“They’ll keep burning off your wings, they’ll keep burning off your legs,” warns Boots, a man who works within the melancholy of the minor chord. From the crunchy synths and moody beats of Brooklyn Gamma to the spectral guitars of Still, Jordan Asher’s music is as industrial as a Trent Reznor score. This is his first album since being plucked from obscurity to write and produce much of Beyoncé’s 2013 album, and you wonder if some of its songs were considered for use by the pop queen (there’s a sample used on C.U.R.E. that also features on her track Haunted). He certainly has the production skills to create unusual pop, but Asher’s vocals are often outmoded – the stoned rap style of Bran Van 3000 lurks within the juddering, alien basslines. With its apocalyptic song titles – Earthquake, Bombs Away, Dead Come Running – Aquaria is the sound of frustration and doom – and a subtle tribute to 90s rap-rock.
