Immunity (Jon Hopkins album)

Immunity is the fourth studio album by English electronic musician and producer Jon Hopkins. It was released on 3 June 2013 by Domino Records to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize for best album.[4][5]

Immunity
Studio album by
Released3 June 2013 (2013-06-03)
Genre
Length60:00
LabelDomino
ProducerJon Hopkins
Jon Hopkins chronology
Diamond Mine
(2011)
Immunity
(2013)
Singularity
(2018)
Singles from Immunity
  1. "Open Eye Signal"
    Released: 24 April 2013
  2. "Breathe This Air"
    Released: 23 September 2013[1]
  3. "Collider"
    Released: 24 February 2014[2]
  4. "We Disappear"
    Released: 29 June 2014[3]

Production

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Among the artists that contributed vocals were long-time collaborator King Creosote, and Corin Roddick and Megan James of the band Purity Ring.[6] It was recorded and produced in Hopkins's London studio, with Hopkins often using homemade sound effects or the natural sound of the room.[7]

Promotion

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On 6 March 2013, Hopkins announced that his fourth solo album Immunity would be released by Domino Records on 3 June in the UK, and 4 June in the US.[8] A trailer for the album featuring a snippet of the track "Collider" from the album was made available through YouTube. The first single "Open Eye Signal" was uploaded on Pitchfork's YouTube channel on 24 April 2013. The hour-long Immunity was released on 3 June 2013 by Domino Recording Company in London, on vinyl, CD, and digitally.[4][9] Immunity peaked at number 67 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 12 on the UK Dance Albums Chart.[10][11] It also peaked at number 13 on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.[12] In Britain, it was also nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize for best album.[5]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10[13]
Metacritic82/100[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [6]
Mixmag5/5[15]
Mojo     [16]
NME8/10[17]
The Observer     [18]
Pitchfork8.5/10[7]
Q     [19]
Resident Advisor4.5/5[20]
Spin8/10[21]
ViceA−[22]

Immunity met with a largely positive reception. It received a cumulative score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[14] Stated Mixmag, "Immunity is an album of organic techno and exquisite mini-symphonies."[15]

"[Hopkins] created the album's warm, alive feel by shunning digital perfection in favor of the analog synthesis of original sounds, both electronic and physical. The ambient prelude of the haunting, scrambled glitch-house opener 'We Disappear'-- a key unlocks the door of Hopkins' London studio and his footsteps lead in-- is more than idle window dressing: He is ushering us into the tactile space that suffuses the record. He drums on desks, plays salt shakers, slows down serendipitous recordings of nearby fireworks, boosts the kick-drummed rattle of a window."
Pitchfork[7]

Several reviews focused on the cohesiveness of the tracks. Stated The Observer, the album "lasts exactly an hour but feels much longer. This isn't a criticism: in eight vivid, atmospheric tracks, Immunity captures the feel of an epic night out. Hopkins's beats shuffle and trip but there is a great clarity of focus throughout, and a delicate beauty."[18] Stated MusicOMH, "It is that rarest of things in 2013, an album which demands to be listened to as a whole and indeed functions best as an hour-long work of art."[9]

Most reviews praised the emotional and introspective nature of the album. Stated XLR8R, there is a "Brian Eno-esque atmosphere that appears throughout Immunity, a kind of angelic presence touching every track and even making Hopkins' more brooding efforts introspective in a very powerful way."[23] MusicOMH also called it "an intelligent and deeply human album" and a "modern classic."[9]

AllMusic gave it a largely positive review, stating "Some of Immunity's most impressive moments expand on the blend of rhythm and atmosphere Hopkins emphasized on Insides... the album still reflects how Hopkins' polished approach is something of a blessing and a curse. Immunity shows how he's grown, in his subtle, accomplished way... yet its tracks occasionally feel like the surroundings for a focal point that never arrives."[6] In contrast, Pitchfork described Immunity as a "remarkably visceral, sensual, confident electronic record that stays absorbing from beginning to end."[7]

In 2017, Pitchfork placed the album at number 37 on its list of "The 50 Best IDM Albums of All Time".[24]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."We Disappear"4:50
2."Open Eye Signal"7:48
3."Breathe This Air"5:29
4."Collider"9:21
5."Abandon Window"4:57
6."Form by Firelight"5:45
7."Sun Harmonics"11:54
8."Immunity"9:56
iTunes Store bonus tracks[25]
No.TitleLength
9."Open Eye Signal" (Happa Remix)6:03
10."Open Eye Signal" (Lord of the Isles Remix)7:28
11."Open Eye Signal" (Luke Abbott Remix)6:55
12."Open Eye Signal" (Nosaj Thing Remix)3:28

Personnel

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  • Jon Hopkins – composition, production, primary artist
  • Sarah Jones – drums
  • Emma Smith – vocals, violin
  • Lisa Elle – vocals
  • Vince Sipprell – vocals
  • King Creosote – vocals
  • Megan James – vocals
  • Corin Roddick – engineering
  • Cherif Hashizume – engineering
  • Rik Simpson – mixing
  • Guy Davie – mastering
  • Linden Gledhill – artwork
  • Craig Ward – artwork

Charts

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Chart (2013) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 64
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 184
Irish Albums (IRMA)[28] 45
Scottish Albums (OCC)[29] 76
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 63
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[11] 12
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[30] 16
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[12] 13

References

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  1. ^ "Jon Hopkins 'Breathe This Air' feat. Purity Ring". Domino Recording Company. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  2. ^ "Collider: Remixes". Domino Recording Company. 13 January 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  3. ^ "We Disappear feat. Lulu James". Domino Recording Company. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Jon Hopkins Immunity". Domino Recording Company. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b "2013 Shortlist – Barclaycard Mercury Prize". Mercury Prize. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Phares, Heather. "Immunity – Jon Hopkins". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Howe, Brian (6 June 2013). "Jon Hopkins: Immunity". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  8. ^ Jon Hopkins [@Jon_Hopkins_] (6 March 2013). "My new album IMMUNITY is out 3rd of June on @Dominorecordco" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 August 2018 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ a b c Matusavage, Phillip (3 June 2013). "Jon Hopkins – Immunity". musicOMH. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Jon Hopkins Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  13. ^ "Immunity by Jon Hopkins reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Reviews for Immunity by Jon Hopkins". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  15. ^ a b Worthy, Stephen (5 June 2013). "Jon Hopkins". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  16. ^ "Jon Hopkins: Immunity". Mojo (236): 86. July 2013.
  17. ^ Nicolson, Barry (17 June 2013). "Jon Hopkins – 'Immunity'". NME. Archived from the original on 27 September 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b Fox, Killian (2 June 2013). "Jon Hopkins: Immunity – review". The Observer. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  19. ^ "Jon Hopkins: Immunity". Q (324): 113. July 2013.
  20. ^ Banham, Tom (7 June 2013). "Jon Hopkins – Immunity". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  21. ^ "SPIN's Review Roundup: 100 Lengthy and Tweet-Sized Takes on June 2013's New Releases". Spin. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  22. ^ Christgau, Robert (16 June 2018). "Robert Christgau on Jon Hassell's "Anxiety-Easing, Life-Enhancing" New LP". Vice. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  23. ^ Jackson, Glen (4 June 2013). "Immunity". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  24. ^ "The 50 Best IDM Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. 24 January 2017. p. 2. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  25. ^ "Immunity by Jon Hopkins". iTunes Store. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jon Hopkins – Immunity" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Jon Hopkins – Immunity" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  28. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Jon Hopkins". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  30. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
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