It’s hardly surprising that the debut album from Oneohtrix Point Never is steeped in a conceptual framework.Daniel Lopatin, the creative force behind the project, has consistently produced a series of celebrated works that explore various themes while also engaging in film scoring and collaborating with diverse artists such as The Weeknd, Anohni, charli XCX, and Soccer Mommy.
The 2010 release Returnal introduced listeners to what Lopatin termed “hyperreal world music,” reflecting how individuals now experience more of the globe without ever stepping outside their homes. In 2015’s Garden of Delete, he crafted an elaborate narrative surrounding a teenage humanoid alien named Ezra; while Age Of (2018) envisioned artificial intelligence striving to reconstruct human culture after humanity’s extinction.Lopatin’s interest with nostalgia and overlooked pop culture artifacts is evident throughout his work: he has created albums centered on distorted loops of 80s pop songs, preset sounds from vintage synthesizers, and recordings from U.S.radio stations that have shifted genres over time in favor of contemporary trends.
This context makes Tranquilizer feel very much at home within the Oneohtrix Point Never catalog—it resembles a follow-up to Replica released fourteen years earlier. On Replica, Lopatin utilized sounds sourced from bootleg DVDs featuring vintage TV commercials from the late ’80s to early ’90s. In contrast, Tranquilizer is constructed using an archive of old sample CDs—collections of royalty-free sounds once sold to musicians during the ’90s and early ’00s—that he discovered on the Internet Archive. A sense of urgency arose when he bookmarked this page only to find it had been removed shortly thereafter; it later resurfaced but highlighted how precarious our digital preservation efforts can be.
The disorienting nature present in replica reappears here; snippets of spoken word are used similarly—listeners might catch just a breath or part of a voiceover before it abruptly cuts off into silence or loops back on itself. This unsettling quality permeates Tranquilizer as well; sample CDs were typically categorized by genre—drum’n’bass or hip-hop—but here they seem tailored for ambient or new age music creators instead. The opening track “Residue,” for instance, begins with ocean waves accompanied by expansive guitar chords reminiscent of pink Floyd alongside ethereal vocals layered over warm electronic tones.
Despite its title suggesting relaxation, Tranquilizer does not lull listeners into complacency but rather entices them into an intricate web woven with familiar yet jarring soundscapes that keep them alert throughout its duration.
Tracks like “Bumpy,” where rhythmic patterns clash unexpectedly like a malfunctioning record player or “Vestigel,” which shifts pitch creating an almost dizzy sensation exemplify this tension beautifully.
Other moments evoke overwhelming euphoria such as during “Rodl Waft,” where tranquil soundscapes suddenly erupt into vibrant rave energy or when synth lines burst forth mid-track in “Dis.” For those who remember older technology fondly—a nostalgic touch includes interference noises reminiscent of outdated mobile phones disrupting audio playback.
Closing track “Waterfalls” transitions through desolate landscapes before plunging headfirst into bustling urban rhythms—a journey echoing elements found within japanese ambient compositions akin to Visible Cloaks’ renowned mix series Fairlights Mallets & Bamboo juxtaposed against echoes resembling classic children’s television themes—all culminating in an exhilarating auditory experience rather than mere relaxation.
This Week Alexis Listened To
Gans – This Product Dub: A dynamic punk duo hailing from Birmingham collaborates with producer Ross Orton transforming one song off their debut album Correct For The soul into an electrifying dancefloor anthem.