Oneironeruotica

Since I Left You, the first release by Australian electronic group The Avalanches, is a rare gem. There’s a certain flow and cohesiveness to this record that I don’t hear often; it’s this love and this energy that really infects me when I listen.

Clocking in at an hour, there’s definitely a lot to take in. Though the length is a bit daunting for a typical album, there’s a lot more to its inherent, overwhelming nature. Each track on Since I Left You is comprised mostly—sometimes entirely—of samples; over 3,500 samples make up the songs on this record. Each tune flows seamlessly into the next, sometimes without clearly indicating where each track begins or ends. This continuous barrage of noise and music definitely adds to the charm of the record; it isn’t a record that shines as separate tracks, but is most effective as a whole. At first, the chaotic nature of the songs is odd, even distracting at times, but as I grew accustomed to the collage-esque style The Avalanches pull off so well, I found myself really enjoying this album.

Since I Left You is going to be one of the few records I’ll constantly recommend to people for a long time.