#this whole track is kind of a followup to one of my favourite songs from the original block game album btw | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

passionate-reply · 3 years

Video

youtube

This week on Great Albums, I finally explain the deal with that record you’ve seen in the background of these videos, with those dudes working in the office. These dudes used to be in the Human League! Oh, and they really hate fascism. Full transcript of the video after the break.

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’ll be looking at the debut album of Heaven 17: 1981’s Penthouse & Pavement. While you may not be familiar with Heaven 17, chances are pretty good that if you know your Western pop, you’ve heard of the Human League! Before forming Heaven 17, Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware were members of the Human League--and they were also the band’s creative core. But they had a very different artistic vision, and one that doesn’t exactly prefigure the success of hits like “Don’t You Want Me.”

Music: “Being Boiled”

Between its plodding electronics and inscrutable lyricism, “Being Boiled” is pretty far from a pop hit. When Marsh and Ware left the Human League, they were keen to continue pursuing this sort of underground, experimental, quasi-industrial direction. Initially, the two of them formed the British Electronic Foundation, or “B.E.F.” It was chiefly a production company that worked with other artists, though they also released some instrumental music under this name. With the recruitment of vocalist Glenn Gregory, who Marsh and Ware had initially intended to front the Human League in the first place, they were set to get right back into the groove of what they had been up to before.

Music: “Fascist Groove Thang”

“Fascist Groove Thang” is the opening track of Penthouse & Pavement, and was one of its chief singles. While it’s much less ambiguous than “Being Boiled,” and much easier to dance to, it’s still got a lot of that subversive, underground charm--enough to get banned by the BBC, anyway. I know they always say that history rhymes, but it’s one of those songs from this era that really feels like it belongs more in our time than the one it came from. I like to think that its unforgettable chorus sounds more like a chant you might hear at a protest march, as opposed to something that belongs in a proper song. “Fascist Groove Thang” is actually based on an instrumental track by BEF, which was simply called “Groove Thang” before being reworked into this political anthem. Both versions are indeed pretty groovy, thanks in large part to the bass guitar work of session musician John Wilson. Compared to their work with the Human League, Penthouse & Pavement has an overall richer sonic palate, with more of those traditional instruments, as well as backing vocals. You’ll hear a lot of those on the album’s title track:

Music: “Penthouse & Pavement”

Penthouse & Pavement’s title track is the longest track on the album, clocking in at over six minutes. Between that, the lush instrumentation, and the honour of being the title track, it certainly feels like an anti-capitalist epic, dramatizing and dignifying the inner thoughts of a common wage-slave. The first side of the album, dubbed the “Pavement Side,” is where you’ll find both of these tracks, and it seems to deal chiefly with working-class struggles, as well as having a bigger emphasis on that bass-heavy groove, musically. Naturally, then, the flip is the “Penthouse Side,” it’s more melodic, and it seems to focus more on the lives of the rich and famous...though it isn’t quite that straightforward.

Music: “We’re Going To Live For a Very Long Time”

“We’re Going To Live For a Very Long Time” is perhaps the clearest expression of the idea of the upper classes living in their own protected bubble, shielded from plebeian woes. There’s a religious dimension to it, in that the narrator manages to live without worries because of their assuredness that Heaven awaits them when they die...but, as the title reminds us, they’re also confident that Earth will be good to them, as well. In case you were worried this message might not be ironic, the song actually stops abruptly in the middle of its final refrain, providing a sudden end for that narrator--as well as closing out the entire LP with a bang, since this is the final track! The idea of the wealthy actively taunting those beneath them is also central to the most rhythmic track of the Penthouse Side, “The Height of the Fighting.”

Music: “The Height of the Fighting”

In “The Height of the Fighting,” that march-like chanting takes center stage again, but it feels very different here. Rather than embodying a sort of grassroots resistance to the consolidation of power, “The Height of the Fighting” seems to be the voice of authority and power coming downwards, fitting the theme of the Penthouse Side. The song’s assertions, like “if you can’t take it, fake it” and “they sent you to it, do it” could be interpreted as pithy, meaningless sayings--perhaps throwaway lyrics, taking up space on a single aimed squarely at the dance floor. However, if you know the context of the Penthouse Side, it’s hard not to see them as representations of the worthless advice the rich often give the poor. Get a job. Get a side hustle. Work harder. Eat out less. And so on. Much like the implicit messages about class in popular culture, “The Height of the Fighting” might seem disposable, but the thrust of what it’s saying is actually deeply warped. Another complex, and perhaps conflicted, track on the Penthouse Side is “Let’s All Make a Bomb”:

