Virtual Anticipation is the first studio album by American artist Ben Aqua. It was released as a digital album on February 18, 2014 through #FEELINGS.[1]
| Virtual Anticipation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | February 18, 2014 |
| Recorded | 2011–2014 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 42:42 |
| Label |
|
| Producer | |
Background
editVirtual Anticipation was in production for over three years,[1] and included the title track from Aqua's debut EP, Reset Yourself. He described the album concept as "loosely about a sense of anxiety, happiness, fear, alienation and excitement I've felt as a result of years of endlessly analyzing how the Internet and technology are influencing ideas of self-identity, sexuality, privacy, 'immortality,' and fantasy". The album was composed of audio samples from field recordings, Nintendo DS, YouTube videos, and iPad synthesizer apps.[2]
Virtual Anticipation was musically influenced by Frédéric Chopin, Wendy Carlos, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sega Genesis, Timbaland, and RP Boo.[1]
Reception
editIn a 2014 interview with Ben Aqua, VICE Thump called Virtual Anticipation "an opus that taps everything from footwork and club to seapunk and skweee, and pulls it all together with a post-human outlook". They described the album as having a "combination of classical elements and up-to-the-minute synth sounds".[2]
Track listing
editAll music is composed by Ben Aqua, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We're All Baroque" | 1:14 |
| 2. | "Virtual Anticipation" | 4:42 |
| 3. | "Eternal Hard Drive" | 2:41 |
| 4. | "Ultimate Reality" | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Melted Memories" | 3:44 |
| 6. | "4C1D" | 4:32 |
| 7. | "Drip Hop" | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Reset Yourself" | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Organic Blueprint" | 1:33 |
| 10. | "Dark, Dark Day" | 6:00 |
| 11. | "Just B U" | 3:16 |
| 12. | "Neverending Beginning" | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 42:42 | |
Personnel
edit- Ben Aqua - producer, mixing, audio mastering, artwork
Guest collaborators
edit- Joe Howe - synthesizer solo on "Virtual Anticipation"
- Ojay Morgan (Zebra Katz) - vocals on "Ultimate Reality"
- Christa Palozzolo - vocals on "Neverending Beginning"
References
edit- ^ a b c "Virtual Anticipation, by Ben Aqua". #FEELINGS. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
- ^ a b "You Can Thank Ben Aqua for Keeping Austin Weird | Thump". Thump. Retrieved 2015-10-13.