Rone - Creatures - Pop 'stache

Rone – Creatures

written by: Elyssa Czynski February 2, 2015

Release Date: February 9, 2015

French producer Rone’s fourth studio album Creatures is easy to get lost in and entranced by with its minimalist techno beats. Each score is epic, cinematic, and captivating. There isn’t a clear concept for the album, but the tracks are connected through their similarities in composition. Rone has a high standard of craftsmanship for each track, resulting in a musicality and complexity similar to that of a baroque composer.

As a project from start to finish, Creatures has a slightly chaotic flow. Opening track “(00)” sets a dark and epic tone, but also feels somewhat useless in combination with the album’s other, more engaging tracks. There’s a different mood and emotion presented with each new song, but without a solid connection—no big picture idea. Regardless, the tracks are a gorgeous, though slightly miscellaneous, collection.

Most of the album is entirely keyboards, synths, and laptop-produced tracks, with the exception of “Sir Orfeo,” “CaliceTexas,” and “Quitter la ville.” Those three tracks have intriguing featured vocals by Sea Oleena, Bachar Mar Khalife, and Francois Marry, of Francois & The Atlas Mountain, respectively. “Sir Orfeo” and “Calice Texas” make use of intentionally unintelligible vocals as opposed to lyrics with meaning. “Quitter,” on the other hand, has actual lyrics in French. The foreign lyrics add a slightly cryptic edge to Creatures.

Still, the emotions Rone wishes to express are more accessible through the beats than any of the album’s vocals.

The beats are indeed mesmerizing and complex in nature, but are not loaded with over the top production. Some tracks, such as “Sing Song” and “Ouija,” are synth-heavy and sound very digital, but maintain more upbeat rhythms. They have a more epic sound because of how the digitized sounds fill the track. These songs are contrasted with the likes of “Elle” and “Calice Texas,” which feature recognizable instruments such as trumpets and strings. They are not neccesarily less frich because of the different instrumentation, but they have a different vibe because of the more traditional sounds. Rone has a distinct style that falls into the category of minimal techno, but his intricate production feels more symphonic.

Rone’s work can be defined with Creatures; the album is engaging, complex, and a little bit funky. It seems as though Creatures is more experimental than Rone’s previous works, which were experiments nonetheless, but more conventionally poppy. This album’s addictive qualities will make the listener want to continuously come back for more.