SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]

#1451

That said, I don't really care how long the albums are that people submit, as long as it's not anything ridiculous (like 4 hours or something).

#1452

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:21 pm I realized quickly in retrospect that it was probably a poor choice for submission, but I love that album (and was especially obsessed with it at the time we started this thing), and I thought it would be a good introduction to an overlooked band, especially given their transition from dub to dream pop. I don't plan on nominating anything remotely close to that long in the future.

I'll probably do the same then. But I don't resent it. It was interesting looking at a genre I've never seen.

#1453

speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:24 pm
MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:21 pm I realized quickly in retrospect that it was probably a poor choice for submission, but I love that album (and was especially obsessed with it at the time we started this thing), and I thought it would be a good introduction to an overlooked band, especially given their transition from dub to dream pop. I don't plan on nominating anything remotely close to that long in the future.
I'll probably do the same then. But I don't resent it. It was interesting looking at a genre I've never seen.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it really, especially since it's such a long album, but I'm glad you stuck it out and appreciated it nonetheless.

My taste is relatively diverse I guess, but Dream Pop is generally a favorite subgenre of mine due to what I hope to gain from music (more on that in a follow-up post). That said, I can admit that the subgenre can be full of artists that sound similar in that they are all trying to evoke a similar experience. However, I would assert that FIshmans occupy a very unique space within it due to their unique progression from a dub band.

If you're curious to learn about it, check out the RYM subgenre description. And if you're willing to give any other album a try, absolutely check out Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins. If I had to pick any one dream pop album that was most representative of the subgenre and of ideal quality, it would be that. It also happens to be one of my favorite albums of all-time and I'd recommend it to anyone any day. I can respect that it may not be everyone's thing, but it's nonetheless the one dream pop album I'd throw at anyone if they only were to hear just one ever.

#1454

That said, now that I think about what you listed above, you may enjoy something else more... such as relatively complicated shoegaze or something like Sweet Trip. Don't mind me. Just rambling.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1455

[mention]speedchuck[/mention] you're missing the bonus final track, Make Me A Boat. I recommend finding it. Enjoyed reading your review

#1456

speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:45 pm I'm a picky guy when it comes to music. I want one of . . . five? things.
1. Fun to sing with
2. Energetic, driven, springy, idk something that fills my spirit and makes me want to move my legs or rock out
3. Musically intricate and diverse
4. Lyrically moving or plat-focused
5. Mood-setting/nostalgic

I also just wanted to say I thought it was very interesting and commendable for you to self-analyze what you like in music.

I like to think I can appreciate various types of music, but I have similar things that I gravitate towards (and the converses of those I gravitate against). Interestingly, we don't really share any of these, except perhaps #5 (which is ironically what I like about dream pop as a genre, despite the fact that you personally didn't detect it in Fishmans). I absolutely don't care at all about #1, #2, or #4 (in fact, I think I actually prefer instrumental music to some degree, and I'm all for well-executed music that puts me in a coma as someone who loves ambient, dream pop, and post-rock). I used to care more about #3, but I think it varies with the product these days.

I imagine, as someone who got into music via prog even though I've drifted increasingly from it over time, you and I do have some decent musical taste crossover, but based on what you listed here it makes a lot of sense why our viewpoints of that album diverge so much.

#1457

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:36 pm
speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:45 pm I'm a picky guy when it comes to music. I want one of . . . five? things.
1. Fun to sing with
2. Energetic, driven, springy, idk something that fills my spirit and makes me want to move my legs or rock out
3. Musically intricate and diverse
4. Lyrically moving or plat-focused
5. Mood-setting/nostalgic
I also just wanted to say I thought it was very interesting and commendable for you to self-analyze what you like in music.

I like to think I can appreciate various types of music, but I have similar things that I gravitate towards (and the converses of those I gravitate against). Interestingly, we don't really share any of these, except perhaps #5 (which is ironically what I like about dream pop as a genre, despite the fact that you personally didn't detect it in Fishmans). I absolutely don't care at all about #1, #2, or #4 (in fact, I think I actually prefer instrumental music to some degree, and I'm all for well-executed music that puts me in a coma as someone who loves ambient, dream pop, and post-rock). I used to care more about #3, but I think it varies with the product these days.

I imagine, as someone who got into music via prog even though I've drifted increasingly from it over time, you and I do have some decent musical taste crossover, but based on what you listed here it makes a lot of sense why our viewpoints of that album diverge so much.

