Music: Rate and Discuss

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It's true that Floating Points has never been entirely genre-defining, but what he has (apart from a PhD in Pharmacology and a record label and the sexiest lisp) is the ability to merge crucial elements from different genres and styles into something new. A track like Sais is this strange hybrid, with tight, UK Garage drum patterns but programmed with lo-fi, raspy drums, strange jazzy lounge chords and synths, and the occasional funk freakout. What I see as essential to his production is his combination of bass-awareness (he's lumped in with the greater UK bass music scene at present although his music is entirely incompatible, both in terms of tempo and often in terms of key as well), his reliance on house/techno staples and tropes, and then the glistening sheen of synthetic funk he lays over the top of it all. The track below is a white label from his own imprint Eglo, and is backed with an even more esoteric track called Shark Chase.


And now we're on the topic of synthetic funk, it's a perfect time to mention Space Dimension Controller!
Space Dimension Controller makes space-age 80s porn music and it's funky as all god damn and if you want to get a woman hot and out of her clothes just take some spacedrugs and lay down this throbbing slab of space acid-housefunk


 
Gosh darnit Viper you've sold me on this guy and I haven't even listened to him. Anyone willing to forego maximising is worth listening to at least one time, in my book. And I will, once I finish up my bass practice for the day.


I uploaded this on the basis of not being able to find anything by Keiko Tsuda on Youtube. I think this is my favourite song by them. Good dynamics and rhythmic cuts; more riff than math, but still a little bit math. Par for the course.

Oh, and you might think that this band is Japanese. But you'd be wrong. Dead wrong. They're French. B)
 
Couple bands I've had on constant repeat lately.

Tesseract
English prog/tech metal thing. The kind of band that's derivative in all the right ways. Not quite original in their own right, but they combine just the right elements with such finesse that it sounds like new. The way the heavy, rhythmic riffage compliments the songs' atmospheric quality and melodic overtones is really nice.


Heernt
Little known band who I wouldn't have heard about if not for a keen interest in Super Best Drummer Of All Times Mark Guiliana. Equal parts indie and jazz and who knows what. The kind of thing people who knew what they were talking about might call innovative.

 
Couple of English newcomers who I'm hoping get the recognition they deserve.

Been listening to this song loads recently, really like his voice.


This guy has started to get a bit of attention. Big fan of Otis Redding and Bill Withers so this guy struck all the right chords (no pun intended) for me.

 
So add this to the growing list of albums I missed the boat on last year, but I had to post this as it's some of the freshest sounding technical rock/metal I've heard since, like, Animals as Leaders probably. Definitely less frantic and more methodical, but the playing is immaculate.

 
I'll be seeing Roger Waters in little over a day.

Can hardly believe it.
 
Dug up this gem whilst perusing my youtube 'liked' list.


I wanna say I looked this up as a result of a game, cant think of which though.
 

The Para-Medics - Tropical Caterpillar

Dis be some crazy shit. I love the way the bassist plays. More math rock of course ; apparently they refer to their musical genre as "goof-math" or somesuch, and it's a very fun technical song so yeah okay I guess that can be a genre :V
 
The Flashbulb's new album, Opus At The End Of Everything

I've been eagerly awaiting the release, and it's awesome.

It was said to be similar to Arboreal, and it is in most ways. But it's also structured and paced much differently. Higher energy tracks are spaced out by slower ambient songs and soundscapes, using recordings of ambient nature, people, and other sounds. Some of the tracks really kick, in high contrast to the mellow piano, acoustic guitar, and several other live instruments. Vocoding is also used a lot; I think there's only one track that has his own voice non-vocoded.

It's a really great listen all the way through because of the pacing (and did I mention totally seamless track transitions?) and on first listen I didn't know what to expect next or when.

No one track can capture all the styles in this album, so here's just the intro track and another one I liked later in the album:



 
Blood, Sweat + Vinyl

It's a documentary film, but it's about music. I want to say it's more about record labels (Hydra Head, Neurot, and Constellation records) than about the music, but since those labels are at least partly owned by band members, it's hard to separate the two.

I don't really listen to "post-metal" (probably just due to the vocals; I like Red Sparowes fine but notsomuch Isis/Neurosis), so I'm not sure what I was expecting, knowing they get primary focus in the film. Those sections were still interesting though and I admire what they do after watching this.

Constellation section was fantastic. Some great little tidbits:

-Visiting the scenes shown in those iconic photos on the Godspeed albums
-Just learned that the Ian that co-runs CSTrecs is the same Ian that plays in SMZ
-Showing the dude who goes out to the train tracks to make the flattened pennies. The fact that they're still doing this by hand 15 years later, has always made me want to buy F#A#inf on vinyl just so I can get the smashed penny with it (alas I don't own a record player). Considering that they could've quit including that after the first pressing, or jacked up the price and made a special deluxe collector's edition with it, or even just bought smashed pennies instead of having a dude actually sneak out to the tracks with a bag of pennies -- it just seems very generous.

