Art Official Age

Art Official Age arrived alongside Plectrumelectrum, but the two records approached Prince's music from different directions. Here he worked with Joshua Welton on a studio album that moves through electronic funk, ballads and a story about awakening after suspended animation.

The spoken “affirmation” passages connect that framing to songs such as “Clouds” and “Breakdown.” Rather than the compact band format of its companion, this record makes room for programmed sounds and layered vocals, with the narrative returning between the songs.