Unflesh Explained

Unflesh
Type:studio
Artist:Gazelle Twin
Cover:Gazelle Twin - Unflesh cover art.png
Recorded:2014
Genre:
Length:38:36
Label:
Producer:
Prev Title:The Entire City
Prev Year:2012
Next Title:Pastoral
Next Year:2018

Unflesh is the second studio album by English electronic music project Gazelle Twin of composer, producer and musician Elizabeth Bernholz. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2014 to critical acclaim.

Production

Bernholz discussed developing the tracks: "Beats are the most instinctive thing to begin with as I get sense of something moving forward. I always find that a beat and a baseline work best to form the skeleton of a track, but sometimes it's good to shake things up and do it differently. I really like to loop found or homemade samples and hear melodies, or beats or harmonic overtones in those, and start building from there. Other times I'll start with a vocal line and build outwards."

Bernholz made Unflesh using the digital audio workstation Ableton. She wrote, recorded and produced all the material at home, and then went to MemeTune, an analogue studio in London, where she worked with Benge for additional production and mixing. All the tracks were mixed using a 1974 MCI console, Bernholz reasoning that "Anything sounds better through an analogue desk like that."[2]

Composition

The writing process of Unflesh was simplified from Gazelle Twin's previous albums, resulting in a more direct and lo-fi sound and sharing only minimal connections with The Entire City. The record is more spoken word than melodic. Guy Mankowski described Unflesh lyrically as a "post-Kid A album, an extended critique of postmodern living". Euthanasia, miscarriage, European colonization, personal upbringing, and body dysmorphia are among the subjects present on the album.[3]

The soundscapes were partly inspired by Bernholz' two-year study of science of medicine.[3] In the words of Drowned in Sound writer Tristan Bath, instrumentation of "skittering beats" and "squeamishly thin synth tones" remain present throughout the album, with Bernholz' vocals "on top more often than not twisted unrecognisably into that of a demonic robot." Her voice changes constantly, writing that there are "several songs applying layer upon layer of densely mutated vocal tracks (as on the title track) while others remain clean in favour of the lyrics ('I Feel Blood')." The synths were noted to be influenced by Iggy Pop and John Carpenter.[3] Artrocker's Finola Doran described the record as "like a piece of art rather than music one would sing and dance to",[4] while in contrast, Robert Whitfield noted Unflesh to be "surprisingly danceable record amidst all the dark beats".[5]

Critical reception

Unflesh was met with critical acclaim upon release, holding an aggregated 83 out of 100 from Metacritic based on eight reviews. It was named album of the year by The Quietus.[6]

Accolades

Year CountryPublication/AuthorAccoladeRank
2014United KingdomThe 405The 30 Best Albums of 2014[7] 23
musicOMHTop 100 Albums of 2014[8] 79
United StatesNPR MusicThe Ten Best Electronic Albums of 2014[9] 4
United KingdomThe QuietusAlbums of the Year 2014[10] 1
UncutTop 75 Albums of 2014[11] 63

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Gazelle Twin's official bandcamp.[12]

Musician

Technical personnel

Artwork

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Pastoral' Sees Gazelle Twin Perform a Sardonic Reconfiguration of Avant-pop. PopMatters. 17 September 2018. Stasis. Spyros. 31 January 2019.
  2. Web site: Talking Shop: Gazelle Twin. Future Music. 23 September 2014. MusicRadar. 5 November 2014.
  3. Web site: Adams. Gregory. 3 July 2014. Gazelle Twin Details 'Unflesh,' Premieres New Track. Exclaim!. 8 November 2014.
  4. Web site: Artrocker liked it. 2 September 2014. Gazelle Twin. 7 November 2014.
  5. Web site: Whitfield . Robert. 19 September 2014. Gazelle Twin – Unflesh. The 405. 5 November 2014.
  6. Web site: Doran. John. 11 December 2014. Quietus Albums Of The Year 2014 (In Association With Norman Records) . The Quietus. 26 December 2014.
  7. Web site: The 30 Best Albums of 2014 . The 405. 9 December 2014. 26 December 2014.
  8. Web site: Hubbard . Michael. 6 December 2014. musicOMH’s Top 100 Albums Of 2014. musicOMH. 26 December 2014.
  9. Web site: Hart. Otis. 20 December 2014. The 10 Best Electronic Albums Of 2014. NPR Music. 26 December 2014.
  10. Web site: Doran. John. 11 December 2014. Quietus Albums Of The Year 2014 (In Association With Norman Records) . The Quietus. 26 December 2014.
  11. Web site: Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2014. Album of the Year. 26 December 2014.
  12. Web site: UNFLESH by Gazelle Twin. Bandcamp. 7 November 2014.