Loraine James - Reflection

REARRANGING COLOSSAL CUBES OF OOZE

One thing's for sure; Reflection's cover couldn't be more applicable. Like all modern IDM, Loraine James finds significance in instability. Heavy bodies reduced to lymphatic ooze, capable of shaping and contorting with corpulent ease. Whether intentional or not, the cover shapes the mold of a human no matter which way it's looked upon. Purple, slushy haze consumes the presence in motion, ill-defined yet considerably carnal. The music, ironically, reflects that ambulation. Shape-shifting percussion gets tossed around like puddy, as seen on tracks like 'Simple Stuff' and 'Self Doubt,' congesting an otherwise sparse edifice with massive movement. It's a brand of Weightless - an Electronic genre for those unaware - that incorporates the indiscreet displacement of percussion typically found in Footwork, landing somewhere in the newly-minted middle ground of Deconstructed Club. In fact, numerous songs here take that moniker literally, thwarting calculable club music with inversions, switchbacks, and zero gravity pulls, whilst maintaining the harnessed lustiness of a night on the town. See: 'Black Ting' and 'Insecure Behaviour & Fuckery.'

There are times, namely on 'Let's Go' and the needlessly long 'Change,' where James relies on erratic IDM that exists to go nowhere. Think Arca. Conflated and disarranged without a means to escape. In fact, James does, stylistically, try to escape towards the end of 'Change' where she interrupts the flow using churlish chipmunk vocals, only to insist on mockery. "What are you gonna do about it huh," she boasts, as the tedium meanders on. Thankfully, these are Reflection's weakest moments, as every other track at least brings something to the table. Take 'On The Lake Outside,' where Baths beams through empyrean synthesizers and disorienting layering that borrows from Björk's most intensive moments of Glitch Pop. Or 'Simple Stuff,' which oozes sleek confidence. It vibes defiantly, casual yet self-assured. Lastly, 'Running Like That' with Eden Samara redefines your run-of-the-mill bedroom Alternative R&B by splintering a backbone normally composed of featureless blankets of silk with pillow talk. It's something a clashing of old and new Yves Tumor would bring about. There's a great deal of versatility on Reflection, both for mainstream audiences and those seeking something fringe.