Love Streams (album)
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Love Streams is the eighth studio album by Canadian electronic music musician Tim Hecker, released on April 8, 2016 on 4AD and Paper Bag Records.[1] The album was recorded throughout 2014 and 2015 at Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavík, Iceland, where parts of Hecker's last two albums Virgins (2013) and Ravedeath, 1972 (2011) were recorded.[1][2]
Background and recording
The album features Kara-Lis Coverdale and Grímur Helgason, who were both collaborators on Hecker's last album Virgins, as well as contributions from the Icelandic Choir Ensemble, whose vocal arrangements were scored by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.[1] Hecker professed to having thought about ideas like "liturgical aesthetics after Yeezus" and the "transcendental voice in the age of auto-tune" during its creation.[3]
Critical reception
Love Streams has received universal acclaim from critics. On the aggregate score site Metacritic, the album scored at 83/100, indicating "universal acclaim".[4] Pitchfork gave the album a score of 8.2/10, writing that "Love Streams marks a subtle shift in Tim Hecker's habitual style, a pivot away from his hazy trademark."[5] PopMatters gave the album nine stars out of ten,[6] stating that "Love Streams is at once familiar and totally alien; a work of art that reminds us why we need art in the first place."
Accolades
| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 17
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| Pitchfork | The 20 Best Experimental Albums of 2016 | 2016 | — | |
| The Quietus | Albums of the Year 2016 | 2016 | 51
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| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 48
|
Track listing
All tracks are written by Tim Hecker
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Obsidian Counterpoint" | 4:55 |
| 2. | "Music of the Air" | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Bijie Dream" | 2:16 |
| 4. | "Live Leak Instrumental" | 2:56 |
| 5. | "Violet Monumental I" | 4:58 |
| 6. | "Violet Monumental II" | 3:13 |
| 7. | "Up Red Bull Creek" | 2:41 |
| 8. | "Castrati Stack" | 4:01 |
| 9. | "Voice Crack" | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Collapse Sonata" | 4:12 |
| 11. | "Black Phase" | 6:15 |
| Total length: | 42:49 | |
Personnel
- Jóhann Jóhannsson – choral arrangement
- Icelandic Choir Ensemble – choir
- Owen Roberts – choir conductor
- Ben Frost – studio engineering, additional choral production
- Kara-Lis Coverdale – keyboards
- Paul Corley – additional mixing
- Grímur Helgason – woodwind
Charts
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11] | 86 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 97 |
References
- ^ a b c "New Album 'Love Streams'". 4AD. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ Strauss; Minsker. "Tim Hecker Announces New Album Love Streams". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
- ^ "The Quietus announce Love Streams". Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Love Streams by Tim Hecker".
- ^ "Tim Hecker: Love Streams Album Review - Pitchfork".
- ^ "Tim Hecker: Love Streams". PopMatters. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
- ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2016". Consequence of Sound. November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- ^ "The 20 Best Experimental Albums of 2016". Pitchfork. December 9, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ "The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016". The Quietus. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Tim Hecker – Love Streams" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 16, 2016.