Body Meat’s Starchris: A Genre-Bending Odyssey Through Sound and Storytelling
#bodymeat #vinyl #indiemusic
With the release of Starchris, Christopher Taylor, known by his stage name Body Meat, has crafted an album that defies traditional genre boundaries, blending a myriad of influences into a cohesive and innovative sonic experience. Across 13 tracks, Taylor melds elements of r&b, IDM, club music, experimental pop, trap, footwork, and even metal, creating a soundscape that is as complex as it is inviting. The result is a musical journey that finds catharsis in the chaos, drawing listeners into a world where the roughest edges of sound are softened into something uniquely warm and captivating.
Inspired in part by the intricate world-building of role-playing games (RPGs), Starchris is more than just an album; it’s a multi-dimensional narrative that invites the listener to engage with each track as if it were a level in a video game. Taylor envisions himself as the avatar within this immersive storyline, navigating the emotional highs and lows that come with any transformative journey. This concept-driven approach echoes the work of other artists like Flying Lotus, who similarly weave intricate narratives through their music, and Oneohtrix Point Never, known for his ability to create expansive sonic worlds.
The album’s lead single, “High Beams,” perfectly encapsulates the album’s thematic depth and sonic diversity. Drawing from trap, nu-metal, and dance, the track tells the tale of a programmer trapped in a relentless cycle of his own creation. As he codes a game within a cave, an unintended bug instantiates a copy of himself that he cannot control or destroy. This copy, relentless in its pursuit, serves as a metaphor for the internal struggles that are part of any creative endeavor—a theme that resonates throughout Starchris. The accompanying music video visually complements this narrative, further immersing the audience in the album’s conceptual world.
Though Starchris is Body Meat’s first full-length album, Taylor has been refining his craft over several years, releasing EPs and singles that hinted at his genre-blurring potential. His earlier works, such as 2021’s Year of the Orc and 2019’s Truck Music, laid the groundwork for the ambitious exploration of sound that Starchris represents. Comparisons can be drawn to the experimental trajectories of artists like Arca, whose work similarly challenges the boundaries of electronic music and pop, blending disparate elements into something entirely new and forward-thinking.
In Starchris, Body Meat has not only created an album but also an expansive, multi-faceted experience that takes the listener on a hero’s journey through sound. The album stands as a testament to Taylor’s ability to fuse eclectic influences into a cohesive, narrative-driven work, making Starchris a pivotal release in the ever-evolving landscape of modern music. This is an album that will resonate with fans of boundary-pushing artists while offering something fresh and exciting for those who crave innovation and storytelling in their music.
Learn more about Body Meat
