Bleep

For his debut LP as Celestial Trax, Joni Juden has opted to reinvent his wheel somewhat. Eschewing sample packs and software synths for field recordings, analog samples and YouTube rips, Juden has created an album that hums with the energy of his native NYC, yet also maintains an observational detachment born from re-engagement with city’s day-to-day buzz. While tracks like ‘Godless’ and ‘Crushhh’ are cast in the same livewire club mould as his previous releases, there is also a more organic and tactile feel to the production here. Juden really grows into the long-player format across the album, often eschewing the club for excursions that take in trip-hop (‘Black Serpent’), coldwave (‘Pleasure Through Pain’), music concrete (‘New York Is A Desert’) and much more. A multi-faceted and richly rewarding album that will appeal to anyone who has enjoyed the recent work of Arca, Yves Tumor or Hype Williams.