Genre : Electronic, Cyber metal, Djent, Ambient
Released : June 3rd, 2022
Label : FiXT Music
FFO : Igorrr, Carpenter Brut, Mick Gordon, Northlane, Filmmaker, Aphex Twin
Musical mastermind Rémi Gallego never disappoints when it comes to creating unpredictable, futuristic tunes as The Algorithm.
Quite frankly, it feels a bit silly putting an FFO section when it comes to this artist since no one really does what The Algorithm does or comes close to sounding similar.
Rémi has been making music as The Algorithm for over a decade now and just like a software, has permanently been updating his skills and craft with every single release or side project he has worked on over the years, in a way that each of these releases feels like a culmination of all the acquired knowledge stored in his self-upgrading data bank.
"Data Renaissance" is the latest addition to this process and one listen of any track on it confirms my previous statement.
Although perhaps less zany, chaotic and all over the place compared to albums like "Polymorphic Code" or "OCTOPUS4", The Algorithm still manages to pull the rug from under your feet again and again with a multitude of mood and stylistic changes, which now feel much more thought-out and concise.
The biggest impression that this album left on me, is that compared to its predecessors, "Data Renaissance" seems to focus a lot more on building atmosphere rather than simply bombarding you with electronic insanity at a relentless pace.
Granted, that is still part of the picture and there is still that modern metal edge that blends in with the digital audio machinery at work, notably on the Mick Gordon-esque "Interrupt Handler", but in "Data Renaissance" it doesn't necessarily come across as being the main focal point.
I believe, "Data Renaissance" is also one of the best sounding The Algorithm albums so far in terms of production.
Everything hits with perfect intent and impact and makes it so very easy to be pulled into Rémi's imaginary of dystopian, AI-generated futurism where Man no longer has control over things within a world that now feels utterly synthetic.
The fact that a big chunk of the album was slowly released over the course of the last year or so is also a really cool idea since I believe it ties in quite nicely conceptually with the album's title.
I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to the domain of digital tech and computering so I won't push my analogy too far, but it's as if the album was a piece of software that was slowly rebuilding itself with each new single being released, until it became complete and could operate once more.
Overall, The Algorithm has once again displayed the extent of the mastery of his craft and has created a fresh-sounding and compelling listen that should appeal to both fans of experimental modern metal and electronica.