Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆
Slime Squadron (hereby referred to as simply “Slime”) is an electronic music project based in Austin, Texas. A recognized force in their game, Slime has won several music awards, including 3 consecutive LIT awards, and has enjoyed several other distinctions. All that there was left to do for Slime was get signed to a record label, a feat eventually accomplished when the project was taken up by Blind Vision Records before the release of the second LP “…Gateways!” in May 2026. Out of curiosity, I gave “…Gateways!” a listen, and I found it to be a satisfyingly complex work – thus here are my thoughts on it. C’est parti!
Right off the bat, I found “Pt.1” to be a misleading opener to the album – it sounds like something my dad would listen to on one of these downtempo radio stations that he fancies, giving me a warped first impression of “…Gateways!”. Though “Pt.1” is a much pleasant track, I found that the album did not really pick up until the second track, “My World,” which informs the listener of what Slime’s work is really about – an R&B-ish, sample-dominated experience that feels like it came straight out of the 2000s. Once that ball went rolling, I found myself really enjoying the first half of “…Gateways!”, which features impactful funk-pop tunes like “Mirrors” and sprawling sound experiments such as “Visions.”
That said, the back half of the album doesn’t slack off, either – it keeps going at roughly the same pace as the front of the record, and features one of my favorite songs, the rhythmic and discordant “Snowboard,” as well “7/8,” a collaboration with Diego DiGiulio which I am glad to report is actually in a 7/8 time signature (as I was hoping it would be, given the title!).
Penultimate track “Pt.2” interestingly mirrors “Pt.1,” harkening back to the sound I haphazardly referred to as “misleading” – it is not representative of the album by any means, but it helps “Pt.1” feel less out of place than it otherwise would by offering an alternate spin on the same musical idea. Finally, the album’s closer, “Can We Get It Together,” is a contemplative jazz-pop composition that would sound at home on an album like Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Solid State Survivor” (it reminds me of “Castalia” in ways beyond comprehension).
What can I say? “Gateways!” is an interesting mix of various contrasting sounds, mixing bedroom pop with jazz sensibilities, sample-heavy production and the occasional trip-hop influence. Though I found the production to be a little underwhelming at times, and some tracks felt like they were dragging on for a bit too long (namely tracks 9-10), I couldn’t help but enjoy the versatile – and mostly well-executed – sound on display here. This is a strong album that I envision myself putting on for one of my evening reading sessions – especially if I’m reading one of ‘em sci-fi books.
Guess you could say this album is a nice gateway… ha… to Slime Squadron’s peculiar musical world. It’s an 8/10, folks!
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