Finally, I can rest, as the long-awaited ‘Palaces’ has dropped on all streaming platforms. This project is an entire mini-universe. Always crossing the line and raising the bar higher and higher, Flume is now 4 for 4 and has delivered yet another work of art…
Rooted in a theme of nature and written during a solitary quarantine, ‘Palaces’ follows the storyline of a bird biting through a data cable in its natural habitat. Through the bite, the bird then quickly learns of the ways of modern humanity, most notably the internet and its uses, as well as a society deeply rooted in capitalism. In an effort to reclaim the natural world to its rightful owners, the now digitally uploaded and conscious birds create the DHLC (Devalue Human Life Corporation) to bring restoration to the planet.
Just like with his past work, Flume partnered with artist Jonathan Zawada yet again to bring on a full visual element to the record. Every song on this album has a music video, each with its own mind-numbing quirks that go with the pacing of their respective songs. Flume and Zawada’s work go hand in hand, as Jon’s trippy, nature-inspired visuals mesh perfectly with not only this album’s narrative but the abstract abrasiveness of Flume’s sound, as well.
The only thing lacking in this album is the iconic rap collaboration that we’ve seen in the other 3 past Flume albums. However, this does not take away from the fact that ‘Palaces’ is so far one of my favorite releases of the year. Although this whole album is a gem, here are five songs that I think represent it all best:
Get U:
Placed in the middle of the album, this track can essentially be divided into two. The first half, with sounds reminiscent of “Amber” off “Hi This is Flume”, is this incredibly abrasive and industrial-sounding beat that has 808’s traveling all around your head and almost shriek-like percussion assisting the drums. The abrasiveness is eventually drawn out and faded away by ambient pads that create a dreamy scene for a vocal chop sequence that ties the latter half of the song together. There is a night and day difference between the first and second half of this song, and each half speaks its mind exceptionally well.
Go:
My guilty pleasure. This song is such a vibe. I will say it’s not the most impressive song on the album. In contrast to the rest of the album, this track is one of the most simple songs on the tracklist, however, that’s really not saying much considering it’s Flume behind the production. Its “simplicity” and melodic nature makes me want to go for a night-time drive, yet also dance along to the rapid hi-hats at the same time.
I Can’t Tell (feat. Laurel):
I Cant Tell features a stuttery, glitchy drop that is built up upon a fantastic vocal performance by Laurel. In the drop, there is this super Flume-sounding metallic snare that knocks my socks off every time I hear it. This song, to me, is meant to be listened to loud as its mixture of future bass synths over essentially a trap drum beat makes for a great combination to hype you up.
DHLC:
If you want to hear a masterclass on sound design, then this is the track for you. Well, the whole album is, but this track specifically. The song starts with the knob turned to 5 with these stuttering layered synths that seamlessly pan left to right used as a taste for such an incredibly complex composition. Slowly turning the knob to a 2, as the stutter effect on the driving synth fades away, the song gets more ambient and atmospheric. The song eventually turns back up to a 10 as the song comes to a grand close, significantly louder than just a minute prior. I love the deep bass blasts that spike in the mix throughout the duration of the song.
Palaces (feat. Damon Albarn)
Used in the teaser video that announced the album out of nowhere, the self-titled track closes out the album. Featuring vocals from the Gorillaz and Blur’s very own Damon Albarn, “Palaces” is an adventurous progressive track with a vocal loop at the forefront that gets used in all sorts of ways, especially being distorted or harmonized. With the sonic environment it creates, the song leads the journey of the album to a close with a drum sequence that can induce goosebumps upon every listen. It is a great way to close out the album.
(Honorable Mention: Love Light)
Hearing the wooden block percussion hit solidified the nostalgia, as it can also be heard on Skin’s “3”. Love Light sounds as if a track off his debut album was recorded today. This song, although an honorable mention, is one of my favorites on the album.
Check out Flume’s newest album, below.
Words by Arthur Siwek for Pursuit of Dopeness
