Celebrated Pioneer Hudson Mohawke Returns With First Album In 7 Years, ‘Cry Sugar’
Listening to Cry Sugar, you are met with a plethora of sounds; chaotic, distorted and beautiful. Hudson Mohawke’s first album in seven years doesn’t disappoint, but only further cements him as one of the brightest minds of his generation.
Following his debut project Butter in 2009 came his monumental success under TNGHT, his supergroup alongside fellow Canadian producer Lunice, together with whom Hudson Mohawke pioneered the electronic trap sound of the 2010s. His second album Lantern was unveiled in 2015, featuring a stunning 14 tracks, alongside a second disc with remixes from legendary artists Cashmere Cat and Boys Noize.
Cry Sugar resembles Lantern in the sense that it’s filled with maximalist production and incredible moments, yet finds Hudson Mohawke embrace his experimental sensibilities even more. It’s clear that the producer dove deep into his creative process over the past years, something which led to the release of B.B.H.E., Poom Gams and Airborne Land in 2020, three mixtapes that included unreleased tracks he has been working on throughout his career, dating back to the mid-2000s.
With a runtime of just over 1 hour, spread across an impressive 19 tracks, Cry Sugar expertly pulls you in and keeps you engaged throughout, as the beloved Scottish producer and DJ dishes out one mind-bending idea after the other. “Ingle Nook” masterfully draws listeners in with its sparkling synths, soulful vocals and impressive string work, crediting multi-talented artists Johan Lennox and Olivier St.Louis as contributors. The fun only goes up from here with tracks such as “Intentions,” “Behold” and the previously-released “Dance Forever” making up for over-the-top displays of Hudson Mohawk’s unmatched creativity.
There is a mind-blowing amount of moments to digest while listening to Cry Sugar. The project is so textured and lively that it almost feels like you can touch, smell and taste it. “Bicstan” is a happy hardcore anthem filled with hard-hitting kicks and playful melodies and “Lonely Days” is a cinematic cataclysm of synths and bass, while “Come A Little Closer” features recent Martin Garrix collaborator Sasha Alex Sloan over an arpeggio-laced trap beat. Johan Lennox and Olivier St.Louis offer their talents once again for the ambient closer “Ingle Nook Slumber,” which nicely rounds out the tracklist.
Enjoy Cry Sugar below:
