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Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
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Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Studio album by
Oneohtrix Point Never
ReleasedOctober 30, 2020
RecordedMarch–July 2020
Studio
  • Queens, New York
  • Northampton, Massachusetts
Genre
Length47:07
LabelWarp
Producer
Oneohtrix Point Never chronology
Uncut Gems
(2019) 		Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
(2020) 		Again
(2023)
Singles from Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
  1. "Drive Time Suite"
    Released: September 24, 2020
  2. "Midday Suite"
    Released: October 26, 2020

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is the ninth studio album by American electronic producer Daniel Lopatin, under his alias Oneohtrix Point Never, released on October 30, 2020, via Warp.[5][6][7] The album draws on a psychedelic radio aesthetic strongly inspired by Magic 106.7, the mondegreen namesake of Lopatin's project, and was recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns, between March and July 2020.

It is the second album to heavily feature Lopatin's own vocals after Age Of, with a higher focus on songwriting. It features collaborations with The Weeknd (who also served as an executive producer for the album), Caroline Polachek, Arca and Nolanberollin. American artist Robert Beatty provided the album cover art. Both Lopatin and Beatty cooperated on art direction. Upon release, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was met with critical acclaim and was featured on several publications' year-end lists.

Background and composition

[edit]

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was conceived as an album in early 2020 after Lopatin created eclectically varied mixtapes for the Safdie brothers' radio site Elara Radio; overall, he found that "on a therapeutic scale", he "always enjoyed the comfort of listening to the radio, and of listening to people have inane discussions on podcasts".[8] Lopatin remarked to GQ that "there's so much of me on this—even the collaborations are appropriate [to when I started out]".[8] In comparison, the album is themed around a psychedelic radio aesthetic and features four "Cross Talk" interludes, collages of "archival recordings of various American FM stations' "format flips", in which detourned DJ sign-offs collide with advertisements and self-help mantras",[9] marking each periodic stage of the album.

Lopatin said of his intent with creating Magic Oneohtrix Point Never that:

I wanted to make a cohesive, punchy, 50-minute record that was very personal, but pulled from FM palettes that I was personally interested in [...] I think it works really well as a metaphor for how I've changed. The things that I try to understand about my own life and being an avid musical listener and how much that's influenced me as a musician is kind of apparent on this record. That metaphor of transformation is something that I came to by thinking about the radio.[10]

The press release issued by Warp upon the album's announcement, especially concerning the album's concept, tone and use of textures, stated that it "loosely summons the broadcasting logic of radio dayparts, switching on in the morning and closing very late at night, while seamlessly latticed together with kaleidoscopic, twitchy transformations of sound between the dials to form a darkly humorous reflection on American music culture", concluding by referring to the album's style as "maximalist baroque-pop within atmospheric glitter".[9]

Release

[edit]

Lopatin began teasing the album on September 22, 2020, posting a video teaser stating the album title to social media platforms.[11] He announced the album and its tracklist on September 25;[12] the announcement also came with the release of the "Drive Time Suite", a single release consisting of the first three songs off of the album: "Cross Talk I", "Auto & Allo" and "Long Road Home".[13]

On October 14, Lopatin released the music video for "Long Road Home", co-directed by Charlie Fox and Emily Schubert. The stopmotion animated video pays homage to the 1982 short film Le Ravissement de Frank N. Stein, which was also adapted on Lopatin's 2013 Oneohtrix Point Never album, R Plus Seven.[14] The song would later be reworked and rereleased as the B-side to Caroline Polachek's 2022 single "Billions".[15]

On October 27, Lopatin released the "Midday Suite", another single release containing the next five tracks of the album, "Cross Talk II", "I Don't Love Me Anymore", "Bow Ecco", "The Whether Channel" and "No Nightmares".[16] Lopatin also shared the personnel for the album on the same day to social media.[17]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[18]
Metacritic81/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[2]
Beats Per Minute77%[20]
Clash8/10[21]
Consequence of SoundB[22]
Exclaim!5/10[23]
FLOOD8/10[24]
Loud and Quiet8/10[4]
musicOMHStarStarStarStar[25]
Pitchfork7.7/10[26]
Uncut8/10[27]

