The Animal Spirits
James Holden · 2017
48 min · 9 tracks · electronic music
A kaleidoscopic fusion of organic sounds and electronic textures, creating a vibrant landscape of rhythm and emotion.
Top tracks — play these first
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Spinning Dance — This track exemplifies the album's rhythmic complexity, merging pulsating beats with ethereal melodies that evoke a sense of movement and transcendence.
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The Beginning & End of the World — Here, Holden masterfully intertwines layers of sound to create an immersive listening experience that encapsulates the album's themes of existential exploration.
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The Animal Spirits — The title track serves as a centerpiece, blending organic elements with electronic rhythms, symbolizing the thematic heart of connection between nature and technology.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe album's innovative sound design and rhythmic complexity create a distinct listening experience.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a track that layers field recordings and synth textures, gradually building complexity over its duration.
- The final track employs a gradual fade-out, leaving the listener with an extended sense of resolution rather than closure.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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7/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- mystical soundscapes
- immersive listening sessions
- rhythmic exploration and journey
- contemplative late-night moods
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2017, The Animal Spirits marks James Holden's return to solo work after a significant hiatus following his acclaimed debut, The Idiots Are Winning. This album showcases his evolution as an artist, moving deeper into experimental territory while drawing on live instrumentation and folk influences, reflecting his artistic maturation since his early days in techno.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Four Tet· Sasha· Nicolas Jaar
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Incantation for Inanimate Object 1:42
- 2 Spinning Dance 5:30
- 3 Pass Through the Fire 6:26
- 4 Each Moment Like the First 4:57
- 5 The Beginning & End of the World 6:40
- 6 Thunder Moon Gathering 7:28
- 7 The Animal Spirits 5:38
- 8 The Neverending 4:30
- 9 Go Gladly Into the Earth 5:52
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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