Rakka is a studio album by Finnish record producer Sasu Ripatti under the pseudonym Vladislav Delay. It was released on 27 February 2020 through Cosmo Rhythmatic. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Background Sasu Ripatti, also known as Vladislav Delay, is a Finnish record producer. In 2008, he moved from Berlin, Germany, to Hailuoto, Finland. Rakka is his first solo studio album since Visa (2014). After Visa, he sold most of his hardware. He created Rakka primarily on a computer. The album's title comes from "a distinctly Arctic landform, one with no direct translation in English: vast fields of rocks, where little grows." An official teaser video was released on 16 January 2020. The album was released on 27 February 2020 through Cosmo Rhythmatic.
A follow-up album, Rakka II, was released in 2021.
Critical reception
Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "Rakka is unexpectedly harsh and brutal, indeed the polar opposite of his accessible house tracks as Luomo." Ray Philp of Resident Advisor wrote, "Ultimately, Rakka is the sound of a revered producer starting from scratch." He added, "While a clearing of the cobwebs is liberating for the artist, the resulting record is a tough sell for its audience, even one as dedicated as Vladislav Delay's." Daniel Bromfield of PopMatters commented that "Rakka contains some of Ripatti's most thrilling and unpredictable sound design, but taken in one sitting, it's hard to know what to do with it."
Accolades + Year-end lists for Rakka Publication List Rank AllMusic AllMusic Best of 2020 Favorite Electronic Albums Track listing
Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes.
Sasu Ripatti – production LCR – artwork Pasquale Ascione – graphic layout, type
References
Further reading
External links