Music: “Let’s All Make a Bomb”

Songs against nuclear war were commonplace in Cold War-era music, but “Let’s All Make a Bomb” isn’t quite a typical example. At first, its slow pace and despondent melody make us think we’re getting the usual fare. But the return of that swelling, chant-like refrain style, as well as a closer inspection of the lyrics, reveal otherwise. As the title might imply, “Let’s All Make a Bomb” asks us what kind of character is actually crazy enough to *want* nuclear war, and the character Heaven 17 have chosen is a hedonistic libertine, who sees the end of the world as one big party. The atomic bomb is not a thing to be feared, but “a brand new toy, to idolize.” As dark as that is, the fact that it’s also part of the Penthouse Side, and ostensibly a representation of what those who hold influence and power believe, adds a whole new level of horror to it.

While I love album art, and my interest in it is the main reason I started collecting vintage vinyl, I think [the cover of Penthouse & Pavement just might be my favourite of all time. Penthouse & Pavement’s cover portrays the three members of Heaven 17 as though they were businessmen, co-opting motives like glass-paneled skyscrapers and the deal-making handshake straight from the 1980s corporate visual lexicon. They've even got cities they're allegedly based out of, one of which is their native Sheffield, England. If you look closely, there are a few hints that they’re actually a music band and not a firm, such as the reel-to-reel tape player in the upper right-hand corner, and the fact that in the lower left-hand corner, Martyn Ware is writing music in front of a keyboard. At the bottom, we also find the logo of B.E.F., which brings this grand “joke” full circle. As the “British Electronic Foundation,” they had also billed themselves as a faceless organisation, adopting a name that sounds more at home on a utility bill than an album cover. Here, the trio have done it again, in a bit of ruthless satire towards the rising “yuppie” culture of the 80s. Incidentally, the cover art is a traditional painting, credited to one Ray Smith. It wasn't unusual to commission paintings for album art at the time, but it does tickle me knowing a human being physically painted Heaven 17 as office workers. If the original ever came up for auction, I'd probably shell out for it. It would look great in my office!

Anyway, it’s also worth mentioning how the title “Penthouse & Pavement” adds to that corporate theme. The X-and-Y format recalls the names of many real-life firms and companies, such as Ernst & Young. A “penthouse” is an apartment located very high up in a tall, urban building. Such apartments are usually expensive, and are hence occupied by well-off tenants. “Pavement,” in this context, probably refers to what Americans call the “sidewalk,” the paved pathways where the less fortunate among us might walk past those penthouses, without ever getting too close. Each side functions as an ideal symbol of the kind of people it represents, and the physical gap between them is a visceral representation of economic inequality. The title is also quite pleasingly alliterative!

While Penthouse & Pavement maintains a certain underground integrity, which is consistent with Marsh and Ware’s track record as part of the Human League, it’s still much more of a pop record than anything they had done before. Heaven 17 never went quite as pop as the Human League did without them, and they certainly never saw the same level of mainstream success, but they did pursue an increasingly pop direction with their next several releases. Their 1983 followup, The Luxury Gap, delivers less of that hard-hitting critique of capital, but did produce some of their best-known singles, namely, “Temptation” and “Let Me Go.”

Music: “Let Me Go”

My favourite track on Penthouse & Pavement is “Geisha Boys & Temple Girls.” I like this track’s overall mysterious, otherworldly vibe--it’s not terribly easy to pin down what it’s really about, or what sort of mood it’s meant to convey. The intro to this song sounds more like Karlheinz Stockhausen than something you would hear in pop, and I love how strident and abrasive it is. Given its place as the opening track of the Penthouse Side, and its opening line, “look ahead, on the screen,” I’m tempted to interpret it as a representation of a fictional romance in television or film. It’s dramatic, unpredictable, exotic, and also completely fake and divorced from how people behave in the real world. The idea that entertainments and diversions are part of what shelters the rich from the consequences of their actions is another one of those things that makes this album continue to feel relevant. That’s all I have for today--thanks for listening!

