Creature Dreams is TOKiMONSTA’s latest offering on Flying Lotus’s Brainfeeder label. According to the press release it is “the soundtrack to the oddest, most beautiful dreams you’ve ever had” and some critics are calling it the best ever Brainfeeder release. Unfortunately this is not the case as these songs sound rushed and are a reconstitution of ideas that were on her last EP Cosmic Intoxication.
However Creature Dreams does have some redeeming features. The overall production on the album is very good. Levels are nicely balanced and the separation in the mixes is again good. Some of the introductions to the tracks are beautiful. ‘Day Job’ in particular has a lovely introduction. This is ruined by the body of the track as it is so often is on this EP. ‘Stigmatizing Sex’, which is lush and heavy with the kick drum heavily compressing everything in the mix. But again the track loses its way after the introduction. Whilst superficially they seem to work, only with closer listening do the edges begin to fray. From a producer that has so much talent and support this is disappointing.
Creature Dreams marks the introduction of TOKiMONSTA’s singing over her productions, and has mixed results. Her husky vocals add textual complexity to these tracks which are reminiscent of trip-hop releases from the late 90s. Unfortunately her stylistic vocals sound out-dated.
I was really looking forward to this release, however unfortunately it was disappointing. Creature Dreams is an unresolved and frustrating release from an artist that has so much more potential.
James Horsfall
