Chicago producer RXM Reality drops an inspiringly restless and endlessly explosive new albumon April 3, 2020 at 6:31 pm

Enforced mass social isolation can really make you crave constant stimuli. As each day feels longer than the one before, the slow crawl of hours makes the frenetic dance music on Blood Blood Blood Blood Blood–the latest howler from Chicago-based producer RXM Reality, aka Mike Meegan–sound like a salve. It’s Meegan’s sixth album under that name and his most tightly crafted yet, brimming with ideas. “Exhale” evolves from glossy synth arpeggios to cryptic, fumbling beats, then employs an angelic vocal sample. On “Deaths, Resurrections, and Ascensions” Meegan plays a similar trick: after creating an airy, dizzying vortex of electronics, he injects it with glistening blips and an almost wistful atmosphere. The tracks mutate freely, shaped with the type of confidence that makes for a gripping listen; the constant chaos rarely gives you a moment to catch your breath. Despite their superficial fragmentation, though, Meegan’s jittery productions feel fully formed–like mini worlds unto themselves. This is the key to the success of Blood: no single moment feels more important than any other. Every second contains another explosion of fractured sonics, and they all jell together due to the album’s inspired restlessness. v

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