The Anteroom

Last updated
The Anteroom
The Anteroom.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 19, 2018
Recorded2016–2018
StudioPat House, Los Angeles
Genre
Length57:24
Label Domino
Producer
How to Dress Well chronology
Care
(2016)
The Anteroom
(2018)
I Am Toward You
(2024)
Singles from The Anteroom
  1. "Vacant Boat (shred) | Nonkilling 1 | The Anteroom | False Skull 1"
    Released: June 27, 2018
  2. "Nonkilling 6 | Hunger"
    Released: September 11, 2018
  3. "Body Fat"
    Released: October 15, 2018
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 74/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Dork Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Drowned in Sound 4/10 [7]
The Line of Best Fit 7.5/10 [8]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Pitchfork 7.3/10 [1]

The Anteroom is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Tom Krell, best known under his project name How to Dress Well, released on October 19, 2018 digitally and physically on Domino. The album was influenced by a spiritually intense period in Krell's life, as well as his renewed interest in experimental electronic music with abrasive and atmospheric textures that he had explored at the beginning of his career.

Contents

Background and composition

Krell initially conceptualized The Anteroom when he relocated to Los Angeles after the United States 2016 election, and intended it as a "testament" to a two-year spiritually exploratory and intense period in his life that followed where he "felt [himself] slipping out of the world and into a cosmic loneliness in which [he] would eventually be dissolved". [10] Prior to the album's release, Krell addressed that he was "no longer making music for the algorithm". [11] With the album, he aimed to return to the experimental-, ambient- and noise-influenced sounds of his early work, but more cohesive and detailed; the press release subsequently described the album as a "single continuous piece of 21st century psychedelic music". [12] Domino described the album as incorporating "blizzardous electronic noise, fragile melodies and poignant poetry", [2] and compared the album to a weighted blanket. [2] Krell also detailed the album's artistic and literary inspirations, citing:

Inspired by Coil (especially the "Moon Musick" phase), Robert Ashley, Kathy Acker, Helena Hauff, Neil Landstrumm, Front 242, Paul B. Preciado, "Acid Mt. Fuji," Dambudzo Marechera, Vatican Shadow, Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, Alec Empire, Akira Rabelais, Frank Bidart, Basic Channel, Ocean Vuong, Silvia Federici, Maggie Nelson, Alejandra Pizarnik, demonic negative transcendence, the end of life on the earth: How to Dress Well presents The Anteroom. [2]

Krell additionally published a Spotify playlist titled "The Anteroom Influences (LOTOU 1.1)" which documented the album's overall musical influences, as well as songs he listened to before and during the production of the album as reference points for its production style and emotional tone. [13]

Artist and producer Joel Ford, who contributed production and engineering to The Anteroom, was described as a "facilitator" and a medium, and Krell admitted that his production on the album lead to Ford's interest and passion for music being renewed after a prior negative experience; [14] Krell coped with "super mangled emotions" through Ford's presence in the studio. [14] They also developed a technique known as "Incomplete Picture", an analogy for their gradually reductive production process and tendencies to engage in minimalism, creating "openness for the listening act". [14]

Concept and influences

The Anteroom is stylistically radically different from Krell's prior album under How to Dress Well, Care (2016), which was focused strictly on contemporary R&B and synthpop. In comparison, The Anteroom focuses mainly on experimental electronic music, ambient music and post-industrial music with abstracted pop songwriting, which was described as "bewitching sound experimentation". Prior to the album's release, Krell called it his "most sonically, biographically and conceptually detailed and intense record to date". [11] He also admitted that he "got in such an intense space mentally", [15] and that the album ended up becoming "this kind of big, exquisite corpse of itself". [15] The album also lyrically addresses elements of Krell's own personal life, emphasized the most on "Nonkilling 6 | Hunger", "July 13 No Hope No Pain", and "Love Means Taking Action".

The album features literary and poetic references; the title track, "The Anteroom", lyrically references Maggie Nelson's Bluets multiple times, "Nonkilling 6 | Hunger" begins with a sample of a reading of Li-Young Lee's poem "The Cleaving", and "Brutal | False Skull 5" uses vocal samples of readings of poems by Ocean Vuong, Anne Sexton and Frank Bidart. Krell commented that "the way [he] write[s] is very free associative", [14] and that he "had a canon of books [he] was reading; over and over, books of poetry that were essential"; he compared himself to a channel for such works. [14]

Album art

The album cover of The Anteroom, different for the CD and vinyl editions, was created by Krell in collaboration with artist and friend Joshua Clancy. The deluxe vinyl edition in particular features art created in a "VR cave" on the Oculus Rift, which Krell and Clancy described as a "hyper-Lascaux at the end of the world". [11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tom Krell unless indicated, and co-produced by Joel Ford and Michael Silver

