★★★★
It’s strange to be attracted to unintrusiveness as a musical quality, but DJ Shadow has consistently made it a hypnotic prospect.
His albums all feel so welcoming; they ease into your mind, ignite your curiosity and slowly entice you into his surreal vibes. Even his most energetic soundscapes don’t require any effort, and by the time you’ve realised how deeply you’ve drifted, it’s too late – you’re already hooked.
Embracing the experimental possibilities of trap and EDM, The Mountain Will Fall is one of Shadow’s darker efforts, with his penchant for catchy samples and slivers of melancholic essence mutating further into heavy, bass-driven abnormalities.
The opening title track eases you in with a theatrically tranquil journey set among ’80s synth-tinged galactic frontiers. It’s sweet and serene, but abruptly changes gears into the filthy funk-fused ‘Nobody Speak’, featuring a furiously foul-mouthed Run The Jewels. For many albums, that could be considered jarring. For Shadow, it’s just another of his deliberately disorienting tactics, and the desire to figure out what you’ve stumbled upon sucks you in further.
This album is at its best when it reminds you of Shadow’s classic flourishes, but otherwise, The Mountain Will Fall is a bold step into a strange new age.
DJ Shadow’sThe Mountain Will Fallis available now through Mass Appeal.
