The Avalanches confirme son statut de maître sampler

After a prolific career defined by intricate sample collages, Australian group The Avalanches have re-emerged with their fourth studio album, No Bad Memories, released on October 16, 2026. This latest effort signifies both a continuation and a transformation of their hallmark approach to sampling, showcasing an audacious shift in tone and technique.

The Avalanches, now a trio consisting of Tony Di Blasi, Robbie Chater, and Andy Szekeres—formerly of Midnight Juggernauts—have long been celebrated for their innovative blending of diverse sonic elements. Their 2016 album Wildflower followed a 16-year gap after their groundbreaking 2000 debut, Since I Left You, an album that set a high bar for sample-based music with its meticulous construction and lush soundscapes.

In contrast to the cosmic expansiveness explored in their 2020 release We Will Always Love You, No Bad Memories navigates a more grounded and somewhat nostalgic sound universe. The album delves into textures reminiscent of early digital culture—evoking jingles, initial iPod sounds, floppy disks—and reflects on the complexities of late capitalist society. This context informs the album's thematic and sonic dimensions, merging retro-futuristic motifs with a critique of contemporary cultural saturation.

No Bad Memories stands out in The Avalanches' discography for its more erratic and aggressive sampling style. While retaining the group’s signature playfulness and virtuosity, the album introduces a layer of disquiet and unpredictability. It oscillates between nostalgic warmth and dystopian undertones, crafting a sound that is both familiar and unsettling.

The record incorporates numerous brief interludes that mimic advertising jingles, blurring the boundary between authentic memory and manufactured sentiment. This strategy intensifies the album’s explorations of memory, media, and cultural conditioning, challenging listeners to discern reality from pastiche. Such an approach aligns with contemporary trends in experimental electronic music yet maintains The Avalanches’ distinctive melodic sensibility.

Collaborations play a significant role in shaping the album's eclectic character. Vocal contributions from artists like Khadija Al Hanafi propel certain tracks into genres such as jersey club and drum’n’bass, while Karen O lends emotional depth on the track Blue Shadows. Other collaborators include Panda Bear, whose neo-psychedelic influence enriches the sound, and Rivers Cuomo, who participates in a chillwave-inflected piece.

Despite moments of brilliance, some tracks—such as Vida, Magic Wand, Can’t Get Over Losing You, and Our Love Is Alive—are critiqued for their overt commercial sheen, which some perceive as detracting from the album’s authenticity. Nonetheless, these choices underscore the album’s thematic engagement with media saturation and consumer culture.

In sum, No Bad Memories reaffirms The Avalanches' position as masters of sampling while pushing their artistry in bold, sometimes polarizing directions. The album’s intricate layering of sound and concept invites a reconsideration of how memory and media intertwine in the digital age, encapsulating the group’s ongoing evolution in the contemporary music landscape.