Yeah, at least for a while, Rush was my favorite band. Still rotates in my top five. I hear you like them too.

Prog is what really got me into music, and was all I would listen to for a time. But now I've mellowed out, in a different direction than you it seems. I often listen to 'fun' music (call me shallow if you wish), and can, believe it or not, actually withstand some modern top 40 depending on the song.

Moodsetting music that gets to me is rare, and most of the time when it does it's because the music is soundtrack related and I was in a place or doing a thing when I first heard it. But I'll give those albums you linked a shot when I get the time (if I remember).

nutella wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:33 pm @speedchuck you're missing the bonus final track, Make Me A Boat. I recommend finding it. Enjoyed reading your review

I'll have to go find it. :P

#1458

3. [mention]Boomslang[/mention] - Goat - World Music

Spoiler: show

Right off the bat, I'm hit with some strong moody bass warbling with guitar joining in and I like it, then the song kicks in hard. Diarabi, it's called. It's got some power to it. And it keeps that power and energy going unitl it's about to get bored, then stops. A good introduction to the album.
The insteresting beats and fun warbly instruments continue into the next song until the vocals come in. And then after. But I want to talk about the NA NA, NANANANA vocals. They're kinda yelly, repetitive... not super annoying, but I'm not getting much out of them. The spastic guitar that pops in between verses does a much better job of complementing the jungle-y beats and stuff. If all the vocals are like this, the album would be better off instrumental.
Speaking of Goatman, the talking part at the beginning was interesting. It didn't make much of an impression on me, tough. It's like with That Handsome Devil. The speaking parts are there, but I probably won't remember them.
Goathead continues the trend with some crunchy bass and musical guitar orchestration that half sounds like a SEGA Genesis soundtrack on hard drugs. And then the singing comes back in and lowers my estimation of the song.

The latter part of Goathead calms down and plays come acoustic guitar in a pleasing way, with background ambience that suggests a quiet highway in the rain. The two are really well put together.
Disco fever picks things back up, and includes the least offensive use of the vocals thus far in a tumbling beat held together by needly guitar licks. (I don't know what these words even mean, but they sound about right.) The use of a synthesizer/organ on the interverse solos really works.
16:28
Had to take a break, but I'm back into the game. I've got to wonder what the ethnic influences are for this album. I'm unning into some unique percussive bits.
Golden Dawn now. Starts with a disclaimer that this is totally psychadelic. (not really, but it was a little cliche) I love the smooth rolling bass grooves and the way they sync with the drums. Again, could give or take the lyrics. Sometimes, with this particular album, I'm not sure what instrument is playing. I need to figure out what dulcumers sound like. (This music is making my thinking sporadic.)
In any case, Golden Dawn pulls right into the crazy-fun instrumental warbling and keeps mixing it up as I go, straight through to the end. A welcome addition to the album.
Let it Bleed. What, bongos? I appreciate the wide variety of instruments being used. Vocals are just killing this for me whenever they appear, but they rarely show so far. It's worth pushing through for the groovy tunes man. The sax warbling near the end of the song goes on a little too long. When the primary draw of the music is being pulled into new infectious rhythms with a variets of instruments, overstaying your welcome can be aggrivating. Small complaint, really, but I'm weird enough to notice I guess.
Run to your Mama: The atmosphere around this piece sounds different. And by atmosphere, I mean environment. The percussion is still really cool, but the guitar that it starts with echoes more, and that changes the tone of the piece a lot. Other than that, the piece is very minimalistic, which stands out, and the vocals work with it better that way too.
Goatlord reminds me of Arabian Nights right at the beginning. The sound is haunting, but not in too spooky a way. Mysterious maybe. The crisp guitar works with everything else being smooth and flowy, though I'm unsure how I feel once the guitar starts literally screeching at me. I don't know if that fits the feel I had going.
Then the last song comes along, Det Som Aldrig Förändras / Diarabi. I feel like it starts weak. The beat isn't as nuanced, the instruments don't do much different than what I've seen before, the tone is pretty similar to what I've heard already. Either that or I'm fatigued of this particular sound. And it doesn't change much. I could cut out four minutes of this song and still make it flow together, and everything in the middle would be the same. I don't handle stagnation well.
All in all, this album barely overstays its welcome. While I was enjoying the album, it was flitting from beat to beat, contrasting delightful moodsetting pieces with diverse and energetic instrumentation that was quick to switch before getting tiresome. Each piece, except for the last one, introduced a new sound. The bass-y songs were fantastic. The punk-ish singing on most track wasn't really my thing, and in some cases, DEFINITELY wasn't the music's thing. That, along with the last track, brought the album down from what could have been a solid 3.5.

