Rifts (album)

Last updated
Rifts
Rifts 2009.jpg
Compilation album by
ReleasedOctober 20, 2009
Recorded2003–2009
Genre
Length145:08 (2009 release)
188:05 (2012 reissue)
Label No Fun, Software
Oneohtrix Point Never chronology
Memory Vague
(2009)
Rifts
(2009)
Returnal
(2010)
Reissue cover
Rifts 2012.jpg
2012 Software release cover

Rifts is a 2009 compilation album by Oneohtrix Point Never, the solo alias of Brooklyn electronic musician Daniel Lopatin. The album collects Lopatin's early synth-based recordings under the moniker dating back to 2003, including the three limited-run LPs Betrayed in the Octagon (2007), Zones Without People (2009) and Russian Mind (2009), as well as several additional cassette and CD-R releases. It was originally released on No Fun Productions in 2009 as a 2 disc set.

Contents

The initial issue of Rifts sold beyond expectations and brought Lopatin early critical praise; UK magazine The Wire named it the No. 2 album of 2009. [3] In 2012, the album was reissued as an expanded 3 disc/5 LP set, including previously unreleased tracks, on Lopatin's own Software label.

Recording and composition

Rifts collects Oneohtrix Point Never's electronic recordings dating back to 2003, primarily drawing from Lopatin's trilogy of limited-run LPs: Betrayed in the Octagon (2007), Zones Without People (2009), and Russian Mind (2009). He began exploring sounds inspired by '70s cosmic music and '80s new age during his time as part of Brooklyn's noise music scene in the early 2000s. [3] Following the recording of Russian Mind in 2009 he noticed a "clear arc" between his three studio albums, [4] which suggested the records were "basically a Stanislaw Lem-style trilogy of stories about vague metaphysical sci-fi." [5]

The Roland Juno-60 analog synthesizer, which Lopatin inherited from his father, served as his primary instrument. [6] He noted that "a ton of [the material on Rifts] is improvised. With the exception of sequencer based stuff, I record straight synth jams and then use that as source material which gets fleshed out and assembled on the computer." [7] The compilation showcases Lopatin's distinctive approach to synthesizers, employing "ornate electronic arpeggios, often run through echo pedals, which spiral off into infinity with breathtaking effect." [8] Tracks like "Format & Journey North" utilize samples taken from YouTube. [6]

Describing the musical template of Rifts, Tiny Mix Tapes stated that "some will hear 80s soundtrack music, cosmic ambiance, or minimalist repetition, while others might pick up on the mishmash of noise and plastic, mystical new age music." [9] Critic Simon Reynolds described these releases as involving "rippling arpeggiations, sweet melodies offset by sour dissonance, grid-like structures struggling with cloudy amorphousness." [3] AllMusic wrote that "many of the song titles here feel like they could be the names of forgotten classics of '70s and '80s sci-fi films and literature." [10] The track "Emil Cioran" is named after Romanian philosopher and pessimist Emil Cioran, who Lopatin described as "one of my top dogs." [7]

Release

The 2009 edition of Rifts sold out its initial 2,000-unit pressing, far beyond expectations, and "propelled Lopatin to underground-star status." [3] In 2012, it was reissued in an expanded 3-CD/5-LP edition on Mexican Summer and Lopatin's own Software label, including additional tracks and alternate sequencing. The 2012 LP version collects the bonus tracks of Rifts into the compilation albums Drawn and Quartered and The Fall into Time, which were themselves released separate from the box set in 2013. The 7 bonus tracks on the original version of Rifts ended up being the contents, in order, of Drawn and Quartered.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Line of Best Fit8/10 [11]
Pitchfork Media 8.0/10 (original release) [12]
8.7/10 (reissue) [13]
PopMatters 9/10 [1]
Prefix Mag9/10 [14]
The Quietus (Very favourable) [8]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Sputnikmusic4.7/5 [16]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [9]

