The Sacrificial Code

The Sacrificial Code
Studio album by
Kali Malone
ReleasedJune 28, 2019 (2019-06-28)
GenreExperimental[1]
Length106:07
LabeliDEAL
Kali Malone chronology
Cast of Mind
(2018) 		The Sacrificial Code
(2019) 		Living Torch
(2022)

The Sacrificial Code is a studio album by American composer Kali Malone. It was released on June 28, 2019, through iDEAL Recordings. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[2]

Background

Kali Malone is an American composer born in Colorado and based in Stockholm, Sweden.[3] The Sacrificial Code is her first solo album since Cast of Mind (2018).[4] She created the album while finishing a master's thesis in electroacoustic composition at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.[5] It includes additional organ work from Ellen Arkbro.[4] It was released on June 28, 2019, through iDEAL Recordings.[6]

The reissue edition was released on April 11, 2025, through Ideologic Organ.[7] It includes a new arrangement of the title track recorded in 2023 on a 16th-century organ at Malmö Konstmuseum.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork8.6/10[9]
Resident Advisor3.9/5[10]
Spectrum Culture85%[11]
Tiny Mix TapesStarStarStarStar[12]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Sacrificial Code received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[2]

Lewis Gordon of Resident Advisor wrote, "Its uniformity, as well as the intense slowness to Malone's performance, help make the tracks feel as if they're merging into one another, prompting a strange, temporal disorientation."[10] He added, "Like some of the most affecting drone music, The Sacrificial Code is imbued with almost magical, time-stretching properties. "[10] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork stated, "In its bracing purity and focused intent, it remains a high-water mark in her catalog."[9]

Accolades

Year-end lists for The Sacrificial Code
Publication List Rank Ref.
Fact The Best Albums of 2019
—
[13]
Pitchfork The Best Experimental Albums of 2019
—
[1]
The Wire Releases of the Year (2019 Rewind)
7
[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kali Malone.

The Sacrificial Code track listing[15]
No.TitleLength
1."Spectacle of Ritual"10:53
2."Sacrificial Code"5:29
3."Rose Wreath Crown" (for CW)10:26
4."Sacer Profanare"8:48
5."Litanic Cloth Wrung"13:25
6."Fifth Worship II"7:50
7."Hagakyrka Bells"1:08
8."Prelude" (live in Hagakyrka)11:23
9."Sacrificial Code" (live in Hagakyrka)13:22
10."Glory Canon III" (live in Hagakyrka)23:23
Total length:106:07
2025 reissue edition track listing[16]
No.TitleLength
1."Spectacle of Ritual"10:53
2."Sacrificial Code"5:29
3."Rose Wreath Crown" (for CW)10:26
4."Sacer Profanare"8:48
5."Litanic Cloth Wrung"13:25
6."Fifth Worship II"7:50
7."Hagakyrka Bells"1:08
8."Sacrificial Code II"13:22
9."Sacrificial Code III"4:08
Total length:75:29

Personnel

Credits adapted from the 2019 original edition's liner notes.[15]

  • Kali Malone – performance, recording
  • Karl Sjölund – recording assistance (4–6)
  • Ellen Arkbro – performance (7–10)
  • Rasmus Persson – recording (7–10)
  • Rashad Becker – mastering
  • A.M. Rehm – photography

References

  1. ^ a b "The Best Experimental Albums of 2019". Pitchfork. December 16, 2019. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "Sacrificial Code by Kali Malone". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  3. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Kali Malone". AllMusic. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Cetin, Marissa (June 28, 2019). "Kali Malone releases new album, The Sacrificial Code". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  5. ^ Eede, Christian (February 26, 2025). "Kali Malone Unveils 'The Sacrificial Code' Reissue". The Quietus. Archived from the original on March 28, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  6. ^ JasonC (June 27, 2019). "Kali Malone announces new album The Sacrificial Code, featuring a paltry two hours of organ pieces". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  7. ^ DeVille, Chris (February 26, 2025). "Kali Malone Announces The Sacrificial Code Reissue, Shares New Track". Stereogum. Archived from the original on March 15, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  8. ^ Strauss, Matthew (February 26, 2025). "Kali Malone Announces New Sacrificial Code Reissue, Shares Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 22, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  9. ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (April 12, 2025). "Kali Malone: The Sacrificial Code". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 28, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  10. ^ a b c Gordon, Lewis (August 23, 2019). "Kali Malone - The Sacrificial Code". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  11. ^ Eleanor, Aly (April 22, 2025). "Kali Malone: The Sacrificial Code". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on May 4, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  12. ^ Cookcook (September 10, 2019). "The Sacrificial Code". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  13. ^ "The best albums of 2019". Fact. December 19, 2019. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  14. ^ "Releases of the Year". The Wire. No. 431. January 2020. pp. 29–34.
  15. ^ a b "The Sacrificial Code (2019 edition) | KALI MALONE". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on June 4, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  16. ^ "The Sacrificial Code (2025 edition) | KALI MALONE". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on August 5, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.