The main disappointment was that there weren't any live performances on the documentary part. Only very short clips or sometimes even just video clips with the studio recording played over it. But I'll probably enjoy more upon further viewings now that I know what to expect.

Last thought: pretty funny how they spend a good deal of time talking about how lame genres are, but at one point someone decides to go with "doomgaze." Also (independently?) came up as the genre of choice for This Will Destroy You after their and/or their label's ridiculous little anti-"post-rock" rantfests a couple years back. I agree with the "silly genre name" sentiment, but it seems to be the perpetual interview topic that never dies.
 
Yeah I tend to notice that the ones who discredit genre distinctions the most are also the ones who come up with the strangest and most elaborate ones themselves. :)

Shame to hear they didn't leave in any full live performances, but I still totally have to see that. It's always inspiring to see what goes on behind the scenes, how much passion and energy goes into creating a record.
 
Well, it's currently available for the low price of $16 with free shipping anywhere in the world!

There is an option to get a bonus disc of all live performances, but that only comes with the limited edition box set (including other stuff like a sweat band and guitar pick) for $42+shipping which is a lot more than $16. I really did assume there would be a few full performances on the documentary (Heima style), but I guess it didn't fit within the time limits with so many different bands represented.
 
Gorsh, that's cheap! I might just have to take them up on that. Pity to miss out on the box set but there's no way I can justify that right at the moment. :(
 
Still have a big hard on for Grimes, as far as I know I am the only one of my friends that cares for her at all. (So I must be a total loser, or totally awesome. Going with the latter, screw you.)
Can't wait for her new album coming out the 21st, which sounds more accessible than her former album.

Old album

New album
 
Listened to AWOL Nation Sail for this first time. Great song. Listened to the rest of the album and was deeply disappointed.

 
ZT said:
Still have a big hard on for Grimes, as far as I know I am the only one of my friends that cares for her at all. (So I must be a total loser, or totally awesome. Going with the latter, screw you.)
Can't wait for her new album coming out the 21st, which sounds more accessible than her former album.
Click to expand...

After seeing your post I started listening to a few songs from her new album and I like it for the most part. Some songs are a bit too weird/experimental for my taste.
If i'm not mistaking does this fit into "chill wave", or new music that sounds similar to electro-pop (newwave) from the 80's.

I like this song in particular:


 

The OF Tape Vol.2 came out. It's awesome. After a lengthy analysis, this is objectively the best track on it.
 
This week in Hey, ****face, Listen To This:

Anathema - Weather Systems

If you have any love for huge, atmospheric, emotive rock music, you owe it to yourself to check this out. They're basically prog in-name-only at this point - there's no technical wankery or fickle time sigs to be found here, just impeccable composition. Most songs centre around a basic acoustic guitar or piano hook and the focus is heavy on vocal melodies, but they build upon that foundation with intricate harmonies and soaring crescendos. The songs range in mood from the oh-my-god-life-is-amazing optimism that was ever-present in their last album (like the first example below), to a more contemplative, sometimes melancholy vibe (like the second, my personal highlight). This opens them up to some cliched and occasionally cringeworthy lyrics ("This world is wonderful, so beautiful, if only you can open up your mind and see!"), but they execute it with such sincerity that it never really grates. So, you know. Get it.




Also on constant repeat:

Grails - Deep Politics

Post-rock with a grimy, psychedelicy, 70s rock feel, but with a softer touch than that description probably conveys. In fact I'm not really sure how better to describe them so here's a song.


Guilt Machine - On This Perfect Day

Way behind on this one, considering it's a project from Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen, who I'm pretty sure is some kind of prog metal demi-god. Resembles some of Ayreon's moodier stuff, like certain songs from 01011001, but there's plenty of rocking instrumental breakdowns to balance that out. The combination of thick, dark synth, mellow guitar and rich vocals on the first half of this one has had me by the balls for the last few days. By the baaaaalls.

 
Oingo Boingo - Wake Up! (It's 1984)

Catchy as hell. Danny Elfman's voice works too well with the music they made. Kinda took a weird route in the late 80's though. Started sounding more like Ska. vfghygjgy

 
I'm not sure if hip hop is a big thing around here but one of the greats has passed away. Adam Yaunch of the Beastie Boys. It's clichéd to say but I still remember the time I first listened to Paul's Boutique. I'd recommend anyone with even a passing interest in the genre give it a go. Rest in Peace, MCA.