I give it a 2.5.

Note: You guys don't have to read these. I'm enjoying the exposure to different types of music, and these written logs are here to affirm that I did it and remind me what I liked for later. If you like seeing what I like even though the discussion time has passed, then by all means. :P

#1459

speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:46 pm
MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:36 pm
speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:45 pm I'm a picky guy when it comes to music. I want one of . . . five? things.
1. Fun to sing with
2. Energetic, driven, springy, idk something that fills my spirit and makes me want to move my legs or rock out
3. Musically intricate and diverse
4. Lyrically moving or plat-focused
5. Mood-setting/nostalgic
I also just wanted to say I thought it was very interesting and commendable for you to self-analyze what you like in music.

I like to think I can appreciate various types of music, but I have similar things that I gravitate towards (and the converses of those I gravitate against). Interestingly, we don't really share any of these, except perhaps #5 (which is ironically what I like about dream pop as a genre, despite the fact that you personally didn't detect it in Fishmans). I absolutely don't care at all about #1, #2, or #4 (in fact, I think I actually prefer instrumental music to some degree, and I'm all for well-executed music that puts me in a coma as someone who loves ambient, dream pop, and post-rock). I used to care more about #3, but I think it varies with the product these days.

I imagine, as someone who got into music via prog even though I've drifted increasingly from it over time, you and I do have some decent musical taste crossover, but based on what you listed here it makes a lot of sense why our viewpoints of that album diverge so much.
Yeah, at least for a while, Rush was my favorite band. Still rotates in my top five. I hear you like them too. Prog is what really got me into music, and was all I would listen to for a time. But now I've mellowed out, in a different direction than you it seems. I often listen to 'fun' music (call me shallow if you wish), and can, believe it or not, actually withstand some modern top 40 depending on the song.

Moodsetting music that gets to me is rare, and most of the time when it does it's because the music is soundtrack related and I was in a place or doing a thing when I first heard it. But I'll give those albums you linked a shot when I get the time (if I remember).

nutella wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:33 pm @speedchuck you're missing the bonus final track, Make Me A Boat. I recommend finding it. Enjoyed reading your review
I'll have to go find it. :P

Yeah, I started with Rush as well, and although I'm not sure how they stand among my favorites anymore (I suppose I'll find out to some degree when I finally get to them in my current, massive project to rate most of what I've heard over the years as well as some new stuff), I can empathize with all of that. I exhausted the heck out of prog or prog-related myself, then mostly moved onto avant-garde, jazz, electronic, etc. I developed an appreciation for pop along the way as well, but as you note, in a different way than you -- what really attracts me to a piece of music the most if I had to pick just any one thing is probably immersion in a unique atmosphere. It's what led to my ever-increasing love of electronic music, which is certainly my favorite genre these days, again if I had to pick just one. Interestingly, I historically and mostly currently avoid soundtrack stuff; I prefer for the music to create its own journey so to speak.

Sorry to ramble on about all of this; I just think it's fascinating to explore how people fell in love with music and how their musical tastes have developed ever since. Each person's journey of musical discovery is unique and that's what makes it so interesting to discuss I suppose.

#1460

To get us back on track with this week's album, I was intrigued by speedchuck's comment about being able to listen to A Charlie Brown Christmas any time, not just at Christmas. I associate it with Christmas, so it falls under my list of albums and songs that can only be listened to between Black Friday and New Year's.

But there are two types of tunes on the album. There are the original pieces and re-workings of existing compositions:

Originals:
4. Linus and Lucy
5. Christmas Time Is Here
6. Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)
7. Skating
9. Christmas is Coming

Re-workings:
1. O Tannenbaum
2. What Child Is This
3. My Little Drum
8. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
10. Für Elise
11. The Christmas Song

To the jazz fans out there- how to the re-workings sound to you? Guaraldi throws some jazz breaks into four of those six tracks (1, 2, 3, and 11). Are the re-workings with jazz flourishes admirable for Guaraldi's ability to add those touches or is adding jazz to preexisting pieces not that big an accomplishment? Or do the jazz flourishes sound forced and confined to the song's traditional arrangements?

#1461

My apologies, I didn't mean to derail the discussion. I'll be listening to this album today.

