Boys Noize - +/- (2021) [Hi-Res]

The notion that things can appear to be seemingly opposite from a particular viewpoint is fertile ground for creators like Alex Ridha, who is obsessed with contrast. Under the alias, Boys Noize, Ridha's sonic playground is that very space where opposites collide and new ground is broken. As an in-demand producer, Boys Noize has penned collaborations with Lady Gaga (Grammy-winning "Rain on Me"), Frank Ocean ("DHL," the industrial R&B one-off single), and creates club-ready electro-house heaters with Skrillex as Dog Blood. Withstanding all this mainstream success, he has cultivated a loyal underground fanbase through his signature use of acid-soaked synthesizers, techno-punk visual, and sonic sensibilities. On his fifth studio release, +/- (pronounced Polarity), Boys Noize makes clear his principled dedication to sonic extremes that, when in collaboration, take you to uncharted places.

"The album rides the polar tension between the musical worlds I find myself in," Ridha says, "...[it] explores the combination of contrasts. Techno's earliest inspiration was the idea of combining man and machine." +/- itself is split into two halves; + tracks have more melodic, traditional song structure whereas those of - are more hard-edged, club-driven works. "Close" (a -selection) opens the record, quite literally banging the door down and demanding attention with glitchy acid-soaked riffs and a driving low end. Easing into "Love & Validation" (a + cut and the first of two collaborations with multi-instrumentalist producer Kelsey Lu), melodies embrace the listener as a meditative drum pattern sets the pace for Lu to weave various vocal hooks into a taut package. Ridha works with Corbin on "IU," a - cut that wobbles with tender ache and malaise. About halfway through a robotic voice swiftly ratchets the track to unabashed techno soundscapes. Towards the album's closing, "Ride or Die" captures the apex of the record's dualistic energies with a longing, lush declaration of humanity ("Are you still lovin' on the sidelines/ Got used to livin' on the sidelines/ No use still living undecided/ Be my ride or die") laid over a desolate, pulsating house beat.

Whether stretching the melodic limits of electronica or melting melodic influences through brutal techno grooves, +/- proves Boys Noize's ambition of building genre-spanning, sonic fluidity. Backed by his authentic intent, +/- feels extreme, but it's that space where innovation, invention, and immersion can meet for a genuinely sweltering good time. © William Card/Qobuz