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The notion that things can appear to be seemingly opposite from a particular viewpoint is fertile ground for creators like Alex Ridha, who is obsessed with contrast. Under the alias, Boys Noize, Ridha's sonic playground is that very space where opposites collide and new ground is broken. As an in-demand producer, Boys Noize has penned collaborations with Lady Gaga (Grammy-winning "Rain on Me"), Frank Ocean ("DHL," the industrial R&B one-off single), and creates club-ready electro-house heaters with Skrillex as Dog Blood. Withstanding all this mainstream success, he has cultivated a loyal underground fanbase through his signature use of acid-soaked synthesizers, techno-punk visual, and sonic sensibilities. On his fifth studio release, +/- (pronounced Polarity), Boys Noize makes clear his principled dedication to sonic extremes that, when in collaboration, take you to uncharted places.
"The album rides the polar tension between the musical worlds I find myself in," Ridha says, "...[it] explores the combination of contrasts. Techno's earliest inspiration was the idea of combining man and machine." +/- itself is split into two halves; + tracks have more melodic, traditional song structure whereas those of - are more hard-edged, club-driven works. "Close" (a -selection) opens the record, quite literally banging the door down and demanding attention with glitchy acid-soaked riffs and a driving low end. Easing into "Love & Validation" (a + cut and the first of two collaborations with multi-instrumentalist producer Kelsey Lu), melodies embrace the listener as a meditative drum pattern sets the pace for Lu to weave various vocal hooks into a taut package. Ridha works with Corbin on "IU," a - cut that wobbles with tender ache and malaise. About halfway through a robotic voice swiftly ratchets the track to unabashed techno soundscapes. Towards the album's closing, "Ride or Die" captures the apex of the record's dualistic energies with a longing, lush declaration of humanity ("Are you still lovin' on the sidelines/ Got used to livin' on the sidelines/ No use still living undecided/ Be my ride or die") laid over a desolate, pulsating house beat.
Whether stretching the melodic limits of electronica or melting melodic influences through brutal techno grooves, +/- proves Boys Noize's ambition of building genre-spanning, sonic fluidity. Backed by his authentic intent, +/- feels extreme, but it's that space where innovation, invention, and immersion can meet for a genuinely sweltering good time. © William Card/Qobuz
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Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer - Naeem Hanks, Vocals - Nathan Tugg Curran, Drums
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, Audio Mastering - Soulwax, Engineer & Mixer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Arranger - Kelsey Lu, Vocals, MainArtist - Kelsey McJunkins, Composer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Paul Bailey, Engineer - Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer - Rico Nasty, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Maria-Cecilia Simone Kelly, Composer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Jake Shears, Background Vocals - Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer - James Greenwood, Composer - Ghost Culture, Producer, Vocals, FeaturedArtist
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer - Abra, Producer, Vocals, MainArtist - Gabrielle Mirville, Composer - Olivia Mirville, Composer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Jake Shears, Lead Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Mike Marsh, Audio Mastering - Jason Sellards, Composer, Writer - Boys Noize, Original Producer, MainArtist - Alex Ridha, Composer, Writer, Original Mixer - Svenja Malicha Marx, Additional Vocals
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2020 Defected Records Limited
Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Corbin, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Mixer, Arranger, Synthesizer, Drum Programming - C. Smidzik, Synthesizer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, Masterer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Mixer, Arranger
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Tommy Cash, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Mike Marsh, Masterer - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Mixer, Arranger - Tomas Tammemets, Composer - Svenja M. Marx, Vocals
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Kieran Hebden, Additional Arrangement by - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Mixer, Arranger, Drums, Synthesizer - Jason Beck, Composer - CHILLY GONZALES, Piano, Spinet, FeaturedArtist - Kelsey Lu, Composer, Vocals, MainArtist
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Mike Marsh, MasteringEngineer - Vinson, Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Boys Noize, Producer, MainArtist - Alexander Ridha, Composer, Engineer & Mixer - Charles Scott, Additional Guitar - Vinson Fraley, Composer
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
Album review
The notion that things can appear to be seemingly opposite from a particular viewpoint is fertile ground for creators like Alex Ridha, who is obsessed with contrast. Under the alias, Boys Noize, Ridha's sonic playground is that very space where opposites collide and new ground is broken. As an in-demand producer, Boys Noize has penned collaborations with Lady Gaga (Grammy-winning "Rain on Me"), Frank Ocean ("DHL," the industrial R&B one-off single), and creates club-ready electro-house heaters with Skrillex as Dog Blood. Withstanding all this mainstream success, he has cultivated a loyal underground fanbase through his signature use of acid-soaked synthesizers, techno-punk visual, and sonic sensibilities. On his fifth studio release, +/- (pronounced Polarity), Boys Noize makes clear his principled dedication to sonic extremes that, when in collaboration, take you to uncharted places.
"The album rides the polar tension between the musical worlds I find myself in," Ridha says, "...[it] explores the combination of contrasts. Techno's earliest inspiration was the idea of combining man and machine." +/- itself is split into two halves; + tracks have more melodic, traditional song structure whereas those of - are more hard-edged, club-driven works. "Close" (a -selection) opens the record, quite literally banging the door down and demanding attention with glitchy acid-soaked riffs and a driving low end. Easing into "Love & Validation" (a + cut and the first of two collaborations with multi-instrumentalist producer Kelsey Lu), melodies embrace the listener as a meditative drum pattern sets the pace for Lu to weave various vocal hooks into a taut package. Ridha works with Corbin on "IU," a - cut that wobbles with tender ache and malaise. About halfway through a robotic voice swiftly ratchets the track to unabashed techno soundscapes. Towards the album's closing, "Ride or Die" captures the apex of the record's dualistic energies with a longing, lush declaration of humanity ("Are you still lovin' on the sidelines/ Got used to livin' on the sidelines/ No use still living undecided/ Be my ride or die") laid over a desolate, pulsating house beat.
Whether stretching the melodic limits of electronica or melting melodic influences through brutal techno grooves, +/- proves Boys Noize's ambition of building genre-spanning, sonic fluidity. Backed by his authentic intent, +/- feels extreme, but it's that space where innovation, invention, and immersion can meet for a genuinely sweltering good time. © William Card/Qobuz
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 01:01:17
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Boys Noize
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Boysnoize Records
- Genre: Electronic
© 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH ℗ 2021 Boysnoize Records GmbH
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