Chinese musician Keju Luo creates music as Broken Thoughts whose third release, Realign, is a seven-track collection of ambient/IDM excellence, rooted on content from the artist's work from the last couple of years. The realignment of those pieces is the reason the album carries one of the most intriguing titles possible with a single word. The enchantment doesn't halt at the album's title though.
With all tracks clocking at exactly five minutes, and its greater picture heavily depending on loops, recurrence and rhythmic cries, Realign sounds and feels like Broken Thoughts' most tightly structured and direct piece of work so far. Its cinematic qualities assert their presence throughout the album's entirety, yet, they keep being struggled by the industrial dissonance, the upsetting noises and the subtle but sneaky and devious glitches, all of which keep vexing and disturbing the euphonious conformity, as they keep coming back and going away again in loops and circles until they are forced-stopped by each track's abrupt ending.
As much as every track is capable of grabbing and pinning down the listener's attention individually, to determine a favorite one is not an easy task, since the entire album flows organically and blends into an amalgamation of rhythm and droning that is too knotty to pull apart. Each title looms as attractive as the actual music, as each beat, each reiteration and every offbeat alternative Luo utilizes to spoil the assurance he's previously created within his composition's stable construction. Realign is from start to finish overflowing with intelligence, mastery and wit.
For Broken Thoughts, Keju Luo cites among his influences the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Murcof, Hecq, Eivind Aarset, Ulver and Steven Wilson. At that pace it seems safe to say that Broken Thoughts will soon have his turn to be repeatedly cited among those who will have stirred the imagination of other creative individuals.
For Broken Thoughts, Keju Luo cites among his influences the likes of Nine Inch Nails, Murcof, Hecq, Eivind Aarset, Ulver and Steven Wilson. At that pace it seems safe to say that Broken Thoughts will soon have his turn to be repeatedly cited among those who will have stirred the imagination of other creative individuals.
The incredible album cover for Realign is credited to Frédéric Fontenoy, and it is titled Metamorphosis #17.
Snatch some decent headphones and listen below...
ZR