''Hisscivilization'' is the third studio album by the

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

ian musician

Jupiter Apple Flávio Basso (26 January 1968 – 21 December 2015), better known by his stage name Júpiter Maçã and by its English-language variation Jupiter Apple, was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and filmmaker. Before beginning a ...

. It was released in 2002 by

Voiceprint Records Voiceprint Records was a British independent record label based in England, founded in November 1990 by Rob Ayling. They specialised in re-releasing old material, especially progressive rock, but also had new releases, under the Resurgence and Bl ...

, and is the musician's most experimental, ambitious and elaborate output. Heavily influenced by the sonority of

Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Until his departure in 1968, he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, ...

Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...

and of the

Canterbury scene The Canterbury scene (or Canterbury sound) is a musical scene that originated in the city of Canterbury, Kent, England during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Associated with progressive rock, the term describes a loosely-defined, improvisation ...

(in particular

Kevin Ayers Kevin Ayers (16 August 1944 – 18 February 2013) was an English singer-songwriter who was active in the English psychedelic music movement. Ayers was a founding member of the psychedelic band Soft Machine in the mid-1960s, and was closely asso ...

and his 1970 release '' Shooting at the Moon''), ''Hisscivilization'' is characterized by the inclusion of

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

interludes, absent in Jupiter Apple's previous two releases, in a move that polarized critics and fans alike. It is also fully sung in English, like its predecessor '' Plastic Soda''. "Exactly" was re-recorded for his subsequent collaborative album with Bibmo, '' Bitter''.

Critical reception

The album was well-received upon its release, but many critics did not gravitate towards its heavily experimental sonority and long length. Writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, François Couture gave it 3 out of 5 stars, saying it is "filled with catchy hooks, intriguing twists and self-indulgent stretches", and comparing Jupiter Apple with Cornelius and

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970), known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi mus ...

. However, he also said that "the album's only flaw is its duration – problem is, it's a big one. Not only does ''Hisscivilization'' clock in at 78 minutes, but most of its 13 tracks could have been substantially shortened". Matheus Donay of O Notório Abacaxi praised the album for its "

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and

Surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...

artfulness", but also criticized it for its length and stated that it requires "lots of patience" to listen to.

Track listing

Personnel

– vocals, electric guitar, classical guitar, percussion, Moog, production, mixing * Thomas Dreher – production, mixing, mastering * Fernando Sanches – engineering

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hisscivilization 2002 albums Voiceprint Records albums