Alex Young has been a favourite of ours since we started the site. The talented young producer first caught our ear with his amazing ‘Right On Time’ remix and continued to impress with a variety of bangers. As his popularity increased he ventured into festival trap territory and geared up to be one of the biggest stars of the genre. At this time something within him changed. He realized that the music he was making wasn’t what he enjoyed and he was contributing to a scene that had become engulfed in generic sounds and mediocrity. The realization led to a break in releases as he worked to refine his sound and truly find himself. When he re-emerged earlier this year he was almost unrecognizable. Taking on a new sound and focus; often downtempo, moody and simply weird. With the release of The Meaning Of Life Alex builds on that weirdness to create something truly unique.
In the past few years the purpose of electronic album is becoming more and more unclear. Often times electronic albums have little flow, slapping together bangers with emotional tracks, attempted radio hits and maybe the odd experimental cut to prove the artist is still edgy. Alex Young’s album is the polar opposite. There’s no singles and it’s meticulously crafted to give the listener an experience like no other. Furthering this is the release format. It isn’t released as an 11 track album with individual songs but as one continuous mix and one listen attests to why. The project is one of the most cinematic listening experiences I can recall in recent time. With limited vocals it relies on the soundscapes and tones to paint the narrative. Much like life, it’s diverse and inexplicable. There’s moments of pure joy, moments of sadness, strong feelings of excitement and easiness. There’s dark moments and times where you’re not sure what to feel. One thing is certain this isn’t your average listen. Sure it’s avant-garde and sure to turn off some of his earlier fans but it’s guaranteed to land him some new ones too. What stands out most of all is the format, progression and fluidity. It shows the potential of what an electronic album can be. Producers take notes. Stream below and grab the free download.
