Come get some grains, friend.

By Duronto Pablo

In 2016, a surrealist animator/musician released his first and only album, going by the name of PilotRedSun (PRS). The accumulation of music to be in the album slowly became apparent, and when the album finally released, it became an instant hit and gained a cult following. To be certain, it is unlike most mainstream music today, and this album review delves into its intricacies with analysis for each track and the album as a whole, as well as the man behind the music.

“Time to rise and shine. You deserve oats of the highest caliber. Won’t you try some wheat? Come get some grains, friend. My barley’s top the shelf. I’m a man of my word.”

I know a good rye when I see one.

PilotRedSun is primarily known for his YouTube channel, where he posts intentionally unusual but rather immersive animations, paired with unnerving vocals and, occasionally, fantastic music.

To describe his animation is incredibly hard, however, a quote from the man himself might suffice – “When an animation contains an error, it distracts the viewer. Thus when an animation is composed of errors, it mesmerizes the viewer.” A simple screenshot can give you some perspective, but in doing so, you miss out on the phenomenally strange sound design and, of course, the bizarre animation.

On March 28, 2016, PRS released his album titled Achievement, previously having gained attention by his earlier fourteen surrealist animations. The album itself immediately garnered attention and a cult following due to its strange quality. The music itself is a  delicate mesh of individual “genres”. Most prevalently are sounds from a 90’s PC or games from that era. The album begins with jovial goofiness transitioning into an incredibly ranged and diverse ambiance, reflective of PRS’s stylistic evolution in animation.

The selection within Achievement is diverse, with many calming and background tracks paired directly with groovy ones that can destroy trains of thought. All the pieces have their own contexts and their own feel—some melancholic whilst others are quite optimistic. Each is uniquely constructed with different progressions, moods, instruments, synths, and so on. Yet, despite this seemingly chaotic blend, they all compliment each other exceptionally. The consistency of the album is quite fluid and satisfying when listened to as a whole, and individually, each piece excels at its shtick. 

The album opens with “greetings”, a fitting name for the opening, which is a peculiar yet satisfactory introduction to the rest of the album. Its melancholic tone provides an odd sense of mystery, and to some, nostalgia and depression. Reducing my thoughts and opinions into easily digestible numbers, this is a 9/10.

Following a great introduction, we get another good piece with a unique chord progression, “fat cat”. It’s somewhat motivational, however, upon first listening, it’s hard to narrow down an emotion for the piece. 8/10.

One of my personal favorites, “Casino Night” is incredibly melancholic and introspective until the ending, where it is reminiscent of a “Game Over” screen. Its melancholic and introspective qualities are amplified and they merge into a nostalgia for the unknown. 10/10.

“Warsaw” is wistful but also slightly intense, and a fan favorite. This is understandably so, as this piece provides more of a story, with many wildly different interpretations. It’s beyond outstanding. 10/10.

Following these two absolute ‘bangers’, if you will, we have “Canals”, which is, expectedly, different. It encapsulates the feeling of moving on from something and analyzing it. However, the ending leaves things unresolved, as the piece simply fades out. 8/10.

“Sadpad” is complex, with many interpretations. It can represent the feeling of being lost, having nothing to do, or even realizing everything was a lie. Of course, it’s still a great piece to leave in the background while chugging away at work. One of my favorites. 10/10

Like the rest, “8-Train” is different in its own way. The opening seems like a motivational kickstart, yet it slowly transitions through optimism and melancholy. Personally, it’s a bit too repetitive and a bit too long (being the longest track at five minutes), but still good overall. 7/10.

“Bodybuilder” opens with a depressive and downtrodden atmosphere, moving sluggishly (while remaining fantastic to absorb) on purpose. The tune changes tones once before the middle and once after, which emphasizes the progression of a narrative. It smoothly transitions from melancholic to an epiphany ( imagine a person realizing the entirety of their given situation), and then into a positive and ongoing atmosphere. where things are much more cheerful. This one’s my absolute favorite. 11/10.

“Funny Animals”, despite its name and opening, turns out not to be optimistic, but rather depressing. It’s almost like it represents someone burdening a hardship. It ends somewhat abruptly, but not unsatisfyingly. 9/10

The rhythm of “Snow Day” is the greatest of emotional motifs in this piece, swinging about. It’s quite optimistic, and although I haven’t experienced a snow day, it appears that the music does encapsulate a snowy day and its activities, making it easy to imagine. 9/10.

Although “Deathly” isn’t the final piece of the album, it gives off a bittersweet feel. It’s on the melancholic side, and it represents the ending to… something. It asks if the result of the journey was worth it, if you feel satisfied.

Like the introduction to the album, the ending to Achievement is appropriately named. “Thanks” is hopeful and optimistic, looking to the future, with a diversion in the middle: a synthwave portion comes in as a distinguishing focal point. As a conclusion, it suffices, and as a standalone, it’s great. An 8/10.

After the popularity of Achievement, PilotRedSun’s animations had become almost teasers for new music, whilst retaining their fascinating qualities. Although it’s been a year since he’s last released an animation, his Patreon remains somewhat active, with releases of music distributed to the public under his new alias: PilotRedSky.

PilotRedSun’s album is incredibly representative of his exceptional talent. Even with my minor nit-picking, the album is still a solid 9.5/10. I’d recommend it to anyone needing music to soundtrack a hardworking grind or even something to listen to while staring at the ceiling.