An initial wave of excitement hit as the release of a new C418 record hit my inbox, upon seeing the records name that quickly faded as "2 Years Of Failure" is obviously a packaging of b-sides, leftovers, tidbits and so called "failures". At an hour run time its a fractured record of experiments, unfinished tracks and alternate takes with a hidden gem at the end. "Stranger Think" is a wonderful remix of the Stranger Things theme song. It adds some density with extra layers of sweeping synth and a deep house percussion to absorb. Id almost prefer it too the original as it only enriches the atmosphere without altering or drifting from the original mood.
The record kicks of with six "90s" tracks dabbling in vibes and styles you might not associate with C418. If it wasn't for some of his distinct techniques and manipulations they could be anyone's songs. A touch jovial and with a touch of VGM chiptune these songs breeze past without purpose or direction despite being colorful, bright and enjoyable little numbers they don't particularly amount to more than the sum of their parts. Then follows "Pizza" a more experimental and unusual track, mixing break beats with Italian folk music that had little chemistry for me. It actually reminded me quite a lot of IGORRR, without the demonic, hellish intensity.
Its followed by a couple of halfway there tracks that lay down a pretty solid foundation for memorable songs but they seemed to have been left incomplete. Then rolls in the alternate takes which are a treat if you know the originals well. Its interesting to hear how changes in the composition don't obscure the bulk of the vibe and mood but let you really appreciate the level of perfectionism that went into the final output.
And that's it really. Unsurprisingly there is little cohesion, not much to get excited about in terms of the songs, however there was at least one thing to take away, the Stranger Things cover. I also very much liked the "185 pre", a favorite C418 song of mine. Not much of a tie over, I will always be very keen to hear whats next from this brilliant musician.
Favorite Tracks: Choice Broken, 185 Pre, Stranger Think
Rating: 4/10