Constant Moth

A Constant Moth, Chester Raj Anand's first album as Lord Raja, follows releases as Inifitirock and Raja, as well as the 2013 EP Rubies, his Ghostly International debut. On Rubies, the young producer seemed to be heavily inspired by Flying Lotus -- the crisp, skittering sounds of the Los Angeles album and synchronous EPs in particular. While traces of Steven Ellison's output remain in A Constant Moth, the album incorporates a much broader range of styles: knotted amalgamations of footwork and IDM, heady ambient, alien house, and askew hip-hop among them. The album also features Anand's hardest and meatiest beats to date, as heard in the stuttering/clamping "Darwin," the frenetic "Throw Them Out (System)," and the knocking "Van Go," the last of which involves a rather delirious contribution from Brainfeeder and Warp affiliate Jeremiah Jae. Here, Anand is on the brink of truly coming into his own. ~ Andy Kellman