known for his output under various aliases, such as Gas. He signed on numerous record labels, including Warp, Harvest, Raster-Noton, Force Inc, Astral Industries and Kompakt. The latter was co-founded by Voigt alongside Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape. He is considered one of the most influential minimal techno artists.

Kompakt is a Cologne-based electronic music independent record label and vinyl/CD distributor, owned by Wolfgang Voigt, Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape. They specialize in microhouse and minimal techno, and are known for their Total compilation series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gas (musician)</span> Musical artist Wolfgang Voigt (German,b.1961– )

Gas is the main musical project of German electronic musician and composer Wolfgang Voigt. The project was created as an expressive medium inspired by his experiences with taking LSD in the Königsforst, a German forest situated near his hometown of Cologne, for long periods in his youth. He has claimed that the intention of the project is to "bring the forest to the disco, or vice-versa".

<i>Zauberberg</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Gas

Zauberberg is the second album by Wolfgang Voigt's Gas project. It was first released on vinyl in December 1997 on the Mille Plateaux label, with a CD release following in February 1998. The album is named in reference to the Thomas Mann novel The Magic Mountain. It is the first Gas album to incorporate the forest imagery that would become a trademark of the project. Reviews generally cite Zauberberg as the darkest, most dissonant Gas release.

<i>Pop</i> (Gas album) 2000 studio album by Gas

Pop is the fourth album by Wolfgang Voigt's Gas project, released on 28 March 2000 on Mille Plateaux. At the time of its release, reviews noted 'a striking left turn' in the sound, compared to other Gas releases; the album sounds considerably crisper, with a less muffled kickdrum and less of the 'underwater' quality present on other releases under the name.

<i>Kindred</i> (EP) 2012 EP by Burial

Kindred is the fifth extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. It was first released on 13 February 2012 digitally by Hyperdub, with a vinyl release following on 12 March 2012. The EP was met with praise, with Metacritic assigning an averaged score of 88 out of 100 based on 17 reviews from mainstream critics. In Japan and selected world markets, Hyperdub issued Kindred as a compilation with Burial's previous EP Street Halo on 11 February 2012. The release, Street Halo / Kindred, placed on the Ultratop 50 albums chart.

<i>Aurora</i> (Ben Frost album) 2014 studio album by Ben Frost

Aurora is the fourth studio album by Australian producer Ben Frost. It was released on 26 May 2014 by Bedroom Community. The album received acclaim from music critics and was listed by many publications as one of the best albums of the year. Several of its tracks were remixed and released in the 2014 V A R I A N T EP.

<i>In Colour</i> (Jamie xx album) 2015 studio album by Jamie xx

In Colour is the debut studio album by English producer Jamie xx, released on 29 May 2015 by Young Turks. The album was composed during a five-year period while a member of the indie pop band the xx, starting with his production on xx in 2009. After starting his solo career with the remix album We're New Here (2011) and singles like "All Under One Roof Raving" (2014), he was intent on making the album something of a departure from his previous work and genre. The album features guest vocals from fellow the xx members Romy and Oliver Sim, as well as from Young Thug and Popcaan. The album produced five singles: "Girl" and "Sleep Sound" as a double-single on 5 May 2014, "Loud Places" on 27 March 2015, "Gosh" on 4 May, and "I Know There's Gonna Be " on 22 May.

<i>MG</i> (album) 2015 album by Martin Gore

MG is the second solo studio album by English musician and Depeche Mode member Martin Gore, and the first to include self-penned material rather than cover-versions. It was released on 27 April 2015 by Mute Records and consists of sixteen electronic instrumentals. A music video for "Europa Hymn", directed by M-I-E and incorporating illustrations by Jan L. Trigg, was released to YouTube in February 2015.

<i>Sirens</i> (Nicolás Jaar album) 2016 studio album by Nicolás Jaar

Sirens is the second studio album by composer and electronic music artist Nicolás Jaar, released on September 30, 2016 by Other People. Influenced by Chilean history and politics, as well as his own personal life, Sirens has received acclaim from both independent music and electronic music publications.

<i>Migration</i> (Bonobo album) 2017 studio album by Bonobo

Migration is the sixth studio album by British DJ and record producer Simon Green, performing under the name Bonobo. It was released on 13 January 2017 through Ninja Tune. The album was recorded primarily on laptops rather than in a studio. It was supported by the release of several singles, including "Kerala". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and charted internationally, reaching the top five of the UK Albums Chart.

<i>On Vacation</i> (CFCF album) Album by CFCF

On Vacation is a mini-album by Canadian electronic musician Michael Silver, known by his stage name as CFCF, and the second record in Balearic beat music label International Feel's On Vacation mini-album series. On Vacation was initially planned to be a project of two extended plays titled Road Movie and House Music; this was before an International Feel A&R worker suggested to Silver he should make the project one whole album. International Feel first released vinyl versions of the LP in Europe on February 17, 2016 before releasing it in digital shops all around the world on February 19.

