Sisyphus (album) explained

Sisyphus
Type:	studio
Artist:	Sisyphus
Cover:	Sisyphus album.jpg
Genre:	Hip hop, electronic
Label:	Asthmatic Kitty
Prev Title:	Beak & Claw
Prev Year:	2012

Sisyphus is the debut studio album by Sisyphus, a collaborative project between Serengeti, Son Lux, and Sufjan Stevens.^[1] It was released through Asthmatic Kitty on March 18, 2014. The project was commissioned by the Walker Art Center and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music series to accompany an exhibition of the work of visual artist Jim Hodges, scheduled to run from February 14 through May 11, 2014.^[2]

Music videos were made for "Calm It Down",^[3] "Alcohol",^[4] "Booty Call",^[5] and "Take Me".^[6]

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 64, based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Jeremy D. Larson of Pitchfork gave the album a 6.2 out of 10, saying: "More often than not, Sisyphus misses its mark, but the album's dense, melancholy back half represents its strongest moments." Meanwhile, Paul MacInnes of The Guardian gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying: "Even when the fusion doesn't work, you can't help but admire the creativity."

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

Sisyphus

• Serengeti – performance
• Son Lux – performance
• Sufjan Stevens – performance

Additional musicians

• Rob Moose – strings (5)
• DM Stith – vocals (8)
• Christopher Wray – guitar (8), bass guitar (8)
• Rafiq Bhatia – guitar (10)

Technical personnel

• Jim Hodges – artwork
• Stephen Halker – Sisyphus logo
• David Regen – back cover photography
• Ronald Amstutz – interior photography

Charts

Chart	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[7]	163
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)^[8]	3
US Independent Albums (Billboard)^[9]	32
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[10]	47

Notes and References

1. Web site: 10 Albums to Stream: Black Lips, Bradford Cox, 'Divergent' Soundtrack, and More. Spin. Jen. Jamin. March 7, 2014. July 7, 2018.
2. Web site: Listen: Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, and Serengeti Announce LP as Sisyphus, Share "Calm It Down". Pitchfork. Evan. Minsker. December 19, 2013. July 7, 2018.
3. Web site: Sisyphus (Sufjan, Son Lux, & Serengeti) – "Calm It Down". Stereogum. Chris. Deville. December 19, 2013. July 7, 2018.
4. Web site: Watch: Sisyphus (Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux, Serengeti) – "Alcohol". CMJ. Anna. Batt. February 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141205130040/http://www.cmj.com/news/watch-sisyphus-sufjan-stevens-son-lux-serengeti-alcohol-video/. December 5, 2014. July 7, 2018.
5. Web site: Sisyphus "Booty Call" (video). Exclaim!. Alex. Hudson. March 26, 2014. July 7, 2018.
6. Web site: Watch: Sufjan Stevens stars in Sisyphus' new video for "Take Me". Consequence of Sound. Michelle. Geslani. May 2, 2014. July 7, 2018.
7. Sisyphus: Chart History (Billboard 200). Billboard. July 7, 2018.
8. Sisyphus: Chart History (Heatseekers Albums). Billboard. July 7, 2018.
9. Sisyphus: Chart History (Independent Albums). Billboard. July 7, 2018.
10. Sisyphus: Chart History (Top Rock Albums). Billboard. July 7, 2018.