Iglooghost crafts a futuristic masterpiece

‘Neo Wax Bloom’ album review

By Joshua Toevs, Contributor

4/5

Neo Wax Bloom is the first full length album from UK producer Iglooghost and on this record, he showcases his warped ideas of what electronic music should sound like.

This record features industrial sounds blended into electronic, hip-hop, and jazz soundscapes, producing an erratic, yet focused project. There is a lot to like sonically from this record, with Iglooghost using a cavalcade of sounds to entice both those familiar and foreign to this artist’s work.

One of his most powerful instruments is the use of vocals. Iglooghost takes vocals and manipulates them to varying degrees as a way to infuse them within the soundscape he is trying to create. On “Pale Eyes,” the vocals dance along the synth line, which allows the rainforest samples and that harrowing drum loop to dominate your ears. That specific drum loop sounds like a fusion of TNGHT and Kanye West’s “To the World.” Vocals showcase themselves again on “Sōlar Blade,” a record which interpolates and feverishly speeds up an André 3000 rap, as well as “Göd Grid,” which pitch shifts vocals with such ease that you almost don’t recognize the amount of skill it takes to tweak chords like that.

Iglooghost has a penchant for using unique presets throughout this project. From the dog bark on “Bug Thief” to the obnoxious referee whistle on the already mentioned “Sōlar Blade,” Iglooghost hides these sounds behind a bevy of rumbling hi-hats and deep 808 drum loops to present something truly refreshing.

Refreshing and unique are two words that you will keep coming back to when listening to Iglooghost’s music. It is honestly like nothing I have ever heard before. There is minimalist restraint on the Caribbean-inspired “White Gum” and “Peanut Choker,” while at the same time presenting this dichotomy with heavy, in-your-face tracks like “Teal Yomi / Olivine” and “Zen Chomp.” That is not to say that there aren’t missteps and deficiencies on this record. The featured vocals of Cuushe on “Infinite Mint” can sound too clean and crisp, which results in them sticking out in all the wrong ways. Some of the production also starts to blend together, especially near the end of the album where it becomes a challenge to differentiate the songs as they don’t incorporate enough spice to keep them unique enough.

This record will keep you coming back to discover different sounds ranging from sophisticated saxophone arrangements to the glitched and abrasive piano melodies. With a run time of 41 minutes, this record facilitates repeated deep dives.