kiCK iiiii

by 
AlbumDec 03 / 202112 songs, 41m 49s
Ambient Modern Classical
Popular Highly Rated

Released without warning as the surprise companion to volumes two through four, *kiCK iiiii* is the most understated entry in the whole series. In place of psychedelic club beats or crushing distortion, Arca gives us twinkling little miniatures like “Pu,” “Chiquito,” and “Estrogen,” which shrink chamber music’s piano and strings down to snow-globe proportions. Arca’s heartbreaking falsetto turn on “Tierno” recalls the naked simplicity of her vocals on her 2017 self-titled album, and on “Músculos,” unsteady beats once again re-enter the frame, a reminder of the Venezuelan musician’s debt to Björk. *kiCK iiiii* may be the softest album in the pentalogy, but it has a hushed, glowing magnetism all its own.

360

7.8 / 10

Read Philip Sherburne’s review of the album.

D+

The simultaneous release of Alejandra Ghersi’s four new albums—that’s 47 songs, two and a half hours of music—blends the peaks with the valleys

7 / 10

8 / 10

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The transgressive icon wraps up her Kick quintet in typically enigmatic style with some highly collaborative and enormously creative new sounds

8 / 10

As a nonbinary trans woman raised in Caracas, Venezuela — at the height of social unrest — and suburban Connecticut, Arca (aka Alejandra Ghe...

7.5 / 10

Musical multi-hyphenate Arca understands more than any artist in the public eye that flux is a natural part of the human condition. It’s illuminated in her music, performance, visuals, and whatever medium she uses to illustrate facets of her self-expression. The world Arca has created through her art defies any sort of binary, be it of gender, genre, or form itself. In-between states are explored endlessly, and liberation is found in entropy and chaos.

8 / 10

The five-part Arca opus KICK: there's a *lot* going on here – and most of it is very good. This relentless producer refuses to be boxed in

Four new albums of extravagantly warped electronics offer listeners a lot to take in – and her most pop-focused music to date

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