Music: “Geisha Boys & Temple Girls”

#music #album review #album reviews #great albums #heaven 17

12 notes · View notes

shemakesmusic-uk · 4 years

Photo

INTERVIEW: ALA.NI

UK-born, Paris-based artist ALA.NI will be releasing her upcoming sophomore album ACCA on January 24.

ACCA consists primarily of dense, harmonically intricate vocal arrangements with sparse or no instrumental backing at all. It’s the followup to ALA.NI’s debut 2017 album You & I and while some critics made comparisons to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Judy Garland, the infectious beats and rhythmic tunes on ACCA owe more to Dr. Dre and Errol Dunkley than Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan.

ALA.NI initially envisioned her second album as a completely a capella project, and indeed ACCA is made up almost entirely of human voices (beatboxing serves as percussion, and she lowered her own vocals with an octavizer on several tracks to create the illusion of bass).

Along with Iggy Pop, Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Atlanta, Get Out), makes an appearance on the album, but make no mistake: ACCA is pure ALA.NI. She wrote, produced, and arranged each song herself, layering up hundreds of vocal tracks in order to create an immersive, hypnotic world that blurs the lines between vibrating vocal cords, bowed strings, and blown reeds.

We had a chat with ALA.NI more about the story behind ACCA and the making of the record, collaborating with Iggy Pop, her struggles in the industry and more. Read the full interview below.

ACCA is dropping in just under two weeks. What is the record about lyrically and what does it mean to you?

"Lyrically, I speak on love of course, but from situations like the abusive relationship of a friend ('Hide'), my definition of love ('Wales'), a relationship in turmoil ('Van P'). 'Papa' was a poem for a friend that took a journey, via Mexico, into becoming a song. 'Le Diplomate' encounters a brief encounter with a french diplomate. I wrote about segments of my life."

You & I was written a capella but ACCA was created completely using a vocals-only technique which I think is so awesome and creative. What inspired you to make the record this way and what was your favourite part of the creative process?

"I always write a capella but with visions of instrumentation around it. With the ACCA album, the first song that made me feel confident that I could make a whole album based just around my voice, was 'Le Diplomate'. I wrote it for the man himself. It was not intended to be a song, but after I reviewed it and impressed myself with my mouth trumpet noises, I was convinced that I could conceive a whole album like this. I like working with parameters, so no instruments was a good one. Although after 3 months away from the studio recording process and some deep consideration and after being told by my mentor that it can't be "the ALA.NI show", I decided to add some subtle additions in the way of a male voice and low end instruments to the compositions. Accordion, bass clarinet, electric bass. Producing for me is like cooking. You add and taste, add and taste. Balancing the flavours out all the way.

"The process was...well I often used the words, "a brain fuck!!!!". It was a lonely process too. I had some stages with other musicians, but that was only for about 10% of the studio time, for the rest, it was just me and the engineer. My favourite part of the process was putting down the vocals. I love harmonising, so that was so satisfying....the rest has literally turned my hair grey! Ha!"

You & I had very much a a jazzy kind of vibe but the tracks from ACCA so far have a fuller and more upbeat sound.

"I never said ever, ever that I was a jazz singer. I have never wanted to limit myself like that, as I know I have many different ways and styles to express the music in me. The ACCA album allowed me to enter more into being able to move my body. I was stuck behind a stagnant mic for so long. I think that was the real reason for giving myself some beats."

You collaborated with legend Iggy Pop on a track for the album. How did that come about? We hear he is a big fan of yours?

"He is just too cool and cute and so incredibly giving of himself. I saw him perform recently in London and I felt so touched and happy and proud to watch this man at 72 do his shit! Damn! What an inspiration. He is a fan and I am so blessed to have his support. I literally got my people to ask his people if he'd like to collaborate and he simply said "yes". I went out to Miami to record him at his studio and it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Directing Iggy Pop in the booth..."erm Mr. Pop, can you do that again please, the last take was shite!!!" Ha!

"He actually said this about me recently on his radio show...

"I worked as a guest once on one of her tracks and she came to America to produce it and brought a whole suitcase full of incredible microphones with her and she’s a perfectionist, her attention to detail is daunting and I had to toe the line, she’s tough."

"It's not true...honest..."

What do you hope fans will take away from ACCA?

"I have no idea. I can't control their ears or minds. I just made the music my heart wanted to make. I'm just happy to have them receive it...words from my heart. Whether they think its good or bad has nothing to do with me. You can't please everybody."

