Review: TRP006- When I was 14

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

Like everything Nina Kraviz does musically, the world has been eagerly waiting at her feet for the upcoming трип release, a seven track conceptual album titled When I was 14. Including regular label-contributors like Bjarki, along with enigmatic figures like Aphex Twin, Kraviz presents a simple (in theory) idea for the project- who are we in this ever-changing landscape of daily moods, opinions, thoughts, and feelings, as we traverse through the trials of life? While they haven’t solved one of humanity’s biggest questions with this release, they have provided space for the reader to explore their thoughts.

The idea of a ‘continuous sonic landscape’ has been thrown around a lot in news pieces and early reviews of When I was 14, and upon hearing the project in its entirety, it’s obvious why. Kicking off with ‘Baepolar,’ Bjarki quickly sets the team on a path of fast drum patterns and sets the stage for organized chaos. Like Dr. Frankenstein bringing his monster to life, the artist’s hold control, but bring life of their own with each piece. Kraviz and AFx (Aphex Twin) continue the mania, paralleling the erratic, yet subdued, songs as a metaphor for life, nature, and the ever-changing ebb-and-flow of a person’s life.

Bjarki strangely controls a lot of the reigns in this EP, as ‘Naked Naked’ brings back elements of early 2000’s rave culture, while simultaneously changing the attitude of the second half of the EP. It’s hard to place where this fits in the proposed narrative, but sonically, it’s flow is impeccable. Barcode Population blends well into Biogen, and it’s not until PTU’s ‘Taorak’that it becomes clear that the story is coming to an end. ‘Taorak’ remains refined and strange, and it’s a massive indicator of why PTU is an exciting figure in the electronic world. Refreshing, minimal, and yet massively impactful to the heart, ‘Taorak’ has us leaving When I Was 14 with more questions than answers.

Take a look at the tracklist below. The album will be out May 20th, but pre-orders can be found here.

Tracklist
A1 Bjarki – Baepolar
A2 Nina Kraviz – Don’t Mind Wrong Keys
B1 AFX – p-string
C1 Bjarki – Naked Naked
C2 Barcode Population – Temple Ball
D1 Biogen – Untitled
D2 PTU – Taorak

While When I was 14 has no official previews, take a listen to TRP005, I have a Question below.