Album Review: Jon Hopkins - "Singularity"

Jon Hopkins is a true pioneer in the realm of intellectual dance music, with an impressive discography covering a variety of styles. Every time that Jon Hopkins has spoken with the EARMILK staff, he enlightens us with news on his latest releases, projects, and creative inspirations. We continue to share our appreciation with a track by track review of his latest and 5th studio album. 

The album opener, "Singularity", places a great deal of emphasis to replicate an urban scape and industrial sounds, as the chaotic composition comes together with tremendous vigour. 

"Emerald Rush" is the second song on the album and hints at an earlier Jon Hopkins style with an ambient build up that breaks the composition down even further. There is a presence of vocal samples seasoned throughout the song that add a ghostly touch throughout. The animated music video will take you on a visual trip through spacetime in a vicious cycle. 

Easily the most memorizing track is "Neon Pattern Drum". The ambience of space and Hopkin's signature style comes through with striking clarity on the track.

"Everything Connected" is one of the longest songs on Singularity and is a cornerstone to the album in it's entirety. The eerie soundscape moves over several dream states with a consistent electronic synth and spooky melody to guide you through the 10 minutes of cosmic exploration. 

"COSM" is an impressive slice from Singularity since it seems like it should have come from the latest Christopher Nolan film, as a soundtrack to space exploration. The scenic soundscape places you right in the middle of dark matter before floating towards a nebula where the sparkles of sonic space dust gracefully float over top the musical composition. 

Songs like "Echo Disolve" and "Feel First Life" provide a calming gaze in the beholder, as much inspired by the stillness of space as one might hope to hear. The second half of the album moves slower with a euphoric  

The longest song on the album, "Luminous Beings", is truly transcendental in nature. The overall flow throughout the album moves from structured electronica, similar to his 2013 album, Immunity, towards a melodic finish that brings the listener home to a peaceful state of mind. 

Jon Hopkins has mentioned how he aims to bridge the urban world with an appreciation of nature. That becomes increasingly apparent on first listen of the album's closer, "Recovery". The solo piano performance is starkly different compared to the earlier songs and sets a modest finish. 

Overall the entire album is extremely powerful and moves through a range of emotions that are bound to stir something within you. There is an ethereal flow from one song to the next that makes the entire album easily listenable and very tranquil to experience audibly from start to finish. The main reason that the album did not score higher is due to the shortness of the album in it's entirety. 

You can expect to see Jon Hopkins currently on tour below at the following dates:

Jon Hopkins Singularity Festival & DJ Appearances 2018

May 18 – Moogfest – Durham, NC

May 19 – David Lynch's Festival of Disruption – Brooklyn, NY

May 25 - Villette Sonique – Paris, France

May 26 - Department – Stockholm, Sweden (DJ Set)

June 2 - Primavera – Barcelona, Spain

June 9 - Park Life – Manchester, UK

June 15 - Maifeld Derby – Mannheim, Germany

June 23 - Body & Soul – Co.Westmeath, Ireland

June 29 - Down The Rabbit Hole – Ewijk, Netherlands

June 30 - ASTRO Festival – Milan, Italy

July 11 - DOUR Festival – Dour, Belgium

July 13 - Melt! Festival – Ferropolis, Germany

July 14 - Lovebox Festival – London, UK (DJ Set)

July 15 - Latitude Festival - Henham Park, UK

July 20 - Colours Of Ostrava – Ostrava, Czech Republic

July 26 - WWW X - Shibuya, Japan

July 26 - 27 - Fuji Rock Festival – Shibuya / Niigata, Japan

Aug. 3 - OFF Festival – Katowice, Poland

Aug. 4 - Wilderness Festival – Cornbury Park, UK

Aug. 31 - Dimensions Festival – Pula, Croatia

Sep. 6 – Afterlife, Hï – Ibiza, Spain (DJ Set)

Jon Hopkins Singularity Live Tour 2018

Oct. 10 - Rockefeller – Oslo, Norway

Oct. 11 – Nobelberget - Stockholm, Sweden

Oct. 12 – Den Grå Hal - Copenhagen, Denmark

Oct. 18 - Vicar Street – Dublin, Ireland

Oct. 19 -  The Galvanizers – Glasgow, UK

Oct. 20 - Paradiso for ADE – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Oct. 24 - AB – Brussels, Belgium

Oct. 25 - Columbiahalle – Berlin, Germany

Oct. 26 - Le Trianon – Paris, France

Nov. 17 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle, UK

Nov. 22 – Albert Hall – Manchester, UK

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