EarthCade by R23X
EarthCade by R23X pressed on translucent mint green & black vinyl by Yetee Records
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Save the planet this week with EarthCade by R23X! Pressed on translucent mint green and black vinyl by Yetee Records, this creative project from R23X & Drew Wise is here to load a save-state into your nostalgic past. As one of the most unique collaborative projects to ever come from these two talented individuals, what is pressed into the grooves here might just unlock something you've always been waiting for. Get out those tokens and drop them in — your future awaits!
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R23X (Marc Junker/VHS Stills/Video-20XX) is an award-winning composer, artist, producer, designer, and musician based out of Vancouver, Canada. As one of my favorite artists of all time, it's always a pleasure when I get to cover one of his releases, and EarthCade is among his best. If you want to learn a little bit more about R23X and the world of music he has established, check out his artist page where you can view all the reviews and interviews in which he is featured here on the site. I have covered various collaborations and original genre-defining vaporwave albums from his catalog for you all to enjoy!
Welcome To EarthCade
Dropping your needle into the grooves of this wholesome little album is like sliding a token into the slot of the world's most advanced arcade machine ever made. The turntable just comes to life with this magnetic whirring that quickly transcends into a plinking oasis of bits and beats that resonates infinitely. R23X always has this way with tones that just reverberates into the deepest part of your soul that emulates pure joy, and EarthCade is some of his best chiptune work to date. The fun doesn’t stop there, however, as a vaporwave veteran R23X dips you deep into the misty landscape yet again with his VHS infused aesthetic that permeates so many of his compositions. Triggering an ethereal passageway into your wistful past, R23X holds the key to a world of imagination!
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Mastering on this album was carried out by none other than R23X (Marc Junker) himself and is as dreamy as always. A poignant noise floor spreads across the grooves here that helps give way for his elastic reverberations to bounce whimsically from channel to channel. The floor pounding bass has this otherworldly resonance that makes your music sound like it’s in another room entirely, it’s totally wild. What Marc has done here with this little album is wildly beautiful and helps project his original compositions onto this format with so much charm!
High Score
EarthCade is a pure injection of chiptune and vaporwave nostalgia that never gets old. As a small part of what's to be a continuing project, I know that I can't wait to see what else R23X & Drew come up with next. As a matter of fact, earlier this year we got to experience the next chapter of this chiptune voyage firsthand with the release of TERRA_II. Taking you on an adventure to a long-forgotten space station arcade, you the listener, will unravel the mystery of what happened there 23 years ago. Pressed on a gorgeous translucent blue Flexi disc, this awesome release is something I look forward to featuring at some point here, so keep an eye out!
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Yetee Records went above and beyond for this release. Limited to 250 copies, the initial run of this album was mistakenly pressed on black vinyl instead of the advertised translucent mint green. Inside the sleeve from the initial shipment was a genuinely heartfelt letter to all early adopters of this project explaining the mishap that occurred during this record's production. Not only were all orders sent out, but an immediate re-press occurred to deliver the originally promised colored vinyl to all who pre-ordered. As one of the only misprints from Yetee Records that I can recall, this release stands out as a beacon to the service and care that this label provides to its customers. As one of the most unique pieces of Yetee Records history, I can't help but hold a special place for this release in my heart.
Preservation
Turning a happy accident into a work of art, Yetee Records recently re-released this album in the form of a small print run from the original batch of misprinted records. Housed in a gorgeously re-designed cover by Drew Wise this “Promotional Copy” is seriously cool. While not a proper jacket, this redesigned folded paper sleeve is the perfect way to pay homage to this original project. It also makes for a unique collector piece for fans as well.
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Designed by Drew Wise, the artwork for this album is so charming. Featuring Drew's amazingly signature pixel art wizardry, EarthCade is one of the best looking 7" albums ever. Drew does this thing where he makes his album art look like video game box art and I am absolutely here for it. Some of the best design work he has ever done shows this off in spades. Check out Wizorb and my choice for Album Art of the Year in 2018: Synthetic Core 88 to really get a feel for what I'm talking about. While such a simple concept, the fact that it applies so directly to this format is what captivates me the most. It's just brilliant.
If you liked what you just read and want to help support me by bringing more content like this to you in the future, please check out my Patreon. Every tier includes early access to each and every review I put out. I've also put together some exclusive VGM WAX-Themed swag like stickers and a T-Shirt for those of you who want that. I have to say they are pretty sweet! I will also be releasing exclusive and unique behind the scenes content available only through this program! Much love to all of you and thank you for the past year. It has completely transformed my life. I can't wait to share more of my passion, love, and creativity with each and every one of you beautiful people!
Album Details
Music by:
R23X
Remastered for vinyl by:
Marc Junker
Artwork by:
Drew Wise
Vinyl produced & distributed by:
Yetee Records
Where to buy?
This album is still available in limited quantities on the black vinyl misprint featuring the alternate artwork shown in this review. You can scope a copy directly from Yetee Records now and as of the writing of this review, this limited misprint record is currently on sale for a steal! To help sweeten the deal $1 from every record sold will be donated to The Ocean Cleanup: https://www.theoceancleanup.com/ Each physical record includes a digital download for free as well so definitely jump on this one! If digital is more your speed, you can head on over to R23X’s Bandcamp page where you can stream or purchase a download of the album in high-quality MP3, FLAC, and more.