The Syndicate

I did not leave a final rating on Madvillainy. I give it an overall 4.5 out of 5. There are only a few albums I give a full 5 to. Hip Hop is not my favorite genre, and when I do like it it tends to be old NYC stuff like Grandmaster Flash, Fab Five Freddy and Kool Moe Dee.

This album puts me in mind of Fab Five Freddy quite a bit; it has the same speed and ambiance (if you are not familiar with Fab Five Freddy, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34wa6E-rTE ). The rapping is smart and the samples are original and not what is generally expected from hip hop.

So 4.5 out of 5.

Daww, speedchuck beat me to it. I was going to submit first to have my album played the week of my birthday. Oh well. First come, first served!



Explosions In the Sky
The Wilderness
2016
Post-Rock
9 tracks
46:20
Available on YouTube & Spotify

G-Man wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 3:36 pm Daww, speedchuck beat me to it. I was going to submit first to have my album played the week of my birthday. Oh well. First come, first served!

That's not how it works. :P We'll do it like last time, where the more recent you've had a submission, the earlier you go. I'll be near last.

Funny enough, that'll put you in second place again if Dunya submits something. Unless she defers.

Esben and the Witch - A New Nature / 2014 / post-rock/alternative darkwave(?) / 8 tracks / 54:28 / Available on Youtube, Bandcamp, and Spotify

I'm willing to skip this week for G-Man. or does his favorable position in the queue require me to submit an album? idgi.

dunya wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:43 pm I'm willing to skip this week for G-Man. or does his favorable position in the queue require me to submit an album? idgi.

Well I think nutella would take up the slot now, then you, then G-Man. :P

But regardless, I don't think anyone would mind G-Man going first.

I'm cool with G going first! More people should submitttt

Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica / 2011 / [Experimental Electronic] [Ambient] [Plunderphonics] / 10 tracks / 40:57 / Available on Youtube and Spotify

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm [Plunderphonics]

I'm not even gonna ask

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:24 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm [Plunderphonics]

I'm not even gonna ask

Too late.

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:25 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:24 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm [Plunderphonics]

I'm not even gonna ask

Too late.

I don't agree with piracy in music.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:29 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:25 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:24 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm [Plunderphonics]

I'm not even gonna ask

Too late.

I don't agree with piracy in music.

It isn't piracy; it's sampling.

Plunderphonics is just a genre tag that is associated with works that are heavily reliant on the use of sampling, almost like an audio mosaic. The most famous examples of this are DJ Shadow's Endtroducing.... and The Avalanches's Since I Left You. I'm not the biggest fan of the term (though it's not as bad as Twee Pop, Neoclassical Darkwave, or IDM), but I felt obliged to include it in the genre descriptions because this album is a clear example of it.

dunya wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:43 pm I'm willing to skip this week for G-Man. or does his favorable position in the queue require me to submit an album? idgi.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:00 pm [quote=dunya post_id=415096 time=<a href="tel:1519681404">1519681404</a> user_id=446]
I'm willing to skip this week for G-Man. or does his favorable position in the queue require me to submit an album? idgi.

Well I think nutella would take up the slot now, then you, then G-Man. :P

But regardless, I don't think anyone would mind G-Man going first.
[/quote]

nutella wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:08 pm I'm cool with G going first! More people should submitttt

No. No. No. I don’t need any special treatment. We don’t want to set a ‘birthday week’ precedent. I will wait my turn per the current queue setup.

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:35 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:29 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:25 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:24 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm [Plunderphonics]

I'm not even gonna ask

Too late.

I don't agree with piracy in music.

It isn't piracy; it's sampling.

Plunderphonics is just a genre tag that is associated with works that are heavily reliant on the use of sampling, almost like an audio mosaic. The most famous examples of this are DJ Shadow's Endtroducing.... and The Avalanches's Since I Left You. I'm not the biggest fan of the term (though it's not as bad as Twee Pop, Neoclassical Darkwave, or IDM), but I felt obliged to include it in the genre descriptions because this album is a clear example of it.

Arrgh, I'mma plunder yer phonics, ye scallywag!

