Mutant
by Arca
  • Record Label: Mute
  • Release Date: Nov 20, 2015
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 92 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 104
  3. Negative: 8 out of 104
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  1. Evic21
    Nov 23, 2015
    8
    Arca can seriously do no wrong. He is so innovative and on this album, he uses some familiar sounds from his debut album, but manages to morph them into something new. He is truly a genius and has an incredible talent for creating new soundscapes that our modern world has yet to experience.
  2. gagathenewclass
    Jan 19, 2016
    10
    Maybe it's hard listen to entire album the first time, but that stunning atmosphere that Mutant makes by itself makes it so addictive.
    Arca never disappoints!!
  3. beauforcertain
    Dec 3, 2015
    7
    Those looking for sounds similar to Arca's production on Kanye West's Yeezus or FKA Twigs' Lp1 will be surprised when listening to his sophomore album. The word "conventional" is nowhere in this album's vocabulary. Take the song "Mutant", for example. The skittering beats and hard-hitting sub-bass at times make it sound like breathing- as if the song was a story of a creation coming toThose looking for sounds similar to Arca's production on Kanye West's Yeezus or FKA Twigs' Lp1 will be surprised when listening to his sophomore album. The word "conventional" is nowhere in this album's vocabulary. Take the song "Mutant", for example. The skittering beats and hard-hitting sub-bass at times make it sound like breathing- as if the song was a story of a creation coming to life. To mutate, in a biological sense, means to alter the genetic sequence of an organism. In regards to Arca's music, this is precisely the case as he twists and contorts contemporary music, effectively ruining its genetic code and consequently forming an entirely new being. I at once had a hard time understanding how one can name a song that has no lyrics. Listening the Mutant is hard at times because several songs feel structureless, like a thrown-together hodgepodge. But other songs, such as "Alive", "Mutant", "Vanity", "Sinner", and **** seem to convey thoughts that cannot be expressed in words. Thus, listening to the tracks and reading the titles is the best way to begin understanding the meaning and inspiration. Creating ideas and provoking thought without words is a feat accomplished by a short list of skilled electronic musicians, a list that Arca can join proudly and, with future releases, climb to the top of.… Expand
  4. krlfrck
    Feb 29, 2016
    7
    while it's hard to find meaning in the beautiful and unique soundscapes, Mutant cements Arca as one of the most forward thinking figures in electronic music
  5. ojeda
    Dec 12, 2015
    9
    The sophomore album by Arca, Mutant presents us with a much more aggressive sound in comparison to his debut, the soft and subtle Xen. Mutant showcases an effective and joyful combination of sounds that don't stick to convenience. They flow freely and steadily to take the listener to the edge of their seat. Using unearthly production and distant, almost alien vocal samples, the albumThe sophomore album by Arca, Mutant presents us with a much more aggressive sound in comparison to his debut, the soft and subtle Xen. Mutant showcases an effective and joyful combination of sounds that don't stick to convenience. They flow freely and steadily to take the listener to the edge of their seat. Using unearthly production and distant, almost alien vocal samples, the album really shows how much Arca has grown since his debut and his versatility to create impressive pieces.… Expand
  6. davd123
    Feb 25, 2018
    10
    Not sure this or ''Arca'' is his best album to date. It is amazing how music can touch human feelings. I don't have say anything bad about this album.
  7. All_ButTrU4
    Mar 3, 2021
    7
    this was another great output by the idiosyncratic Arca. It showcases their production skill and in lesser amounts her vocals. It's a very paranoid and dark record with aggravated beats and ominous song titles,artwork and sound. Favourites:fa.go.t,mutant.
  8. JEMR
    Nov 4, 2021
    8
    Si no es Mutant un himno de gloria en una utopia fituristica, entonces no se que será, hay tantas ideas magníficas aquí.
  9. lustforlfe
    Jan 7, 2023
    10
    it's for the people who get it, if you don't like it, you just don't get it

Awards & Rankings

98
#98 Most Discussed Album of 2015
36
#36 Most Shared Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. AllMusic
    Dec 22, 2015
    80
    Mutant may be some of his most challenging work yet, but as Arca's music becomes more abstract, the viewpoint behind it comes into focus in ways that embrace strangeness, ugliness, and beauty equally.
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  2. No Ripcord
    Dec 18, 2015
    90
    The record’s lack of organization and resistance to stasis work against its accessibility. Those willing to mine such a dense work will be rewarded in a visceral sense, but may be left groping in the darkness for a specific, externally-fabricated meaning. Either way, the abstractness and wandering abandon of Mutant define not only the album, but Alejandro Ghersi’s approach to music.
    Read full review
  3. The Wire
    Dec 16, 2015
    80
    Almost every track has a fearsome radiance to its high end and even in those parts without drums or squared off structures, the surges of sound recall collective dancefloor ecstasies. [Dec 2015, p.44]
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