Romaplasm

by Baths

Overview

Prior to the release of Romaplasm, Will Wiesenfeld provided the theme song to a dating simulation video game, and a similar sense of fantasy, escapism and romance informs Baths' third album. On the surface, this is easily the project's prettiest and most sensual-sounding work yet, full of glistening electro-pop that calls to mind the Postal Service or Vespertine-era Bjoerk. "Yeoman"'s rippling beats and swooning lyrics ("Come kiss me swell/You're feeling like a buoyant waltz") begin the album's romantic journey, which transforms into an erotic fairy tale as a pair of lovers steal away on "Abscond." The breathy vocals and lush arrangements on songs like these feel like the polar opposite of the catharsis Wiesenfeld offered on Obsidian and the Ocean Death EP, but as Romaplasm progresses, he balances its sweet sounds with soul-baring. He does so most movingly on the meditative "Coitus" and "Human Bog," where he explores self-hatred ("I'm queer in a way that fails me â?¦ I'm not enough of anything") and how it transfers from one generation to the next. Elsewhere, the lighter touch he uses on Romaplasm allows him to confront his demons to hyperkinetic synths and beats that could be a soundtrack for a video game on "Adam Copies," and muse about the "subtle hell" of his exes' childhoods on the deceptively frothy "Out." By the time the whole-hearted anthem "Broadback" brings the album to a close, it's clear that its mix of light and shadow is much more than a retreat. In its own way, Romaplasm is just as rich as Baths' other albums, and the tension between its fantasy world and real-life concerns make for fascinating listening. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2017
Label:	Anticon
UPC:	0858454003647
Rank:	73598

Tracks

1. Yeoman
2. Extrasolar
3. Abscond
4. Human Bog
5. Adam Copies
6. Lev
7. I Form
8. Out
9. Superstructure
10. Wilt
11. Coitus
12. Broadback

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Baths   Primary Artist
Alfred Darlington   Clarinet (Bass)
Melinda Rice   Viola
Derek Stein   Cello
Adam Wolf   French Horn
Emily Call   Violin
Madeline Falcone   Violin
Betsy Rettig   Cello
Isaura String Quartet   Strings,String Quartet
John Wiesenfeld   Guitar

Technical Credits

Mario Luna   Engineer,Cover Photo
Daddy Kev   Mastering
Morgan Greenwood   Group Member,Additional Production
Will Wiesenfeld   Composer,Cover Photo,Group Member
Emily Call   Coordination
Cory Schmitz   Text,Design