This is true! So, do you have plans to tour ACCA and if so, how will you translate the record on to the stage?

"This exercise too has been a head fuck. I have decided to go for cello, accordion and beatboxer for my live set up. Cello has a voicing that is very close to the human voice, so it works well and is so versatile as an instrument. Accordion has been a treat to work with. I never thought I'd be working with such an instrument, but it too is versatile and adds a very distinctive tone and texture to the music. I had to convert 300+ vocal parts into instrument parts, which was a fun (not) exercise. Beatboxer can do the most craziest things with his mouth. We are all learning to make mouth noises. Its a nice bunch of us on the road. I'm happy to be around good hearted, passionate people to make music with."

You've been in the industry a few years now. What challenges, if any, have you faced? And how did you overcome them?

"Hahahahahah!!!! It's daily and it seems to get worse the more I push to change the norm. Females are hugely under represented in the music industry, so its a daily struggle. I basically manage, produce, create myself, so its not an easy task I have given to myself.

"I don't have a tour manager, because I hate the fact that when I arrive at a venue, no one talks to me when I do have one. They only liaise with the "male manager" and not the artist. They are not used to dealing directly with the artist, especially a female one who knows exactly how she wants her gear set up. Oh, the fights I've had just to have my monitor where i like it. Its pathetic!"

That is absolutely ridiculous! But sadly, many women in the industry have similar stories. If there was one thing you could change about the music world today, what would it be?

"More tits, less dicks!"

Amen! You have had such an impressive career so far. What has been the biggest highlight for you to date and what are you looking forward to in 2020 and beyond?

"I remember nothing. I do the shit and I move the fuck on. I'm terrible like this. I like to be present and forward thinking.

"My career and life are so inter-twined, that for me, I keep it simple...I am just happy everyday to be alive and to be blessed enough to be able to do the work of my hearts calling. Thats all i ask for. To be able to continue to do the things i want to do....freedom."

youtube

ACCA arrives January 24.

Photo credit: Martin-oger Daguerre

#interview #ala.ni #acca #differently #sha la la

2 notes · View notes

myste-rae · 5 years

Text

Eluveitie - Ategnatos - My First Impressions

I’m listening to this for the first time, I figured I’d do something of a review and first impressions of the newest album by my favourite band!

Ategnatos

I heard it when it first came out, I loved it then and I still love it now. It feels more like a medley than a song in itself and it seriously just shows all the best that Eluveitie has to offer! So good!

Ancus

One of those little whisper prayer songs, those add so much flavour

Deathwalker

Holy shit this goes hard!! That opening riff is killer. And in the chorus, I love hearing Fabienne and Chrigel singing together! The contrast of his growling and her gorgeous voice, so good. Damn, the way it fades out and back in after the chorus! This is seriously such a headbanger

Oh my gods, then it goes quiet after the second chorus, we get some beautiful Fabienne singing, then a hurdy and fiddle riff with badass rhythm guitar. This is like... pure Eluveitie. I can’t get over how good this is! Then Chrigel’s scream... wow

Black Water Dawn

Ahhh.... that opening is so beautiful and calming. The guitars kick in with thick chords, building on it and letting the flute breathe. The verse goes a bit harder but it’s far more lyrical and bardic than aggressive

Holy crap! Fabienne does the chorus, and it’s stunning. According to the digibook, this song is all about the otherworld, the journey of death and thereafter, and this song is amazing for it, so peaceful and beautiful

Ohhh... and we got our first guitar solo of the album! Honestly, it’s a controversial topic, but I really like them. They still let the folk instruments shine, but the guitarists, who are an integral and amazing part of the band get their moments in the spotlight too

Gods, I can’t get over Fabienne’s chorus, describing the beauty of the otherworld, it’s so beautiful

A Cry in the Wilderness

This starts out peaceful and atmospheric, until the guitars kick in, and they go hard as fuck. Then silence, peace... and then the verse kicks in. I love how they play with tone

After a couple of verses, we get more of the silence and peace, what sounds like harp playing a gentle melody, leading into a flute solo, once again supported by that signature Eluveitie rhythm guitar

Holy crap, the screaming after the solos is intense as fuck

The Raven Hill

Oh wow, this starts out so epic, with that hurdy and violin melody, transitioning to an ethereal choir led by Fabienne. Then it’s replaced by an absolutely grooving verse with Chrigel at the helm. This is a bit different than what I’m used too but it sounds so good

The chorus has such a bardic/folk melody, it straight up sounds like an old folk song they’d sing dancing around the fire. Honestly the whole song has that folk dance groove to it. This might be my new favourite Eluveitie song to be honest, it really makes you want to sing along

Ohhh, the digibook says the chorus is based on an old irish rebel song or ancient clan march, “Oh-Ro, welcome home”. That makes so much sense!

