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**I Monster - Neveroddoreven**
★★★★☆

In the dying days of the 20th century, as Y2K paranoia gripped the world and electronica was morphing from underground rave culture into something altogether more sinister and cinematic, two Sheffield lads named Jarrod Gosling and Dean Honer were busy crafting what would become one of the most deliciously warped albums of the new millennium. Working under the moniker I Monster, this duo emerged from the ashes of various indie projects with a singular vision: to create a sonic landscape that felt like stumbling through a fever dream in a haunted funhouse.

The backstory reads like something from a David Lynch screenplay. Gosling and Honer had been kicking around the Sheffield music scene for years, absorbing everything from Krautrock to library music, when they discovered a shared obsession with vintage synthesizers and the kind of spooky instrumentals that soundtracked 1960s horror B-movies. Their timing was impeccable – the late '90s electronica boom was crying out for something with more personality than the sterile big beat that dominated the airwaves.

Neveroddoreven – a palindrome that reads the same forwards and backwards, naturally – landed in 2003 like a transmission from some parallel universe where Ennio Morricone scored episodes of The Twilight Zone. The album exists in that nebulous space between genres, part downtempo electronica, part psychedelic pop, part film soundtrack to a movie that was never made. It's library music for the digital age, crafted with the meticulous attention to atmosphere that would make Boards of Canada weep with envy.

The album's calling card remains "Daydream in Blue," a hypnotic slice of retro-futurism that samples the Gunter Kallmann Choir's "Daydream" and transforms it into something simultaneously nostalgic and otherworldly. The track became an unlikely hit, its languid groove and mysterious vocals capturing the zeitgeist of early-2000s chill-out culture while maintaining an edge that separated it from the coffee shop electronica flooding the market. It's the sound of memory itself being processed through analog circuits, beautiful and slightly unnerving in equal measure.

But to focus solely on "Daydream in Blue" would be to miss the album's true genius, which lies in its cohesive vision of electronic unease. "The Blue Wrath" unfolds like a slow-motion chase scene, all ominous bass lines and skittering percussion, while "Sunny Delights" lives up to its name with a deceptively cheerful melody that masks something altogether more sinister lurking beneath. "These Are Our Children" channels the spirit of '70s public information films, complete with unsettling vocal samples and a sense of creeping dread that would make John Carpenter proud.

The production throughout is immaculate, with every vintage synthesizer and dusty sample placed with surgical precision. Gosling and Honer understand that the spaces between sounds are just as important as the sounds themselves, crafting an album that rewards both casual listening and deep sonic exploration. The duo's background in indie rock serves them well here – unlike many electronic artists who seem content to let loops run indefinitely, I Monster understand the value of proper song structure and dynamic progression.

Neveroddoreven arrived at a fascinating moment in electronic music history, when artists like Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher were pushing the boundaries of what electronic music could be. While it never achieved the critical acclaim of those artists' landmark releases, the album has enjoyed a remarkable afterlife, becoming a touchstone for anyone interested in the intersection of nostalgia and futurism.

Two decades later, the album's influence can be heard everywhere from TV commercial soundtracks to the work of artists like Burial and Ghost Box Records' roster of hauntological electronic musicians. "Daydream in Blue" continues to pop up in films and television shows, its timeless quality ensuring its relevance for new generations of listeners discovering its charms.

I Monster may have remained something of a cult concern, but Neveroddoreven stands as a masterpiece of mood and atmosphere, a reminder that the best electronic music doesn't just move your body – it transports you to places you never knew existed. In an era of increasingly disposable digital music, this album's analog warmth and careful craftsmanship feel more precious than ever.