I went into this album anticipating a rap project and was delighted with a blend of experimental rock, goth, and various vocal delivery styles that ultimately stemmed from rap but created something new altogether. Ilxtus has also displayed electronic production abilities on Dolphin Skin, lyrical prowess on Debauched One, and has a cinematic music video for French Fries from his collaborative effort with PlutoGiant, Prince of Yarrow. I encourage you to tune in to A Long Night of Slow Death with a high-quality listening device.

The aptly self-titled intro starts with synth droplets that sparkle their way into a more pulsating piano. The way the guitar sneaks into the background is very subtle and acoustic at first but evolves into an electric and with it the entire mood. When the real drums fully come in, the pulsing piano sounds take over along with an almost Sikh-level vocal chant. Remnants of the background vocals start to take shape into what I hear as –

“I can’t trust myself, it’s just myself”.

There is power in knowing that you might be blinded by your own limitations and seeking an alternative perspective. Isolation can do things to your self-perception that warp and twist reality. With an almost Tool-esque indulgence in letting the beat ride with experimental guitar and vocals, A Long Night of Slow Death is well represented sonically.

Roll of the Dice starts with an incredibly catchy bass and guitar dance that evolves into a goth hit that captures the feeling of risk in motion. The production on this track is incredible. The background vocals, the lyrics, but above all the transitions bring it to the next level.

“What’s done is done, and I cant take it back.”

Domino Boy does a fantastic job of elevating on the idea of the last track.

“Down I go, down I go.”

The bass sound that starts it off makes you want to move around, and when the synths come in it puts you nothing short of a trance.

We Come Together begins with pulsating drone-bass that mix with the ghoulish background vocals incredibly.

Red woman starts with a hypnotizing synth bass and drum loop that evolves into fat lead and one of the coolest arpeggio sounds I have ever heard and again, incredible vocal delivery. What makes this track one of my favorite though is the buildup and layering. The vocals have so much dynamic delivery that flirts with rapping and mixing that keeps you on your toes.

“Once was love ended up in just hate, a dead mans tale of how the king was slain”

Satony – Meaning “to bring the dead back to life”, there is a new level of imagery reached with this one for me through the lens of attempting to revive a past failed relationship. The beat reminds me of Egyptian Lover with a bit more angst. The background vocals are ever-so tucked behind the mix, I hear “I can’t help it, I came to fix it”.

So Much slows it down with an angelic pad over a slow guitar riff.

“I want you, girl its true, I can’t envision, what my life would look like, if I didn’t, see you in it”

Really love the delivery of this line and ones like it, where a long sentence can be drawn out over different flows. A lovey song that I feel balances out a lot of the build up and angst from the beginning of the project.

Maybe We’ll Meet Again gives me that peacefully content feeling of accepting your fate and trying to grab onto the dream of a potential future where things work out. A sonder and beautiful song about grabbing onto that last bit of hope.

This project clearly excels in 3 areas that many albums lack in my opinion – vocal delivery matching the beat, similar but sonically diverse production, & the aspect of storytelling that utilizes the album framework so it can be played in one sitting and have a larger impact. To me this project felt like a story about a relationship that may have ignited as a powerful flame and died out, but hope is not lost. It starts with the metaphorical roll of the dice by allowing someone into your life and putting your heart on the line.

“Cooking up a track, just for me to listen to it – not my homies, not my homies not my chick, so my face left clueless.”

Ilxtus on Monsoon Words

As a whole the project excels in telling a story. My perception of Ilxtus has been consistently redefined with every track and project. The lyrical prowess is top notch with the production to match. His visual catalog is superb, with the most recent addition being Monsoon Words, directed and shot by Lupe Ibarra. His catalog is vast and consists of majorly talented artists such as Soy Reco and PlutoGiant. A Long Night of Slow Death exceeded my expectation by a landslide, and added itself to my rotation indefinitely. Make sure you tune into all the apps to hear about future releases!

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