Clamor, Nurture, Clarity: Reimagining the Possibilities of Electronic Production in 2021
What a time to be a music fan. With most people locked up in quarantine for the majority of 2020, music releases saw a steep decline. Though there were notable exceptions (The Weeknd, The Strokes, Gorillaz, etc.), many artists put projects on hold due to a halt in tour revenue. This, in conjunction with artists having more isolated time to work on albums, led to 2021 being one of the best years for music in my recent memory—so many artists had the time to perfect and release stellar projects. The more I listened to some of my favorite music from this year, the more I realized that there was a consistent theme: artists were using electronic production in creative and new ways (to my ears) that took what was already incredible music to even higher heights. In particular, Clamor by Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés, Nurture by Porter Robinson, and Vanishing Act I: No Nouns by Clarence Clarity all use electronics in ways that are both groundbreaking and pivotal to their success.
Clamor by Maria Arnal i Marcel Bagés is a gorgeous Spanish-folk epic, and quite possibly my favorite record to come out in 2021. Each song is immaculate and densely layered with shimmering synthesizers, stunning harmonies, and enveloping atmospheres. How the electronic additions elevate the music depends on the song and context they are used in, but they are consistently applied in balanced and elegant ways. On “El gran silencio,” high pitched dreamy synths rain down, creating a lush, foreign atmosphere for Arnal to bless with her vocals. On “Meteorit ferit,” swirling delays and dark synths create soundscapes that are so easy to get lost in, but grab your attention with the consistent give and release of tension.
Without the electronics, this album would still be a beautiful display of vocal ability and songwriting. However, with the production, the album transports the listener to another world. This perfectly fits the grand themes of the album, which include humanity’s parasitic relationship with the environment and a looming apocalypse. For example, the pulsing synths on “Fiera de mí” propel the intensity of the song, complimenting lyrics describing the end of the world. There are also many folk-inspired melodies on Clamor, and some songs even sound like hymns. This is a wonderful addition to the already vibrant soundscape of the album, as these songs contribute to the primal and eternal feeling of the music. “Cant de la Sibil-la” specifically comes to mind as an otherworldly hymn. Clamor is a truly unique album that I didn’t know I needed to hear until I heard it. It features a colorful blend of dreamy electronics, gorgeous vocals and captivating songwriting, and I can’t recommend it enough. I’m excited to see where the duo goes next as they work with more interesting producers and develop their incredible folk-tronic sound.
Next is Nurture by Porter Robinson, an electronic producer and songwriter who has amassed somewhat of a cult following over the past decade. After releasing a few shorter projects in the early 2010s, Robinson put out his debut album Worlds in 2014, shaking the EDM landscape at the time. Worlds is an ambitious, expansive album, and sees Robinson putting together songs that feel larger than life, encapsulating a world with each one. While this project was fantastic, and showcased Robinson’s potential to go far beyond traditional EDM music, it was not until the follow up seven years later, Nurture, that I fell head over heels for his music.
Nurture’s cover perfectly encapsulates the mood of the album: Robinson is pictured lying face down in a field of grass and flowers, embracing the earth. Robinson went through a lot of hardship before making Nurture, and the album feels like climbing out of a dark place and bathing in a newfound light, like finding a new appreciation for being alive. Nurture feels necessary, in that all of the positivity and warmth of the record don’t feel cliché, but like they come from a place of true gratitude. Some songs like “Musician” celebrate making music and feel like a rediscovery of that wonderful feeling, which is exactly what Robinson went through—being unable to make music and then rediscovering that passion—to make Nurture. I know I haven’t said much about the music of this album, but the point I am about to make is better served by emphasizing how warm and inviting the music feels. Nurture feels very natural and grounded, exactly like hugging a field of grass.
