The Sacrificial Code
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| The Sacrificial Code | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 28, 2019 | |||
| Genre | Experimental[1] | |||
| Length | 106:07 | |||
| Label | iDEAL | |||
| Kali Malone chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Sacrificial Code is a studio album by American composer Kali Malone. It was released on June 28, 2019, through iDEAL Recordings. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[2]
Kali Malone is an American composer born in Colorado and based in Stockholm, Sweden.[3] The Sacrificial Code is her first solo album since Cast of Mind (2018).[4] She created the album while finishing a master's thesis in electroacoustic composition at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.[5] It includes additional organ work from Ellen Arkbro.[4] It was released on June 28, 2019, through iDEAL Recordings.[6]
The reissue edition was released on April 11, 2025, through Ideologic Organ.[7] It includes a new arrangement of the title track recorded in 2023 on a 16th-century organ at Malmö Konstmuseum.[8]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.6/10[9] |
| Resident Advisor | 3.9/5[10] |
| Spectrum Culture | 85%[11] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes |   [12] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Sacrificial Code received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[2]
Lewis Gordon of Resident Advisor wrote, "Its uniformity, as well as the intense slowness to Malone's performance, help make the tracks feel as if they're merging into one another, prompting a strange, temporal disorientation."[10] He added, "Like some of the most affecting drone music, The Sacrificial Code is imbued with almost magical, time-stretching properties. "[10] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork stated, "In its bracing purity and focused intent, it remains a high-water mark in her catalog."[9]
Accolades
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fact | The Best Albums of 2019 | — |
|
| Pitchfork | The Best Experimental Albums of 2019 | — |
|
| The Wire | Releases of the Year (2019 Rewind) | 7 |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Kali Malone.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Spectacle of Ritual" | 10:53 |
| 2. | "Sacrificial Code" | 5:29 |
| 3. | "Rose Wreath Crown" (for CW) | 10:26 |
| 4. | "Sacer Profanare" | 8:48 |
| 5. | "Litanic Cloth Wrung" | 13:25 |
| 6. | "Fifth Worship II" | 7:50 |
| 7. | "Hagakyrka Bells" | 1:08 |
| 8. | "Prelude" (live in Hagakyrka) | 11:23 |
| 9. | "Sacrificial Code" (live in Hagakyrka) | 13:22 |
| 10. | "Glory Canon III" (live in Hagakyrka) | 23:23 |
| Total length: | 106:07 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Spectacle of Ritual" | 10:53 |
| 2. | "Sacrificial Code" | 5:29 |
| 3. | "Rose Wreath Crown" (for CW) | 10:26 |
| 4. | "Sacer Profanare" | 8:48 |
| 5. | "Litanic Cloth Wrung" | 13:25 |
| 6. | "Fifth Worship II" | 7:50 |
| 7. | "Hagakyrka Bells" | 1:08 |
| 8. | "Sacrificial Code II" | 13:22 |
| 9. | "Sacrificial Code III" | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 75:29 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the 2019 original edition's liner notes.[15]
- Kali Malone – performance, recording
- Karl Sjölund – recording assistance (4–6)
- Ellen Arkbro – performance (7–10)
- Rasmus Persson – recording (7–10)
- Rashad Becker – mastering
- A.M. Rehm – photography