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was met with acclaim from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, the album received a score of 81 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[28]

In the review for AllMusic, Heather Phares writes that, "Lopatin builds on radio's power to connect people through music even from a distance, and the way he combines all the facets of his music feels like going up and down the dial. The flowing synth instrumentals of his earliest work sit next to Garden of Delete and Age Of's subverted pop songs, and they're all surrounded by collages of DJ chatter that hark back to Replica's nimble plunderphonics."[29] Another positive review by Philip Sherburne states that "Whether sampled, synthesized, or acoustic, they are rich with implicit physicality, evocative of stretching and striking; processed voices are carved into curved, glistening shapes, uncanny as ice sculptures. It's a ridiculously opulent palette."[30]

Accolades for Magic Oneohtrix Point Never
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2020
7
[31]
Bleep Bleep's Top 10 Albums of the Year 2020
2
[32]
Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2020
53
[33]
AllMusic AllMusic's 100 Favorite Albums of 2020
N/A
[34]
Consequence of Sound Consequence of Sound's Top 50 Albums of 2020
31
[35]
Gorilla vs. Bear Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2020
18
[36]
FLOOD FLOOD's Best Albums of 2020
7
[37]
Les Inrocks Les Inrocks' Top 100 Albums of 2020
45
[38]
musicOMH musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2020
42
[39]
The A.V. Club The 20 best albums of 2020
16
[40]
Vinyl Me, Please Best Albums of 2020
N/A
[41]
Time Magazine Best Songs of 2020
10
[42]
Rolling Stone Rob Sheffield's Top 25 Songs of 2020
13
[43]
Pitchfork The 100 Best Songs of 2020
75
[44]
The Fader The 100 Best Songs of the Year
48
[45]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks written by Daniel Lopatin, except where noted; all tracks produced by Daniel Lopatin.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cross Talk I" 0:22
2."Auto & Allo" 3:21
3."Long Road Home" 3:32
4."Cross Talk II" 0:49
5."I Don't Love Me Anymore" 2:54
6."Bow Ecco" 2:11
7."The Whether Channel" 6:08
8."No Nightmares"
4:06
9."Cross Talk III" 0:12
10."Tales from the Trash Stratum" 3:28
11."Answering Machine" 0:58
12."Imago" 3:48
13."Cross Talk IV / Radio Lonelys" 1:08
14."Lost But Never Alone" 4:18
15."Shifting" 1:54
16."Wave Idea" 3:21
17."Nothing's Special" 4:37
Total length:47:07
Japanese edition (bonus track)[46]
No.TitleLength
18."Ambien1" 
Blu-ray Edition
No.TitleLength
18."Lost But Never Alone" (A. G. Cook Remix) 
19."Tales from the Trash Stratum" (featuring Elizabeth Fraser) 
20."Nothing's Special" (featuring Rosalía) 
21."Lost But Never Alone" (Forced Smile Edit) 

Sample credits[47]

  • "Cross Talk II" contains a sample from "Wasn't the Summer Short", written by Ruth Newman and performed by Peter Nero.
  • "Shifting" contains a sample from "Reconquering Our Kingdom" by Mournlord.

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

[edit]
  • Daniel Lopatin – vocals, production, engineering (all tracks), executive production
  • Caroline Polachek – vocals ("Long Road Home"), additional vocals ("No Nightmares"), additional engineering ("No Nightmares"), additional vocal engineering ("Long Road Home")
  • Nolanberollin – vocals ("The Whether Channel"), additional vocal engineering ("The Whether Channel")
  • The Weeknd – vocals ("No Nightmares"), executive production
  • Shin Kamiyama – additional engineering ("No Nightmares")
  • Matt Cohn – additional engineering ("No Nightmares")
  • Nate Boyce – additional guitar synth ("Lost But Never Alone")
  • Arca – vocals ("Shifting")

