LONG PLAYER OF THE DAY: Ben Frost, ‘By the Throat’

The Reason(s) We Can’t Stop Listening: We met Ben Frost rather randomly last year–at Iceland’s Airwaves Festival–and were immediately captivated by his crushing take on neo-classical compositions and dark-ambient soundscapes. The producer/multi-instrumentalist was piecing this LP together at the time, and now that it’s finally out, we can hear exactly what took so damn long. A headphone/hi-fi listen that threatens to engulf your very being, Frost’s third proper full-length is a picturesque portrayal of fever dreams and waking nightmares, set to disembodied beats, ominous orchestras, and heavy dollops of distortion. And while there’s a two-part piece inspired by Ghostbusters character Peter Venkman, it’s clear that Frost is hinting at the dark side of Bill Murray’s psyche, not anything involving proton packs or Slimer. A beautifully-damaged bit of brilliance from start to finish.