#1462

G-Man wrote: ↑Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:29 am To get us back on track with this week's album, I was intrigued by speedchuck's comment about being able to listen to A Charlie Brown Christmas any time, not just at Christmas. I associate it with Christmas, so it falls under my list of albums and songs that can only be listened to between Black Friday and New Year's.

But there are two types of tunes on the album. There are the original pieces and re-workings of existing compositions:

Originals:
4. Linus and Lucy
5. Christmas Time Is Here
6. Christmas Time Is Here (vocal)
7. Skating
9. Christmas is Coming

Re-workings:
1. O Tannenbaum
2. What Child Is This
3. My Little Drum
8. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
10. Für Elise
11. The Christmas Song

To the jazz fans out there- how to the re-workings sound to you? Guaraldi throws some jazz breaks into four of those six tracks (1, 2, 3, and 11). Are the re-workings with jazz flourishes admirable for Guaraldi's ability to add those touches or is adding jazz to preexisting pieces not that big an accomplishment? Or do the jazz flourishes sound forced and confined to the song's traditional arrangements?

I could understand how someone would be able to listen to this album any time, given that the compositions themselves are mostly cool jazz, but I'm not one of those people. I specifically associate this album and many of these songs with Christmas and it inevitably ends up being a mood album for me.

Frankly, this is a strange one for me to rate. I ended up giving it a 3.0 but it's probably the strongest 3.0 I can possibly give. I just cannot award it more because it's the most mood-dependent album out there; despite thoroughly enjoying it, I'm not ever sure if I'll ever listen to it again in any non-Christmas context, let alone out of my own accord at all.

Regarding your jazz questions, those are good ones. I personally think the jazz flourishes are pretty cool. I'm not sure I can speak as to how big of an accomplishment they are, but it's clear that Guaraldi was able to make his interpretations of those songs his own (for the most part, with Fur Elise the only exception I think), so that's commendable at least.

#1463

For those who haven't seen it before:

Watch it before it gets taken down!

FYI- The sound is really low on the video.

#1464

Definitely worth watching.

#1465

I love the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack. That is all.

(I didn't even listen to it to comment on it this week)

#1466

I listened to the Charlie Brown Christmas album earlier in the week and found it very easy to enjoy. I'm neither a lover nor a hater of Christmas music, but the jazz touch suits it beautifully. It's not something I'd be likely to listen to very often, but it's a pleasing sound when it's there. 3.5 stars.

#1467

Week 38: Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Submitted by MovingPictures07

Available on YouTube and Spotify

#1468

Also, given the light submissions block last time I think we're okay to allow anyone to submit albums this time around (even those who just had contributions heard). If we can get more than seven I'll do a poll, otherwise that number will get us back to a multiple of five.

#1469

Submission: JaggedJimmyJay - CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange / 2005 / Southern hip hop / 16 tracks / 54:19 / YouTube, Bandcamp, and Spotify

#1470

Submission: speedchuck - Rishloo - Feathergun / 2010 / Prog Rock / 11 tracks / 58:15 / Youtube and Spotify probably

#1471

38. MovingPictures07 - Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Spoiler: show

Within the first 30 seconds I've been greeted with retro gaming vibes, asian styled music, and various electronic wibbly-wobblies. I have to start the thing over to make sure this is what I heard. Answer: Yes, but there's more!
At least the second song reminds me of gaming sountracks from the early 2000s. Frogger 2, maybe (muh childhood!). Some VVVVVV in the more digital-heavy parts, but still with more substance/style. This is really neat background music, constantly changing and moving and (my favorite word) warbling. I usually have trouble finding good background music outside of soundtracks. Mostly because I'm not into/know nothing about electronic music.
Everything stays that way till Intro//A Cosmic Drama showcases some soft (electronic?) strings and whimsical mood-setting flourishes. Very different than what came before. That mood-setting high feeling continues into the next track. Computer face brings us back brings us back.
I doubt I'll have much esle to say about this album unless something changes. The electronic parts make me feel nostalgic for some reason, and the softer, more moody parts are genuinely good chill mood setters. I do prefer the electronic pieces more, but I can see myself saving this album and putting it on in the background. Not while writing, though. Wouldn't fit my type of writing.
I do have another thing to say. This album is like onions. There are so many laters, so many pieces to the music. It has depth, but it meshes well and doesn't get confusing or overblown.
...And The World Laughs With You has singing, which surprised and pleased me, and a clicking sound in the background, which hurt my ears and made me turn the album down.
I keep thinking I'm done commenting, and then new things are introduced. I underestimated the variety, it seems. Arkestry is more percussive than anything, but pulls together the mood-setting and electronic bits from before with a little sax. It's a little too unfocused for my taste, and anything with that ambient (staticy?) noise in my headphones bothers me. Ends well though.
I appreciate the artistic choices in most of the music tracks, but based on the music videos, I have to wonder if they're marketing this to people that are high? I don't understand that kind of culture or their videos. I just kinda get that vibe from the way it looks, and it sort of taints my perception of certain songs. But when I close my eyes and listen to the music alone, it sounds good. So idunno.
Satellite would be better without vocals IMO. Just didn't jive with me.

