The Acid are consisting of Grammy-nominee Adam Freeland (DJ and producer), producer and professor for music-technology Steve Nalepa and Australian-born Ry X, who now lives in Los Angeles. With »Liminal«, they have recorded a fascinating debut, managing to combine post-dubstep and acoustic guitars in the most playful and competent manner. The approach of writing songs through techno-productions is close to Sylvan Esso’s and similar to The XX, you’ll find soft, warm sounds being contrasted by a crystal-clear and cold mix – most obviously so on »Fame«. In addition, Ry’s fragile head-voice seems to be wanting to get in line with SOHN, James Blake or Fink. The beats, fragmented and minimalist, sometimes stomp all over the place, while at other parts they are almost dreamy. The re-appearance of certain sounds and phrases in different tracks – like the very same drum-fill in »Animal« and »Basic Instinct« – makes the record be interwoven, creating record-immanent relations, references and an impressive coherence. As a whole, the album is melancholy, confusing and even a bit exhausting at parts. In addition, the spooky and haunting atmosphere doesn’t really allow the album to become a huge summer-hit. But still, it’s exactly that atmosphere that makes the record shine. And shine it does – like a smooth black monolith.
Liminal
