Laptop Salam – Sonata I
Recommendation: ☹
Mary looks downright Satanic in the mirrored album artwork to Sonata I by Laptop Salam, available through 404Jackpot. This three-track EP of a mix of vaporhop and classic-style vaporwave from November 2013. All three tracks are titled after Italian cities. “Verona” is a somewhat glitchy, uptempo mix of repeatedly sampled vocal samples in a manner similar to that utilized by death’s dynamic shroud.wmv on I’ll Try Living Like This. “Roma” has a similar microsample vaporhop production with a little bit slower tempo and a lacuna for the last minute. “Venezia” uses the same tropes, but has a more muted production and uses lots of hi-hats.
Sonata I is an okay release, but it’s really only going to be attractive to those who are deep into the vaporhop hole. Not bad, but nothing really to grab the listener, as all three tracks sound more or less the same. Perhaps with more songs, the ideas that Laptop Salam sought to explore could be more fleshed out; this is an example of where the EP format hurts the overall experience due to the lack of full expression.
Tracklist
1. Verona – (3:00)
2. Roma – (2:54)
3. Venezia – (3:20)