Technical

[edit]
  • Matt Cohn – mixing (all tracks, except "Lost But Never Alone")
  • Daniel Lopatin – mixing ("Lost But Never Alone")
  • Ryan Schwabe – mastering (all tracks)

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Dutch Vinyl Albums (MegaCharts)[48] 14
Scottish Albums (OCC)[49] 65
UK Album Sales (OCC)[50] 54
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[51] 15
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[52] 13
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[53] 65
US Top Dance Albums (Billboard)[54] 8
US Indie Store Album Sales (Billboard)[55] 16

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is the ninth studio album by American electronic music producer and composer Daniel Lopatin, performing under his longstanding alias Oneohtrix Point Never. Released on October 30, 2020, by the British independent label Warp Records, the album comprises 17 tracks blending experimental electronic sounds with manipulated radio samples, acoustic instrumentation, and abstract compositions. Lopatin conceived the project during the , drawing inspiration from an online archive of defunct radio station format flips, which he sampled to evoke themes of , , and impermanence. The record features notable collaborations, including vocals from and on the track "No Nightmares," with The Weeknd also serving as co-executive producer alongside Lopatin; additional contributions to the album come from Arca, while appears on a bonus track in the 2021 extended edition. Production incorporates synthesized elements like strings and alongside processed audio snippets, creating a radio-station-like structure divided into segments such as "Cross Talk" interludes. Upon release, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was met with widespread critical acclaim for its innovative sound design and emotional depth, earning a Metacritic aggregate score of 81 out of 100 based on 11 reviews. It marked a pivotal point in Lopatin's discography, following his work on the Uncut Gems soundtrack and preceding further explorations in spatial audio with a 2021 Blu-ray edition that included bonus tracks, Dolby Atmos mixes, and 16 music videos directed by artists like the Safdie brothers and Nate Boyce.

Background and composition

Concept and influences

The album Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was conceived in the aftermath of a series of mixtapes that Daniel Lopatin, performing as , created for the ' online radio project Elara Radio, which launched in early 2020. These mixtapes, including the April 2020 release Depressive Danny's Witches Vol. 1: Demented Ass Music from , served as a therapeutic outlet during the onset of the and reignited Lopatin's interest in radio formats, ultimately motivating him to develop the full album as a personal exploration of . At its core, the project drew heavily from Lopatin's childhood memories of tuning into eclectic FM stations in , where radio served as a formative influence on his imagination and musical education, blending genres from to in unexpected ways. The album's title itself originates from a mondegreen of Boston's Magic 106.7, a station that inspired his artist moniker and evoked nostalgic associations with the medium's transformative potential. Lopatin emphasized radio's role in fostering and connection, particularly amid societal isolation, infusing the work with a psychedelic aesthetic that captures the dreamlike flux of signal drift, , and format flips. Initial ideas for the album coalesced in early 2020, with recording commencing in March as took hold in , New York, where Lopatin worked in a makeshift bedroom setup. The process continued through the summer, culminating in final touches at an in , in July, allowing Lopatin to refine the material in relative seclusion. Throughout, Lopatin aimed to craft a "magic" alter-ego , presenting the album as a series of radio-like vignettes that simulate a full broadcast day, blending personal reverie with broader cultural commentary on media's enduring allure.

Musical style

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never fuses experimental electronic music with ambient pop, incorporating psychedelic and elements alongside tropes from adult contemporary radio formats. The album's soundscape evokes a blend of vaporous textures and hypergrunge, drawing on abstractions and easy-listening influences to create a disorienting yet accessible listening experience. Structurally, the album comprises 17 tracks organized into suites that mimic radio dayparts, such as the Suite and Midday Suite, spanning a total runtime of 47 minutes. These segments simulate the flow of a broadcast day, from morning to night, with seamless transitions between disparate sonic environments that reflect fragmented and . Interludes like the "Cross Talk" series function as format-flip breaks, inserting radio-like announcements that disrupt and reorient the listener. Key production techniques include extensive vocal manipulation through Auto-Tune, pitch-shifting, and distortion to produce dreamlike, transformative effects, as heard in tracks like "No Nightmares," a deconstructed power ballad. Layered synthesizers and processed instrumentation—blending plucked strings, harpsichord, and reed-like tones—further blur the boundaries between synthetic and organic sounds, fostering a sense of eerie immersion. Thematic audio motifs, such as cross-talk interludes with fluctuating pitch-shifted samples, underscore motifs of personal evolution and isolation, serving as introspective warnings amid the album's shifting timbres. These elements collectively evoke a psychedelic radio aesthetic, transforming mundane broadcasts into portals of re-enchantment and disorientation.