It's too late now. This is pirate music. Shaaaaame. (I'm in a lame joke mood today)

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:39 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:35 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:29 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:25 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:24 pm

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm [Plunderphonics]

I'm not even gonna ask

Too late.

I don't agree with piracy in music.

It isn't piracy; it's sampling.

Plunderphonics is just a genre tag that is associated with works that are heavily reliant on the use of sampling, almost like an audio mosaic. The most famous examples of this are DJ Shadow's Endtroducing.... and The Avalanches's Since I Left You. I'm not the biggest fan of the term (though it's not as bad as Twee Pop, Neoclassical Darkwave, or IDM), but I felt obliged to include it in the genre descriptions because this album is a clear example of it.

Arrgh, I'mma plunder yer phonics, ye scallywag!

It's too late now. This is pirate music. Shaaaaame. (I'm in a lame joke mood today)

We can just have G-Man go first. It's not a big deal.

Oh, he refused. Okay, that's fine too. No big deal either way.

Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime / 1988 / Heavy metal/Rock opera / 15 tracks / 59:12

Most people call this album one of the progenitors of progressive metal. I don't agree with that. It was an inspiration perhaps, but not within that genre itself.

speedchuck - Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? / 2017 / Alternative Rock / 10 tracks / 34:25
nutella - Esben and the Witch - A New Nature / 2014 / Post-rock/Darkwave / 8 tracks / 54:28
MovingPictures07 - Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica / 2011 / Electronic/Ambient/Plunderphonics / 10 tracks / 40:57
JaggedJimmyJay - Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime / 1988 / Heavy metal/Rock opera / 15 tracks / 59:12
dunya - Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman / 2005 / Contemporary Folk / 12 tracks / 39:22
Ricochet - Aphrodite's Child - 666 / 1972 / Rock opera/Psychedelic, Fusion / 24 tracks / 77:58
ColinIsCool - Los Campesinos! - No Blues / 2014 / Indie rock/indie pop / 10 tracks / 41:39
G-Man - Explosions In the Sky - The Wilderness / 2016 / Post-Rock / 9 tracks / 46:20

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:02 pm Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime / 1988 / Heavy metal/Rock opera / 15 tracks / 59:12

NICE! It's been a while.

I listened to a recording of Petrushka by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra on Spotify yesterday. It was one of the few I could find that was just the ballet we're listening to this week. Given its brevity, it seems to get lumped into compilation albums.

Anyway, it's beautiful. I'll check around for other versions this week. I think I'll also read up on the story content itself to see if I can imagine the actions in my head while listening to the music.

This is going to get a high score from me.

k, my rec is

dunya - Emiliana Torrini - Fisherman's Woman / 2005 / Contemporary Folk / 12 tracks / 39:22

This is cool, I can get into something like this. I won't suggest an album until I've listened to this week's selection though, to prove my buy-in.

Petrushka

I don't listen to classical music, outside of Looney Tunes and old Tom and Jerry bits. It's not that I don't like it. Classical music and I are acquaintances, and we get along just fine when put in a room together, but we aren't booking a church anytime soon. Since I'm not super familiar with classical music, I'm just going to step back and mostly talk about classical as a whole.

Before I do so, however, I will note that Petrushka is very good. It's not as stuck in my mind as some classical pieces I've heard, but I enjoyed it all of the way through. I'd give it a 4/5.

Now let's talk about the great disservice I just did this piece, from my limited perspective of classical (orchestral?) music.

Classical music is created completely differently than most music I listen to. Rather than a few different people brainstorming, putting together lyrics, themes, riffs, etc, it is composed on paper by either one or a group of mad geniuses. It is less a collection of contributions and more a work of mastery, of pure, unaffected, musical prowess. There is nothing cheap about classical music. It doesn't draw you in with lyrics that you can't get out of your head, wacky guitar tones, odd noises (most of the time) or unique instruments. It draws you in with the music itself. I'm painting what I've heard of the genre in broad strokes. I'm sure some could correct me regarding classical music having it's quirks, and it would only take them four and a half minutes.
Composition aside, we look at the performance of classical music. In the orchestral performances, dozens if not over a hundred (I have no idea) people are required to give the piece justice. This boggles the mind, for a piece that sounds so perfect. It's hard enough to get a couple guitarists to sync up with a drummer. Throw in that huge number of people with a conductor to pull it together, and in my mind, you're wrapping up a HUGE amount of skill, artistry, and talent across a great number of people, all of which have to work together without flaw, keeping the tone, mix, and flow correct for the piece to reach its height.

