Begin Within

Album review

Nicolas Bougaïeff's first album for Mute, The Upward Spiral, was a dense, complex album filled with unpredictable structural shifts and off-the-grid sequences, reimagining the rhythmic possibilities of techno. Further departing from the conventions of the genre, Begin Within is also new territory for Bougaïeff, as it features his vocals and lyrics for the first time. He allows himself to be honest about his mental health and the strain he put himself through during his educational work and the creation of his music. The lyrics also draw from experiences as part of Berlin's club scene, reflecting on relationships, breakups, and feelings of disconnection. Not an album of dance tracks, Begin Within is instead a futuristic, post-industrial art-pop suite. Bougaïeff gives himself "permission to be happy" during the jagged, sputtering opener "Every Day." On "Naked Eye," he recognizes the damage he's done to himself and acknowledges his quest for recovery, with his robotic vocals set atop twisted rhythms and spiraling, suspenseful arpeggios. The beats seem to cough and hack during the vocoder-heavy crawl "Pain Goes Away." At the center of the record, the vibrating soundscape "Begin Within" is an audio palindrome, identical forward and in reverse. "Designer Love" is the album's poppiest moment, with its bleepy melody backing Bougaïeff's lyrics about performance art and club heartbreak. The detached choral vocals on "We Rejoice" provide eerie comfort as post-rave beats simmer and atmospheric clouds rotate. Finally, "Inner Pattern" is nearly five minutes of constant ascension, with Bougaïeff's obscured voice subliminally encouraging discovery and expansion.

© Paul Simpson /TiVo