Oblivion [LP]

Channeling his honed sample craft towards the ominous portent of modern times, Romare returns with his fifth album ""Oblivion"", with the previous 3 out of 4 LP's appearing on Ninja Tune. Across a suite of downtempo, broken beat, bubbling grooves, and brooding reveries, Archie Fairhurst threads a narrative that wrestles with the big questions of the present moment - the tipping points of the planet and technology, the fight for social justice and the power structures that govern our existence. While his trademark source material continues to cast a long line back through recorded history, this is Romare at his most contextual. Nothing is placed by accident. 'Machines' hums it's throbbing 4/4 pulse along to a German language recital of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 'Blessed Longing' - an enduring reflection on the human condition that rings true from way back in the 19th Century when it was written. 'Computer Love' slinks into a sumptuous trip-hop lull laced with sci-fi flourishes sculpted from samples of old computer documentaries - a bittersweet romantic backdrop to our complicated situationship with the devices in our lives. 'Take Us' goes one step further on it's hard-stepping boom-bap strut as a subtle tale of possession by screens unfolds around Romare's signature strain of technicolor mutant funk.There is space for optimism in the message on ""Oblivion"" as well - the strength of the suffragettes as a benchmark for social justice and activism amidst the speakeasy slink of 'Deeds, Not Words', and spring-loaded acid house joint 'Change' pointing to the need for positive action in the face of imminent calamity. The artwork for the album follows Fairhurst's thought process, drawing on Edvard Munch's iconic 'The Scream' along with Philippe Halsman and Salvador Dali's 'Voluptuous Death' to help render the ideas of the album visually. The wild ride of ""Oblivion"" races towards a final beguiling opiate on 'The Last Lullaby' - the perfect sedative after the rush of information and emotion that comes with a full-length trip through Romare's vivid, uniquely creative world of sound.