Malachi Lui

Album Reviews
Happier Than Ever Is Billie Eilish’s Brilliantly Dark Fame Diary
Michael Fremer,  |  Aug 29, 2021  |  8 comments
This July, Billie Eilish released her highly anticipated second LP, Happier Than Ever. After some contention as to who would review this release, AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer and contributing editor Malachi Lui agreed to both comment on it. Below is their conversation about the record.

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FeaturesShort Cuts
Review Explosion: Prince, Bleachers, Darkside, Yves Tumor, Abstract Mindstate
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 27, 2021  |  First Published: Aug 27, 2021  |  10 comments
(Review Explosion is a recurring AnalogPlanet feature covering recent releases for which we either don't have sufficient time to fully explore, or that are not worthy of it. Curated by AnalogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui, Review Explosion focuses on the previous few months' new releases and reissues.)

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FeaturesVinyl Reports
Vinyl Reports: Burial + Four Tet + Thom Yorke, James Ferraro, Yung Lean, & Actress
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 24, 2021  |  First Published: Aug 24, 2021  |  9 comments
(Vinyl Reports is an AnalogPlanet feature aiming to create a definitive vinyl LP guide. Here, we talk about sound quality, LP packaging, music, and the overarching vinyl experience.)

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DiscographiesFeatures
Yellow Magic Orchestra: Explorations, Part 2 (1983-Present)
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 20, 2021  |  First Published: Aug 20, 2021  |  3 comments
Concluding our multi-part exploration into pioneering Japanese synthpop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), this week we’ll analyze the trio’s work from 1983’s Naughty Boys to the present day. We’ll only focus on the core catalog albums; as good as non-album tracks like “Chaos Panic” and “M-16” are, coverage of those would interest only maniacal completists. Those who aren’t yet caught up can view the series’ previous features below:

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DiscographiesFeatures
Yellow Magic Orchestra: Intermission, 1980-1982 (Solo LPs & Side Projects)
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 13, 2021  |  First Published: Aug 13, 2021  |  6 comments
Continuing our multi-part exploration of Japanese synthpop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), this week we’ll analyze Yukihiro Takahashi, Haruomi Hosono, and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s solo LPs and side projects from 1980-1982. For brevity’s sake, we’ll exclude the artists’ production work for other acts, focusing only on Takahashi, Hosono, Sakamoto, and Hideki Matsutake-led projects (apologies to fans of Kenji Omura’s Spring Is Nearly Here). In addition, releases only reviewed digitally here won’t feature sound scores. Below are links to this series’ previous features:

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DiscographiesFeatures
Yellow Magic Orchestra: Explorations, Part 1 (1978-1981)
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 06, 2021  |  First Published: Aug 06, 2021  |  4 comments
Introduction

This is the part one of a multi-part exploration of Japanese synthpop pioneer Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) previewed in the recent “Yellow Magic Orchestra: Prologue”. This week, I’m dissecting the group’s albums from the 1978 self-titled debut through November 1981’s Technodelic. While I did as much research as possible, in the English-speaking world little verifiable information about YMO exists. Earlier this year, Ryuichi Sakamoto associate Eiichi Yoshimura published YMO 1978-2043: Definitive Story Of Yellow Magic Orchestra, but no English translation exists (and I’ve not yet learned Japanese). Much of what’s on Wikipedia has no traceable citation; to avoid inaccuracies any info from there will be mentioned as “supposed” or “presumed”.

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DiscographiesFeatures
Yellow Magic Orchestra: Prologue
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 01, 2021  |  First Published: Aug 01, 2021  |  11 comments
This week, AnalogPlanet begins a multi-part exploration of Japanese synthpop pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). Through reviews of their core releases and YMO-era side projects, we’ll dissect how, by incorporating elements of exotica, video game music, musique concrete, and more, the trio of Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi, and Ryuichi Sakamoto transformed electronic music. They gained massive success in Japan but are also credited for influencing hip-hop and Detroit techno. First, however, we’ll explore the individual members’ pre-YMO work.

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Album Reviews
Reassessment: The 1975’s Notes On A Conditional Form
Malachi Lui  |  Jul 24, 2021  |  10 comments
Glaring errors in music criticism, whether out of ignorance, misunderstanding, rushed deadlines, personal happenings, or whatever else, are at some point in the fields unfortunately commonplace; at some point in the field, you’re bound to make mistakes. When revisiting my past reviews, I balked at my original review of The 1975’s 2020 double LP art pop extravaganza Notes On A Conditional Form. Back then, I called it “frontman Matty Healy’s overblown vanity project [...] a miserably scattered, fake deep musical torture session.” How did that happen? Before dissecting my oversight, however, I’ll provide extended context and a much-needed reassessment.

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Short Cuts
Vinyl Review Explosion: The Strokes, Kid Cudi, M.I.A., & Darkside
Malachi Lui  |  Jul 12, 2021  |  First Published: Jul 12, 2021  |  36 comments
(Review Explosion is a recurring AnalogPlanet feature covering recent releases for which we either don't have sufficient time to fully explore, or that are not worthy of it. Curated by AnalogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui, Review Explosion focuses on the previous few months' new releases. This particular Review Explosion discusses Vinyl Me, Please’s Essentials releases from February-May 2021.)

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Album Reviews
“Loss & Gain Are The Same:” Bladee & Mechatok’s Immersive Good Luck
Malachi Lui  |  Jul 02, 2021  |  6 comments
In 2014, Swedish cloud rap artist and Drain Gang collective leader Bladee (Benjamin Reichwald) emerged with the lo-fi cloud rap single “Into Dust.” The song’s shallow lyrics (“I’m gonna bleed in the club/I got weed in my lungs/I don’t need any love/I can’t feel when I’m drunk”) and rudimentary video (a sunglasses- and sweater-clad Bladee stumbling through a forest with “WHYY” superimposed over the footage) are often memed, though he’s shifted styles several times since then.

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