Review Rating: 3.5/5

L.A. producer Shlohmo is the alias of producer/electronic musician Henry Laufer, affiliated with the crew Wedidit (along with other producers such as RL Grime, Ryan Hemsworth, Groundislava, and Nick Melons.

Having released a series of EP’s over the past two years, Shlohmo hadn’t released an album since his debut album “Bad Vibes” (back in 2011), until now with the release of “Dark Red” on April 7.

“Dark Red” follows a theme of dark and eerie experimental sounds created by Shlohmo in a new electronic sound he is experimenting with.

Having expressed interest in performing shows with live instruments, “Dark Red” is the answer prompting Shlohmo to embark on the Shlohmo Live tour shortly before the album was released.

The album opens up with a very dark, ambient track entitled “Ten Days of Falling”, giving off chilling vibes that make one feel like they are trapped in a forest high off hallucinogens.

“Meet Your Maker” follows with the theme, except it brings a drum and bass type sound, while the next track “Buried” sounds like a mash up of different random sounds before kicking off into a new-wave type track.

It’s hard to tell a track from one another with their similar distinct of dark, shadowy sound, however one can tell when a particular track of ‘Dark Red’ brings a much more powerful sound to the table or a much more unique sound than another track on the album.

“Emerge From Smoke” is probably the best track on “Dark Red” as it features a variety of kicks, snares, and loud bass that form the perfect ambient track filled with 808’s, a classic art form of sounds popularized by experimental-electronic acts such as XXYYXX, Nosaj Thing, Jamie XX, and Shlohmo himself.

“Fading” is another masterful track worth taking a listen to as it features upbeat drum and bass and follows a repetitive sound pattern that is catchy when listening and sounds like a merge between U.S. and U.K. electronic music scenes.

Another track worth listening to is the classic Shlohmo sounding song “Ditch” which features a perfect drum and bass pattern, combined with 808 snares, providing the perfect experimental track that would’ve sounded perfect on Shlohmo’s first release “Bad Vibes”.

Throughout the album, only one feature from another musician is present on the album.

The track “Apathy” features fellow Wedidit affiliate D33J on a dark ambient track that features faint background vocals in the distance throughout the duration of the song.

A track that could’ve been better is the soft-paced “Remains” which sounds like it could’ve had a lot more included to the track such as some hi-hats or perhaps some background vocals, and is also the shortest song on the album coming in at 3 minutes and 29 seconds.

“Dark Red” is still a bit short of being a better album than Shlohmos previous release “Bad Vibes”, however it is still definitely worth listening to especially in an nature environment such as a forest, mountains, or alone in your room if one pleases.

You can stream the album via Spotify below and purchase a physical copy in stores.