Despite its underground release, Rifts received widespread critical praise from a variety of publications. The Quietus located the album in a tradition of "chromed modernity and pulp futurism" rooted in the cultural milieu of the 1980s, describing the music as "acting like a cracked mirror refracting the sounds of the past." [8] The Line of Best Fit described Lopatin's aesthetic as retro-futurist. [11] Tiny Mix Tapes stated that "the sounds on Rifts look to past versions of unrealized futures for inspiration," adding that "hearing the record in one sitting is like being in two times and places at once, like watching someone from another decade daydreaming." [9]

PopMatters located a feeling of "dyschronia" in the music, noting an affinity with the contemporaneous "hypnagogic" music scene. The publication described the music as "strangely familiar and familiarly strange" and suggested that "much of Rifts indeed feels like communication technologies carrying on without the influence of anything but themselves and their own mechanical history, surrogate from human involvement." [1] Rifts placed second in The Wire magazine's annual critics' poll of the records of the year. [17] Following its 2012 reissue, Pitchfork called the album "an important touchstone" and stated that "the way Lopatin discovered fresh ideas inside of a worn-out genre is an inspiring story for the present age." [13]

Track listing

2009 edition

All tracks are written by Daniel Lopatin.

Disc One
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Behind the Bank"Betrayed in the Octagon2:22
2."Eyeballs"Betrayed in the Octagon3:00
3."Betrayed in the Octagon"Betrayed in the Octagon3:33
4."Woe Is the Transgression I"Betrayed in the Octagon8:45
5."Parallel Minds"Betrayed in the Octagon3:22
6."Laser to Laser"Betrayed in the Octagon3:20
7."Woe Is the Transgression II"Betrayed in the Octagon10:56
8."Computer Vision"Zones Without People2:24
9."Format & Journey North"Zones Without People9:46
10."Zones Without People"Zones Without People4:02
11."Learning to Control Myself"Zones Without People5:36
12."Disconnecting Entirely"Zones Without People1:33
13."Emil Cioran"Zones Without People3:35
14."Hyperdawn"Zones Without People4:33
Disc Two
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Months"Russian Mind3:08
2."Physical Memory"Russian Mind10:53
3."Grief and Repetition"Russian Mind2:40
4."Russian Mind"Russian Mind5:03
5."Actual Air"Ruined Lives EP3:11
6."Immanence"Russian Mind7:18
7."Lovegirls Precinct"split cassette with Outer Space1:37
8."Ships Without Meaning"Ruined Lives EP9:39
9."Terminator Lake"Transmat Memories EP5:42
10."Transmat Memories"Transmat Memories EP5:35
11."A Pact Between Strangers"A Pact Between Strangers4:18
12."When I Get Back from New York"A Pact Between Strangers16:47
13."I Know It's Taking Pictures from Another Plane (Inside Your Sun)"Young Beidnahga2:30
Total length:2:25:08

2012 CD reissue

All tracks are written by Daniel Lopatin.

Disc One: Betrayed in the Octagon
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Woe Is the Transgression I"Betrayed in the Octagon8:45
2."Behind the Bank"Betrayed in the Octagon2:22
3."Eyeballs"Betrayed in the Octagon2:59
4."Betrayed in the Octagon"Betrayed in the Octagon3:32
5."Woe Is the Transgression II"Betrayed in the Octagon10:54
6."Parallel Minds"Betrayed in the Octagon3:21
7."Laser to Laser"Betrayed in the Octagon3:20
8."Ships Without Meaning"Ruined Lives EP9:37
9."Terminator Lake"Transmat Memories EP5:41
10."Transmat Memories"Transmat Memories EP5:33
11."A Pact Between Strangers"A Pact Between Strangers4:18
12."When I Get Back from New York (re-recorded)"A Pact Between Strangers16:46
Disc Two: Zones Without People
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Computer Vision"Zones Without People2:23
2."Format & Journey North"Zones Without People9:46
3."Zones Without People"Zones Without People4:00
4."Learning to Control Myself"Zones Without People5:36
5."Disconnecting Entirely"Zones Without People1:33
6."Emil Cioran"Zones Without People3:34
7."Hyperdawn"Zones Without People4:33
8."Lovergirls Precinct"split cassette with Outer Space1:36
9."I Know It's Taking Pictures from Another Plane (Inside Your Sun)"Young Beidnahga2:31
10."Blue Drive (re-recorded)"KGB Nights / Blue Drive split cassette9:56
11."The Trouble with Being Born"Scenes with Curved Objects EP4:31
12."Sand Partina"split cassette with Caboladies7:02
Disc Three: Russian Mind
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Months"Russian Mind3:05
2."Physical Memory"Russian Mind10:53
3."Grief and Repetition"Russian Mind2:39
4."Russian Mind"Russian Mind5:03
5."Time Decanted"Russian Mind3:10
6."Immanence"Russian Mind7:18
7."Melancholy Descriptions of Simple 3D Environments (re-recorded)"Scenes with Curved Objects EP10:53
8."Memory Vague"split cassette with Caboladies4:47
9."KGB Nights" (originally released under the artist name of KGB MAN)KGB Nights / Blue Drive split cassette6:08
Total length:3:08:05

