Immunity
Compared to the organic folktronica of Jon Hopkins’ preceding strum ‘n’ bass album, *Diamond Mine*, 2013’s *Immunity* is a departure in both music style and sonic texture. The former built an imaginative balance from the contrasts of electronic soundscapes rubbing against the grain of wood and wire. But with *Immunity*, Hopkins’ yin and yang swirl sublimely. The opening song, “We Disappear,” somehow makes techno sound light and breezy. On paper, the stuttered beats, rusty percussion, and deep bass should sound angular and abrasive. But under Hopkins’ touch, the elements here combine to sooth the senses with a feel that’s similar to reclining in a leather seat in the first-class section of a 747. “Open Eye Signal” follows, with more downplayed rhythms and tones gently pulsing and droning alongside what sounds like brushes on a snare drum. “Breathe This Ear” returns us to a time in the mid-\'90s when British shoegazers like Slowdive were collaborating with the ambient electro backdrops of Seefeel. “Collider” brings some innovation to this marriage with cleverly collaged samples of singer Lisa Elle (Dark Horses).
A powerful, multi-faceted beast, packed with the most aggressively dancefloor-focussed music Hopkins has ever made, Immunity is about achieving euphoric states through music. Inspired by the arc of an epic night out, the album peaks with Collider, a huge, apocalyptic, techno monster and dissolves with the quiet, heartbreakingly beautiful closer, Immunity, a track featuring vocals from King Creosote which could sit comfortably alongside the gems of their Mercury-nominated collaboration, Diamond Mine. Immunity is a confident, dramatic record defined by an acute sense of physicality and place. It feels like the hypnotic accompaniment to a journey of creativity, a trip inside Hopkins’ mind, using analog synthesis alongside manipulations of physical, real-world sounds to make dance music that feels as natural and unforced as possible.
Jon Hopkins has hovered around the edges of dance and indie rock for several years, playing with Brian Eno, Coldplay, and King Creosote—and even seeming to take a backseat on his own records. But Immunity, the producer’s breakthrough fourth album, bounds and writhes with its own life force.
Immunity is an absolute trip: a movable feast pressed to 12 inches of microgroove.
"King Creosote and who??" was the cry from many a Scot when Anstruther's finest unveiled 2011's seminal collaborative work Diamond Mine. Largely unknown to fans of contemporary folk, Hopkins still had plenty of pedigree as a producer and composer and his subtle instrumentation on Bubble and Bats In The Attic, a far cry from his usual fare, added even deeper nuances to Creosote's songbook.
Jon Hopkins knows how to get what he wants. Throughout his career, the English producer has crossed creative swords with a plethora of underground heroes, including David Holmes and King Creosote, and also played a key part in Coldplay's ascent to superst
Jon Hopkins's fourth solo album has the giddy feel of an epic night out, writes <strong>Killian Fox</strong>
Jon Hopkins - Immunity review: The sound of adventure itself, frozen within a still frame.