Anima

Originally released in 2001 with the legendary Mille Plateaux label, Vladislav Delay's Anima marked a shift for the noted electronic whiz kid with the many monikers. Gone, in large part, were the well choreographed, sequencer-led compositions of old, replaced by live instruments, long takes, and a minimum of post-production and overdubs. "Melody and rhythm are sometimes more implied than expressed, allowing for your brain to fill in the blanks, and at other times coalesce effortlessly, flawlessly and gracefully all on their own. Stagnation is the enemy as a few notes of wash background are about the only element allowed to loop for any great length of time. The piece ends by gradually, almost unwillingly, dissolving and fading away finally concluding with a crash and sampled dialogue … “I might never go to sleep again, I might stay awake forever!” Absolutely gorgeous. Pure genius. Yet another masterpiece." (Review by Brainwashed)