The Silvern Glow

This is a lovely calm acoustic piece like they often do, letting you calm down for a bit

Ambiramus

Yes! I loved this when it first came out, the whistle in the opening is so good, followed by Fabienne’s amazing singing. She absolutely knocks this out of the water, the song is beautiful, driving, epic. The verse/ build-up/ chorus each have a different tone and it builds beautifully

Mine is the Fury

Ohhhh... the guitar in the opening is freaking amazing with the heavy drums. The verse feels a lot like Havoc, it’s aggressive, warlike, it’s a battle song. The chorus features Fabienne and Chrigel singing together once again, which is an effect I didn’t know I needed in my life, but I certainly did

After the second chorus, we get some unsettling whispers, a hurdy buildup, then Chrigel’s absolutely massive screaming kicks in with the heaviest guitar and drum beat off the album so far. This honestly gives me chills

The song is based on the celtic druid belief in the coming apocalypse, when the earth will cleanse itself. The song describes the events of the apocalypse, the prayers of the druids bringing it forth, and the gods’ view of it. It’s epic, angry, and so fucking heavy

The Slumber

This is... such a contrast to Fury. It starts out gentle, like a lullaby, followed by Fabienne’s sweet singing, then more heaviness from Chrigel and the guitar rhythm, holy crap. His verse, then the chorus are both freaking epic

Worship

The opening to this is so tense, featuring a narration over some chilling atmosphere. After a minute of it, it kicks into what I can only describe as a ritualistic worship song that gives me chills, then finally going into the heavy guitars. The chanting continues throughout

Holy shit. When Chrigel starts singing, it sounds sinister, like a selfish, evil god revelling in worship. It’s so aggressive and dark, it’s amazing. After the solos, we get another ritualistic worship bit. It kinda makes me think of the chanting of Catvrix or Sucellos

This is seriously the most sinister and dark sounding Eluveitie song I’ve heard, and I’m living for it, this is freaking amazing. I’ve always loved Sucellos, Catvrix, Dessumiis Luge and such

Omg, we briefly get the distinctive Sucellos whipping sound. This is totally an elaboration of that style and I love it

Trinoxtion

Ohhh... another quiet prayer. Fabienne does an amazing job of it. I should probably say, I absolutely love her. Anna was okay, but I felt like she sounded bored and uninterested, making her songs less fun to listen to. Fabienne is animated, passionate, and even in these prayers, you can hear her passion

Threefold Death

Holy.. this starts off so beautiful and sweet with gentle singing by Fabienne, then suddenly the guitars, drums, and Chrigel’s scream break in. It’s a sharp cut, pulling you out of your trance

The melody after Chrigel’s first verse is pretty amazing, it seems to use some unusual intervals, creating some interesting dissonance. Then we get a bit more of Fabienne’s singing, and I find myself just waiting for the sudden burst of aggression. They’re doing amazing at building tension

Ohh... towards the end, we finally get Chrigel singing the same lines as Fabienne and it’s so good. Gods they’re really going hard on the heavy as fuck guitars

Breathe

The opening of this is classic Eluveitie and I love it, beautiful folk melody with a badass guitar rhythm. Fabienne’s singing is on point as always. As the guitars kick in, then the chorus, more and more I feel like this is their Rose for Epona, their Call of the Mountains, and I freaking love it. I’m enjoying this so much more than either of them

Oh fuck!! Suddenly halfway through, we get some seriously sinister rhythm guitars that made me jump out of my seat, followed by another awesome guitar solo

Wow... and towards the end, we get some gentle choir. I didn’t expect that, but it sounds so amazing

Rebirth

Fuck yesssss! It sounded amazing when it first came out more than a year ago, it sounds amazing now. The flute music with the rhythm guitar, the guitar slide, followed by Fabienne’s folk singing, so good

This might objectively be the best song off the album. Gods, I forgot how good the chorus is, with Fabienne and Chrigel singing together

It feels like they changed a bunch, there’s different lines, and the guitar solo happens after the first chorus? Though it works pretty well, letting the folk solo happen after the second chorus. This is my first time noticing that droning on the hurdy, that’s seriously amazing. Wait! There’s another guitar solo at the end!