From my single listen, I give it a 3.5/5. Were it not for the couple of songs that hurt my ears, I'd have given it a four. Enjoyable background music with enough meat to focus on if I'm listening attentively. Pleasant. Varied. Good.

#1472

As an aside:

4. insertnamehere - Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

Spoiler: show

1.5/5

pls ignore.

#1473

Don't mind me just doing a thing.

5. [mention]thellama73[/mention] - Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Spoiler: show

pls suggest another llama

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1474

Submission: nutella - Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma - The Goat Rodeo Sessions / 2011 / Bluegrass/Classical fusion / 11 (+2 bonus) tracks / 57:18 (without bonus tracks) / Youtube (though this playlist seems to be missing the last track for some reason as well as the bonus tracks but they can be found separately) and Spotify (also missing bonus tracks

they're really good though and I'm used to them as they're on the CD edition that my mom owns)

I loooooove this album a lot and I hope you guys do too, it's an extremely impressive collaboration between several amazing musicians

#1475

Cosmogramma is one of my favorite albums of all time. A truly exhilarating and unique slice of electronica. Hope you all enjoy it.

#1476

Submission: MovingPictures07 - Ryoji Ikeda - dataplex / 2005 / Microsound / 20 tracks / 55:31 / YouTube and Spotify

This one should be interesting.

#1477

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:15 am Cosmogramma is one of my favorite albums of all time. A truly exhilarating and unique slice of electronica. Hope you all enjoy it.

Well, I did. Probably going to listen to it again today.

#1478

speedchuck wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 10:15 am
MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:15 am Cosmogramma is one of my favorite albums of all time. A truly exhilarating and unique slice of electronica. Hope you all enjoy it.
Well, I did. Probably going to listen to it again today.

#1479

I gave the current album of the week a listen just now. It was interesting enough but I don't know that I fell in love with any of the tracks. Some of them were too short. By the time they were over, I had just gotten a feel for them.

Also, the genre title is pretentious and I'm going to have to work past it to listen to the album objectively.

I'll do a review for Charlie Brown once I can find time to give it one last listen with my headphones on.

#1480

G-Man wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:59 pm I gave the current album of the week a listen just now. It was interesting enough but I don't know that I fell in love with any of the tracks. Some of them were too short. By the time they were over, I had just gotten a feel for them.

Also, the genre title is pretentious and I'm going to have to work past it to listen to the album objectively.

I'll do a review for Charlie Brown once I can find time to give it one last listen with my headphones on.

Ugh. Don't get me started. I'm about the biggest IDM fan on the planet, and even I hate the genre title.

Nonetheless, I would implore anyone not to let that affect their judgment of the music. It only is used at this point because of its widely-acknowledged representation of a specific sound of and approach to composing electronic music that became popularized by Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, and similar acts in the early-mid 1990s. As someone who is intimately familiar with this style and era of music, I would assert that in spite of the awful name, unfortunately the subgenre's usage is accurate and necessary to describe these particular types of music, and that's why the name has stuck around. You'll be better off though to ignore what it stands for. I refuse to acknowledge it by its full name; I just always use IDM as if it's not an abbreviation.

That said, if I have to explain it to people, instead I just try to tell them that it's best to think of it like this: EDM = extrovert (instead of electronic) dance music (i.e., dance music you'll hear at clubs) and IDM = introvert (instead of intelligent) dance music (i.e., dance music you should listen to at home with your headphones). That way it doesn't sound nearly as pretentious and it's certainly a more accurate description of what you're going to get.

#1481

Regarding what you said about the tracks being short though, G-Man, personally I've found that it's part of the album's charm, and I typically view the whole album as one whole piece consisting of many little parts that fit together. It's a grower though. I think the first time I ever heard it, if I was rating it based on my current system now, I'd probably have given it a 3.5. It was around listen #10 or so over the span of a few years that it really started to knock my socks off. My appreciation and love for it has grown ever since. It's incredibly immersive.

