Flashback to 9am this morning. I grudgingly pull myself out of bed after staying up far too late on a deep house binge. I check my various social networks and come across a link for an album by the artist of Mura Masa. “Hey I think I’ve heard that name before” I think to myself as I click the bandcamp link. Hitting play in my still groggy state I am greeted into a beautiful track aptly titled “An Interlude.” As my semi conscious mind is carried through this dream like song, I’m left in awe of the journey unraveling before me.
Feeling lighter than a cloud, I’m guided into the next whimsical segment of the story “Shibuya”. Starting to wake up, I’m hit with a sense of familiarity. “Lotus Eater?” oh I know this one, I heard it on Soundcloud a few weeks back. “Hell” they say it’s a lot of things, other people, the DMV, transcribing a 2 hour interview, but it’s certainly not this track. This dark minimalistic trap song is a banger in the most eloquent sense, beautiful while soul crushingly heavy. Riding off the vibes of “Hell” I’m taken into a sentimental song that flows like water into a Jersey Club influenced drop. If I had to pick a favorite song from the album “Cloud Clap” would be a strong contender. I’m a sucker for a song with good samples and “Bae” is no exception. Sampling from Pokemon and Zelda, this track appeals both to my childhood nostalgia and my love of future beat music. On the topic of Zelda “U” feels like something that could have come directly from Ocarina Of Time. The wind rhythm and haunting sense of time passing is chilling to say the least.
“I’ve Never Felt So Good” is a dramatic change up from the tracks preceding it, but that’s not to say it isn’t appreciated. At nearly 3 minutes in the song goes from soothing ballad to a hard drop, but quickly returns to the magic that the song was previously focused on. In my newly emotional state I realized there are 6 tracks off the album I had accidentally skipped, and so I eagerly hit play on “Intro” and got ready to board back onto this flight. “Know Me Better” features the vocals of Bonzai whom is used to full effect. The upbeat R&B influences are an absolute delight and flow well into the overarching vibe of the album. “æ (Money)” is like Giraffage and Cashmere Cat having a baby and that baby being named “æ (Money)”. Catchy vocal samples and future beat vibes create something to get stuck in your head while you’re up at 2am lost in your thoughts. If there was a song to make me cry off this album it would be “Suicide Blades”. The way the song builds into a feeling of coming home and making it through a long struggle is so massively impactful i struggle to put it into words. “…Girl” puts me into a sort of rhythmic trance where I find myself getting lost in it’s well orchestrated pianos. The last song “Miss You” is so remarkably infectious. It’s cheery, playful and a joy to listen to. I sit here now, just a little past 6pm and still I feel in awe of the album as I go for my 5th listen. The fact Mura Masa has created something so authentic, genuine and honest is just incredible. Soundtrack To A Death oozes with personality and soul, if you only get to hear one album this week let it be this. 