So the first half of the original solo from youtube got put after the first chorus, then they recorded a different one to go after the folk solo, and the second half of the guitar solo is the same? Neat!

Gods, their screaming after the solos, it never stops being amazing

Eclipse

There’s those lines, the running theme throughout the album. Recited in Ategnatos, sang by Fabienne in Rebirth, and now once again in this song, though this is far more gentle and emotional. It’s so beautiful

It’s basically a solo performance by Fabienne and it blows my mind, it’s stunning. Her voice and talent is amazing. She fades away into the wind, closing the circle of rebirth, the theme of the album. This song gives me chills for sure

BONUS TRACKS:

Ategnatos (Acoustic Version)

The album works when played on a loop, with Ategnatos following Eclipse, but this is an even better followup, with epic orchestral drums. Oh gods, those drums, with Fabienne’s chanting, this is mind blowingly good

Just like the original song, this song feels like a medley, a journey. I think I prefer this over the metal version. The folk instruments do an amazing job of carrying themselves and Fabienne’s stunning performance

With empty hands

Nothing but light

This is an absolutely beautiful performance, I’d call it a masterpiece. I loved it

Ambiramus (Acoustic Version)

Wow, even the flutes are so gentle. Once again, the acoustic version really shines, though I wish they changed Fabienne’s performance, or at least the mastering. It sounds like it’s the same as in the original song, including the distortion in the build up, which clashes somewhat with the gentleness of the folk instruments

Ohhh, to their credit, they had one chorus without singing. I just feel like gentler singing would work better, instead of her screaming over what was guitars

I still loved it, but it could have been better

Threefold Rebirth (Acoustic Folk Medley)

Immediately I can say, I love how it starts. I’m pretty sure it’s the exact same effect as the opening of Rebirth. Then it goes into the melody that’s the theme of this album, backed up by those orchestral drums

This feels like a mashup of all the various folk parts from all around the album, making yet another journey through the songs. It definitely really works, it’s a lovely folk song to listen to, though it kind of jumps all over the place

Ohhh, it features Fabienne’s singing from Threefold Death, though without the sudden burst of aggression, instead of transitioning to the melodies of Rebirth

This is definitely an amazing way to end the album

#maya rambles #eluveitie #ategnatos #witchblr #pagan #music review

1 note · View note

gdnght-grl · 6 years

Text

an explanation on my inspirations, taken from my rateyourmusic page

T. Stebbins

The first ever song with lyrics that I wrote was super heavily based on the vocal style of Eurobeat Odyssey. I honestly don't know why I never released it back when I made it on Apple's Bandcamp, but I think the excitable, syncopation-heavy style has never left me when trying to make something even remotely faster-paced.

Le Soldat Pony

Le Soldat Pony's "Through the Telescope" got me playing guitar as I learned to love folk through his music. I hope that one day I'll do his music (and his indirect teachings) justice and release something in my usual chill production style that is complemented by my guitar-playing ability, rather than making folk music separate from my chill music. Before These Mighty Skies was definetly an influence for my song "Come on Home" that I released on Universes Unlike Ours, but I feel like I have yet to honourably integrate guitar and my own production.

44K

I can't say that our production style or genre is all that similar, but I've learned so much from collaborating and receiving feedback from 44k. I credit 44k to the little psychedelic production tidbits I've added to my mixes, such as copious flanger, phasing, unique panning, just things to make the whole song feel more lively than boring, static sounds. Their work has also been a reminder to me of all the cool things you can do with plunderphonic/IDM/breakcore percussion without bending to the genres that these percussion types are usually applied to.

Celadon City It really surprises me that on my quest to find "Galaxy" sound-alikes I stumbled upon Celadon City's "Earth OST" through Soundcloud in 2016. Every second of that album was something magical; The album had that perfect balance of expressive sound without pushing to be too abrasive. The sonic feeling of Earth OST found and held onto this "magic" of getting pleasantly lost in somewhere otherworldly. I now look to Celadon City as a modern source of inspiration for what I could be doing with my songs if I feel like I don't know where else I can take a song of mine.

