Communion (Rabit album)


Communion is the debut studio album by American record producer Eric Burton under the pseudonym Rabit. It was released on October 30, 2015, through Tri Angle. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Background

Communion is Rabit's second release through Tri Angle, following the Baptizm EP. He cited Tri Angle's Robin Carolan and Icelandic musician Björk as a guiding force in making the album.

Critical reception

Bryon Hayes of Exclaim! stated, "Harsh and complex, the album — which was inspired by gender and sexual politics, injustice and media manipulation — is an unrelenting series of skull-pounding beat salvos, peppered with choppy vocal samples and warped synthetic textures." He added, "Burton is challenging the notion of what exactly can be classified as club music, with driving yet oblique rhythmic sequences and an unstoppable sense of exploration." Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor commented that "Baptizm channeled Burton's ideas through the brittle steel and glass structures of modern grime, whereas Communion plays with a more wide-open field." He added, "Communions dynamic range is impressive, not to mention unusual for an electronic music record in 2015."
Heather Phares of AllMusic stated, "While it's more challenging for instrumental music to address politics explicitly, a feeling of violation permeates the album." She added, "A haunting debut, Communion finds Rabit living up to his potential in stark, beautifully ugly and angry ways." Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork commented that "Communion plays out like a kind of fever dream, a delirium of cold sweat and disturbing visions in which there are only brief moments of daylight before you're plunged back into the maelstrom once more."

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.