One of the reasons I chose this album as well instead of a different IDM album is that a common response I get when I've recommended or shown people my favorites in the past is indifference to how inhuman, cold, detached, etc. electronic music is. I don't personally feel that way about any of them, and I don't even view those descriptors as negative, but based on feedback regarding this album, I do think this one is relatively more approachable and "human" to music listeners who aren't crazy like me binging weird electronic stuff on a regular basis. I'd say part of its accessibility is due to the shortness of the tracks; nothing gets overly repetitive like other electronic music often can.

#1482

Random trivia about Flying Lotus and Cosmogramma:

- Flying Lotus is the stage name of a music producer named Steven Ellison. He also is a DJ, filmmaker, and rapper.

- Ellison is the grand-nephew of the late jazz pianist, harpist, singer, and composer Alice Coltrane, the wife of jazz legend John Coltrane.

- Cosmogramma contains a healthy mix of both sampling (for example, "Arkestry" includes a sample of experimental jazz musician Sun Ra and His Arkestra, while "Drips/Auntie's Harp" includes a sample of his late grand-aunt Alice Coltrane's "Blue Nile", among many others) and live instrumentation (harp, strings, bass, drums, sax, keyboard, and trumpet).

- This album was initially conceived out of Ellison grieving his mother's illness (hospitalized due to diabetes complications) and death (she died a few months before the album's completion and release). He used to bring his laptop to record various field recordings when visiting his mother in the hospital room. One of my favorite uses of sampling on this album is Ellison inserting his recording of his mother's respirator and vital-sign monitors in the album closer, "Galaxy in Janaki", as a tribute to her.

- The album title comes from Ellison mishearing "cosmic drama" as "cosmogramma". Ellison said of the title: "My aunt had an Ashram in Agoura full of devotees... And I was listening to one of her recorded discourses talking about how once this earthly experience is over, we won't be wearing our costumes anymore..."

- The album includes contributions from Thom Yorke (who sings on "...And the World Laughs With You", which is why I always think that song sounds like a collab with Radiohead), Thundercat (who is known for his solo career and guest bass performance on Kendrick Lamar's widely-acclaimed To Pimp a Butterfly), Laura Darlington, Ravi Coltrane, among others.

I could gush about this album for too long.

It's a 5.0 without hesitation. One of my most treasured without a doubt.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1483

This is pretty cool and I enjoy listening to it (lots of cool sounds/beats/mixing/samples/etc) but it's not really leaving a huge/distinct impression on me so far. I have listened to FL before and generally feel that way about his music -- it's fun but doesn't astound me or leave a lasting impression. I'll give it another couple listens though and try to figure out a rating.

#1484

I had heard Cosmogramma once or twice before and liked it. I still do. I tend to appreciate any album as diverse as this one, particularly when that pursuit of diversity doesn't end up sounding forced and convoluted. There's a purposeful structure to this thing and it all works well together. I wouldn't say it has gripped me tightly, and I don't really draw any emotion from it -- but it's a good sound. 3.5 stars.

#1485

6. [mention]G-Man[/mention] - Chuck Berry - Chuck Berry Is on Top

Spoiler: show

3/5

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1486

for my second listen of Cosmogramma I'm taking down some brief track-by-track reactions bc otherwise I won't nail down my feelings about it. most of this will be gibberish/very general/not fancy reviewing words hahah

Spoiler: show

1. Clock Catcher - the good good sounds. love it
2. Pickled! - even more fun sounds. also love it.
3. Nose Art - I'm not usually a fan of the, idk what you call it, the very staccato/cut-off sounding style of electronic music, so this track is lower for me
4. Intro//A Cosmic Drama - pretty, feels like it should be evocative of some kind of scene but can't settle on what.
5. Zodiac Shit - feels a bit more generic/standard electronic music, meh
6. Computer Face//Pure Being - meh. I like the end I guess
7. ...And The World Laughs With You (ft. Thom Yorke) - could easily be a TKOL- or AMSP-era B-side. Love it
8. Arkestry - the first half of this with the drums reminds me of something idk... jazz sample is good, haunting vocals at the end feel separate but nice
9. MmmHmm (ft. Thundercat) - longest track on the album at a whopping 4:14, wow! not getting much out of the vocals/lyrics. they feel trite and out of place and I'd rather just have the background instrumental stuff that sounds like the rest of the album
10. Do The Astral Plane - dank beats yo. can't decide how I feel about the scatting. the rest of it is decent low-key bounce-to-the-beat fare, would definitely enjoy it a lot more under the influence of some green herbs
11. Satelllliiiiiiiteee - weird funky vocal effects that I'm generally not into. as with a lot of this album, this track has nice enough beats/sounds but doesn't really stand out at all
12. German Haircut - pretty I guess
13. Recoiled - I like this one quite a bit actually, it's very pleasant, I guess in the same way that I liked the first two tracks
14. Dance Of The Pseudo Nymph - ditto. this track is awesome. love the handclapping sounds and everything
15. Drips//Auntie's Harp - beautiful orchestral bits/harp sampling, and especially given the context MP explained this is lovely
16. Table Tennis (ft. Laura Darlington) - very clever!! I hope/assume that's an actual recording of actual ping pong (sure sounds like it), that's super cool. the vocalist and echoey-ness sounds very ethereal and floaty. goes well with the harp parts before, during, and after it in the album
17. Galaxy in Janaki - good closer, it feels very fast-paced and busy compared to the previous track but in a good way. it's fun, I like all the different timbres in it.