Production

Recording process

The primary recording sessions for Magic Oneohtrix Point Never took place from March to July 2020, with the album completed remotely amid restrictions that limited access to external studios. Daniel Lopatin, recording as , worked primarily from his home studios in , New York, and , before additional mixing sessions at Gaia Studios in . Lopatin employed a setup centered on modular synthesizers, samplers, and software plugins to simulate radio transmission effects, drawing from an online of historical radio station format changes for spliced elements like ads and DJ sign-offs. During the initial production phase, he also prepared mixes in format, which were later adapted for special editions. The pandemic-induced isolation shaped an improvisational approach, fostering a frenetic and immediate workflow where Lopatin rapidly iterated on multi-part suite structures to capture a sense of unfolding radio-like progression. This solitary process, described by Lopatin as an "isolating, alienating experience," resulted in a high-fidelity produced in a low-fi home environment without in-person collaboration.

Collaborations

The Weeknd, credited as Abel Tesfaye, served as co-executive producer on Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, contributing pop sensibility and co-writing input that infused the project with accessible melodic structures amid its experimental framework. He provided vocals for the track "No Nightmares," a collaborative piece that blends his signature with Lopatin's warped electronic production. Caroline Polachek lent her vocals to "Long Road Home" and additional vocals on "No Nightmares," delivering ethereal harmonies that enhanced the songs' dreamlike, orchestral swells and aligned with the album's nostalgic radio motifs. Arca contributed vocals to "Shifting," introducing experimental electronic textures through growling and falsetto elements layered over arpeggiated synths, adding a layer of avant-garde intensity. Nolanberollin provided pitched-down rap verses on "The Whether Channel," bringing a grounded, introspective edge amid the track's ambient and weather-themed elements. Additional contributors included , who added bonus track vocals to a reimagined "Tales From The Trash Stratum," her angelic delivery evoking ethereal influences. featured on a bonus remix of "Nothing's Special," her vocals transforming the melancholic closer into a more luminous, bilingual reflection. These musicians, along with others credited in the personnel, were selected to echo the album's overarching theme of transformation—encompassing bodily, emotional, and sonic evolution—while remote recording sessions accommodated the constraints of the .

Release and promotion

Announcement and singles

On September 24, 2020, Warp Records announced Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, revealing the album title, tracklist, and cover artwork created by visual artist Robert Beatty, which featured a vibrant, abstract design evoking retro-futuristic radio aesthetics. The announcement coincided with the digital release of the lead single, "Drive Time Suite," a three-part opener comprising "Cross Talk I," "Auto & Allo," and "Long Road Home" (featuring Caroline Polachek), presented as a cohesive radio-inspired segment to build anticipation for the full album's October 30 release. The rollout continued with the release of the second single, "Midday Suite," on October 26, 2020, consisting of the tracks "Cross Talk II," "I Don't Love Me Anymore," "Bow Ecco," "The Whether Channel," and "No Nightmares" (featuring ), further emphasizing the album's thematic structure around daily slots. Both singles incorporated video components directed by Daniel Lopatin () and collaborators, with dynamic visuals blending electronic abstraction and storytelling to mirror the music's eclectic, sample-heavy style. A standalone video for "Long Road Home," directed by Charlie Fox and Emily Schubert, premiered on October 14, 2020, depicting a fantastical with , demonic creatures, and surreal elements that underscored the track's wistful, journey-like quality. Additional promo clips, shared via and the label's channels, highlighted the radio motif through simulated broadcast segments and glitchy transitions, teasing the album's conceptual depth. The marketing strategy focused on digital-first engagement amid the , with limited physical pre-orders launched alongside the announcement to manage production delays, while digital teasers and snippets were distributed through streaming platforms and Lopatin's online presence. In contemporaneous interviews, Lopatin discussed the album's development in isolation during the early months of the , framing it as a nostalgic that drew from personal archives and radio memories to navigate the era's "psychic peril." This approach cultivated a sense of intimate connection with fans, prioritizing virtual promotion over live events.