2012 vinyl reissue

All tracks are written by Daniel Lopatin.

Disc One: Betrayed in the Octagon, Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Woe Is the Transgression I"8:45
2."Behind The Bank"2:22
3."Eyeballs"2:59
4."Betrayed in the Octagon"3:32
Disc One: Betrayed in the Octagon, Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Woe Is the Transgression II"10:54
2."Parallel Minds"3:21
3."Laser to Laser"3:20
Disc Two: Zones Without People, Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Computer Vision"2:23
2."Format & Journey North"9:46
3."Zones Without People"4:00
Disc Two: Zones Without People, Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Learning to Control Myself"5:36
2."Disconnecting Entirely"1:33
3."Emil Cioran"3:34
4."Hyperdawn"4:33
Disc Three: Russian Mind, Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Months"3:05
2."Physical Memory"10:53
3."Grief and Repetition"2:39
Disc Three: Russian Mind, Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Russian Mind"5:03
2."Time Decanted"3:10
3."Immanence"7:18
Disc Four: Drawn and Quartered, Side A
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Lovergirls Precinct"split cassette with Outer Space1:36
2."Ships Without Meaning"Ruined Lives EP9:37
3."Terminator Lake"Transmat Memories EP5:41
4."Transmat Memories"Transmat Memories EP5:33
Disc Four: Drawn and Quartered, Side B
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."A Pact Between Strangers"A Pact Between Strangers4:18
2."When I Get Back From New York"A Pact Between Strangers16:46
3."I Know It's Taking Pictures From Another Plane (Inside Your Sun)"Young Beidnahga2:31
Disc Five: The Fall into Time, Side A
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Blue Drive"KGB Nights / Blue Drive split cassette9:56
2."The Trouble With Being Born"Scenes with Curved Objects EP4:31
3."Sand Partina"split cassette with Caboladies7:02
Disc Five: The Fall into Time, Side B
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Melancholy Descriptions Of Simple 3D Environments"Scenes with Curved Objects EP10:53
2."Memory Vague"split cassette with Caboladies4:47
3."KGB Nights" (originally released under the artist name of KGB MAN)KGB Nights / Blue Drive split cassette6:08

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oneohtrix Point Never</span> American musician

Daniel Lopatin, best known as Oneohtrix Point Never or OPN, is an American experimental electronic music producer, composer, singer and songwriter. His music has stylistically experimented with tropes from various musical genres and eras, sample-based song structures, and elaborate MIDI production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford & Lopatin</span>

Ford & Lopatin is an American electronic duo composed of musicians Daniel Lopatin and Joel Ford. The group's sound draws on disparate genres such as 1980s synthpop and MIDI-funk, chopped and screwed production, 1970s fusion, and techno. They have released a number of original recordings and remix mixtapes, including the 2011 album Channel Pressure.

<i>Returnal</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Returnal is the fourth studio album by American electronic musician Daniel Lopatin under the alias Oneohtrix Point Never, released on June 22, 2010 by Mego Records. It develops the synthesizer-based compositions of Lopatin's previous work, while also incorporating elements of noise music and his own processed vocals. The album received positive reviews from critics, and was named among the best albums of 2010 by several publications, including Fact, The Wire, and Tiny Mix Tapes.

