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Lawrence English: Cruel Optimism - VINYL LPTitle: Cruel Optimism Artist: Lawrence English Label: Room40 Product Type: VINYL LP UPC: 739027481867 Genre: Electronic Release Date: 2017 03 10 Number of Discs: 1 LP version. "Cruel Optimism is a record that considers power (present and absent). It meditates on how power consumes, augments, and ultimately shapes two subsequent human conditions: obsession and fragility. This edition owes it's title and it's origins to the wonderful text of the same
Title: Cruel OptimismArtist: Lawrence English
Label: Room40
Product Type: VINYL LP
UPC: 739027481867
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 2017-03-10
Number of Discs: 1
LP version. "Cruel Optimism is a record that considers power (present and absent). It meditates on how power consumes, augments, and ultimately shapes two subsequent human conditions: obsession and fragility.... This edition owes it's title and it's origins to the wonderful text of the same name by American theorist Lauren Berlant.... In Cruel Optimism, I found a number of critical readings around the issues that have fueled so much of the music I have been making recently. Beyond her keen analysis of the relations of attachment as they pertain to conditions of possibility in the everyday, it was particularly her writing around trauma I found deeply affecting. It was a jumping off point from which a plague of unsettling impressions of suffering, intolerance, and ignorance could be unpacked and utilized as fuel over and above pointless frustration. When I made Wilderness Of Mirrors (RM 460CD/LP, 2014) clouds of unease were overhead. As I have worked through Cruel Optimism, what seemed an unimaginable future just a few years prior, began to present as actual. Over the course of creating the record, we collectively bore witness to a new wave of humanitarian and refugee crisis (captured so succinctly in the photograph of Alan Kurdi's tiny body motionless on the shore), the Black Lives Matter movement, the widespread use of sonic weapons on civilians, increased drone strikes in Waziristan, Syria and elsewhere, and record low numbers of voting around Brexit and the US election cycle, suggesting a wider sense of disillusionment and powerlessness. Acutely for me and other Australians, we've faced dire intolerance concerning race and continued inequalities related to gender and sexuality. The storm has broken and feels utterly visceral. Cruel Optimism is a meditation on these challenges and an encouragement to press forward towards more profound futures. Beyond the motivations forging the record, the process by which this edition was created was unlike many of my other records. Having worked largely alone in recent years, I wanted to shift away from that approach.... I count myself exceptionally fortunate to have been able to call on so many fine musicians in the making of this album.... I couldn't be more pleased to share Cruel Optimism with you." -Lawrence English, October 2016 Contributions in various forms from: Mats Gustafsson, Mary Rapp, Tony Buck, Chris Abrahams, Werner Dafeldecker, Norman Westberg, Brodie McAllister, Australian Voices, Vanessa Tomlinson, Heinz Riegler, and Thor Harris.
Tracks:
1.1 Hard Rain
1.2 The Quietest Shore
1.3 Hammering a Screw
1.4 Crow
1.5 Requiem for a Reaper
1.6 Pillar of Cloud
1.7 Exquisite Human Microphone
1.8 Object of Projection
1.9 Negative Drone
1.10 Somnambulist
1.11 Moribund Territories
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4.7 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Me encantan
Se ven súper bonitos y recojidos aparte son buenisimos para cortar.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful Acacia Boards That Actually Feel Premium and Thoughtfully Made
I’ve gone through a lot of wooden cutting boards over the years, and these immediately stood out as feeling much higher quality than most sets in this price range. The acacia wood has a really rich, attractive grain pattern and the boards arrived smooth, solid, and well finished with no rough spots, cracks, or cheap “composite wood” feel.
What initially caught my attention was the fact that these are marketed as non-toxic and free from mineral oil. Most people don’t think much about what wooden kitchen products are treated with, but I appreciated that these use a natural blend instead of petroleum-based mineral oil. The boards had a very clean, natural wood smell out of the box instead of that chemical/oily smell some cheaper boards have.
The three-size setup is honestly perfect for daily kitchen use. I find myself constantly rotating between them:
the large board for meal prep and meats
the medium board for vegetables
the small one for fruit, cheese, garlic, herbs, etc.
The engraved food icons are also a surprisingly nice touch because they help keep things organized and reduce cross contamination without looking tacky.
A few other things I really liked:
They’re lightweight enough to move around easily but still feel sturdy
- The wood is gentle on knives
- The groove catches juices well
- They look nice enough to double as serving boards
- Packaging was clean and plastic-free/minimal
Like any real wood cutting board, you absolutely need to:
- hand wash only
- dry them after use
- occasionally recondition the wood
If you expect dishwasher-safe convenience, these probably aren’t for you. But if you want attractive, natural wood boards that feel healthier and more intentional than cheap plastic boards, these are excellent.
Overall, these feel like a genuinely thoughtful kitchen product rather than generic mass-produced boards with a trendy “eco” label slapped on them. Very happy with them so far.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Beautiful in appearance and quality
I've been using these for several months and I love them. They're sturdy and great quality, not to mention so beautiful. They do of course scratch up as you use your knife on them which is to be expected with wood but I plan to give them a little sanding soon and an oiling with the oil they provided. I would definitely recommend.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Ignore the bad reviews, read mine!
Pictures don’t make you think much, but in-person these are beautiful and well made. I’ve been trying to replace everything with cleaner safer alternatives. Honestly I love everything this brand offers and stands for! Some things to think about when you see other peoples negative reviews. Since these cutting boards are all around safe and clean with no toxic coating’s that most have to make them last longer, they do require more maintenance, when people don’t follow that maintenance you get a warped or cracked board. Also they are not meant to last as long as your plastic one from Walmart, they should be replaced more often. Luckily for a pack of 3, and I’ll say again that are TRULY non toxic, they are super reasonably priced! For what they offer I would even pay more for these. They do also come with instructions on how to care for them! So if you are the type of person to leave things dirty, or wet in the sink, these are probably not for you. For anyone who doesn’t mind taking the extra minute these are a must (literally a quick wipe, rinse and hand dry, it’s nothing). Gives me a breathe of fresh air to know I’m using safe, and clean products.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2026
★★★★★ 1
Cutting boards will splinter
A lot of the reviews that are saying these wooden boards splinter are true. I was excited to find some nontoxic wooden cutting boards for such a great price. Upon arrival, they seemed pretty decent quality when I pulled them out of the package. I proceeded to use the large one so I gave it a quick rinse with warm water and was taken back by fumes coming off the cutting board and then wiped it down with a white paper towel and my paper towel was brown. I was a little discouraged, but decided to give it a better rinse with a soap, free brush. At that point once I dried it off whatever coding was on it came off and it was rough and splinters everywhere. Definitely a little upset that the splinters could’ve ended up in our food. These are not good quality non-toxic cutting boards I would rather spend a little extra money on a quality board that is not going to sprinter Wood shavings into my food.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026