Album Review: ØF by Pulselooper – A Wild Sonic Ride from Brazil
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when experimental noise crashes headfirst into chiptune bleeps and ambient vibes, well, wonder no more. Pulselooper’s ØF is here to answer that question with a big ol’ chaotic hug. Released in 2017 under the Brazilian label Chippanze, this album feels like someone let an alien loose in an arcade while feeding it glitchy beats and existential dread.
Let’s talk tracks because not everything on this record hits the same way (and honestly, that’s kinda the charm). First up, we’ve got “ØF,” which sounds exactly how I imagine robots partying at 3 AM would sound—messy but oddly hypnotic. It starts off all jittery, like your phone vibrating uncontrollably during a meeting, then morphs into something almost serene. Almost. The layers of staticky goodness paired with dreamy undertones make it stick in your brain long after the last beat fades. You’ll either love it or feel mildly attacked by its audacity—and isn’t that what art’s supposed to do?
Then there’s “1A (Tetzu mix),” which flips the script entirely. This one leans harder into chiptune territory, sounding like the soundtrack to a retro video game where the hero accidentally glitches through walls. There’s a cheeky playfulness here that balances out the heavier moments of the album. Every time those bouncy synth lines kick in, I half-expect Mario to pop out yelling “Wahoo!” But don’t get too comfy—it still has enough weird twists to keep things unpredictable. Like, why does it suddenly sound like my microwave is having an identity crisis? Love it.
The artwork by Escaphandro deserves a shoutout too. It’s as chaotic and colorful as the music itself, looking like someone melted down every pixel from their childhood Sega Genesis and splattered it onto the cover. Perfect match for the vibe.
So yeah, ØF isn’t gonna be everyone’s cup of tea—or maybe it’s just tea brewed by aliens using questionable ingredients—but that’s what makes it special. It doesn’t try to fit neatly into any box; instead, it smashes the box, sets it on fire, and dances around the ashes. And honestly? That’s refreshing in a world full of cookie-cutter tunes.
Final thought: Listening to this album made me realize two things. One, I need to clean my headphones because apparently, they’re holding onto some serious digital dust. Two, if Pulselooper ever decides to score a movie, I’m buying tickets immediately—even if it’s just so I can sit there confused and delighted.
