Callus (album)
| Callus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:57 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Warp | |||
| Producer | Gonjasufi | |||
| Gonjasufi chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.4/10[1] |
| Metacritic | 66/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [3] |
| Resident Advisor | 3.7/5[4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.6/10[6] |
| Slant Magazine | [7] |
| Louder Than War |   [8] |
| Pop Matters | [9] |
| The Irish Times | [10] |
| Spectrum Culture | 3.25/5[11] |
| Exclaim! | [12] |
Callus is the third studio album by Gonjasufi (Sumach Ecks). The album was released by Warp on August 19, 2016.[13] Former Cure guitarist Pearl Thompson is also heavily featured on the album.
Critical reception
[edit]Upon release Callus received an average score of 66/100 from 12 reviewers on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". At AnyDecentMusic?, that collates critical reviews from more than 50 media sources, the album scored 6.4 points out of 10, based on 12 reviews.[1]
Jim Carroll of The Irish Times commented "Listening to Callus, though, it’s clear that Ecks has done some hard living in the last few years and the songs are attempts at catharsis as he deals with events across both his homeland and his own personal universe. It’s dark, dissonant, raw and desolate, a collection of tracks which are often on the edge of collapse as Ecks pulls at the various threads holding them together."[10] Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor stated "Callus was made over the course four years, through frustration and hopelessness. It's not always an easy listen. Sometimes it sounds uncomfortably close, other times it's off-piste and rambling. The clarity of the songwriting varies wildly across its 19 tracks, though the sound quality doesn't, always rendered with the lo-fi fuzz of a busted mic and a TASCAM four-track. Callus is the sound of someone exorcising their demons with nothing but a few pieces of gear and his own snarling weapon of a voice—and growing stronger for it."[4] John Paul of PopMatters added "With Callus, Gonjasufi has crafted an aural equivalent of this modern era. It’s a bleak, often painful listen that does not engender a sense of hope for the future. In this, the commentary acts as something of a self-reflection in which we see ourselves as we truly are as a society. It’s unflinching, unapologetic and at times bordering on unlistenable. But it’s a bold sonic statement that brutally conveys its intended message. In this, Callus proves a success."[9]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Gonjasufi
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Your Maker" | 3:10 |
| 2. | "Maniac Depressant" | 1:56 |
| 3. | "Afrikan Spaceship" | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Carolyn Shadows" | 2:46 |
| 5. | "Ole Man Sufferah" | 2:44 |
| 6. | "Greasemonkey" | 1:17 |
| 7. | "The Kill" | 1:44 |
| 8. | "Prints of Sin" | 1:52 |
| 9. | "Krishna Punk" | 2:00 |
| 10. | "Elephant Man" | 1:28 |
| 11. | "The Conspiracy" | 3:15 |
| 12. | "Poltergeist" | 3:26 |
| 13. | "Vinaigrette" | 2:16 |
| 14. | "Devils" | 2:44 |
| 15. | "Surfinfinity" | 4:04 |
| 16. | "When I Die" | 2:30 |
| 17. | "The Jinx" | 1:58 |
| 18. | "Shakin Parasites" | 6:26 |
| 19. | "Last Nightmare" | 3:05 |
| Total length: | 51:57 | |
Personnel
[edit]- Hassan Rahim – artwork
- Pearl Thompson – guitar (tracks: 7 12 13 15)
- Daddy Kev – mastering
- AGDM – mixing
- Timothy Saccenti – photography
- Gonjasufi – producer, mixing
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[14] | 25 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Callus by Gonjasufi reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Callus by Gonjasufi". Metacritic. metacritic.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "Gonjasufi – Callus". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b Ryce, Andrew (28 August 2016). "Gonjasufi – Callus". Resident Advisor. residentadvisor.net. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Jawad, Isa (21 August 2016). "Gonjasufi: Callus review – the stuff of psychedelic nightmares". The Guardian. theguardian.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Patrin, Nate (August 18, 2016). "Gonjasufi's Callus". Pitchfork Media. pitchfork.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ JONES, BRYCE (August 17, 2016). "Gonjasufi: Callus". Slant Magazine. slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Tucker, Simon (6 August 2016). "Gonjasufi: Callus – album review". Louder Than War. louderthanwar.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b PAUL, JOHN (18 August 2016). "Gonjasufi Callus". Pop Matters. popmatters.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ a b Carroll, Jim (25 August 2016). "Gonjasufi – Callus: a challenging, chaotic release". The Irish Times. irishtimes.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Bromfield, Daniel (August 22, 2016). "Gonjasufi: Callus". Spectrum Culture. spectrumculture.com. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ Keating, Daryl (August 17, 2016). "Gonjasufi Callus". Exclaim!. exclaim.ca. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "Gonjasufi: Callus". Discogs. discogs.com. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ "Gonjasufi Callus Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 6 June 2019.[dead link]
