Gesaffelstein – Aleph LP [Album Review]

In his first full-length release, appropriately titled Aleph (aleph is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet), Gesaffelstein surprises his fans with a completely dark and seemingly cinematic album that undoubtedly proves this French producer gots the chops.

With his past LP releases, it’s evident that Gesaffelstein is a fantastic dance producer. But with his newest release, listeners get a different side of the 28-year-old producer. With Aleph, which Gesaffelstein has been working on since 2011, the audience goes through a dark, twisted fantasy. And yes, that is a nod to Kanye West, with whom Gesaffelstein worked with on Yeezus, producing the lead single “Black Skinhead” as well as “Send It Up.”

While the album features some new ideas and movements from Gesaffelstein, Aleph isn’t a complete departure from the producer’s signature sound. Tracks like “Destination,” feature the producers classic deep vocal sample and grimy synth, but in combination with this new, dark overtone.

“Hellifonria” features a completely new style from Gesaffelstein, as he calls upon an old school 90’s West Coast hip hop sound along with an almost trap music kind of feel. It sounds as what I would imagine hip hop will sound like in the year 2055. This futuristic West Coast vibe is something so unique and different from anything else it makes me wonder who the first producer will be to rip it off.

“Wall of Memories” also exudes this new and creepy vibe with an intro consisting of echoing piano chords that sound like they belong in a Wes Craven film. Even the snare sound used in this song — which sounds like a knife and a chain beating each other — would give anyone the chills. The low and deep bass womping in the background along with the distorted white noise also add to the overall spooky sound.

The album isn’t just a thrillingly haunting soundtrack, though. Songs like “Duel” and “Trans” still have that much needed EDM dance vibe. “Trans” especially since it has that classic Gesaffelstein synth sound and beat.

Overall, this album is a fantastic piece of work from what is expected to be one of the best producers of the next couple of years. The fact that Gesaffelstein has worked with artists varying from Kanye to Lana Del Rey already shows that this guy is going places. Aleph is a triumph for Gesaffelstein, as any full length album would be for a producer/DJ classified as an EDM artist. The album will surely shift the way producers record music and I personally cannot wait to see what else Gesaffelstein will do in the future in terms of albums, singles, and live shows.

Gesaffelstein

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Gesaffelstein – Aleph LP [Album Review]