On his sophomore album, Planet’s Mad, electronic music producer Baauer attempts to make sense of our world as it swirls in confusion. 

Since his debut, Aa, almost four years ago, Baauer’s signature electronic trap sound has garnered depth and evolved. He now shifts gears from his mainstream club anthems towards elevated tropical, melodic and jungle styles. The heavy industrial and trap elements of yore remain, they’ve just chilled out a bit.

“Yehoo” is a great example of this shift with its relaxed jungle vibes, as is “Cool One Seven One,” which gives us mystic flute action alongside an earthy, dark, yet energetic, hard bass. On the title track we get a strong hip-hop bass that implies urgency, and a message that calls for change with its accompanying videos’s apocalyptic animation. 

Baauer makes interesting use of vocals, from Punjabi samples on “Magic” and “Pizzawala” to hypnotic Caribbean-inspired cheers that punch the air in “Reachupdontstop.” On “Home” Baauer goes full-on pop with playful vocals and keyboards. 

Planet’s Mad explores uncharted territory with confidence, with softer tracks that have more time to breathe and intensify. A thoughtful and intentional album that showcases Baauer’s sound coming into maturity from his early “Harlem Shake” days.

Best Track: “Planet’s Mad”

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