The Anteroom track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Humans Disguised as Animals | Nonkilling 1" 4:50
2."Body Fat" 5:02
3."False Skull 7" 1:13
4."Nonkilling 3 | The Anteroom | False Skull 1" 6:42
5."Vacant Boat" 3:03
6."Nonkilling 13 | Ceiling for the Sky"
  • Krell
  • Nick Sylvester
5:21
7."A Memory, The Spinning of a Body | Nonkilling 2" 5:04
8."Nonkilling 6 | Hunger" 5:40
9."July 13 No Hope No Pain" 6:35
10."Love Means Taking Action"
  • Krell
  • Ford
  • Loke Rahbek
4:23
11."Brutal | False Skull 5" 3:20
12."False Skull 12" 2:20
13."Nothing" 3:52
Total length:57:24

Sample credits

Related Research Articles

<i>Infinite</i> (Eminem album) 1996 studio album by Eminem

Infinite is the debut studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 12, 1996, through Web Entertainment. Recording sessions took place at the Bass Brothers' studio, with production handled by Denaun Porter and Eminem himself. The album features guest vocals from fellow Detroit rappers Proof, Denaun Porter, Eye-Kyu, Three and Thyme, as well as singer Angela Workman.

<i>Rounds</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Four Tet

Rounds is the third solo album by British electronic musician Kieran Hebden, released under his alias Four Tet on 5 May 2003 by Domino Recording Company. Wanting to make a more personal record, Hebden recorded and produced the album in his North London flat over ten months using a desktop computer and a home hi-fi system. Its ten tracks feature elements of hip hop, jazz and folk; apart from a guitar part recorded for "Slow Jam", the music is composed from between 200 and 300 samples, many processed beyond recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Hopkins</span> English electronic musician and producer

Jonathan Julian Hopkins is an English musician and producer who writes and performs electronic music. He began his career playing keyboards for Imogen Heap, and has produced but also contributed to albums by Brian Eno, Coldplay, David Holmes and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Deacon</span> American musician

Daniel Deacon is an American composer and electronic musician based in Baltimore, Maryland.

<i>Merriweather Post Pavilion</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Animal Collective

Merriweather Post Pavilion is the eighth studio album by American experimental pop group Animal Collective, released on January 6, 2009, through Domino Records. The group recorded the album as a trio featuring members Panda Bear, Avey Tare and Geologist, with co-production by Ben H. Allen. It is titled after the Maryland venue of the same name, where Portner and Weitz attended concerts in their youth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How to Dress Well</span> American multimedia artist

How to Dress Well is the stage name of Tom Krell, an American multimedia artist, singer-songwriter, and producer from Boulder, Colorado. He began releasing music independently through his own blog around 2009 and via labels like Tri Angle, Lefse Records, Weird World, and eventually Domino later on in his career.

<i>Submarine</i> (EP) 2011 EP / soundtrack by Alex Turner

Submarine is the debut solo EP by English musician and Arctic Monkeys lead vocalist Alex Turner, released on 14 March 2011 by Domino Recording Company. It was written by Turner in 2009, on an acoustic guitar, at his New York City home. It was produced in London by frequent collaborator James Ford, alongside guest musician Bill Ryder-Jones, and string arranger Owen Pallett. The EP consists of six original songs that act as the soundtrack of Richard Ayoade's debut feature film, Submarine (2010), based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne. The artwork is a resized version of the film's poster, which depicts lead actor Craig Roberts.

<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>A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart</i> 2013 studio album by Bill Ryder-Jones

A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart is the second studio album by English musician Bill Ryder-Jones. It was released in April 2013 under Domino Records.

"Tuscan Leather" is a song by Canadian recording artist Drake for his third studio album, Nothing Was the Same (2013). It was written by Drake along with Anthony Palma and Noah Shebib, who produced the song under his production name "40" along with Nathan Sessoms. The song heavily samples "I Have Nothing" performed by Whitney Houston and written by David Foster and Linda Thompson-Jenner, who received writing credits on "Tuscan Leather". Noted for its unique song structure devoid of any choruses, it is a hip hop song which utilizes influences of R&B and ambient throughout its composition.

<i>This Is All Yours</i> 2014 studio album by alt-J

This Is All Yours is the second album by English indie rock band alt-J, released on 22 September 2014 through Infectious. It was promoted with four singles: "Hunger of the Pine", "Left Hand Free", "Every Other Freckle", and "Warm Foothills". It topped the UK Albums Chart, was runner up in Belgium, Australia, and Canada and reached #4 in the United States. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

<i>"What Is This Heart?"</i> 2014 studio album by How to Dress Well

"What Is This Heart?" is the third studio album by How to Dress Well released on June 23, 2014, on Weird World, an imprint of Domino. It is his highest-charting album peaking at number 145 on The Billboard 200.

