Review: Cex – Shamaneater

Rjyan Kidwell has created the ultimate antiquated soundtrack. Not that the music itself is outdated, but the project’s concept embodies the modernization fad that our generation suffers from. Created to visually mimic a “new” PS2 game, it features old synthesizers and drum machines which all play off the album’s concept. This album is laden with rusty sounds that have been ground down and reworked to shine again like new. It’s industrial trip-hop with a purpose. The track “Desperate” permeates in a way that is almost nostalgic—with its metallic chords of clips and chirps, it sounded so familiar. Shamaneater plays out that way—fluidly drifting between the familiar and foreign. Albeit well-produced and deliberate, it makes you wonder just how long a piece of art like this can actually last. –Kamryn Feigel