Wander/Wonder

Wander/Wonder
Studio album by
Balam Acab
ReleasedAugust 29, 2011 (2011-08-29)
GenreElectronic[1]
Length36:44
LabelTri Angle
ProducerAlec Koone
Balam Acab chronology
See Birds
(2010) 		Wander/Wonder
(2011) 		Child Death
(2015)

Wander/Wonder is the debut studio album by American record producer Alec Koone under the pseudonym Balam Acab.[2] It was released on August 29, 2011, through Tri Angle.[3] It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[4]

Background

Balam Acab's Alec Koone recorded Wander/Wonder in the house where he grew up.[5] The album includes Creative Commons-licensed recordings that he found online.[5] He mixed the album with Sam Haar of Blondes.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Beats Per Minute87%[8]
Cokemachineglow72%[9]
Fact[10]
The Phoenix[11]
Pitchfork8.2/10[12]
Resident Advisor4/5[13]
Slant Magazine[14]
Tiny Mix Tapes[15]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Wander/Wonder received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 14 critic scores.[4]

Andrew Graham of The Phoenix described the album as "a fully fleshed-out record, with enticing dimension and its own subtle meanings."[11] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork commented that "its primary concern is simple aesthetic beauty, the way a small and specific combination of sounds, carefully arranged but given room to breathe, can have a deep emotional impact."[12] Heather Phares of AllMusic stated, "See Birds was just five songs long, but it covered more musical territory; by contrast, Wander/Wonder is an exercise in depth, a flowing suite of mermaid's lullabies that turn seductive."[7] She added, "Though it's a very different journey than See Birds, Wander/Wonder is another testament to Koone's abilities as a sensitive and evocative producer."[7]

Kevin Liedel of Slant Magazine commented that "Any abiding temptation to throw Wander/Wonder into the witch-house pile stems directly from Koone's reliance on chunky, creeping drum machines, but drowsy percussion is where the similarities end."[14] He added, "Balam Acab's sound is more dream than dread, a patchwork of sleepy instrumentation, elfin vocal samples, and sound effects meant to evoke the watery clockwork of a seafloor vista."[14] Will Ryan of Beats Per Minute stated, "Vocal fragments are turned into helium-voiced singers and the movements and peaks in the tracks push Acab's emotional affect to a startling degree, not to mention well beyond simple melodic proficiency."[8] Andrew Ryce of Resident Advisor described the album as "the kind of record that can pull you into its emotional undertow from the minute those helium angels start singing."[13]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Wander/Wonder
Publication List Rank Ref.
Beats Per Minute The Top 50 Albums of 2011
37
[16]
Fact The 50 Best Albums of 2011
37
[17]
The Wire Top 50 Releases of 2011
17
[18]
XLR8R Best Releases of 2011
4
[19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alec Koone.

Wander/Wonder track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Welcome"5:10
2."Apart"3:00
3."Motion"4:03
4."Expect"4:46
5."Now Time"4:07
6."Oh, Why"4:11
7."Await"4:46
8."Fragile Hope"6:31
Total length:36:44

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[20]

Charts

Chart performance for Wander/Wonder
Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[21] 20

References

  1. ^ "AllMusic's Favorite Electronic Albums of 2011". AllMusic. December 20, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  2. ^ Phares, Heather. "Balam Acab". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  3. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 8, 2011). "Balam Acab Announces Debut Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Wander/Wonder by Balam Acab". Metacritic. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Cooper, Duncan (August 23, 2011). "GEN F: Balam Acab". The Fader. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  6. ^ Nagurney, E. (June 10, 2011). "Balam Acab announces debut LP just in time for you to pull out your old 2010 witch house gear". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Phares, Heather. "Wander/Wonder - Balam Acab". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Ryan, Will (August 31, 2011). "Album Review: Balam Acab – Wander / Wonder". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  9. ^ Goerner, P.M. (September 12, 2011). "Balam Acab: Wander/Wonder". Cokemachineglow. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  10. ^ Gunn, Tam (September 2, 2011). "Balam Acab: Wander / Wonder". Fact. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Graham, Andrew (September 27, 2011). "Balam Acab | Wander/Wonder". The Phoenix. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Richardson, Mark (August 29, 2011). "Balam Acab: Wander / Wonder". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Ryce, Andrew (August 30, 2011). "Balam Acab - Wander / Wonder". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c Liedel, Kevin (August 15, 2011). "Review: Balam Acab, Wander/Wonder". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  15. ^ Savage, Rowan. "Balam Acab - Wander/Wonder". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  16. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2011 (page 2)". Beats Per Minute. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  17. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2011 (page 2)". Fact. November 30, 2011. Archived from the original on October 21, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  18. ^ "2011 Rewind Chart: Top 50 Releases of the Year". The Wire. December 2012. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  19. ^ "XLR8R's Best of 2011: Releases, Part Two". XLR8R. December 22, 2011. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
  20. ^ Balam Acab (2011). Wander/Wonder (CD booklet). Tri Angle.
  21. ^ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. September 17, 2011. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
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