Formats and editions

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never was released on October 30, 2020, by Warp Records in several standard formats, including digital download in MP3 and high-resolution FLAC/WAV (up to 24-bit/96 kHz), a CD packaged in a 4-panel digipak with an accompanying booklet, and a double LP vinyl edition housed in a gatefold sleeve featuring spot UV varnish, printed inner sleeves, a 12-inch insert, and a digital download card. The vinyl pressing was available in multiple variants, such as black, transparent yellow, transparent orange, clear, salmon pink, and magenta transparent, with a limited numbered violet transparent edition exclusive to Warp's fan club. A special Blu-ray edition followed on December 3, 2021, presenting the original 17-track alongside four bonus tracks—including "Tales From The Trash Stratum" featuring and "Nothing’s Special" featuring —in both stereo and spatial audio mixes. This edition also incorporates 16 music videos curated from Daniel Lopatin's career as , with animated menus and artwork designed by , all enclosed in a case-bound sleeve with a 12-page booklet. The album remains digitally accessible on streaming platforms such as and , while physical copies, including the various vinyl pressings, continue to be available through retailers without any further official reissues as of November 2025.

Critical reception

Initial reviews

Upon its on October 30, 2020, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never garnered universal acclaim from critics, who praised its innovative radio-inspired structure and timely emotional resonance amid the . The album holds a score of 81 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, reflecting broad positive reception with nine positive ratings and two mixed. Pitchfork awarded it 7.7 out of 10, commending the album's conceptual innovation in emulating flips through manipulated snippets that form a "cartoonish ," while blending psychedelic with vocal experiments that create "curved, glistening shapes, as ice sculptures." The review highlighted its comforting yet challenging melancholy, evoking disorientation and , though it critiqued some pop-adjacent tracks like "No Nightmares" for lacking depth and accessibility. Resident Advisor lauded the masterful mood and pacing, particularly the dial-surfing structure that shifts across genres and the stunning string arrangements in tracks like "Imago," positioning it as a nostalgic recreation of radio's escapist variety. However, it noted minor drawbacks, describing the album as overstuffed with clever juxtapositions that occasionally feel merely "neat" rather than profoundly moving, and some underdeveloped ideas contributing to a listless quality. Common themes in contemporary reviews emphasized acclaim for the psychedelic and experimental vocal processing that captured pandemic-era isolation, alongside the album's non-linear structure as a highlight of Lopatin's evolving style; critiques were limited, primarily concerning occasional inaccessibility for listeners unaccustomed to its abstract shifts. The album received coverage in major outlets including , , and electronic music publications, with mentions in Rolling Stone's end-of-year staff picks.

Accolades

Upon its release, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never earned widespread recognition in year-end polls for , appearing on several prominent publications' lists of the best albums of the year. It ranked at number 7 on Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of list, praised for its innovative blend of electronic experimentation and pop sensibilities. The album placed second on Bleep's Top 10 Albums of the Year , highlighting its status as a standout in the electronic genre. In 2021, the album received a nomination for Electronic Album of the Year at the , organized by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), where it competed alongside works by artists such as and but did not win. It garnered no major nominations at the , though its contributions to electronic music were noted in broader critical discussions of the category. The album's acclaim extended to aggregate rankings, where it was frequently cited among the top electronic releases of 2020, reflecting its impact within the indie and communities.