So where do the electronics come in? Well, let me remind you that this is—at least in part—an EDM album. You might have forgotten that from reading the paragraph above, as that isn’t how I would describe most EDM music. In that lies what is so special about Nurture: it is the most emotional, natural sounding EDM album I have ever heard. In a triumphant celebration of life, music, and love, Nurture sees Robinson finding beauty in rich electronic textures. “Wind Tempos” feels like a deep awakening into a beautiful world, featuring glittering pianos and electronic swells. “Mother” feels like the protection one can only feel in the arms of a mother, and “Blossom,” the only acoustic song on the album, feels like blissful love in the eye of a storm. Even the most EDM-leaning songs, such as “Get Your Wish,” “Something Comforting,” and “Look at the Sky” all carry so much feeling with them, making the experiences completely transportative. The bookends “Lifelike” and “Trying to Feel Alive” build layers of synths and melodica melodies that perfectly open and close the album, bringing you into and taking you out of Nurture gently, with loving arms.
Nurture is a groundbreaking electronic album. One other crazy technical feat is Robinson’s pitch shifting. He is able to pitch up his voice in a way that sounds so natural, it is as if he is an entirely new person. I have never heard pitch editing that sounds so real. This perfectly compliments the other natural aesthetics of the record. Nurture is also a triumphant rise out of a deep depression. Interestingly, one of the albums that really helped Robinson heal, Bon Iver’s 22, A Million, can be heard as an influence. That record similarly incorporates electronics in a revolutionary way, though via very different avenues. Bon Iver uses electronics to turn an indie rock record into an indie-tronic experience, while Porter Robinson made an electronic album that feels like an indie darling. Both albums are extraordinarily human and emotional, and articulate feelings that I couldn’t begin to express with words. Thank you, Porter Robinson.
Last up is Clarence Clarity’s EP Vanishing Act I: No Nouns. Clarity is a fellow electronic music producer, but he occupies a very different lane than Porter Robinson. Clarity makes maximal, bombastic, over the top electronic music that is almost proto-hyperpop. He is simultaneously a producer extraordinaire and a meme, and makes music that is not meant to be taken super seriously. That said, his 2015 debut album No Now is one of the craziest albums I have ever heard, and seriously blew my mind the first time I listened to it. Each song contains so many ideas and explosions of color, and I could never predict what would happen next. This album is insane, wonderful, and totally all over the place. On his next album, Think: Peace, Clarity took things in a slightly more accessible, but still very maximal direction.
Now, three years later, Clarity has come through with an EP that capitalizes on the things that make his music so exciting, while maintaining an increasingly accessible sound. Vanishing Act I: No Nouns is an infectious, danceable pop EP. It is also home to some of the most mind-blowing production I have heard this year. The way Clarity layers synths, syncopates chopped high pitched vocals and low end heavy beats, and paints color across all of his sonic adventures is totally unique to his signature style. The groundbreaking feat of this EP is that Clarity is able to perform all of these mind-blowing musical acrobatics and still come through with some of the catchiest songs of the year. Each one has been stuck in my head for days on end, and every time I play the EP, I always want to start it again right as it ends. It leaves you wanting more in the best way possible, makes you want to dance no matter where you are, and never takes itself too seriously. It is a wonderful piece of work from Clarence Clarity and hopefully a sign of what's to come.
2021 has been an amazing year for revolutionary electronic music. A few honorable mentions include Darkside’s Spiral, an electronic psych-rock record with immaculate sound design, and Injury Reserve’s By the Time I Get to Phoenix, one of the wildest, most forward thinking hip-hop albums in recent history. All of these wonderful projects are exciting not only because of what they accomplish, but also because of what they promise for the future. Robinson, Arnal, and Clarity are all young artists that have so much room to grow and flourish. It is going to be an amazing journey to watch where they go next, as well as listen to the next generation of musicians who will follow in their footsteps and expand on their revolutionary ideas in exciting, inventive ways.
Edited by Nate Culbert, editor of Music You Need To Know
Cover art by Louise Gagnon