ok, so to summarize, I really liked the first two tracks, and I really liked everything from 13 to the end -- that's a great stretch. everything in between is pretty meh to me. Overall I'm feeling a 3.5.

#1487

Submissions so far:

JaggedJimmyJay - CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange / 2005 / Southern hip hop / 16 tracks / 54:19 / YouTube, Bandcamp, and Spotify

speedchuck - Rishloo - Feathergun / 2010 / Prog Rock / 11 tracks / 58:15 / Youtube and Spotify

nutella - Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma - The Goat Rodeo Sessions / 2011 / Bluegrass/Classical fusion / 11 (+2 bonus) tracks / 57:18 (without bonus tracks) / Youtube (though this playlist seems to be missing the last track for some reason as well as the bonus tracks but they can be found separately) and Spotify (also missing bonus tracks

they're really good though and I'm used to them as they're on the CD edition that my mom owns)

MovingPictures07 - Ryoji Ikeda - dataplex / 2005 / Microsound / 20 tracks / 55:31 / YouTube and Spotify

Epignosis - Kansas - Somewhere to Elsewhere / 2000 / Progressive rock / 11 tracks / 68:09 / YouTube and Spotify

Remember that everyone is eligible this time.

#1488

Kansas- Somewhere to Elsewhere

#1489

I'm going to be old-fashioned and sit out for this next submission round.

#1490

Epignosis wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2017 12:45 am Kansas- Somewhere to Elsewhere

Fantastic suggestion. I had this one on repeat a few years back.

#1491

7. JaggedJimmyJay - Crowded House - Woodface

Spoiler: show

3.75/5 (not sure whether to round up or down)

#1492

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2017 1:15 am Cosmogramma is one of my favorite albums of all time. A truly exhilarating and unique slice of electronica. Hope you all enjoy it.

Making a concerted effort to be more present on the forum, and figured I might as well start with this. And boy howdy, am I impressed. Feels like I'm staring into a well, with constantly shifting lights at every single different depth of the well. He does a beautiful job of separating out the frequencies, giving each a distinct sonic profile and momentum. The beats are also consistently surprising within the usual 4/4 meter.

My own personal taste keeps me from giving this a 5, because I miss having anthemic banger melodies. (Deadmau5 and Daft Punk, anyone?) But taken on its own terms, as an frenetic piece of sound installation art, it's groovy. Also, the video for "Zodiac Shit" is one of the first things I saw while in a... significantly altered state, let's say, and it's just as impressive in regular mind.

#1493

Boomslang wrote: ↑Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:43 pmFeels like I'm staring into a well, with constantly shifting lights at every single different depth of the well. He does a beautiful job of separating out the frequencies, giving each a distinct sonic profile and momentum. The beats are also consistently surprising within the usual 4/4 meter.

That's... a really cool way to put it.

Good to see you back again, curious to hear your takes on some others as well when you get the chance.

