Intelligent yet playful, We Thought It Was Normal is an assured statement from an artist continuing to refine an already distinctive electronic language.
Technical precision with genuine warmth
Augusta, Georgia’s Linear North expands an already impressive catalogue with We Thought It Was Normal, a self-released seven-track excursion through IDM, string-inflected house, and richly detailed sampledelia. Equal parts cinematic and rhythmically agile, the release balances technical precision with genuine warmth.
“Echo Refuge” opens in contemplative fashion, its expansive atmosphere recalling early The Black Dog before “War Dog Flick” fractures into razor-sharp breakbeat manipulations, neo-funk syncopation, and playful edit work. It reinforces a simple truth: youthful exuberance remains a vital force in contemporary electronic music when guided by mature production instincts. Elsewhere, “Ghost Photo Metro” pairs intricate programming with emotive textures that suggest the human spirit lingering inside digital architecture, while “Brains Nor Backbone” echoes Plaid‘s gift for combining rhythmic sophistication with melodic openness. Every element feels purposeful, never excessive, allowing the compositions to breathe without sacrificing momentum.
Closing piece “The Sacred Pattern” introduces an operatic vocal treatment that recalls the theatrical elegance of mid-period Kate Bush, adding an unexpected organic counterpoint to the album’s digital framework. Throughout, We Thought It Was Normal demonstrates that technical fluency needn’t come at the expense of accessibility. Intelligent yet playful, it is an assured statement from an artist continuing to refine an already distinctive electronic language.
spaceShift is available on Bandcamp.
