Moonbuilding 2703 AD by The Orb
I'm yet to listen to their 90s work (it's been on my wishlist for sooo long), but I guess working backwards from newer to older albums isn't too bad either. In comparison to Abolition of the Royal Familia, this is a much more uniform, repetitive and groovy experience. Very spacey too. No genre switching, no sudden spoken word passages. It's a lull. While it's better for background listens (admittedly, that's exactly how I was listening to it), it's just not as exciting to me overall. Very long songs don't really help the case. Last song was the highlight. Still a good album, gets 7.5/10
Ok let's listen to something not electronic. For example my favourite Zappa
I like this. I have listened to Whatever You Love, You Are a lot more than this one yet all I enjoy with Post Rock is still here. Ocean Songs does imply being at sea and while I don't accociate the sound with water (feels like music of staying in one place rather than going some where) there is a charm here. Violins really make this. Favorite will be 'Deep Waters'. Post Rock is better for space themes, still this is good music I hear. _________________ More needs and less greed
Yesterday is not you, it is a resource to be looked back on.
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
I like this. I have listened to Whatever You Love, You Are a lot more than this one yet all I enjoy with Post Rock is still here. Ocean Songs does imply being at sea and while I don't accociate the sound with water (feels like music of staying in one place rather than going some where) there is a charm here. Violins really make this. Favorite will be 'Deep Waters'. Post Rock is better for space themes, still this is good music I hear.
Yeah this is quite fire. Zappa is one of those eccentric individuals that I need to get a deep dive with his discography. And while I prefer Hot Rats as of now, this was interesting and quite addicting. If there was any complaint, I would say the second track can meander with its structureless horn sections compared to the opener. While the rest of this album is quite funky. Pretty potent with its jazz portions. Shout out to George Duke to those key sections that back end this album. Don't know if this is his first appearance, but he is quite important in the Zappa story and music in general. But yeah, this was a pretty excellent album. Grade:90
Well, an-outlaw hasn't posted an album yet. Looks like I will fix this.
He will get this:
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While Ledzep will get this album:
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Especially since I know he enjoys Devin's work
If I messed this up, let me know. Don't want to wait.
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
I'm still not a big Nick Cave fan, but apart from his work with The Birthday Party I've liked everything I've heard so far, including this record. It does feel less ambitious and emotionally powerful than his last two albums with The Bad Seeds, and is a bit more uneven in terms of songwriting. However, it's still a really solid effort overall, I like the instrumentation, and the standout tracks are great. 3.5/5.
Thanks for getting us back on track Luigii (an-outlaw, it doesn't say on the cover, but that's To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar). Now time to listen to what may be the definitive New Order release. You can choose whether you want to evaluate this based on the first 12 (most essential) tracks or the whole thing, as the two versions were released together.
I can't remember if I heard this album already, I might have, as I've heard a bunch of Plaid, Black Dog and Autechre albums, some 10 years ago, but that wouldn't be relevant.
It's pretty dark and destructured, I like that kind of sound, I'm actually in the process of making a chart in this flavour and this would fit in quite nicely.
The production is flawless, but that's as expected. What struck me the most is that they manage to fit some good melodic elements in between the chaotic grooves so it's not all 'experimental for the sake of it'.
The pace of the album is odd though, I like tracks 1-3 & 9-10 but the five tracks in between were only mildly interesting to me. I'd have liked a few more ambient tracks to fully enjoy this. Anyway, it's a pretty good album, certainly among my favourites from Autechre and a highlight of the genre.
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Alas I Cannot Swim by Laura Marling _________________ More needs and less greed
Yesterday is not you, it is a resource to be looked back on.
baystateoftheartNeil Young as a butternut squashProfile Massachusetts
This is my first time trying anything by Mojave 3, which was formed in the ashes of Slowdive, a band responsible for one of my all-time favorite albums. Their music is not nearly as heavy and dense, and instead incorporates a lot of country and folk elements. Slowdive gone country sounds brilliant on paper, and the promise is realized by the gorgeous first track. However, as the album proceeds, it sags toward somnolence. Things pick up a bit for the closer, another standout, but most of this record is too languid to make a strong impression. It is, however, very pretty and effective as background music. This doesn't reach its potential, but Mojave 3's debut is quite nice, and recommended to fans of the very similar Mazzy Star. 3.5/5.
Listened to both picks, couldn't think of a good reason not to revisit Ocean Machine.
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Ocean Machine: Biomech by Devin Townsend
My Devin Townsend phase was before I was fully active on BEA so I don't have some of his albums rated, including this one. It was a nice revisit though, I'm glad you've picked this Luigii. Easily one of his best, it's progressive metal but with many influences from different genres while being pretty cohesive listen overall. Not only that but it's one of his catchiest to date, for example the opener Seventh Wave has a great chorus hook which many pop bands would be proud of writing. Every time I think of Ocean Machine that ear candy "I'll wait for the ocean to rise up and meet me as it rose up before..." starts playing in my head. There's a lot of memorable melodies and hooks throughout the album (Life and Regulator stand out too). This time around I did have a few complaints regarding the lengths of songs, near the end there's 3 back to back to back long songs (Funeral, Bastard and The Death of Music) which left me feeling a bit exhausted. They do have a lot of cool ideas, but could've been spread throughout the album imo. A minor complaint that one, otherwise I liked this as much as ever. A 90s chart contender and a high 8.5/10
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Alas, I Cannot Swim by Laura Marling
Thankfully I decided to listen to Once I Was an Eagle again before going for outlaw's choice, almost forgot how absolutely wonderful it is. Landed on the 2010s chart now. As for Alas, I Cannot Swim, it definitely isn't as interesting, but the songwriting is still top notch while being quite raw and charming. There's even some country influences. In contrast to Song For My Daughter (which is fresh in my mind, loved it last year) which has refined, precise vocal performances and instrumentals. Early vs late career Laura Marling, and the winner is... probably Song For Our Daughter, but it's close and this is still a great album. Tap At My Window is an instant favourite, Night Terror reminded me a lot of PJ Harvey and is another big highlight. 8/10
I love Rival Consoles, but I don't think I've heard one of his albums yet, good rec Bay.
It's supposed to be IDM/Microhouse but draws on heavy Tech House influences, in terms of sounds it's closer to the melodic masteria of a Stephan Bodzin or a Petar Dundov than to the often heartless loops of a Villalobos or an Isolée. It's a bit like a warmer version of Avatism.
But anyway, Persona has a consistency in rhythms and melodies rarely equaled and it's nice to find a dance producer who actually know how to craft an album (most of my favourite tracks of his are actually album tracks now that I think of it).
There is a recurring theme of memory and identity throughout the album which even takes its title from Bergman's film, but it's not insistant and leaves place to the interpretation a lot. Surprisingly, all tracks are cleanly separated and I was expecting more links in-between, I think this gives a 'cinematographic' experience as each track is a scene of its own.
I like this a lot though. It's delightfully introspective, it has borderline ambient tracks and even some with club potential. The only drawback is that it doesn't stand out so much in terms of sounds, pretty much all albums of this genre and time period resembles it in this matter, and that leaves me a bad feeling of déjà vu. I'd already had that reflection about some of Rival Consoles' tracks and that's probably one of the reasons why I had never heard one of his full length works. That's still a truly beautiful album. I'll to try to review Rival Consoles' other albums as soon as I can because there is undeniable potential for greatness.
LedZep, I'd like to see what you're thinking of this:
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LedZep
an-outlaw
baystateoftheart
guzguzgarbit