<i>New Energy</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Four Tet

New Energy is the ninth studio album by British electronic musician Kieran Hebden, released under his alias Four Tet on 29 September 2017 by Text Records. The album follows a more uptempo, listener-friendly style than previous Four Tet records while containing elements of those albums and a variety of musical styles as well as virtual instrument replications of culturally-tinged instruments. The album garnered critical acclaim, landing on several year-end lists by publications such as PopMatters, Q, Uncut, The Guardian, and Pitchfork, and reached number 48 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Rainbow Mirror</i> 2017 studio album by Prurient

Rainbow Mirror is a triple album by the American musical project Prurient, the performing name of the artist Dominick Fernow. It was released on December 1, 2017 through Profound Lore Records. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Prurient project, Rainbow Mirror was released as a 4xCD and as a 7xLP, which was distributed by Hospital Productions. This Hospital Productions release bundled Rainbow Mirror with a limited cassette version of Godflesh's 2017 album, Post Self. The 8-panel digipak version of the album includes a short story by Fernow and Scott Bryan Wilson.

<i>Rausch</i> (Gas album) 2018 studio album by Gas

Rausch is the sixth studio album by Wolfgang Voigt's Gas project. The album was released on 18 May 2018. The album consists of one piece of music that is indexed solely for navigational purposes, and is designed to be listened to in one sitting. Both vinyl and CD pressings contain the full piece.

<i>Box</i> (Gas album) 2016 box set by Gas

Box is the second boxed set released by Wolfgang Voigt under his Gas alias. The album collects the compact disc versions of Zauberberg, Königsforst , Pop and Oktember. The album marked Voigt's return to the Gas project, with a new album, Narkopop, seeing release the year after Box. The boxed set consisted of 10 vinyl records as well as 4 compact discs and an art book.

<i>Glass</i> (composition) 2018 live album of a single composition by Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto

"Glass" is an improvisational piece composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai, known by his stage name as Alva Noto, for Yayoi Kusama's installation Dots Obsession—Alive, Seeking for Eternal Hope, which ran in September 2016 at Philip Johnson's Glass House. A film of the performance was uploaded to the Glass House's official Vimeo account and website on November 11, 2016, and an audio recording of the 37-minute composition was released as an album on Nicolai's label NOTON on February 16, 2018. "Glass" is an unconventional ambient piece that uses sounds from a keyboard, glass-made singing bowls, and digital processing of the House's glass walls. The composition consists of developing layers of sounds performed over a single drone. It was praised by many professional reviewers as a display of Sakamoto and Nicolai's growing artistry.

<i>LXXXVIII</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Actress

LXXXVIII is the eighth solo studio album by British electronic music producer Actress, released on 3 November 2023 through Ninja Tune. It was inspired by chess and game theory, and received positive reviews from critics.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sylvester, Daniel (17 April 2017). "Gas: Narkopop". Exclaim! . Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  2. "Wolfgang Voigt Announces First New GAS Album in 17 Years". Pitchfork . 15 March 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  3. Hart, Otis (15 March 2017). "GAS, Wolfgang Voigt's Ambient Alias, Returns After 17 Years". NPR Music. National Public Radio . Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  4. "Narkopop by Gas reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Reviews and Tracks for Narkopop by Gas". Metacritic . Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  6. 1 2 Simpson, Paul. "Narkopop – Gas". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  7. O'Neal, Sean (21 April 2017). "Wolfgang Voigt makes a forceful return to serenely ambient techno with his first Gas album in 17 years". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  8. Carroll, Jim (20 April 2017). "GAS: Narkopop – Back into the woods with a new ambient techno classic". The Irish Times . Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  9. Male, Andrew (June 2017). "Gas: Narkopop". Mojo (283): 89.
  10. Empire, Kitty (23 April 2017). "Gas: Narkopop review – austere and immersive". The Observer . Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  11. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (21 April 2017). "GAS: Narkopop". Pitchfork . Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  12. Smith, Phil (June 2017). "Gas – Narkopop". Record Collector (467). Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  13. 1 2 Ryce, Andrew (27 April 2017). "Gas – Narkopop". Resident Advisor . Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  14. Wallace, Wyndham (June 2017). "Gas: Narkopop". Uncut (241): 30.
  15. Bromfield, Daniel (24 April 2017). "Gas: Narkopop". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  16. "Exclaim!'s Top 10 Dance and Electronic Albums". Exclaim! . 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  17. "Ultratop.be – Gas – Narkopop" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  18. "Ultratop.be – Gas – Narkopop" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 April 2017.