0 0 0 – ODE TO THE CITY
0 0 0 is an electronic music producer from the Netherlands that specialises in dreary, luscious soundscapes. Drawing from the gloomy city life as inspiration, the artist encapsulates the empty feeling of modern-day life.
ACEDIAC is a relatively straightforward yet mellifluous opener, and the impetus of SKYLINE is encapsulating, but leads to nothing. CONCRETE HILLS is where the album begins to shine. The swarthy underbelly is delightfully mixed, and the meaty bass is fervently majestic. BABEL is rather immaculate; the catastrophic soundscape is both ominous and enticing. SHATTERED REFLECTIONS continues the trend, as if to descend further into the decaying wasteland. The main synth is relatively bland in comparison to the portentous bleak textures, though; thankfully the song is capable of riding on its aesthetic. BLACKHOLE and ASPHYXIA are exquisite detours, relying less on the conventional beats and more on satisfying, low-frequency soundscapes. Bleak textures are where 0 0 0 shine the most. The beat returns in a satisfying manner on NO MERCY, an exemplary bass-driven track. Sadly, the trepid synths return on ENTROPY, marking the abject decline in quality of the album. While the charismatic NEON REQUIEM boasts some stunning textures, the arp somewhat holds it back – it’s a conventional trope to fall back on. Lastly, the main synth holds back RESET from making an impact.
Ode to the City’s greatest strength lies within its production; there’s certainly a master at their craft. The compositions are relatively straightforward, though – an area 0 0 0 could improve on. When the album focuses on its textures it works best and leaves one yearning for more. Here’s hoping 0 0 0 further explores these soundscapes in future.
Good
Listen to it here:
0 0 0 – ODE TO THE CITY