Commercial performance

Charts

In the United States, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never debuted and peaked at number 8 on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart in 2020. The also reached number 13 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and number 65 on the Top Sales chart during the same year. It remained on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart for a total of 12 weeks but did not enter the top 100 of the 200. Internationally, the album achieved modest success, peaking at number 65 on the Scottish Albums Chart in 2020. Additionally, it peaked at number 15 on the Independent Albums Chart in 2020, spending one week on the chart. On digital and streaming platforms, several singles from the album generated early buzz. As of 2025, the album has accumulated over 40 million streams on , reflecting its enduring digital footprint.

Sales figures

Upon its release in October 2020, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never debuted on several Billboard charts, reflecting interest from the indie electronic audience. The album has not received any formal certifications from organizations like the RIAA, consistent with its independent status on Warp Records, though it demonstrated solid performance within the indie sector without achieving gold or platinum thresholds.

Track listing and personnel

Track listing

All tracks are written and produced by Daniel Lopatin (under his Oneohtrix Point Never moniker), except where noted below. The album is divided into three conceptual suites inspired by radio programming segments: the Drive Time Suite (tracks 1–6), the Midday Suite (tracks 7–11), and the Magic Hour Suite (tracks 12–17). The standard edition contains 17 tracks with a total runtime of 47:07.
No.TitleDurationNotes
1Cross Talk I0:22
2Auto & Allo3:21
3Long Road Home3:32
4Cross Talk II0:49
5I Don't Love Me Anymore2:54
6Bow Ecco2:11
7The Whether Channel6:08Midday Suite
8No Nightmares4:06Midday Suite; co-written by Abel Tesfaye ()
9Cross Talk III0:12Midday Suite
10Tales from the Trash Stratum3:29Midday Suite
11Answering Machine0:58Midday Suite
12Imago3:48Magic Hour Suite
13Cross Talk IV / Radio Lonelys1:08Magic Hour Suite
14Lost but Never Alone4:19Magic Hour Suite
15Shifting1:54Magic Hour Suite
16Wave Idea3:21Magic Hour Suite
17Nothing's Special4:37Magic Hour Suite

Personnel

Musicians
  • Daniel Lopatin (as Oneohtrix Point Never): vocals, synthesizers, production, engineering on all tracks; composer on all tracks; mixing on "Lost But Never Alone"
  • The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye): vocals on "No Nightmares"
  • Caroline Polachek: vocals and additional engineering on "Long Road Home"; additional vocals and engineering on "No Nightmares"
  • Nolanberollin: vocals and additional engineering on "The Whether Channel"
  • Arca: vocals on "Shifting"
  • Nate Boyce: guitar synthesizer on "Lost But Never Alone"
Technical Staff
  • Matt Cohn: mixing on all tracks except "Lost But Never Alone"; additional engineering on "No Nightmares"
  • Shin Kamiyama: additional engineering on "No Nightmares"
  • Ryan Schwabe: mastering on all tracks
Additional Roles
  • Abel Tesfaye and Daniel Lopatin: executive producers
  • : artwork, design, art direction (with Daniel Lopatin)
Blu-ray Edition Specifics The 2021 Blu-ray edition includes bonus tracks with additional performers, such as on vocals for "Tales From The Trash Stratum" and on "Nothing's Special," alongside remixes by and . The mixes were conceived and created by Daniel Lopatin during the album's original production period. It features 16 music videos directed by various artists, including Josh and for "The Pure and The Damned" (featuring ) and "Lost But Never Alone," and Daniel Lopatin for "Sticky Drama," Nate Boyce for multiple entries such as "Still Life (Excerpt)," "Repossession Sequence," "We'll Take It," and "No Nightmares," Takeshi Murata for "Problem Areas," Rick Alverson for "Animals (Directors’ Cut)," Daylen Seu for "The Station," Charlie Fox and Emily Schubert for "Long Road Home," for "I Don’t Love Me Anymore (Karaoke Version)," John Michael Boling for "Boring Angel," and Ramone Anderson for "Sticky Drama ( Extended Version)."

