''Ritualize'' is a collaborative studio album by
Lushlife and CSLSX. It was released on
Western Vinyl
Western Vinyl is an independent record label founded in 1998 and based in Austin, Texas. The imprint was formed by Brian Sampson and Ryan Murphy originally to release their lo-fi indie rock projects as Win Foster and Havergal.
Artists
*Abram S ...
on February 19, 2016.
Production
Philadelphia rapper and record producer
Lushlife contacted local record production trio CSLSX to see if they wanted to perform live with him.
[ The trio did not do any live shows at that time, but instead sent demos to him.][ After that, Lushlife and CSLSX started making the album.][ The album featured guest appearances from I Break Horses, ]Ariel Pink
Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded al ...
, Deniro Farrar, RJD2
Ramble Jon Krohn (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician and record producer based in Columbus, Ohio. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as S ...
, Nightlands, Yikes the Zero, Freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
, Killer Mike
Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, singer and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album ''Stankonia'' (2000), and guest appeared on the duo's Gr ...
, and Marissa Nadler
Marissa Nadler (born April 5, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. Active since 2000, she is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records and Bella Union, and released her ninth full-length studio album, ''The Path of the Clouds'', in October ...
. It took three years to finish the album.
Critical reception
Mehan Jayasuriya of ''Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' stated that "While there is no shortage of interesting ideas or capable musicians on ''Ritualize'', in the absence of a compelling vision, it doesn't add up to much."[ Meanwhile, Ken Capobianco of '']The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' commented that "The cerebral MC collaborates with production team CSLSX to take his indie aesthetic to another level, exploring pulsing ambient textures, psychedelic rock, and orchestral music, while never losing sight of classic head-bobbing beats."[ Tom Breihan of '']Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' wrote, "It's a blurry, shoegaze-addled take on neck-snap East Coast rap, and I've never heard anything quite like it."
''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' chose "Body Double" as the "Song of the Day" on October 5, 2015. ''Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television.
History
''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
'' placed "Hong Kong (Lady of Love)" at number 9 on the "Top 10 Songs of the Week" list on February 5, 2016.[ Derek Staples described it as "a stroll through the questionably calm interiors of a dystopian metropolis."][ He added, "Here, Lushlife represents a powerful presence cast against an otherwise desolate environment, but one where surprises lurk within the prevailing darkness."]The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' included the album on the "Best Music of 2016" list.Thrillist
''Thrillist'' is an online media website covering travel. ''Thrillist'' was founded in 2004 by Ben Lerer and Adam Rich. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands ''The Dodo'', NowThis News, and Seeker to form the digital media ...
'' placed the album at number 13 on the "20 Best Albums of 2016 That Came Out of Philly" list.[ She called it "a genre-bending and melding collection of eclectic sonic landscapes."]
Track listing
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
2016 collaborative albums
Western Vinyl albums
Hip-hop albums by American artists