Yagya: Rigning

Yagya is Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson, a computer science student from Iceland who makes records on his laptop in his spare time. ‘Rigning’ is quite possibly the best electronic release this year. Therefore, if he made records full time, then he might just release one of the best albums ever in the future. I am digressing already, but this record has totally enraptured me. It combines the lush ambient textures of artists such as Gas, and the gentle pulse of down-tempo techno artists like Gui Boratto and The Field. The true beauty of the album though, comes with the masterful sampling of natural sounds, such as birdsong and raindrops, which contemplate Yagya’s lush ambient textures unbelievably well.

The entire album ebbs and flows beautifully into one long mood piece, which Yagya acknowledges by preceding all the song titles with ‘Rigning’. It’s dark and brooding, as well as being light and smooth simultaneously. ‘Rigning Sex’ is perhaps the highlight, but it’s far too hard to pick the album apart like that. It’s definitely something that needs to be listened to as a whole. It’s just the kind of electronic music that we at Shot By Both Sides love, and think you will too. It may become the best electronic album of the year, that probably all depends on how good The Field’s long awaited new album is. For now, just enjoy an absolutely superb piece of modern music.