Changing Channels is the second studio album by English dubstep musician Pangaea. It was released on 6 October 2023, through Hessle Audio.
| Changing Channels | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 October 2023 | |||
| Length | 31:47 | |||
| Label | Hessle Audio | |||
| Producer | Kevin McAuley | |||
| Pangaea chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Changing Channels | ||||
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Background and singles
editOn 16 May 2023, only a few months after the release of the two-track EP Fuzzy Logic / Still Moving Water, the musician released the first single and intro of the album "Installations." With its "chopped-up vocals," the track was created as a nod to his 2011 single "Hex."[1] McAuley shared the news of the album on 13 June 2023. That day also saw the release of two singles: the title-track and "Hole Away,"[2] songs that he described as "tried and tested over the past few weeks and months."[3] To the musician, the album felt like it "distilled all the different elements of" his music of the previous 15 years and called it his "most complete record to date."[4] Upon announcing the album, it was seen as a fusion of "bass abstraction with dynamic, sometimes abrasive club frequencies."[5] On 12 September, McAuley released a third single titled "Bad Lines," a "happy hardcore salute" that blends UK dance music "with his own unique brand of world-building."[6]
Critical reception
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2023) |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[7] |
Writing for Pitchfork, Philip Sherburne awarded Changing Channels the accolade "Best New Music," saying Pangaea created a record that avoids what other mainstream "chart-pop samples" or "Eurodance classics" are guilty of: "a vaguely guilty-pleasure insinuation of getting away with something naughty." Sherburne opined that the album captures "a welcome shift in flow" while being proof that one "can get silly without sounding stupid."[7]
In Resident Advisor, Changing Channels is described as an album that "takes McAuley's deft touch to route-one house, breakbeat techno and happy hardcore.[8]
Pitchfork ranked it the 36th best album of 2023.[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Installation" | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Hole Away" | 3:31 |
| 3. | "If" | 5:08 |
| 4. | "The Slip" | 3:50 |
| 5. | "Changing Channels" | 7:14 |
| 6. | "Squid" | 4:31 |
| 7. | "Bad Lines" | 3:50 |
| Total length: | 31:47 | |
References
edit- ^ Eede, Christian (16 May 2023). "Pangaea Shares New Track, 'Installation'". The Quietus. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Krol, Charlotte (14 June 2023). "Pangaea announces new album, 'Changing Channels,' with two singles: Listen". DJ Mag. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Buckle, Becky (13 June 2023). "Pangaea announces new album 'Changing Channels'". Mixmag. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Eede, Christian (13 June 2023). "Pangaea Details New Album, 'Changing Channels'". The Quietus. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Murray, Robin (13 June 2023). "Pangaea Announces New Album 'Changing Channels'". Clash. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ Murray, Robin (12 September 2023). "Pangaea's Exhilarating 'Bad Lines' Is A Happy Hardcore Salute". Clash. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (6 October 2023). "Pangaea: Changing Channels Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Pangaea - Changing Channels · Album Review ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ Monroe, Jazz (5 December 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 December 2023.