P0S3R

the place where they began at the opposite end

The album opens with an infectious anthem-like refrain before quickly deconstructing into a chaotic speedcore-styled part, which only lasts for a few seconds before it abruptly stops. The next movement is quieter and more reflective, but the vocal eventually becomes more jagged. This is a very compelling opener, particularly with the a capella and the more organic ending, though it jumps around a lot within a single track.

poem2

"poem2" continues the quieter ideas of the opener; it expands on the previous organic final portion, paired with some pleasing spoken-word modulation and clean progression. It's a short track, and quite simple, but powerful.

ce so bad i was scared i'd never be able to sing again

At first the swelling trap sounds are engaging, but they slowly break down into something that is creative, but difficult to follow. The throughline of the vocals is a massive help, even if the production is excessively uncertain at times.

i will be whatever i think you want me to be, if that's okay with you of course

At just under seven minutes in length, this mammoth title hides underneath a mammoth track that takes a little bit to power up. When it does, the almost industrial-sounding breaks sound very cool, but interspersed all too often by tempo switches and abrasive sound design - from a writing perspective, though, these are admittedly quite cool. When it shifts to the vocal stuff, it is much the same - good vocals with overly jumpy production that is backed by creative writing but finds itself difficult to follow.

poem3

Another short little lyric-driven cut (I say that as if the other cuts didn't also have some level of emphasis placed on the lyrics) which feels particularly clever in how it's written, and also doesn't try too much in the way of production (for better or for worse).

rawring

It's the constant deconstruction and reconstruction, like much of the tracklist, that makes "rawring" a little difficult to follow, though the rhythm does feel relatively consistent here, whirling through confident melodic vocals and more aggressive rapping over a four-on-the-flour beat. It builds tension subtly but cleanly, and finally pushes it all into a massive roaring bass hit - but immediately discards it for introspection. The switch is appropriately jarring, but admittedly also a litlte disappointing in the lack of real payoff, with split-second surprise being the only tradeoff.

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo i dont blame you

Some awesome sound design pushes through the first section, quickly replaced when the vocal turns up. From there, the vocal acts as the driving force of the song - it's a strong vocal, with that assured lyrical signature Ranipla often brings out - but with all the manipulation on it, the track does quickly get messy. Much like a lot of other points in the album, at times the messiness is endearing, and at others simply energy-consuming.

poem6

The poetry of "poem6" is a bit sparser than the (nominal) second and third, grasping at something that is just out of reach of the soundstage. It does set up the next track well, though.

[YTPMV] haha you're so funny, please don't die you're like my voodo doll

A fantastic transition from "poem6" kicks this track off with a really compelling house opening movement. Something about the opening lyrics feels a little more blunt than the album so far (in a different way to the previous blunt tracks). I'm enjoying how the vocal is able to melt into the brighter synthwork a lot, and it's surprisingly coherent for its runtime, only going for a single idea.

No gall to say i |X|O|X|O| you back

The stop-start intro of this cut is punctuated by some excellent sound design ideas. The track then - almost as expected, perhaps? - deconstructs, which goes surprisingly smooth, but then it just keeps deconstructing and deconstructing and it becomes very difficult to follow (though, again, I cannot deny that the overarching writing is especially proficient on this track).

ono

"ono" swells big and grand, with a bit of an over-fuzzy mixdown and a cutting emotional undertone. There's a big swing to the songwriting here - a swing that starts with this grand swell, and peters down into a vocal movement before building to another giant climax - this time bassy and a little painful - and quietening down again to finish off.

Attilam MD Attempt 1

Here's some drum n bass - oh, nevermind - oh, it continues - oh, nevermind - and so we continue for most of the first section of "Attilam MD Attempt 1". The vocal properly kicks in, then, and after that we get quite a pleasant rock break. Verse 3 feels tied too tightly to the uncertainty and messiness, though, and whilst we come of it with a nice little flow to finish it does leave the track feeling a little lost.

Attilam MFD Attempt 9

The (nominal) ninth is almost three times longer than the first, and considerably messier in its intro, but intentionally so, being followable in its switchups. There are many incomprehensible sections throughout this track, and some are appreciatable whilst others feel a little overbearing or otherwise confusing, but once again the writing that frames it is commendable.

This was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life

There's a lilting feel to this track, given perhaps by the production or - more likely - by the tempo fading in and out, or even by the volume. There's some very nice rhythm work here in parts, even if it never sticks to any of them - still, the track gears itself more towards emotional impact.

poem8

The (nominal) eighth poem is backed by a nice guitar. The lyricism, again, cuts deep - I don't have much else to say that hasn't already been said. Again, it sets up the next track well.

Damn, all this over a cold.

"Damn, all this over a cold." has a strange, self-reflective irony to it, often overriden by raw vocal emotion. The production can be a little spontaneous at times, but when it matches the vocal flow the track is at its strongest.

ranitheme

Is that a hip-hop beat? Never mind, it's gone - "ranitheme", after an uncertain intro, thumps into a bass-heavy breakdown, but flips back on itself to focus on the lyricism for the rest of the track. Ranipla's vocal is brasher and their lyricism is well thought-through, and all the movements feel very fleshed out and powerful, even if there can be some random stuff going on between them (or sometimes even during them). One of the stronger tracks for sure.

you cannot kill me in a way that matters (posertheme) ⭐

A transmission-like intro moves into a slower guitar-based movement with a matching vocal. The instrumentation is very pleasing, and the surrounding production stands this finale up really strongly through its first movement, that progresses well - the vibe of the track continues stolidly through its almost 8 minute runtime in a very satisfying finale, before looping back nicely into the first track with the anthem-like refrain.