I have nothing but respect for classical music. And this is a good, enjoyable piece. That's all I have to say without looking up the ballet behind the music, and I don't actually care much about that.

linki: Go for it, Colin! Great to have a new dude around

ColinIsCool wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:11 pm This is cool, I can get into something like this. I won't suggest an album until I've listened to this week's selection though, to prove my buy-in.

Hey, Colin! We'd love to have you aboard.

I'd like to hear people's thoughts and reflections on how the final piece of this ballet concludes. It's so muted and downtrodden that it almost leaves me feeling uncomfortable. Rather than a grand finale, this album seems to end with an intentional whimper. It's unsettling but (for me at least) not in a bad way. Thoughts?

I listened to Petrushka once the first night it was up here and I remember nothing about it. I rated it 3.5 so it must have been agreeable. I'll listen again before the week is over. My brain is overexerted these days and I struggle to retain anything.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:44 pm I listened to Petrushka once the first night it was up here and I remember nothing about it. I rated it 3.5 so it must have been agreeable. I'll listen again before the week is over. My brain is overexerted these days and I struggle to retain anything.

i feel this yo

G-Man wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:13 pm I'd like to hear people's thoughts and reflections on how the final piece of this ballet concludes. It's so muted and downtrodden that it almost leaves me feeling uncomfortable. Rather than a grand finale, this album seems to end with an intentional whimper. It's unsettling but (for me at least) not in a bad way. Thoughts?

Do you know the story? It's not a happy ending. Will listen to it tonight.

S~V~S wrote: ↑Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:55 am

G-Man wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:13 pm I'd like to hear people's thoughts and reflections on how the final piece of this ballet concludes. It's so muted and downtrodden that it almost leaves me feeling uncomfortable. Rather than a grand finale, this album seems to end with an intentional whimper. It's unsettling but (for me at least) not in a bad way. Thoughts?

Do you know the story? It's not a happy ending. Will listen to it tonight.

I read through the plot last night. I'll have to listen to it again with the story in mind. Or perhaps there's a video of a live performance on YouTube.

A few other people here have talked about being far from knowledgeable when it comes to classical music and I'm definitely in that camp. I don't have more than just a cursory knowledge of the most famous pieces and definitely not the vocabulary to be able to really talk about it. If I'm listening to classical, it's probably because I've stumbled onto that station while driving, and it's nice background music if nothing else.

So, all that said, I liked Petrushka enough. Having read a little bit on the action its meant to accompany, you definitely get a sense of movement and of drama with it. It seems to me that it would benefit more from being heard in performance, though, and not just because you'd see the ballet before you; being in the same room as the sounds are being created makes it a lot heavier. I don't feel much when I listen to it, as is.

The ending didn't feel like a whimper to me, but maybe more of a resignation or a rest. Around the very last minute it sounds almost tranquil, a little otherworldly.

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2018 6:19 pm Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica / 2011 / [Experimental Electronic] [Ambient] [Plunderphonics] / 10 tracks / 40:57 / Available on Youtube and Spotify

v good album

Daniel Lopatin is up there with Aphex Twin and Burial in terms of influence over the music i like most.

Aphrodite's Child - 666 / 1972 / Rock opera, Psychedelic, Fusion / 24 tracks / 77:58 / YouTube

[mention]A Person[/mention], recommend something. [mention]insertnamehere[/mention], recommend something. I need my weird music fix.

G-Man wrote: ↑Thu Mar 01, 2018 1:23 pm

S~V~S wrote: ↑Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:55 am

G-Man wrote: ↑Wed Feb 28, 2018 1:13 pm I'd like to hear people's thoughts and reflections on how the final piece of this ballet concludes. It's so muted and downtrodden that it almost leaves me feeling uncomfortable. Rather than a grand finale, this album seems to end with an intentional whimper. It's unsettling but (for me at least) not in a bad way. Thoughts?

