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In Greek mythology, Elysium pertains to a section of the underworld where the good were sent. It is an appropriate title for this album as it flows forward with an unearthly sound. Jónas Þór Guðmundsson, who is also known as (the easier to pronounce) Ruxpin, has created a record that is alien, yet comfortable. The album is awash with cold, linking melodies under crisp, electric beats. Monotone human voices are then sampled and intermittedly blended into framework of the music.

“Kiteboarding in the Summertime,” for example, is ornamented with dry samples of children laughing. The use of samples and synths play-out in a style that is not dissimilar to Boards Of Canada; tranquil keys wash through the track and create an otherworldly environment while snips of vocals keep the sounds familiar and grounded. Ruxpin’s handling of this aspect of the song is, in fact, a bit too similar to Boards of Canada. However, Guðmundsson adds his own signature, and avoids infringement, with his approach to the song’s beats. Where BOC would allow the track to glide along a downtempo rhythm, Ruxpin’s higher pitched snaps against the softer keys adds a level of tension to the song.

This push/pull relationship works and is repeated throughout the album. “You and Me Are One and the Same” launches with a steady tempo over a somber composition of keys. Again, the beats are tight and sharp. But the underside of the track is foggy with murky texture. A mechanical and robotic, but surprisingly gentle, vocal makes its way through the music to give a song a kind of traditional chorus. “You/And/Me/Are/One/In/The/Same”

The strongest track on Elysium is “Requiem of the Metallic.” The song uses clips of deadpanned female vocal samples which are mixed with cuts of organic orchestration. The lower pitched instruments shift with slight manipulation against their higher pitched counterparts. Additional samples are distorted and sprinkled over the glossier moments of the piece. The relationship between the opposing sounds struggling against one another is executed flawlessly. This song is reason enough to purchase the album.

Each of the (excessive/generous) 19 tracks on Elysium is carefully crafted and well written. From the heavy bass thumps of “Creating Artificial Machine Love” to the somber melodies of “Sadenness,” Ruxpin has designed an album that is solid from beginning to end. Not every track is outstanding, but most of them are solid. And while there are no excessively bad moments on the album, there are a few that are excessively good.

Reviewed by: Richie Corelli

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