An absolute shock to the senses, notevenstevens’ debut album Chains has finally hit the airwaves and we confidently say it has delivered. Read on for an in-depth look at the record, in addition to a background on this talented artist.

Self-described as “electronic music on steroids”, you can’t help but be validated by that statement not even a minute into the opening track “Goin’ Up”. For this genre-bending artist that goes by notevenstevens, his debut album to the world is called Chains and is a nonstop amalgamation of complex electronic arrangements that consistently keep the listener on their toes and guessing what might hit next. Whether this is your preferred genre, we recommend stepping outside your comfort zone and giving it a spin as soon as possible.

Experimental at its core and ultimately the definition of original, Chains is a 13 track record that throws everything at the wall, yet the artist has made it stick. There’s a certain cohesion you’ll find as you listen through uninterrupted, as if he game planned and mapped out the track listing beforehand to make it flow flawlessly. A sincere recommendation from us would be to listen with a nice pair of headphones or sound system so as to not miss out on any of the production subtleties. There’s such a density about this, but you’d be doing yourselves a disservice if you missed out on what makes the album shine the brightest.

While a bulk of the attention that Chains produces comes from its swirling soundscapes and atmospheric elements, let’s not forget that the tasteful vocals thrown in lend themselves to the overall tone presented. Each track is its own little world, but with variations and an unpredictability to keep you guessing and your focus piqued. We foresee ourselves picking out individual tracks like “Float” or “Complex” for playlist purposes, but realistically we’ll have to come back to the album multiple times just to process everything that has happened. If anything, Chains is the opposite of one note and legitimately challenges the listener in the best way possible. There’s nothing basic about it in the slightest.

For now, please take a look at the important links below where you can listen, follow along, and of course stay up to date with everything notevenstevens.

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notevenstevens shares an incredibly complex debut album, "Chains"