This Chemical Sea

Last updated

This Chemical Sea
Jape 'This Chemical Sea' cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 23, 2015 [1]
Genre Electronic, electropop, indie
Length44:36
Label Faction Records
Producer Richie Egan & Glenn Keating [2]
Jape chronology
Ocean of Frequency
(2011)
This Chemical Sea
(2015)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Hot Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Drowned In Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Last Mixed Tape Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
State Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Nialler9 Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]

This Chemical Sea is the fifth studio album from Irish recording artist Jape. The album was released on January 23, 2015 [1] via Faction Records and reached number 8 in the Irish charts. [9]

Contents

Recording and Release

The album was written and recorded primarily at Richie Egan's studio in Malmo in Sweden, with fellow Jape member Glenn Keating also working on the album. Villagers front-man Conor O'Brein also features on the record, lending his vocals to the track 'Ribbon Ribbon Ribbon.[ citation needed ]

'The Heart's Desire' was the first single to be taken from This Chemical Sea and was streamed in October 2014. [10] The album itself was released in January 2015 through Faction Records, reaching the number 8 spot in the Irish album charts. [9]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Seance of Light"3:56
2."The Heart's Desire"4:06
3."Absolutely Animals"3:32
4."Without Life in a Way"4:07
5."Metamorphosis"5:36
6."Breathe of Life"5:21
7."I Go"4:14
8."Love on the Crest of a Wave"3:50
9."Ribbon Ribbon Ribbon"6:09
10."This Chemical Sea"3:45

Critical reception

This Chemical Sea was received well by critics upon its release, garnering generally positive reviews. Irish Times music critic Tony Clayton-Lea wrote that the album was "As vivid and vital an electro-pop record as you’ll surely hear this year.". [4] While The Last Mixed Tape said "Jape’s latest album feels like a mantra built on hypnotic rhythm, in the moment lyricism and atmospheric openness" [6] Drowned In Sound were also positive about the album and referred to it as "smart electro-pop expertly realised". [5] The record also featured as Nialler9's 'Album of the Week'. [8]

Not all reviews were completely positive, with State.ie commenting "Vocals are buried under the instruments and reverb, making you wish for the heart achingly humble ‘Phil Lynott’." [7]

Personnel

Performers

Technical Personnel

Related Research Articles

The Redneck Manifesto are an instrumental rock band from Dublin, Ireland. Its members are Richard Egan (bass), Niall Byrne (guitar) & Matthew Bolger (guitar). Past members include Mervyn Craig (drums), Neil O'Connor & Glenn Keating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choice Music Prize</span> Award

The Choice Music Prize, known for sponsorship reasons as the RTÉ Choice Music Prize is an annual music prize awarded to the best album from a band or solo musician who is born in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland or holds an Irish passport. For bands, the majority of members must have been born on the island of Ireland or hold an Irish passport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jape (band)</span> Irish electronic–rock band

Jape are an Irish electronic–rock band from Dublin. Formed as a side project by Richie Egan whilst part of The Redneck Manifesto, they have released five albums to date; Cosmosphere (2003), The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me (2004), Ritual (2008), Ocean of Frequency (2011), and This Chemical Sea (2015). Jape's wider discography includes the EP, Jape is Grape (2007), as well as a number of singles, including "Floating" and "Phil Lynott". The band have performed at festivals and events such as Glastonbury, Electric Picnic, Lovebox and Hard Working Class Heroes and provided support for The Flaming Lips at Belsonic in Belfast in August 2008.

<i>Sea Sew</i> 2008 studio album by Lisa Hannigan

Sea Sew is the debut studio album released by Lisa Hannigan. It was released in Ireland on 12 September 2008, with the lead single, "Lille", made available as a free download on lisahannigan.ie on 25 August.

<i>Even Better Than the Disco Thing</i> 2008 compilation album

Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians. Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is labelled "Mix CD" and contains twelve of the same sixteen tracks all over again. All the songs were performed and recorded live on The Ray D'Arcy Show. The title is a pun on the Even Better Than the Real Thing series of charity CDs recorded in previous years on D'Arcy's show, but temporarily discontinued after the third edition in 2005. They themselves are a reference to the U2 song "Even Better Than the Real Thing". Funds raised were donated to the National Children's Hospital and Barretstown.

<i>Ritual</i> (Jape album) 2008 studio album by Jape

Ritual is the third studio album from electronic rock band Jape, released on Co-op Records in 2008. It won the Choice Music Prize for the 2008 Irish Album of the Year in March 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Lynott (song)</span> 2008 single by Jape

"Phil Lynott" is a 2008 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from their third studio album, Ritual. Released on 19 December 2008, Jape fans were behind an unsuccessful online petition to establish the song as the Christmas number one in the Irish Singles Chart. "Phil Lynott" was well-received, with critics generally regarding it as one of the finer songs on the Ritual album and the Irish Independent naming it the best Irish song of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floating (Jape song)</span> 2004 single by Jape

"Floating" is a 2004 single by the Irish band Jape, taken from the second studio album, The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me and described as "Jape's trademark song". Co-produced by David Kitt, the single was the first release from the album and was generally viewed by critics as the standout track on the album. In 2007, it featured on the EP, Jape is Grape, for which a video was made. Brendan Benson of The Raconteurs is a known admirer of the song and has performed a cover version during live shows.

