Blank Banshee - Blank Banshee 0 ALBUM REVIEW

 

9.6/10

Blank Banshee's unforgettable debut album still holds up 8 years later as an essential vaportrap listen.

For today's review I'm doing something a bit different - today I'm going to be reviewing a classic vaporwave project from 2012. I will do this occasionally, where I'll review a certain influential piece of vaporwave history - If I can't explain why the album is a classic, I will not review it.

Blank Banshee 0 (or just 0 for short) is the debut record from the mysterious vaporwave artist Blank Banshee, also known as Patrick Driscoll. Patrick started making music as one half of the IDM duo Shinjuku Mad (who actually ends up being sampled on two of the tracks here). He started making music as Blank Banshee in mid-2012, and released his first three singles - Zenisis, Bath Salts, and Chlorophyl. And on September 1st, 2012, Blank Banshee released their debut album, Blank Banshee 0.

What makes 0 so great is how many different styles and techniques it's able to incorporate seamlessly. On just one listen, you can hear influences of Hip Hop, Ambient, Seapunk, and of course, Vaporwave.

Whether it be the dreamy Ocarina of Time remix on "Wavestep", the fantastic bassline and synths on "Ammonia Clouds", or the unforgettable "Teen Pregnancy", the unique sampling techniques flow extremely well for pretty much the entire record.

"Teen Pregnancy" in particular is in my opinion one of the BEST examples of sampling in the history of vaporwave. There's actually a lot of different things being sampled here, from a Boards of Canada song to an episode of Degrassi, and they all blend together in an incredible way.

The one song I'm not really a fan of is "Deep Space" because it's far too repetitive and minimal for me. And I think "Purity Boys" could be a little better too in terms of how the samples work together. Outside of these two tracks though, I think this project is consistently unique, memorable, and catchy.

The reason this album is still remembered and consistently acclaimed by most of the community is because of its unique take on the vaporwave style. 0 is definitely the first vaporwave album I remember really getting into. The style presented was catchy and extremely danceable, but it still kept the mood that made vaporwave what it was. I honestly think it's a great beginner vaporwave album, so if you're new to the genre give it a listen. I guarantee you'll find something on here to love.

9.6/10

Fav Tracks: B:/Start Up, Wavestep, Bathsalts, Ammonia Clouds, Venus Death Trap, Hyper Object, Photosynthesis, Dreamcast, Teen Pregnancy, Visualization, World Vision, B:/Shut Down/Depression

Least Fav Track: Deep Space