Alientale – Crumble
Alientale is an electronic artist from Lockport, Illinois. Focusing on IDM and dance-music, Alientale replicates the the serene trance garage beats of Aphex Twin and Four Tet to a fault, with sparse moments of technical brilliance.
The best songs on Crumble are within the first half. Warmbodied is quite a solid opener, as is the following track Turn the Flower Radio, which utilises its samples well. Throughout the rest of the album the sample use is not as elegant, though; such as during Quietly Wishing My Head Explodes. Wishywaaash experiments with its soundscapes in an exceptional manner, though its short length is a wasted potential. Wallflower is potentially the peak of the album, blending acoustic violins in one superfluous fashion.
The problem with the rest of Crumble is it sounds much too like a rip-off. Loki the Corgi and Nine Tomorrohs (Let’s Swim Till Dawn Breaks) are very much carbon copies of their influences. While the production and aesthetic are consistently gorgeous throughout, composition-wise they are severely lacking. This is partly due to the genre being oversaturated and done to death.
Innovation aside, Alientale is exceptionally talented at mixing. His soundscapes are beautifully varied, though his melodies and beats are very standard. His work would fit perfectly within a high-quality trance playlist, though it would easily be confused for a more prominent figure’s work. If alientale’s goal is imitation, he’s certainly achieved it – here’s hoping he can create something more original next time.
Below Average
Listen to it here:
Alientale – Crumble