<i>Replica</i> (Oneohtrix Point Never album) 2011 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Replica is the fifth studio album by American electronic musician Daniel Lopatin under the stage name Oneohtrix Point Never, released on November 8, 2011 via Mexican Summer and Software. It features co-production by Joel Ford and Al Carlson, and was Lopatin's first work to be recorded in a studio. Stylistically, the album marks a shift away from Lopatin's previous synth-based works under the alias, instead showcasing a sample-based approach utilizing audio from 1980s and 1990s television advertisements.

<i>R Plus Seven</i> 2013 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

R Plus Seven is the sixth studio album by American electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never, released on September 30, 2013, as his debut album on Warp Records. The album's musical palette draws heavily on the synthetic sounds of MIDI instruments, 1980s synth presets and VSTs.

<i>Channel Pressure</i> 2011 studio album by Ford & Lopatin

Channel Pressure is the debut studio album of electronic music duo Ford & Lopatin, consisting of producers Daniel Lopatin and Joel Ford. Following the group's abandonment of their previous name "Games" for legal reasons, they recorded the album at Gary's Electric Studios in Brooklyn, New York. It was released on June 7, 2011 as the first album to be issued on Software, Lopatin's own label under the Mexican Summer imprint.

<i>That We Can Play</i> 2010 EP by Games

That We Can Play is the debut EP of the American electronic-music project Games, consisting of producers Daniel Lopatin and Joel Ford. Lopatin and Ford produced That We Can Play in an apartment studio, using vintage synthesizers and sequencers to recapture the sound and style of 1980s power pop.

<i>Garden of Delete</i> 2015 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Garden of Delete is the seventh studio album by American electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never, released on November 13, 2015 on Warp Records. The album, radically stylistically different from his previous releases, was preceded by an enigmatic Internet-based promotional campaign and draws on influences such as grunge music and nu metal, top 40 radio cliches, and themes of adolescence, mutation and abjection. It received generally positive reviews from critics and was included on year-end lists by several publications, including PopMatters, Fact and The Quietus.

<i>Chuck Persons Eccojams Vol. 1</i> 2010 studio album by Chuck Person

Chuck Person's Eccojams Vol. 1 is an album by American electronic musician Daniel Lopatin under the pseudonym Chuck Person. An album of plunderphonic chopped and screwed remixes, Eccojams Vol. 1 features songs that consist of looped samples from popular songs from the 1980s and 1990s, with effects such as reverb and pitch shifting being applied. The results tend to highlight mournful or existential lyrics from its sampled sources.

<i>Hopelessness</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Anohni

Hopelessness is the debut solo album by British-American artist Anohni, former frontwoman of Antony and the Johnsons, released on 6 May 2016 on Secretly Canadian, Rough Trade, and Hostess. Featuring co-production by Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never, the album departs from the chamber pop style of her previous work, instead exploring an electronic sound and engaging directly with political and environmental themes in the form of protest songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Lopatin discography</span>

Daniel Lopatin is a Brooklyn-based experimental musician who records primarily under the pseudonym Oneohtrix Point Never. Early in his career as both a solo artist and as a member of several groups, he released a number of LPs and extended plays on a variety of independent labels. In 2010, he signed to Editions Mego and released his major label debut Returnal. In 2011, he founded the record label Software. In 2013, Lopatin signed to British electronic label Warp Records and released his label debut R Plus Seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypnagogic pop</span> Music genre

Hypnagogic pop is pop or psychedelic music that evokes cultural memory and nostalgia for the popular entertainment of the past. It emerged in the mid to late 2000s as American lo-fi and noise musicians began adopting retro aesthetics remembered from their childhood, such as radio rock, new wave pop, light rock, video game music, synth-pop, and R&B. Recordings circulated on cassette or Internet blogs and were typically marked by the use of outmoded analog equipment and DIY experimentation.

<i>Memory Vague</i> 2009 video by Oneohtrix Point Never

Memory Vague is a 2009 audio-visual project by Oneohtrix Point Never, the alias of electronic musician Daniel Lopatin. It was released as a limited-edition DVD-R by Root Strata on June 1, 2009.

