Oneohtrix Point Never - I Bite Through It (Song Review)

Oneohtrix Point Never mastermind Daniel Lopatin is believed to be a creative genius when it comes to his craft. His various blends of electronic music, composition, and production work are really impressive. OPN's big breakout album Replica in 2011 saw the artists using a lot of samples. R Plus Seven, the follow-up, moved away from that and in somewhat of a different direction. Lopatin's upcoming album, Garden Of Delete, continues his trend in experimentation. Lopatin is touting it as his big rock album.

"I Bite Through It" is the first single off the upcoming album and honestly it's one of my favorite things OPN has ever released. It may not be quite as interesting as the sampling ideas on Replica, but what it is though is immediate and extremely well done. The songs go through a barrage of sounds that at times clang and bang. The heavy elements of the songs hit hard with tons of buzzing vibes that sound like white noise static hitting at level ten. It feels like maybe a little of that Nine Inch Nails magic may have worn off on Lopatin as these elements of the song most resemble the sounds of something you'd hear from NIN or maybe even earlier Skinny Puppy. The beat intensifies in one part before it changes course into a somber majestic string of noises that almost sound harp-like in nature before it quickly shifts into more chaotic noises. The computerized sound of "I" distorted is placed throughout the song. The song feels more contained and structured than many Oneohtrix Point Never songs. Although it does venture around and shift wildly throughout the song there is more of a feeling of a song. There are elements within it that feel like traditional song structure. It definitely feels more like a rock song in nature and I'm hoping a lot more of the songs on Garden Of Delete can find neat and different ways to put the "rock" spin on an OPN album like this one did.

All in all "I Bite Through It" is an impressive and pleasing listen. I think it's a great first track from Garden Of Delete that builds anticipation for the album. I think it's more immediate than anything off R Plus Seven and honestly hits a lot harder and maybe is more enjoyable than a lot of stuff off of Replica (and I find that album to be very good). I think this could be one of the year's biggest standout electronic albums and this song is a good first step in that direction.