<i>White Lies</i> (Mick Flannery album) 2008 studio album by Mick Flannery

White Lies is the second studio album released by Irish singer-songwriter Mick Flannery. The album was released on September 12, 2008. It achieved a top ten position on the Irish Albums Chart and featured prominently on the country's national radio stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September Girls</span> Irish noise pop band

September Girls were a five-piece noise pop band from Dublin, Ireland. The band formed in September 2011 and performed their first gig in Dublin in November 2011. Having released singles under various labels between 2012 and 2013, the band signed to Fortuna Pop! in 2013 and released their debut album in January 2014.

<i>Coping Mechanisms</i> (Si Schroeder album) Studio album by Si Schroeder

Coping Mechanisms is the debut album by Irish music artist Si Schroeder. It was released in 2006 by Irish independent record label Trust Me I'm A Thief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Green Cars</span> Irish indie rock band

Little Green Cars were an Irish indie rock band formed in Dublin in 2008. The band announced on 21 March 2019 that they were disbanding. In the wake of the band's breakup, several past members formed Soda Blonde.

<i>Darling Arithmetic</i> 2015 studio album by Villagers

Darling Arithmetic is the third studio album from the twice Mercury Prize-nominated Irish indie folk band Villagers, released on April 10, 2015, via Domino Records. The album reached number one in the Irish album charts in its first week of release. It won the Best Album Award in the 2016 Ivor Novello Awards.

Pearse McGloughlin is a songwriter and artist from Sligo, Ireland. He has released five studio albums; Busy Whisper (2009), In Movement (2012) and Idiot Songs (2013) which was a concept album based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'The Idiot' in collaboration with composer Justin Grounds. McGloughlin draws on literary and philosophical influences in his work. His aesthetic is described as atmospheric or ethereal. McGloughlin released 'The Soft Animal' in 2016 under the artist name of 'Nocturnes'. ‘The Rest’ was released in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proper Micro NV</span> Musical artist

Rory Hall is an Irish singer/songwriter, electronic music producer and radio presenter best known under the alias Proper Micro NV.

<i>Modern Blues</i> (album) 2015 studio album by the Waterboys

Modern Blues is the eleventh studio album by the Waterboys, released on the independent label Harlequin and Clown in 2015. It was produced by Mike Scott, with two tracks being co-produced with Paul Brown. Modern Blues reached No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.

Pillow Queens are an Irish indie rock band from Dublin, formed in 2016. The band is composed of co-lead vocalists Sarah Corcoran and Pamela Connolly, lead guitarist Cathy McGuiness and drummer Rachel Lyons. The instrumental roles of Corcoran and Connolly switch around depending on which of them is performing lead vocals – if a song features Corcoran on lead vocals, for example, then she will play rhythm guitar and Connolly will play bass, and vice versa for Connolly's songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Sister</span> Irish folk music duo

Saint Sister is an Irish traditional duo, whose music has been described as "atmosfolk."

We Cut Corners are an Irish indie rock duo from Dublin.

Elaine Mai is a songwriter, musician, and producer from County Mayo, Ireland, now based in Dublin. Mai has been referred to as "one of Ireland's top electronic music producers" by RTE Radio One and Today FM. In January 2022, her debut album Home was shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize.

References

  1. 1 2 Nialler9 (3 December 2014). "Jape announces EU tour for 2015". Nialler9. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 "This Chemical Sea - Jape (bandcamp)". bandcamp. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  3. Tyaransen, Olaf (23 January 2015). "Jape-This Chemical Sea Review". Hot Press . Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 Clayton-Lea, Tony (22 January 2015). "Jape-This Chemical Sea Review". The Irish Times . Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 Hanratty, Dave (26 January 2015). "Jape-This Chemical Sea Review". Drowned In Sound . Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  6. 1 2 White, Stephen (12 January 2015). "Jape-This Chemical Sea Review". The Last Mixed Tape . Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  7. 1 2 Rehill, Brendan (23 January 2015). "Jape-This Chemical Sea Review". State . Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  8. 1 2 Nialler9 (22 January 2015). "Album of the Week:Jape-This Chemical Sea". Nialler9. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Ed Sheeran returns to Number One in Ireland". RTE.ie. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  10. Nialler9 (14 October 2014). "Premiere: Jape – 'The Heart's Desire'". Nialler9. Retrieved 26 April 2015.