 
Was sad to hear about it. I never listened to a lot of Beastie Boys, but they were great and its a shame to see one of them pass.

And if we're gonna talk hip-hop/rap I guess I have to mention what I've been into lately. P.O.S. He's not really new, but I just began listening to him and he's very talented. My attention has been specifically on this track. About 1:40 in it explodes.


Another rap group I've recently gotten into is Grayskul. Specifically the album Bloody Radio. Though here's a song from Deadlivers, which I've moved on to.


Also recently got back into one of my all time favorite rap groups, The Pharcyde. They're the best thing to chill out and listen to in the car while eating chicken at three.

 
Zephos said:
I'm not sure if hip hop is a big thing around here but one of the greats has passed away. Adam Yaunch of the Beastie Boys. It's clichéd to say but I still remember the time I first listened to Paul's Boutique. I'd recommend anyone with even a passing interest in the genre give it a go. Rest in Peace, MCA.
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Dag, that sucks. I went through a huge Beastie phase when a friend got Sounds of Science and played it non-stop for like a year. Still got some respect for them.

Fun fact: this video was filmed in Rotorua, New Zealand's home of thermal activity. We have relatives there so I used to visit a lot. It ****ing stinks.

 
For all you fans (I know there were a lot here, not sure how many are still around), Explosions in the Sky just released a music video for the track Postcard From 1952, off their latest. It's incredible. Unfortunately it's on HuffPo exclusively and their flash player is a bit shite (whyyyy can't I get rid of the progress bar and scale the video up to proper full screen), but watch it anyway because, dang.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/...52-video-explosions-in-the-sky_n_1493144.html

Honestly haven't listened to Take Care too many times. I liked it a hell of a lot better than All of a Sudden, which struck me as kind of uninspired, but I suppose it still sounds a bit too similar to everything else they've ever done. Which isn't really a bad thing, but good god I must have listened to The Truth and The Earth like a hundred times each, so their style is pretty dern familiar to me now. After this, though, I'm going to have to give it a second and third and fiftieth listen.

In other news, Cloudkicker released a free mix tape of some of his favourite and most influential tunes, and it's great. Even if you're not familiar with him, there's a lot of awesome stuff on there from all kinds of genres. http://www.cvltnation.com/sonic-cathedrals-vol-liicurated-by-cloudkicker/
 
"Listen to Math Rock Already, God Damnit" Episode 3 - Countdown to Total Destruction of You and Everything You Love

Mudy on the Sakuban. They're extremely tight and clean in their sound. If you're not a fan of purposefully angular time signature shifts and hard-to-follow melodies, this might be more your thing.


Next we have this band called Bygones, consisting of the guitarist from Tera Melos and the drummer from Hella, resulting in heavy shit and melodic hooks and general awesomeness. The second half of this song is one of my favourite riffs in a long time.


Which reminds me, I haven't posted Hella on here, so there's two kinds of Hella you should know about. The kind with vocals:


And the kind without:


Listen to all of these or a mighty curse will befall the women in your village.
 
This week, BadHat discovers an amazing band years too late. What's new?

Oceansize. These guys are hard to classify as they manage to sound fresh while not exactly defying convention - they just incorporate a lot of different feels and make them their own. You could say they're a lot of things, but alt rock is probably the most representative label. Just got this album, Frames, and I'm pretty sure there's not a single part on there that sticks to 4/4. Despite this, just about every track manages to be incredibly catchy and cohesive. Like, I've been humming (and drumming) certain parts for basically the whole week.


Also, this song is ****ing beautiful and so are the visuals in this video. Check it out if you like jazz and also if you don't.

 
I don't listen to much jazz (not necessarily that I dislike it, I just don't seek it out), but that ^^^ was really nice. As for EITS, that video was indeed beautiful. I'd rank All of a Sudden over Take Care though -- probably because it has Birth/Death and Catastrophe on it, whereas Take Care's songs still sound a little like they smashed two parts together that shouldn't be in the same song (the first half always being better than the latter), or just kind of a mess (Trembling Hands, eurgh).

I just picked up the new Sigur Ros album, Valtari, yesterday. I've only listened through two and a half-ish times -- as I kept falling asleep when I put it on the first time, but due more to sleep deprivation than the music. I'm thinking 7 to 8/10 right now. It's more ambient than any of their other albums. People seem to compare it to (), but () was far more post-rock than ambient. Anyhow, I'm happy with this because I wasn't a fan of the pop direction of their last two albums. The only song leaning slightly pop is the last half of Rembihnutur, and Varud heads into standard post-rock territory toward the end.