<i>Commissions I</i> 2014 EP compilation by Oneohtrix Point Never

Commissions I is a compilation extended play by American electronic musician Daniel Lopatin, known by his stage name Oneohtrix Point Never. It was released as a limited 12" vinyl edition of 1,000 copies on Record Store Day 2014 by the English label Warp. It is a collection of three tracks Lopatin commissioned for art pieces, films and live performance events: "Music for Steamed Rocks," "Meet Your Creator," and "I Only Have Eyes For You." These commissions were mixed and engineered for the EP by Paul Corley and mastered by Valgeir Sigurðsson. The record was well received by music journalists, landing at number nine on a list of the best EPs of 2014 by Pretty Much Amazing.

<i>Music for Reliquary House / In 1980 I Was a Blue Square</i> 2012 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never and Rene Hell

Music For Reliquary House / In 1980 I Was A Blue Square is a split album by American electronic musician Daniel Lopatin, known by his stage name Oneohtrix Point Never, and Rene Hell, the project of American electronic music artist Jeff Witscher. It showcases Lopatin's and Witscher's shift from the style of their early synthesizer-heavy recordings to electroacoustic music. The split album was released by NNA Tapes on September 17, 2012 to favorable opinions from professional reviewers.

<i>Good Time</i> (soundtrack) 2017 soundtrack album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Good Time (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a soundtrack album by electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never, containing the score for the Safdie brothers' 2017 film Good Time. It was released on August 10, 2017 via Warp Records.

<i>Age Of</i> 2018 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Age Of is the eighth studio album by American electronic producer Oneohtrix Point Never, released on June 1, 2018 on Warp Records. Recorded over two years, it is the first Oneohtrix Point Never album to prominently feature Daniel Lopatin's own vocals. The album was accompanied by the MYRIAD tour, which premiered as a "conceptual concertscape" in 2018 at the Park Avenue Armory and ended its run in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Station (song)</span> 2018 single by Oneohtrix Point Never

"The Station" is a song by American electronic producer and singer-songwriter Oneohtrix Point Never from his eighth studio album, Age Of.

<i>Betrayed in the Octagon</i> 2007 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Betrayed in the Octagon is the first album by electronic artist Oneohtrix Point Never, initially credited to "Magic Oneohtrix Point Never".

<i>Magic Oneohtrix Point Never</i> 2020 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is the ninth studio album by American electronic producer Daniel Lopatin, under his alias Oneohtrix Point Never, released on October 30, 2020, via Warp. The album draws on a psychedelic radio aesthetic strongly inspired by Magic 106.7, the mondegreen namesake of Lopatin's project, and was recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns, between March and July 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Oneohtrix Point Never: Rifts". Popmatters.com. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 Alekseenko, Gregory. "Oneohtrix Point Never – Age Of - Review". Sungenre. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Brooklyn's Noise Scene Catches Up to Oneohtrix Point Never". Villagevoice.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  4. Kawaii, Keith (November 24, 2009). "Oneohtrix Point Never". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  5. Beta, Andy. "Oneohtrix Point Never Has Some Cool Theories About Soundtracking Movies". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  6. 1 2 Powell, Mike. "Machine Love: Oneohtrix Point Never". Residentadvisor.net. Resident Advisor. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Krinsley, Jeremy. "Bothering DANIEL LOPATIN of ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER". Impose Magazine. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "The Quietus - Reviews - Oneohtrix Point Never". Thequietus.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "Music Review: Oneohtrix Point Never - Rifts". Tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  10. 1 2 "Rifts - Oneohtrix Point Never - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  11. 1 2 "Oneohtrix Point Never – Rifts". Thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  12. Colly, Joe (February 2, 2010). "Oneothrix Point Never: Rifts". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Oneohtrix Point Never: Rifts Album Review - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  14. Burke, Max. "Oneohtrix Point Never - Rifts Album Review - Prefixmag.com". Prefixmag.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  15. Tannenbaum, Rob (20 February 2013). "Rifts". Rollingstone.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  16. hyperion (July 19, 2015). "Review: Oneohtrix Point Never – Rifts". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  17. "2009 Rewind: Records of the Year Top Ten" . The Wire. No. 311. London. January 2010. p. 39 via Exact Editions.(subscription required)