Dreaming Moths

I have Dreaming Moths to thank for showing me the power of instrumental storytelling using plunderphonics and IDM drums based on pans that he sampled from his kitchen. If you were tasked with telling a story using music, you might just sing a written story across a moodsetting background, where the music doesn't really convey the story on its own. Alternatively, you could write something in the western classical sense, which will illicit prescribed emotions to the listeners. This is all fine, but I feel like there's a lot of uncharted grounds when it comes to using unclassifiable sounds to create stories in the sonic sense. "Truth" leaves a lot of its instruments exposed, chopped up and free of reverb. It forces you to listen into the instruments as they grow and interact with other elements as you move through scenes that culminate in one of the 5 tracks on the EP. This playful interaction between instruments inspired a lot of Universes Unlike Ours, and it's what earned Dreaming Moths as an inspiration equivalent to SoGreatandPowerful when it came to releasing my first album.

SoGreatandPowerful

I think what set me off to make music was SoGreatandPowerful's "Galaxy". I can pinpoint the moments where I became Goodnight Girl. It was in February 2013. I was sitting alone in my room at 9:00 pm, with school the next morning. My lava lamp was on in the corner providing the only source of light next to my iPod touch in my hands. My back was against my bedframe as I was excited to hear SGaP's newest release on Youtube. It was a followup to the very intriguing Night Glider, but this one more peculiar and mysterious. I was lulled in by all the production details that I couldn't comprehend because all of these expressive elements were all playing at once, but each element had their own personality as they painted the setting of deep space. It evoked curiosity and the pleasure of exploring somewhere unknowably foreign. I lost myself repeating this song over and over again, feeling totally immersed in the last third of the song and wanting to hear more of this exact sound. That night is when I found my favourite song to this date, and the way I felt listening to that song for the first time is the kind of feeling I hope to one day recreate with my own music. My first album, Universes Unlike Ours, were repeated attempts to capture this sound, but completely giving into the tangents that I ended up going into instead. So thank you, David, for giving me this musical style, a long-term musical goal, and in some sense an identity for myself.

#introspection

4 notes · View notes

indiumrubber · 7 years

Text

@howling--fantods tagged me to post ten songs I’ve been listening to a lot recently, so here goes! I love waxing lyrical about music at the best of times, so songs I love will get a bit of time lavished on them I think. I have a feeling there will be a great deal of Radiohead included in this list...

1) Just - Radiohead: The song that actually got me to start listening to their stuff. It came on after listening to an album (think it was Parklife), and almost immediately I was hooked. It’s ruthless and savage and exhilarating, and very much a song I needed at that time. Anyway, I can’t get bored of it so here I am, still listening.

2) De-Luxe - Lush: From the offset this song caught me, and I knew I liked it. The harmonies during the verses are such that it almost feels like something’s gonna go wrong, but I mean that in a good way: it feels unstable and capricious. Combined with the stacked harmonies of the choruses, the swirling and layered guitars, and it’s a wall of precisely crafted sound. I love it.

3) In Your Room - Depeche Mode: I’ll admit, I was hesitant to listen to Songs Of Faith And Devotion, if only because of the cover - I just didn’t find it that aesthetically pleasing. And besides, I knew of the background of the recordings, how strained and stressful it is, how it lead to the collapse of one of my favourite bands. However, once I gave it the chance it deserved, I found myself loving almost every track instantly. There were a few which took time, and this was one of them. It’s dark, oppressive, feels heavy and intense; again, a wall of sound, but not gossamer like De-Luxe. This is brutal, and carries the most Depeche Mode* lyrics of probably any song they’ve written. But it’s fantastic and I adore it.

*if we’re to use Depeche Mode as a shorthand for BDSM-y...

4) There, There - Radiohead: Okay, I find it hard to articulate quite how much I love this song, but I really do adore it. It’s basically perfect to me. It consists of a constant escalation of tension, driven by snares which - if you’re listening for it - begin to resemble the clicking of a clock’s hands. I truly believe the song only truly begins to show its potential at 2:53. The texture builds, effects and distortion move from backing guitar parts to lead parts, and these then come to the fore, even before Thom’s, and at one part sounds like distorted wailing. Then he comes back in, and it just works so well. It could’ve been too much, but it’s not. And then it all dies away, soft silence for a good three or four seconds at the end. It reminds me of a summer storm (at least here, where they’re rare and mild). Exciting, and over far too quickly (even for a song whose duration is 5:24). So good.