The cover art is a perfect representation of the music. Hazy, expansive, very beautiful sounds. Ekki Mukk and Valtari are the least interesting songs for me. My favorites are Daudalogn, Vardeldur, and Fjogur piano. Eg anda provides a very nice start to the album also; reminiscent of the intro on Takk. I mostly like Daudalogn for its choral-esque beginning and end, but Jonsi's stoic vocals in the middle are nice also. Vardeldur is actually just a new arrangement of Luppulagid from Inni. I think I've complained before that Luppulagid was overly long and too minimalist, but they've added a couple more points of interest now (bells, another vocal line toward the end) which make the song significantly better and give it more movement without cluttering it. It's very lullaby-like. I don't have much more to say about Fjogur Piano except to point to theneedledrop's review where he talks about why this song is great, and add that I like how it sounds less composed and more like you just walked in on someone tottering about, making pretty sounds on the piano. It's kind of a shame they added stuff after the piano part.


Overall, instrumentation is sparser than in previous albums, which contributes to creating that vast uncluttered soundscape. I'm also liking Jonsi's vocals a lot more. On their other albums, sometimes the vocals seemed a bit high-strung and got annoying; now they are more peaceful and he seems to be using more of his non-falsetto range.

My only "complaint" is that the album is overwhelmingly pretty and doesn't go much into darker territory like Untitled 1 on (). It's "nice" but not particularly moving. The end of Eg Anda kind of suggests some darker tones are coming, but nope, the following song is still just pretty. But I'm not completely sure whether darker sounds would actually fit in here, so... maybe it's better as it is.
 
One of my favourite new bands of the last couple years, Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, are letting people download their debut album for free this weekend to celebrate its first anniversary. If you like prog, post-rock, jazz, noise, glitch, or all of those things at once in the most wonderful way then ****ing get it now.

http://music.tangledthoughtsofleaving.com/ (Click buy now and enter 0 as a price.)

As for new stuff, Steven Wilson/Michael Akerfeldt's (Porc Tree and Opeth respectively) new project Storm Corrosion is pretty neat. Percussion is used very sparingly but I don't know if you could call it an "acoustic" album perse, it's all very involving in a sort of eerie, foreboding way. Which is reflected well in this brilliantly unsettling video.

 

Shabazz Palaces are two guys, one of them is from Digable Planets. They've so far had two EPs and an album put out, this video is a live performance of one of the songs from their second release. It impresses me that with two guys, a drum kit, two mics, and a sampler they manage to sound crisper, smarter, and genuinely cooler than this mountainous pile of hip-hop over here [points]
 
New Cloudkicker holy yes! As per all of his albums, it's available for whatever you feel like paying, including nothing, but you should be a bro anyway cause he's awesome. http://cloudkicker.bandcamp.com/ (Personal highlight is Seattle, the way it changes in the middle and then changes back is neato.)

This one's different yet from his previous stuff. It doesn't have the hard metal edge of everything up till Beacons and it isn't as chilled back as Let Yourself Be Huge, it's more of a ROCK thing, but done in his signature rhythm-****ering style. Leading up to its release he was posting a lot of 90s rock like Smashing Pumpkins on his blog and talking about how much he likes Butch Vig's production (it was released on his birthday :v), and the influence shows. The guitars are thick and sharp and the drums cut right through - while also sounding a bit more organic than his past stuff - but everything has room to breathe.

While I'm posting free albums, these guys are pretty cool too. Chilled out triphop with lots of sampling and whatever. http://underwaters.bandcamp.com/
 
Slugabed!

He's like the bastard child of Flylo mixed with glitch and chiptune. Nevermind, I'm terrible at genres. It's fun stuff. He's a giant nerd and that just adds to the fun. You'll like it, I like it. I hate discussing music.

 
Here are two things that are too difficult for me to classify at 2:45 in the morning so I'll just make lame "sounds like" comparisons which probably aren't that accurate. Listen to them though cause they're good, promise.

Shoes And Socks Off - Sounds like Thom Yorke chilled the **** out and went a bit bluesier or something. Edit: Actually that's a terrible description. He sounds like a really good thing, but better.


The New Caledonia - Jaga Jazzist but funkier, mathier and more experimental. Actually this song is giving me a bit of a Mr. Bungle vibe too.

 
Bad^Hat said:
Shoes And Socks Off - Sounds like Thom Yorke chilled the **** out and went a bit bluesier or something. Edit: Actually that's a terrible description. He sounds like a really good thing, but better.
Click to expand...

related: he actually just called an end to this project about 2-3 days ago. never really was a big fan myself, but there you go. i'd often see him in a pub here in birmingham every now and again, at gigs and such. guy had a big beard.
 
That's how I found out about him, heh. Some other band I follow on facebook mentioned him. Might have been Sikth actually. Wish they'd announce something about that new album already.
 
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