Weekend Intermission – Jeremiah Chiu (USA) – Edge Conditions (album)

Weekend Intermission is our regular feature where we look at an artist or band not from the Nordic countries, just to mix things up a bit.

An electronic wizard, Jeremiah Chiu is a name you absolutely should know. His deftness of touch across the electronic world is dazzling, bringing nuance and intelligence of almost unparalleled dimensions as he does. No wonder he is one of several notable darlings of the innovative and essential record label International Anthem.

He is a member of extraordinary unclassifiable experimental band SML, he releases albums as half of a duo with composer and viola/violin player Marta Sofia Honer, and then he has his solo project. It is not about the number of projects though, it is about the sheer quality, the absolute class to these releases, and, well, the shocking frequency. Since last summer this is his fourth album release (two with SML, one with Marta, and this album).

‘Edge Conditions’ feels like a grandiose and yet humble place to start as Chiu maps out the stars with his own digital wand, flourishes to marvel at everywhere, truly a sky at night of Van Gogh-like proportions.

Minimalist and barely there at times, drifting sonically, almost in the background, he can effortlessly push to the foreground with a near-Daft Punk style beat (see the relentless and sublime pounding of majestic closing track, ‘Night Fog’), getting under the skin, showing his range of tricks, of emotions, of imagery to be almost boundless.

Title track ‘Edge Conditions’ takes you on a sublime space journey, somehow Pink Floyd and interstellar jazz wrapped up, the energy of the track almost hard to fathom in a mere four-minute tune.

A synthesist like none I have ever encountered, his way of wielding sound from the modular synth makes the listener not only a part of the ride, but piques endless curiosity as to how this instrument is used. While he does use other instruments and tools, and is also visually creative, his mastery of this chief electronic weapon never seems less than entrancing.

The sense of wonder in every musical exploration – so much adventure across one album – renders the listener motionless. The record demands attention, truly to harvest its substantial fruits, to hear the voice within, to find solace in a troubled world. Without words, answers are found, salvation offered, delight inspired.

If ever a musician was an expert in their field, surely Chiu can lay claim to that title. While the absence of lyrics means he himself might not blow his own trumpet in such a way, this album speaks more loudly to that than anything any words could. A phenomenal record. If you are seeking good electronic music, but something that is so much more, you are in the perfect place. In fact, you would be hard pushed to find a better electronic album in the year of 2026.

NMC rating: 9/10

https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/edge-conditions