Do you know the story? It's not a happy ending. Will listen to it tonight.

I read through the plot last night. I'll have to listen to it again with the story in mind. Or perhaps there's a video of a live performance on YouTube.

This one is pretty good.

For my recommendation ...



Los Campesinos! - No Blues / 2014 / Indie rock, indie pop / 10 tracks / 41:39 / YouTube, Spotify

How much you like it (good or bad) might also be influenced by scanning over the lyrics, so here is a link to the Genius page too.

Oooo they're fun, thanks for submitting

Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:09 am Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

So was mine! Keep it on?

Sorry, folks, it's been really busy (was out of town most of the week). I echo the sentiments both that classical music is a weak area of my musical knowledge and that Petrushka is pretty agreeable but not mindblowing or anything. Real good stuff though.

I listened again today, this time a version from the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra. It was again agreeable and pleasant, which often seems to be the extent of my reception of classical music. To me there always seems to be something missing at the core which limits its ceiling, though clarifying exactly what that is would be difficult. I struggle to draw any meaningful emotion from it; it rarely makes me feel anything. That's not to say it isn't there, because clearly for many other people the effect is quite the opposite. So it sounds good, I liked it well enough, and I cannot honestly provide it with any greater praise than that.

I tend to like ballets/opera better when I *see* them. When I watched a performance (I actually watched a few) I liked it alot. I found the music worked well in the context of the story. Ballet and opera are different than regular classical music as they were meant to work as an accompaniment to a performance piece aspart of a whole, as opposed to symphonic or orchestral music which is supposed to stand on it's own.

I liked it alot for what it is, but I prefer to see this kind of thing as a live performance, so I will give it a 2.5 out of 5 as an album. It is not something I would listen to on it's own, like some other performance pieces like parts of Peer Gynt or Die Walküre.

I think my perspective falls in line with Jay's and Sherry's here as well.

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:09 am Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

I will do as you ask, but if you change your mind before the new batch starts then please lemme know. It's no hassle whatsoever to include it (I don't care if the queue gets a smidge longer), and nearly every submission I have given has been the spur-of-the-moment sort.

Yeah, many of my submissions have been after thinking only a bit on them myself, otherwise I could spend way too much time on it. I probably spent not enough time on some of them and could have approached them more strategically, but whatever right? I like to think we keep relatively informal about it all here, which is nice.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 2:59 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:09 am Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

I will do as you ask, but if you change your mind before the new batch starts then please lemme know. It's no hassle whatsoever to include it (I don't care if the queue gets a smidge longer), and nearly every submission I have given has been the spur-of-the-moment sort.

Alright, keep my pick on the list. I've probably been overthinking each of my picks so far but that's just me. It's not like anyone is judging others here based on the albums they nominate.

Okay, I may have judged MP a little bit for his last, tinnitus-inflaming album. Sue me.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

G-Man wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 10:06 pm

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 2:59 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:09 am Go ahead and drop my submission from the list for the next batch. Mine was a spur-of-the-moment and emotional choice that I didn’t have on my list of nominees. Plus the next batch is becoming quite a lengthy list.

I will do as you ask, but if you change your mind before the new batch starts then please lemme know. It's no hassle whatsoever to include it (I don't care if the queue gets a smidge longer), and nearly every submission I have given has been the spur-of-the-moment sort.

Alright, keep my pick on the list. I've probably been overthinking each of my picks so far but that's just me. It's not like anyone is judging others here based on the albums they nominate.

Okay, I may have judged MP a little bit for his last, tinnitus-inflaming album. Sue me.

Yeah my current submission is not really a particular favorite of mine or anything like my previous submissions have been, it's just what I felt like submitting for whatever reason

Once again, I did not submit an album second to last only for it to become second in line, therefore its chronological placement needs to be respected, or put last (since the last has now become the first), or otherwise ignored altogether.

Ricochet wrote: ↑Mon Mar 05, 2018 1:02 pm Once again, I did not submit an album second to last only for it to become second in line, therefore its chronological placement needs to be respected, or put last (since the last has now become the first), or otherwise ignored altogether.

They're ordered by the time elapsed since the last submission was run per user. If you want to be last I can accommodate.