Legacy

Cultural impact

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never has been recognized as a defining work of pandemic-era electronic music, capturing the disorientation and of 2020 through its radio-station format and fragmented soundscapes. Critics have praised its ability to evoke the cultural shifts of isolation and , positioning it as a sonic archive of that moment. The album's radio-themed structure, inspired by Lopatin's childhood mixtapes and station "format flips," influenced subsequent ambient and experimental works by emphasizing broadcast aesthetics and psychic escapism. This approach resonated in later projects, including Lopatin's own 2023 album Again, which builds on previous styles. The release solidified Daniel Lopatin's transition toward mainstream visibility under the Oneohtrix Point Never moniker, particularly through his executive production on The Weeknd's 2022 album Dawn FM, which incorporated OPN's electronic sensibilities and featured collaborative tracks. This crossover extended to film scoring, with Lopatin contributing to projects like the 2025 score for Hurry Up Tomorrow alongside The Weeknd, marking a career pivot from underground experimentation to broader cinematic applications. In academic and critical discourse on electronic music, the album is analyzed for its innovations in spatial audio—particularly via its 2021 Blu-ray edition—and its exploration of through nostalgic sampling and thematic fragmentation. The album maintains ongoing , with over 25 million total streams on as of late 2025, reflecting steady listener engagement. While no dedicated tours supported Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, tracks from the album have been incorporated into Oneohtrix Point Never's live sets during 2022–2025 performances promoting subsequent releases, blending them into evolving multimedia presentations.

Reissues and media use

In 2021, Warp Records released a limited-edition Blu-ray of Magic Oneohtrix Point Never to mark the album's one-year anniversary, featuring the original tracks in both stereo and Dolby Atmos spatial audio mixes, alongside four bonus tracks and sixteen music videos. The bonus tracks include remixes and collaborations such as "Lost But Never Alone (AG Cook Remix)," "Tales From The Trash Stratum" with Elizabeth Fraser, "Nothing’s Special" with Rosalía, and "Lost But Never Alone (Forced Smile Edit)." The videos, spanning Lopatin's collaborative history, were directed by artists including the Safdie brothers (for "Lost But Never Alone" and "The Pure and The Damned," the latter starring Robert Pattinson and Iggy Pop), Jon Rafman (for "Sticky Drama" with Lopatin), Nate Boyce (for multiple entries like "No Nightmares"), and Lopatin himself (for "Black Snow"). This collector's edition, presented in a case-bound sleeve with a 12-page booklet and artwork by Robert Beatty, remains a single pressing with no further physical reissues announced as of 2025. Tracks from the album have seen adaptations in subsequent releases, notably "Long Road Home," which reworked and released as the B-side to her single "Billions" on February 9, 2022, via Perpetual Novice. This version blends Polachek's vocals with elements of the original, highlighting Lopatin's production influence from their prior collaborations. The album's videos and audio tracks have garnered significant online engagement, with official YouTube uploads collectively exceeding five million views as of 2025, including over 700,000 for the "Long Road Home" video alone. While no major film or television synchronizations have been reported for the album's tracks, its digital versions, including spatial audio remasters, continue to be available on platforms like , supporting immersive listening experiences without new reissues in 2025.

