Origin (Jordan Rakei album)
2019 studio album by Jordan Rakei
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Origin is the third studio album by New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter Jordan Rakei. It was released on 14 June 2019 on Ninja Tune, with a deluxe edition released on 13 March 2020. The album explores themes of digital dystopia and the impacts of technology on humanity.[1]
| Origin | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 June 2019 | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 43:32 | |||
| Label | Ninja Tune | |||
| Jordan Rakei chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Origin | ||||
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Background and release
Origin was released two years after Rakei's previous album Wallflower (2017).[2] Written over the course of two months, each track on the album tackles a different effect that technology can have on the human experience, including virtual and augmented reality, simulation theory, brain–computer interfaces, and the technological singularity.[2] Rakei cites dystopian television series Black Mirror and The Handmaid's Tale, as well as the Yuval Noah Harari book Sapiens, as thematic inspirations for the album.[3]
The deluxe version of Origin, released nine months after the album's initial release, includes a version of the track "Signs" featuring American rapper Common, whom Rakei met while on tour and cites as one of his "favourite rappers of all time".[4]
In January 2020, Rakei performed three songs from the album in a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music.[5]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[7] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[8] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7.5/10[9] |
| MusicOMH |    [10] |
| PopMatters | 9/10[11] |
Origin was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, the album received an aggregate score of 75 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
In a review for The Guardian, writer Tara Joshi called Origin a marked improvement over Rakei's first two studio albums, describing it as "full of a rich, cinematic musicality that feels poppier, sparklier and more breezily ambitious."[1] PopMatters reviewer Paul Carr similarly lauded the album, dubbing it a "neo-soul masterclass" that is a "vibrant and deftly blended mix of smooth jazz, classic soul, and cool funk with a sprinkling of 1990s R&B and hip-hop."[11] Reviewers have also praised Rakei's soulful vocals and lush, groovy, jazz-inflected production, as well as his lyrical commentary on the effects of technology on the human experience.[7][8][11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mad World" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Say Something" | 2:40 |
| 3. | "Mind's Eye" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Rolling Into One" | 4:19 |
| 5. | "Oasis" | 4:20 |
| 6. | "Wildfire" | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Signs" | 2:59 |
| 8. | "You & Me" | 4:14 |
| 9. | "Moda" | 2:56 |
| 10. | "Speak" | 4:47 |
| 11. | "Mantra" | 5:48 |
| Total length: | 43:32 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Borderline" | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Signs" (featuring Common) | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Always Coming" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Speak – Live Piano Session" | 4:37 |
| 5. | "Best Part – BBC Maida Vale Session" | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Mind's Eye – The Pool Session" | 7:10 |
| 7. | "You & Me – KCRW Session" | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Mad World – The Pool Session" | 5:55 |
| 9. | "Mantra – The Pool Session" | 6:07 |
| 10. | "Rolling Into One – The Pool Session" | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 48:32 | |