ACO
Irony

The album Irony requires a considerable effort from the listener, as it completely differs from ACO's other works. However, it is not an obstacle that would stop you, as ACO has accustomed us to her compositional talents. Irony represents a natural but drastic stylistic change. ACO dives into an ocean of strange sounds, primitive rhythms, and sinister voices. She combines strings with non-human effects and pushes her voice to extreme heights. Her melodic sensitivity is always present, as demonstrated by the lullaby "Hans", the fragile "Subako", and the sweet "Kitchen". This sensitivity, however, is overshadowed, rendered unrecognizable by a carpet of floating sounds.

In "Lang", violins accompany ACO's wordless singing for a chilling but beautiful effect. Rhythm-less synthesizers seem to be trying to transmit signals to space in "Irony", the title track. In some parts of the album, the voices seem to take on a secondary role. In "Akai Shishu", ACO does not start singing until halfway through the song. In the opening "00000", the voices are reversed. For long-time ACO fans, the astral world of this album will be like an alien planet. The few rhythms of the album are distributed in small doses, and any reference to the sensual Jazz vein of old ACO has disappeared. Once the album gets going, however, Irony becomes a captivating work. Just like Björk's "Vespertine" and Radiohead's "Kid A", Irony lives within its internal logic and atmosphere. With each listen, something new is discovered. ACO may have given us the most strangely beautiful album of 2003. It might take some effort to appreciate, but it is definitely worth it.