Single of the Week: Oneohtrix Point Never - "Replica"

This is another new feature, the sister to my new Album of the Week feature I began last Friday. I'll try to go over the track in as much detail in as little time as possible. I'm using the term "single" to refer to any new track including album tracks not scheduled for individual release, but I may also use this space to talk about tracks with b-sides and even EP's depending on what I think is worth mentioning.

 A very Gothic piano loop forms the basis of the title track to the new Oneohtrix Point Never album, due 8th November. Replica is actually the fifth of Daniel Lopatin's albums under the OPN guise, who is also one half of synth-pop duo Ford and Lopatin, but it's fortunately clear he's sitting on potentially one of his best releases yet. The harrowing synth drones play backup on "Replica", instead of drowning out the forefront as in past OPN releases, and likely owes something to the "Returnal" remix featuring Antony Hegarty released last year. The most beautiful part may just be at around 1:30 when a rumbling bass synth shadows over the mix and grinds the track to a momentary standstill, only for the piano to rejoin a split second later. The video of slowed stock cartoon images capture the strange atmosphere surprisingly well. Many Oneohtrix Point Never tracks need to be twice as long to capture their sentiments, but "Replica" does it more or less straight off the bat.

Oneohtrix Point Never - "Replica":



Here's another track from Replica, "Sleep Dealer":


Replica by Oneohtrix Point Never is released 8/11/11 via Software/Mexican Summer.