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Fashion Week
by
Fashion Week Image
Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

  • Summary: The surprise instrumental release is the experimental rap group's first since announced its disbandment in 2014.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. Pretty Much Amazing
    Feb 11, 2015
    83
    This might be their best album, in the sense that it feels more complete and narrative than anything preceding it.
  2. The Quietus
    Feb 11, 2015
    80
    Fashion Week is the most vibrant and least menacing collection of tracks Death Grips have released.
  3. Exclaim
    Feb 11, 2015
    70
    While not as album-oriented as their past efforts have been, Fashion Week functions well as a beat tape through the diverse range of influences that Hill and producer Andy "Flatlander" Morin and have chosen to explore.
  4. Spin
    Feb 11, 2015
    70
    Fashion Week is very different from any other Death Grips album just for being so linear, and while Stefan Burnett's guttural, performance art-ish MCing is missed, their astoundingly dark and imaginative sonic palette remains intact.
  5. Pitchfork
    Feb 11, 2015
    66
    The album needs the percussive abrasion of his voice, and digging into some of the more typical slabs of Death Grips' instrumental tendencies doesn't unearth much more than a pretty solid workout soundtrack.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Danm95VFF
    May 11, 2016
    8
    Death Grips' sound is totally their own and like no other. Thankfully, with Fashion Week they manage to retain much of that even without MCDeath Grips' sound is totally their own and like no other. Thankfully, with Fashion Week they manage to retain much of that even without MC Ride's savage vocals, though I can't decide which of these three tracks are my favourite: Runway N, Runway N, or Runway N?… Expand
  2. GHartley
    Feb 19, 2015
    7
    'Fashion Week', the first instrumental effort from Death Grips, showcases the magnificent production talents of the band's beatmaker,'Fashion Week', the first instrumental effort from Death Grips, showcases the magnificent production talents of the band's beatmaker, Flatlander. Although with MC Ride's abrasive and distinct vocals, this record still manages to maintain Death Grips' aggressive aesthetic and this, alongside the hidden message within the track listing, spelling 'JENNY DEATH WHEN', will undoubtedly keep fans intrigued until the release of 'Jenny Death', the much-anticipated second half of their potentially final double album.

    The album kicks off with the industrial-sounding 'Runway J', which instantly grips the attention of the listener with a salvo of hard-hitting bass hits and snares and percussion which sound like several doors slamming in your face. In typical Death Grips fashion, fast and confusing synth lines are to follow. Track 2, 'Runway E', is another highlight on this record, beginning with highly distorted guitars and featuring a series of ear-piercing stuttering synth patterns.

    Following the sugary 'Runway N', which readily displays the band's schizophrenic tendencies and the second 'Runway N', a grungy number which showcases Zach Hill's wild and primal drumming techniques, is 'Runway Y', an ethereal track seemingly inspired by trap music or chopped-and-screwed hip-hop, which features brilliant descending sub bass lines and an intriguingly spooky synth.

    The second half of the album is generally more dance floor friendly, but, each track still features instantly recognisable aspects of Death Grips' style, simply toned down and much less combative than the majority of the group's earlier work. 'Runway H' features elements of Marilyn Manson-esque industrial rock but with 90s' synth 'wubs' that wouldn't seem out of place of Apollo 440's 'Millennium Fever'.

    All-in-all, 'Fashion Week' is a pleasing instrumental album and acts as a worthy release to keep listeners gripped with the band's relentless unorthodox antics and the 'Jenny Death' hype. However, the record would benefit from more aggression and less looping. The majority of the tracks on 'Fashion Week' do not tend to move anywhere, simply repeating previous parts of the track to flesh them out. The record also lacks MC Ride's vocals, which add so much to the group's hostility and their tendency to fright.

    Rating: 77/100    … Expand
  4. Jumpman
    Jan 16, 2016
    6
    Stellar................................................................Stellar................................................................
    NLDW>EM>TPTB>TMS>GP>FW........................................................    … Expand
  5. sratomasfer
    Apr 6, 2017
    5
    The production on their albums is amazing but without the vocals accompanying it... its kinda boring. Like, the production is cool and all butThe production on their albums is amazing but without the vocals accompanying it... its kinda boring. Like, the production is cool and all but it gets old after a while without any vocals.… Expand

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