<i>The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by various artists

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is the soundtrack album to the 2014 dystopian science fiction film of the same name, curated by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. The film is an adaptation of the 2010 novel by Suzanne Collins and is the third installment in The Hunger Games film series. The soundtrack has been described by music critics as an electropop record with elements of hip hop, synth pop and the use of electronic beats throughout the album. The melodic style of the songs is a deviation from the guitar-driven sound of the previous series' soundtracks.

"Meltdown" is a song by Belgian artist Stromae featuring additional vocals from New Zealand singer Lorde, American rappers Pusha T and Q-Tip, as well as American indie rock band Haim. It was released on 17 November 2014 as the opening track for the soundtrack album of the motion picture The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. "Meltdown" uses the instrumentation of "Merci", taken from Stromae's second studio album Racine carrée (2013), which was produced by the lead artist, Thomas Azier and Aron Ottingnon. It was well received by music critics and charted at the top spot in several of Stromae's native charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Walker</span> Norwegian music producer and DJ (born 1997)

Alan Olav Walker is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He has released several known songs including his single "Faded" (2015), which was certified platinum in 14 countries, "Force" (2015), "Sing Me to Sleep" (2016), "All Falls Down" featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals (2017), "Darkside" (2018), "Diamond Heart" (2018), "On My Way" featuring Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko (2019), and "Alone, Pt. II" featuring Ava Max (2019), all of which attracted hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. Three of his songs—"Faded", "Alone" (2016) and "The Spectre" (2017)—have garnered over a billion views on YouTube.

<i>Care</i> (How to Dress Well album) 2016 studio album by How to Dress Well

Care is the fourth studio album by American musician How to Dress Well, released on September 23, 2016 by the Domino Recording Company.

<i>Just Once</i> (EP) 2011 EP by How to Dress Well

Just Once is an extended play by American singer-songwriter Tom Krell, known by his stage name as How to Dress Well. It was released on July 12, 2011, by the label Yours Truly, and is dedicated to Krell's friend Ryan Douglas Hitchon, who died in August 2010. The extended play consists of three string quartet-driven chamber renditions of songs from How to Dress Well's debut album Love Remains (2010), as well as another track, "Suicide Dream 3". Just Once was written by Krell, and recorded and mixed by Nic Atamaniuk. It garnered generally positive reviews from music journalists upon its July 2011 distribution, some of the major praises and criticisms going towards its departure from the reverb-and-distortion-heavy sound of Love Remains for a cleaner sound.

<i>Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho</i> 2017 studio album by Huncho Jack

Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho is the only studio album by American hip hop duo Huncho Jack, which consists of American rappers Travis Scott and Quavo. The album was released on December 21, 2017, by Cactus Jack Records, Grand Hustle Records, Epic Records, Capitol Records, Motown, and Quality Control Music. It features guest appearances from fellow Migos members, Takeoff and Offset. Production was handled by Murda Beatz, Southside, and Frank Dukes, among others.

Hyperpop is a loosely defined electronic music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early 2010s. It is characterised by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and artists within the microgenre typically integrate pop and avant-garde sensibilities while drawing on elements commonly found in electronic, hip hop, and dance music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaive (musician)</span> American musician (born 2005)

Ash Blue Gutierrez, known professionally as Glaive, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. After posting a string of hyperpop songs to SoundCloud during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that earned him a cult following, he signed a record deal with Interscope Records and released his debut extended play, Cypress Grove, in 2020. His debut album, I Care So Much That I Don't Care at All, was released on July 14, 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "How to Dress Well - The Anteroom | Pitchfork Media". pitchfork.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "How To Dress Well - The Anteroom – Rough Trade". Rough Trade. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  3. "Metacritic Review". Metacritic . Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  4. Phares, Heather. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic . Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  5. Goggins, Joe. "DIY Magazine Review". DIY . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  6. Young, Martyyn (October 16, 2018). "Dork Magazine Review". Dork . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  7. Wilkinson, Henry (October 26, 2018). "Drowned in Sound Review". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  8. Biddles, Claire (October 18, 2018). "The new record from How To Dress Well is an urgent, uneasy return". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  9. Devlin, Ben (October 15, 2018). "MusicOMH Review". MusicOMH . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  10. "How To Dress Well Announces The Anteroom, Shares "Nonkilling 6 | Hunger" | Music News | Consequence of Sound". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 "The Inside Story of How To Dress Well's Music, as Told by How To Dress Well". AnotherMan. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  12. "How To Dress Well announces new album The Anteroom". Domino Music. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  13. "The Anteroom Influences (LOTOU 1.1) | Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "How To Dress Well talks philosophy, metaphysics, duality, and the truth in 'The Anteroom' [Interview]". Earmilk. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "How To Dress Well The Anteroom Interview". Red Bull. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  16. "Class of 2018 – The 100 Greatest Songs of the Year!". Songs For Whoever. Retrieved January 30, 2019.