Jane Remover, formerly known as “dltzk,” has been arguably one of the most influential artists in SoundCloud’s still-burgeoning hyperpop and digicore scene since the late 2010s. After their debut EP “Teen Week,” first album “Frailty,” both released in 2021, Remover pioneered a hyper-electric subgenre of EDM-pop mashups now known as Dariacore with her album of the same name.
In her sophomore project “Census Designated,” Remover eschews her past electronic influences like Porter Robinson and Skrillex, in favor of a full pivot into shoegaze — or as she described in an interview with Stereogum, “straight up rock.” Given the praise for “Frailty” and the “Dariacore” albums, there was some uncertainty among audiences for how “Census Designated” would turn out.
However, with her strikingly atmospheric soundscapes, Remover successfully executes a stylistic shift while still maintaining the most notable aspects of her previous work. For example, “Lips” features cacophonic guitar work and equally punchy drums before degenerating into a glitchy, spine-tingling outro, marking her foray into grunge.
She continues to create moments of tranquility throughout the album — as she did in “Frailty” — such as the gentle strumming and synths of “Always Have Always Will.” A steady yet subdued beat backs up the song, gradually progressing towards its heavier ending. She continues to evoke her first album through occasional electronic blips and warbles that are reminiscent of the static sound that was characteristic of her earlier work. They are still scattered across the album and interspersed with voice recordings that deepen the already dense atmosphere of each track.
Beyond producing the album on her own, Remover also showcases a wide range of emotion in her lyricism, going from lines that feel heartfelt to almost detachedly introspective or even outright bleak. Unlike her previous projects, “Census Designated” focuses more on Remover’s vocals as she sings about relationships and insecurities with clarity and rawness. Her vocals, combined with the subdued autotuning and background harmonies, also mimic the layered feeling of the album’s instrumentals.
If there’s one complaint to be had with “Census Designated,” it would be that the use of distortion across the album can often be overpowering. For instance, the drums and vocals in the climax of “Lips” become a touch less impactful due to the hissing static ringing on top of them, while the distorted midsection of “Contingency Song” ends up feeling stagnant before the guitar melodies and vocals return in full force. The album could have been more successful if it followed the example of songs like “Holding A Leech” and “Fling,” which sound fantastic because they use a balanced amount of distortion.
The songs’ longer runtimes are also hit-or-miss. While tracks like “Video” and “Always Have Always Will” make full use of their duration to deliver complex musical journeys, other moments in the album feel repetitive. Notably, the album’s title track ends up feeling very similar to “Idling Somewhere.” Even the major differences between the two, like the minute-long, unsettlingly noise-ridden ending of “Census Designated” and its largely drumless choruses, detract from the song instead of enhancing it.
Despite its inconsistencies, “Census Designated” is easily Jane Remover’s most focused project to date. Beyond that, it is indisputably her most authentic — and well worth a listen.
Contact Kaleo Zhu at [email protected].