Personal Computer is a seductive electronica record that pits New Zeland’s Ruban Nielson’s brilliant soul, funk and disco influenced songwriting against a backdrop of extra-terrestrial noir sonics, calling to mind the varied likes of Flying Lotus, Panda Bear and Daft Punk in the process, as well as that of the project of Nielson’s brother Ruban, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, with whom Kody co-wrote and co-produced the new album Multi-Love and who was also his former band-mate in cult New Zealand punk group The Mint Chicks.
A prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer, who remains resistant to any kind of easy pigeonholing, Kody Nielson may well have concocted the purest distillation of his hyperactive musical brain yet, in the shape of Silicon. Created in the small hours when the energy is strong, Silicon sends out pulses of warped, genuinely soulful, retro-futuristic electronica that smudges the lines between human warmth and disembodied voices from the machine.
As much as there are traces of his previous work to be found in the sounds of Silicon, ultimately this latest incarnation of Nielson’s genius goes some way to closing the loop on the music he made before the Mint Chicks came into existence. It’s a return to a self contained mode. Cultivating his own distinct brand, Silicon has been introduced by the svelte machinations of lead single God Emoji where sumptuous electronics meet magnificently harmonized, vocal confections. The aesthetic solidifies and expands with Burning Sugar, a Stevie Wonder like development on the sophisticated funk that Kody explored on previous solo release Devils, which also signifies the caramelised centre and beating heart of Personal Computer. Next cuts like Cellphone and Love Peace add further layers, coming across as individualistic, sublime pockets of quietude to bring relief in times of information overload and perpetual surface noise.
Personal Computer will be available via Weird World on limited edition deluxe 12″ coloured vinyl including booklet of all the Personal Computer artwork created by Kody Nielson, standard 12″ vinyl, CD and digital download.
Tracklist:
1. Personal Computer
2. Cellphone
3. Sumarine
4. God Emoji
5. Burning Sugar
6. Little Dancing Baby
7. I Can See Paradise
8. Love Peace
9. Blow
10. Dope