Jon Hopkins – 'Immunity' review
As a producer of the last two Coldplay albums, Jon Hopkins has experience in doing epic. Thankfully, though, while his fourth and most electronic solo album yet is over an hour long and undeniably takes the listener on journey, it’s a million miles from the plastic, stick-on epic of his stadium-rock employers. Indeed, Immunity’s substantial scale is comfortingly organic, with rich foundations under its considerable peaks as well as poignant, subtly textured lows that aren’t afraid to stretch out their echoes and creaks, distant sub-bass throbs and glitching vocals.
That said, while definitely a headphones record, Immunity isn’t without its bangers – opener We Disappear’s 8-bit future garage is addictively meaty, and ten-minute centrepiece Collider justifies its length with a gorgeously squirming rhythmic build.
Perfectly paced, intelligent and often incredibly beautiful, Immunity feels like a grand statement from Hopkins – a sort of humble masterclass in how big records should be realised – and what a magnificent statement it is.
9/10
