Pryor Stroud: The sonic equivalent of glass shattering and sprinkling upon pavement like droplets of blood from a head trauma victim, “Biutiful” is another avant-electro soundscape from Ash Koosha, and it beautifully bridges the divide between the discordant and the melodic. While it clearly appropriates many of the synth-pop aesthetics of ’80s new wave, the track refutes easy definition. As it evolves, it seems to break apart, to surrender itself to a state of disrepair and obsolescence, as if the very machines that created it are struggling to work up the will to continue functioning. [8/10]
Emmanuel Elone: With dozens of effects and noises piled on top of one another, “Biutiful” is a pretty interesting track conceptually. Within the densely packed instrumentation are some minor key melodies, yet also some warped, washed synths that make the song more uptempo as well. The result is a three minute track that covers the entire range of human emotion, from sad and dark to light and happy. It can feel a bit excessive and all over the place, but its schizophrenic atmosphere is what also gives this song emotional depth and a personality all its own. [6/10]
Chad Miller: Cool instrumentation. Sometimes it feels like there’s a little bit too much going on without much to ground it all. It’s easier to get a grasp on the elements the more you listen to the song though, and there are some pretty cool motifs swirling around each other. [7/10]
Chris Ingalls: It starts out as pretty, spacey and mysterious, but tends to lose my interest when the jittery dance beat kicks in. Shimmering synths make for some nice sounds, but it doesn’t add up to a whole lot. [6/10]
Ash Koosha‘s I AKA I releases 1 April via Ninja Tune.
SCORE: 6.75