5) The American - Simple Minds: I love all the arpeggios on here. For some reason, I’ve always loved them as a simple way to spice up chords, and I don’t begrudge their use at all - I perhaps used them too often myself, but it does give a sense of motion. But most of all, my god, the bassline is brilliant. Driving and intent, reminds me of something from John Taylor in its restlessness, and there’s a lot of pops and slaps too, something I think was really popular in the 80s. I do love the vocals too, silly as they might seem on an initial listening. Very catchy.

6) Der Kommissar - Falco: God I love this song. My German is terrible and basic and clunky. I can read for gist pretty damn well, and my listening’s alright, but I am absolutely left in the dust when a more extensive vocabulary is used. That just means that I mostly bop my head when listening to this song, and find the melody intensely catchy. A brilliant song from a brilliant artist.

7) Karma Police - Radiohead: I’m not exaggerating when I say that... I would die for this song. If the only copy in the world was left on one small CD, and the internet was gone, all infrastructure gone except for one CD player with infinite power, I would jump in front of a bullet to protect that flimsy piece of plastic and preserve it for future generations (assuming that this was the only shot that person had at destroying it). That’s how much I love this song. The buildup to the second section with rising bass tones played by the piano, later echoed by the bass, lead to this feeling of ascension, as the key steps up from A minor to B minor, an atypical shift. There’s a wide-open and optimistic feeling to this latter section, something I rarely come across in songs, but when I do find it, I adore it so utterly. This is one beautifully crafted song. And also I just discovered that all members of Radiohead sing the high backing vocals during this section, and that means so much, speaks so much of the collaborative nature of this track.

8) My Joy - Depeche Mode: yet another track from SOFAD, another that I adore, another that took a few listenings to get there. I love Dave’s vocal performance here, the slight off-kilter feel to the guitar, and the bombast of it. Dave’s vocals are raw in places, the edge of cracking (as is typical of this era), and it lends an honesty and humanity to an album very much about the machinations of people and relations. His slight vibrato is at a peak here, and Martin’s backing vocals are excellently mellow in contrast without detracting from the aura. A fantastic composition, a brilliant end to a masterpiece of an album.

9) Methods Of Dance - Japan: My favourite Japan song? Quite possibly, though I’ve only just realised this, I think. It begins quite similarly to Planet Earth by Duran Duran, it’s just occurred to me as I type - a sweeping synth intro. Given DD were recording their debut in the same studio as Japan were recording the album this is from, and looked to Japan for inspiration, I wouldn’t say it’s implausible. Anyway, Mick Karn’s fretless bass is typically agile and intricate, weaving through the song incessantly. David Sylvian’s lyrics and voice answer in kind, woozy and haunting in that way of his. The drums are given plenty of echo, and sound so very 80s. Saxophones are very evident. And yet, it’s not cheesy at all, it almost feels timeless, in a way I’m not sure how is managed. It could be that keyboards once again are downplayed into texture, all blending seamlessly, so nothing quite stands out too much. Brilliant song.

10) Everything In Its Right Place - Radiohead: God, I was struggling so much to narrow down to what I’d have as the last Radiohead song I included. But this song is undeniable from the minute you press play. A damn good album opener, filled with nonsensical fragmented lyrics, obtuse musically as well as lyrically. It was such a difficult feat to create a followup to OK Computer - this much is fairly well-documented at this stage - to the point where the band considered breakup, dissolution, and falling by the wayside. Of all the options they could’ve chosen, the route they took with Kid A is perhaps the wisest, and most oddly prescient choice. It’s interesting and unconventional, makes you wonder. It’s so different from OK Computer that some people hated it, and that’s okay. But I do believe the album is a gift, and it could not have begun with a better song. Just listen to it, and you’ll understand me. Sometimes you have to eschew what you know to move forward.

Thank you so much for tagging me in this, and giving me the chance to be pretentious and irksome as I like being about music that I adore! I shan’t tag anyone, but I hope that anyone who reads through this whole thing, or skims it, might have their attention piqued, and might consider trying out any of these tracks. And if you disagree with me on anything here, I’m always up for a discussion. This was really fun!

#thank you alex!!#tagged #long post

7 notes · View notes