Butter (album)
Butter | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 26 October 2009 | |||
Length | 51:05 | |||
Label | Warp Records | |||
Producer | Hudson Mohawke | |||
Hudson Mohawke chronology | ||||
| ||||
Hudson Mohawke studio album chronology | ||||
|
Butter is the first studio album by Scottish electronic musician Hudson Mohawke.[1] It was released on Warp Records on 26 October 2009[2] to positive reviews from critics.[3]
Background[]
In 2009, Hudson Mohawke signed to Warp Records, despite a very limited track record of official releases; in fact, the bulk of his releases were unofficial tracks and DJ mixes circulated on the Internet.[4] Butter is his debut album and second release on Warp following the 2008 Polyfolk Dance EP.[5] The album’s artwork was designed by Birchard’s friend Tom Scholefield (a.k.a. Konx-Om-Pax), with both working from a folder of influences they wanted to incorporate.[6] The album features collaborations with Dam-Funk, Nadsroic, and Olivier Daysoul, the latter an American singer who contributes to two tracks.[7]
Birchard described his recording setup as "very simple," explaining "I’m more interested in the equipment being usable and immediate, rather than spending loads of time tweaking things."[8] Most of the album was made in the audio program FruityLoops using free plug-ins.[8] Mohawke also used hardware such as an Ensoniq VFX and Roland W30 "for lots of vintage dancey sounds" as well as a Korg M50, and sampled his own MIDI programming.[7] He premiered the material at LA's Low End Theory, where it was received positively.[7]
Reception[]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 80/100[3] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
BBC Music | favorable[10] |
Clash | 7/10[11] |
Drowned in Sound | 8/10[2] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | 7/10[13] |
Pitchfork | 6.7/10[14] |
PopMatters | 8/10[1] |
Q | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Resident Advisor | 3.5/5[5] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Butter received an average score of 80% based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[3]
AllMusic called it "A fearless scrap heap mutation that incorporates icebox IDM crunch, DayGlo synthesizer funk and, most notably, late-'80s/early-'90s R&B flourishes."[9] AJ Ramirez of PopMatters gave the album 8 stars out of 10, commenting that "While Butter's fascination with chaotic beats and sonic experimentalism fit right into the Warp aesthetic, the album is remarkably accessible, liable to inspire head-bobbing motions of approval."[1] The Guardian wrote that "listening to Butter can feel like eavesdropping on the future," adding that "It's like eating candyfloss and helium on a speeding rollercoaster: exhilarating and discombobulating in equal measure."[12]
Track listing[]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Shower Melody" | 1:21 |
2. | "Gluetooth" | 3:47 |
3. | "Joy Fantastic" (featuring Olivier Daysoul) | 3:59 |
4. | "3.30" | 1:35 |
5. | "Trykk" | 2:13 |
6. | "Fruit Touch" | 3:57 |
7. | "ZOo00OOm" | 2:42 |
8. | "Acoustic Lady" | 2:07 |
9. | "Rising 5" | 3:12 |
10. | "Twistclip Loop" | 1:23 |
11. | "Just Decided" (featuring Olivier Daysoul) | 3:50 |
12. | "No One Could Ever" | 2:19 |
13. | "Velvet Peel" | 2:16 |
14. | "Tell Me What You Want from Me" (featuring Dam-Funk) | 2:58 |
15. | "Fuse" | 3:10 |
16. | "Star Crackout" | 4:55 |
17. | "Allhot" (featuring Nadsroic) | 2:43 |
18. | "Black n Red" | 2:44 |
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from Discogs.[15]
- Hudson Mohawke - production, writing
- Olivier Daysoul - vocals, writing (tracks 3, 11)
- Dâm-Funk - vocals, writing (track 14)
- Nadsroic - vocals, writing (track 14)
- Naweed - mastering
- Sun Rab - effects
- Wednesday Nite - mbira (track 9)
- Sir Anthony Chopkins - samples
- Tweeter Cushing - tambourine
- Queefer Sutherland - trombone (track 6)
- Konx-Om-Pax - design
- Brian Sweeney - photography
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Ramirez, AJ (October 27, 2009). "Hudson Mohawke: Butter". PopMatters. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Gardner, Noel (October 28, 2009). "Hudson Mohawke - Butter". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Butter - Hudson Mohawke". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Hudson Mohawke Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Marlow, Oli (November 4, 2009). "Hudson Mohawke - Butter". Resident Advisor. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Gieben, Bran. "Warp Week: Hudson Mohawke Melts Genres Like Butter!". The Skinny. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Bamberger, Seas. "Hudson Mohawke: "I was never really a fan of hammering shit in people's faces all the time"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Welsh, April Clare. "Joy Fantastic: An Oral History of Hudson Mohawke's Butter". Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Kellman, Andy. "Butter - Hudson Mohawke". AllMusic. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Pattison, Louis (2009). "Hudson Mohawke - Butter - Review". BBC Music. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Murray, Robin (October 26, 2009). "Hudson Mohawke - Butter". Clash. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b MacInnes, Paul (October 22, 2009). "Hudson Mohawke: Butter". The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Richards, Sam (October 9, 2009). "Album review: Hudson Mohawke - 'Butter'". NME. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Sisson, Patrick (October 12, 2009). "Hudson Mohawke: Butter". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
- ^ Butter at Discogs (list of releases)
Further reading[]
- Jama, Zainab (December 1, 2009). "XLR8R's Favorites of 2009: Hudson Mohawke". XLR8R.
- Martin, Felicity (July 14, 2015). "Spotlight Special: Hudson Mohawke - Butter". Clash.
External links[]
- 2009 debut albums
- Warp (record label) albums
- Hudson Mohawke albums
- Albums produced by Hudson Mohawke