| The Gag File | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 28, 2017 | |||
| Length | 35:38 | |||
| Label | Dais | |||
| Aaron Dilloway chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Gag File is a studio album by American musician Aaron Dilloway. It was released on April 28, 2017, through Dais Records.[1]
Background
[edit]Aaron Dilloway is an American experimental/noise musician.[2] After leaving the band Wolf Eyes, he has released multiple recordings and performed live as a solo artist.[3] The Gag File is a follow-up to his solo studio album, Modern Jester (2012).[2] In a 2017 interview, Dilloway said, "[The album] is mostly either loops I made of instruments or objects I recorded, or samples of old recordings."[4] The album was released on April 28, 2017, through Dais Records.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10[8] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes |  [9] |
Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "Mirroring his live performances, the album is filled with hideous monster-like vocals and disjointed rhythmic loops created from clanging buckets and other objects."[6] He added, "There's also plenty of sudden, uncomfortable pausing and shifting, as well as an entire track that seems to be a processed recording of a casual house party, with lots of laughter, clinking glasses, and a soul record playing in the background."[6] Bryon Hayes of Exclaim! commented that "The Gag File, on which Dilloway advances his standard operating procedures to deploy an arsenal of mangled eight-track loops and garbled vocal mumblings, is certainly rife with meritorious moments."[7]
On July 3, 2017, The Quietus placed The Gag File at number 48 on its list of "The Best Albums of 2017 Thus Far".[10]
Accolades
[edit]| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fact | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 46
|
|
| The Wire | Top 50 Releases of 2017 | 39
|
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ghost" | 4:49 |
| 2. | "Karaoke with Cal" | 6:13 |
| 3. | "Inhuman Form Reflected" | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Born in a Maze" | 4:46 |
| 5. | "It's Not Alright" | 2:21 |
| 6. | "No Eye Sockets (for Otto & Sindy)" | 4:25 |
| 7. | "Switch" | 5:05 |
| 8. | "Shot Nerves" | 3:41 |
| Total length: | 35:38 | |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from liner notes.[13]
- Aaron Dilloway – recording
- Nate Young – recording
- R. Nuuja – recording
- Thomas Buhl-Wiggers – recording
- Josh Bonati – mastering
References
[edit]- ^ "Aaron Dilloway - The Gag File". Dais Records. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Simpson, Paul. "Aaron Dilloway". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ "Aaron Dilloway, "The Gag File"". Brainwashed. March 29, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ Masters, Marc (April 26, 2017). "Aaron Dilloway's Crackling 'The Gag File' Arrives, a Decade in the Making". Vice. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ Smart, Dan (March 29, 2017). "Aaron Dilloway announces new album The Gag File, shares new track, refuses to give up on creeping you out". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ a b c Simpson, Paul. "The Gag File - Aaron Dilloway". AllMusic. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ a b Hayes, Bryon (April 28, 2017). "Aaron Dilloway". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ Martin-McCormick, Daniel (May 3, 2017). "Aaron Dilloway: The Gag File". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ Neibergall, Will. "Aaron Dilloway - The Gag File". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on October 2, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ "The Best Albums Of 2017 Thus Far – And A Quietus Appeal For Help". The Quietus. July 3, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ "The 50 best albums of 2017". Fact. December 20, 2017. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ "Listen to The Wire's Top 50 Releases of 2017". The Wire. December 2017. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
- ^ Aaron Dilloway (2017). The Gag File (vinyl booklet). Dais Records.
External links
[edit]- The Gag File at Discogs (list of releases)