#1494

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2017 1:30 pm 38. MovingPictures07 - Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Spoiler: show
Within the first 30 seconds I've been greeted with retro gaming vibes, asian styled music, and various electronic wibbly-wobblies. I have to start the thing over to make sure this is what I heard. Answer: Yes, but there's more!
At least the second song reminds me of gaming sountracks from the early 2000s. Frogger 2, maybe (muh childhood!). Some VVVVVV in the more digital-heavy parts, but still with more substance/style. This is really neat background music, constantly changing and moving and (my favorite word) warbling. I usually have trouble finding good background music outside of soundtracks. Mostly because I'm not into/know nothing about electronic music.
Everything stays that way till Intro//A Cosmic Drama showcases some soft (electronic?) strings and whimsical mood-setting flourishes. Very different than what came before. That mood-setting high feeling continues into the next track. Computer face brings us back brings us back.
I doubt I'll have much esle to say about this album unless something changes. The electronic parts make me feel nostalgic for some reason, and the softer, more moody parts are genuinely good chill mood setters. I do prefer the electronic pieces more, but I can see myself saving this album and putting it on in the background. Not while writing, though. Wouldn't fit my type of writing.
I do have another thing to say. This album is like onions. There are so many laters, so many pieces to the music. It has depth, but it meshes well and doesn't get confusing or overblown.
...And The World Laughs With You has singing, which surprised and pleased me, and a clicking sound in the background, which hurt my ears and made me turn the album down.
I keep thinking I'm done commenting, and then new things are introduced. I underestimated the variety, it seems. Arkestry is more percussive than anything, but pulls together the mood-setting and electronic bits from before with a little sax. It's a little too unfocused for my taste, and anything with that ambient (staticy?) noise in my headphones bothers me. Ends well though.
I appreciate the artistic choices in most of the music tracks, but based on the music videos, I have to wonder if they're marketing this to people that are high? I don't understand that kind of culture or their videos. I just kinda get that vibe from the way it looks, and it sort of taints my perception of certain songs. But when I close my eyes and listen to the music alone, it sounds good. So idunno.
Satellite would be better without vocals IMO. Just didn't jive with me.
From my single listen, I give it a 3.5/5. Were it not for the couple of songs that hurt my ears, I'd have given it a four. Enjoyable background music with enough meat to focus on if I'm listening attentively. Pleasant. Varied. Good.

I noticed in your review, speedchuck, something that has continuously eluded me in my music-loving years. I feel it might be an interesting avenue of discussion, and anyone can join in (not just [mention]speedchuck[/mention]): What exactly constitutes background music?

At least for me personally, I'm not sure I'd ever feel inclined to make the distinction, yet I hear people say that all the time (either that they prefer to or can only listen to something as background music). What makes a piece of music "background music", and is something being background music a desirable or undesirable thing?

#1495

Background music is music I can play in the background while
-reading
-playing video games
-playing board games
-writing
And so on. What makes music like that?

1. No vocals. Or, in some cases, easily forgettable or repetitive vocals. Vocals I don't care about. If I get more focused on the vocals than what I'm doing, it isn't background music.
2. Not too complex. For the same reason as vocals. I get distracted by the off-time beats and complex musicianship and fail to focus on what I'm doing.
3. In some cases, I will call something background music if it seems like music I would like in the background of a videogame. With Cosmogramma, I even specified the video game. After further research, it wasn't a perfect comparison. Cosmogramma is much better.

4 (optional): Something that pumps me up. I could put in the background to make me want to exercise (I need all the help I can get).

It's not an insult. It just means that the music is often instrumental, likely groovy, and isn't too focused on breaking time signatures or cranking out wicked solo breaks and experimental limericks.
If that makes sense. Cosmogramma is new, different, layered and extremely variable. But it fits my criteria, and I've listened to it while writing.

#1496

Any discussion of BGM? New songs? :P

#1497

Week 39: CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange

Submitted by JaggedJimmyJay

Available on YouTube, Bandcamp, and Spotify

Some content is explicit. Don't listen at work without earphones or equivalent.

#1498

A Piece of Strange is one of my favorite albums in hip hop, perhaps as high as the top two or three. I'm glad to be able to bring it to SAW to continue the recent trend toward diversifying the set here after the likes of Drake and even the Charlie Brown jazz album. This album is very much aligned in the conscious, political portion of the hip hop spectrum, and though it does at times embrace the harsh lyrical nature that some people struggle with -- it's a necessary component of the passions being expressed here in my opinion. Moreover, alongside Outkast these guys are the best evidence I know of that hip hop music need not be perceived as a battle of the American coasts. These are southerners, and they're fantastic.

#1499

speedchuck, thanks for elaborating, that makes sense to me.

A Piece of Strange is a good album for sure. It'll be cool to revisit. Looking forward to it.

**http://www.last.fm/user/nutella23** · #1500

Hey, what's Arthur Brown doing here?

For reals though I'm really enjoying this so far. Haven't been paying super close attention on the first listen but it's enjoyable for sure