Skin (Flume album)
Untitled | |
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Skin is the second studio album by Australian electronic musician Flume. It marks the second full-length release since his self-titled debut in 2012, marking four years between releases.
The album was released on 27 May 2016 by Future Classic,[6] and premiered via a Facebook live stream on 26 May 2016, which also included video segments of Phil Taggart interviewing Flume at the album listening party in London.[7] It has since garnered positive reviews and debuted at number one on the Australian Albums Chart, also peaking at number 8 on the Billboard 200. The album gained international recognition from the album's first single, "Never Be like You".
Skin was named Album of the Year at the ARIA Music Awards of 2016.[8]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.8/10[9] |
Metacritic | 75/100[10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [11] |
The Austin Chronicle | [12] |
Consequence of Sound | B[2] |
The Independent | [13] |
The Observer | [1] |
Pretty Much Amazing | B–[14] |
Pitchfork | 6.4/10[3] |
Rolling Stone | [15] |
Slant Magazine | [4] |
The Sydney Morning Herald | [16] |
Skin received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 11 reviews.[10] Heather Phares of AllMusic said, "While it could have benefitted from some editing, Skin still shows a lot of growth--it's more mature, and more memorable, than Flume."[11] Kahron Spearman of The Austin Chronicle said, "Skin goes Technicolor and bigger, effectively standing on the shoulders of Disclosure and giant stars including Skrillex, Diplo, and album collaborator/reinventor Beck."[12] Derek Staples of Consequence of Sound said, "Gearing up to be the next EDM crossover talent, Flume's sophomore effort, Skin, showcases a producer at ease with all of the sounds moving tickets at America's major festival events: hip-hop, indie pop, and EDM."[2] The Independent's Justin Carissimo gave the album a very positive review, stating that the album was "the audio equivalent of ecstasy."[13] David Smith of the London Evening Standard gave a similarly positive review, stating that "this is music that can do much more than get feet moving."[17] Luke Fowler of Pretty Much Amazing said, "Skin is the sound of Flume reaching for great heights and almost grasping what he seeks there."[14]
Stacey Anderson of Pitchfork said, "["Wall Fuck" is] short and snappy, gone too fast in an album that could've been streamlined to let moments like it shine. But maybe it's the sound of floodgates opening."[3] Keith Harris of Rolling Stone said, "Restless versatility is all over the LP, generating the emotional crests and sensory overload a festival crowd demands, but with a nuance that'll make it work even if you aren't shirtless in the desert."[15] Jonathan Wroble of Slant Magazine said, "If the burden on electronic producers is to establish personality beyond a dense network of light displays and computer processing, this album gets Flume halfway there: It shows him as unquestionably human (overeager, alternately flashy and timid, sometimes more in awe than in control), but still a bit faceless."[4] The Sydney Morning Herald's Craig Mathieson gave the album a positive review, stating that "the record is intoxicating and eclectic."[16] Ben Thompson of The Observer said, "Distinguished guests--UK nearly siren AlunaGeorge, rapper Vince Staples--are ushered respectfully through a series of viable electronic hinterlands, where a couple of them, notably perennial cameo supplier Little Dragon and Wu Tang vet Raekwon, manage to put down roots in actual songs."[1]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Helix" | Harley Streten | 3:30 |
2. | "Never Be like You" (featuring Kai) |
| 3:54 |
3. | "Lose It" (featuring Vic Mensa) |
| 3:45 |
4. | "Numb & Getting Colder" (featuring Kučka) |
| 5:08 |
5. | "Say It" (featuring Tove Lo) |
| 4:23 |
6. | "Wall Fuck" | Streten | 3:09 |
7. | "Pika" | Streten | 1:55 |
8. | "Smoke & Retribution" (featuring Vince Staples and Kučka) |
| 4:01 |
9. | "3" | Streten | 3:04 |
10. | "When Everything Was New" | Streten | 2:27 |
11. | "You Know" (featuring Allan Kingdom and Raekwon) |
| 3:22 |
12. | "Take a Chance" (featuring Little Dragon) | 5:28 | |
13. | "Innocence" (featuring AlunaGeorge) |
| 6:18 |
14. | "Like Water" (featuring MNDR) | 3:13 | |
15. | "Free" | Streten | 2:56 |
16. | "Tiny Cities" (featuring Beck) |
| 3:56 |
Total length: | 60:34 |
Charts
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] | 1 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19] | 25 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 3 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] | 13 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22] | 8 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] | 17 |
French Albums (SNEP)[24] | 48 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] | 43 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[26] | 28 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] | 1 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[28] | 26 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] | 20 |
UK Albums (OCC)[30] | 25 |
US Billboard 200[31] | 8 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[32] | 1 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[33] | Gold | 35,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Thompson, Ben (29 May 2016). "Flume: Skin review – guest-heavy dance with broad horizons". The Observer. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ a b c Staples, Derek. "Flume – Skin – Move over Calvin Harris: Harley Edward Streten is set to claim the EDM throne". Consequence of Sound.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Stacey (2 June 2016). "Flume: Skin Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
- ^ a b c Wroble, Jonathan. "Flume: Skin". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ Jenkins, Nash. "Flume's New Album Skin Is The Gritty Future of Electronic Music". Time. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Skin by Flume (album)". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ Sam Murphy (26 May 2016). "Flume's Entire New Album 'Skin' Is Available To Stream In Full, On Facebook". Music Feeds. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ^ Brandie, Lars (November 23, 2016). "Flume, Troye Sivan, Violent Soho Rule 2016 ARIA Awards". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ^ "Skin by Flume reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b "Reviews for Skin by Flume". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Skin – Flume".
- ^ a b Spearman, Kahron (September 30, 2016). "ACL Fest 2016 – Review: Flume". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ a b Carissimo, Justin. "Flume: Skin". The Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ a b Fowler, Luke (May 31, 2016). "Review: Flume, Skin". Pretty Much Amazing. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ a b Harris, Keith (June 17, 2016). "Skin". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ a b Zuel, Bernard (27 May 2016). "Flume's new album Skin is intoxicating and eclectic". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Flume – Skin, review: 'does much more than get feet moving'". London Evening Standard. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Flume – Skin". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Flume – Skin" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Flume – Skin" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Flume – Skin" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Flume Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Flume – Skin" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Flume – Skin". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Flume – Skin" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 22, 2016". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Flume – Skin". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Flume – Skin". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Flume – Skin". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ^ "Flume | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
- ^ "Flume Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
- ^ "Flume Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.