References

  1. https://oneohtrixpointnever.bandcamp.com/album/magic-oneohtrix-point-never
  2. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never/
  3. https://www.metacritic.com/music/magic-oneohtrix-point-never/oneohtrix-point-never/details
  4. https://www.metacritic.com/music/magic-oneohtrix-point-never/oneohtrix-point-never
  5. https://magic.pointnever.com/
  6. https://www.gq.com/story/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never-album-the-weeknd-interview
  7. https://pitchfork.com/news/oneohtrix-point-never-shares-new-mix-for-safdie-brothers-radio-station-listen/
  8. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/oct/27/oneohtrix-point-never-uncut-gems-adam-sandler
  9. https://consequence.net/2020/10/album-review-magic-oneohtrix-point-never/
  10. https://www.stereogum.com/2103739/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-opn-review/reviews/premature-evaluation/
  11. https://genius.com/Oneohtrix-point-never-cross-talk-i-lyrics
  12. https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/2020/12/daniel-lopatin-oneohtrix-point-never-warped-time-2020-safdie
  13. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/oneohtrix-point-never-no-nightmares-the-weeknd-9473134/
  14. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/oneohtrix-point-never-the-weeknd-new-song-no-nightmares-1081251/
  15. https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-oneohtrix-point-never-new-long-road-home-video/
  16. https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never/
  17. https://genius.com/Oneohtrix-point-never-the-whether-channel-lyrics
  18. https://www.brooklynvegan.com/elizabeth-fraser-sings-on-oneohtrix-point-nevers-new-song-listen/
  19. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/oneohtrix-point-never-teams-up-with-rosalia-on-nothings-special-1171619/
  20. https://music.apple.com/us/album/magic-oneohtrix-point-never/1529625639
  21. https://pitchfork.com/news/oneohtrix-point-never-announces-new-album-magic-oneohtrix-point-never/
  22. https://robertbeattyart.com/Magic-Oneohtrix-Point-Never
  23. https://consequence.net/2020/09/magic-oneohtrix-point-never-album/
  24. https://consequence.net/2020/10/oneohtrix-point-never-midday-suite-the-weeknd-stream/
  25. https://www.discogs.com/master/2595641-Oneohtrix-Point-Never-Midday-Suite
  26. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/oneohtrix-point-never-long-road-home-video-1075329/
  27. https://www.thevinylfactory.com/news/oneohtrix-point-never-new-album-magic-oneohtrix-point-never
  28. https://www.discogs.com/master/1830969-Oneohtrix-Point-Never-Magic-Oneohtrix-Point-Never
  29. https://apocalypsevinyl.com/products/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never-cd
  30. https://boomkat.com/products/magic-oneohtrix-point-never
  31. https://oneohtrixpointnever.bandcamp.com/album/magic-oneohtrix-point-never-blu-ray-edition
  32. https://www.discogs.com/release/21251941-Oneohtrix-Point-Never-Magic-Oneohtrix-Point-Never-Blu-Ray-Edition
  33. https://warp.net/products/205599-magic-oneohtrix-point-never
  34. https://ra.co/reviews/25297
  35. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/best-music-2020-rolling-stone-staff-albums-1100193/
  36. https://www.stereogum.com/2108664/best-albums-2020/lists/year-in-review/2020-in-review/
  37. https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/2021-libera-awards-nominees-full-list-9543622/
  38. https://www.grammy.com/news/2026-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list
  39. https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/284294-oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never.php
  40. https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never/
  41. https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/2wPDbhaGXCqROrVmwDdCrK_albums.html
  42. https://www.discogs.com/release/16149842-Oneohtrix-Point-Never-Magic-Oneohtrix-Point-Never
  43. https://musicbrainz.org/release/72a84e4f-5241-4346-ae2b-8f823e2b96ec
  44. https://consequence.net/2021/09/magic-oneohtrix-point-never-blu-ray-elizabeth-fraser/
  45. https://warp.net/products/253338-magic-oneohtrix-point-never-blu-ray-edition
  46. https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-review/
  47. http://post-trash.com/news/2020/12/3/oneohtrix-point-never-magic-oneohtrix-point-never-album-review/
  48. https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-oneohtrix-point-never-again/
  49. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/02/the-emotionally-haunted-electronic-music-of-oneohtrix-point-never
  50. https://ra.co/news/83810
  51. https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/06/11/hurry-up-tomorrow-score-album-to-be-released/
  52. https://atwoodmagazine.com/acr2404-oneohtrix-point-never-live-review-wonder-ballroom-portland-2024/
  53. https://www.thestranger.com/music/2024/04/18/79474522/i-joined-a-cult-at-the-oneohtrix-point-never-show
  54. https://www.discogs.com/release/24982672-Caroline-Polachek-Billions
  55. https://www.stereogum.com/2175523/caroline-polachek-billions/music/
  56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5azY0dH67U
  57. https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/electronic-in-spatial-audio/pl.9ca5521e31c8408c97377a71030396d1
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