Just saw this on dustedmagazine.com Stephen O'Malley of Sunn 0))) and Khanate with Daniel O’Sullivan (Guapo) and Vincent de Rougin (Shora).
After a cursory listen to the I and IV tracks, my jaw is on the floor. The review sez:
quote:
Deep in Ocean Sunk the Lamp of Light is a sonic shadow box: images of sounds are arranged meticulously and set in motion, texture is palpable, and a convincing illusion of actual depth, even a sense of place, emerges – you are somewhere, but it’s impossible to say where.
For my money, it's a pretty good description of what the album sounds like. I wish I had gotten to this earlier - it would definitely have made my list.
Avey Tare & Kria Brekkan have a song streaming backwards on Paw tracks' website. Pitchfork somehow made it go forwards. Beautiful both ways. What do you guys think? I'm excited...
Avey & Kria's song sounds pretty cool both ways. They've still got nothing on the new Panda Bear record, Person Pitch. If you haven't heard that yet, by all means find a leaked copy. I hate to say it so early in the year but I cannot possibly imagine hearing a record better than Panda's in 2007. Fucking beautiful.
Originally posted by jonathanbrisby: Avey & Kria's song sounds pretty cool both ways. They've still got nothing on the new Panda Bear record, Person Pitch. If you haven't heard that yet, by all means find a leaked copy. I hate to say it so early in the year but I cannot possibly imagine hearing a record better than Panda's in 2007. Fucking beautiful.
Thanks jonathan, you have made my day (month/year?). I have to check this out asap.
Originally posted by jonathanbrisby: I really enjoyed Feels and this new EP sounds like really good outtakes from that album. Personally I found it much more engaging than say, the stuff from the Grass EP or even the more recent Panda Bear solo material which is pretty bad in my opinion. Anyone else hear that stuff? I'm speaking specifically about Bros and I'm Not Comfy/In Nautica.
IS this a 180 as far as appreciation JB? Maybe the rest of the album works better than the two mp3 that are online? I like the Panda MP3s I have heard but am actually leaning towards Avey's stuff right now as far as preference. What am I saying? I love them both.
OK I have a favor to ask of the Avant Garde crew. JBrisby, CouldBAnyone, vitunkrapula, joji, GG Allin, Im talking to you guys. I have a friend who I think is making some pretty incredible music right now and wanted to get an outside perspective on it. Maybe I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt. Take a listen to his songs at www.myspace.com/hewmun. There are four songs streaming but if you get bored or don't have time try out one of the two newer ones with the least amount of plays. I'm really interested in an honest response. Thanks in advance.
Originally posted by Sicnarf: OK I have a favor to ask of the Avant Garde crew. JBrisby, CouldBAnyone, vitunkrapula, joji, GG Allin, Im talking to you guys. I have a friend who I think is making some pretty incredible music right now and wanted to get an outside perspective on it. Maybe I'm just giving him the benefit of the doubt. Take a listen to his songs at www.myspace.com/hewmun. There are four songs streaming but if you get bored or don't have time try out one of the two newer ones with the least amount of plays. I'm really interested in an honest response. Thanks in advance.
First off, I like this guy. He definitely has a grasp of the type of eclectic sound-collage style utilized by psychedelic noise groups such as the Black Dice. I would like to point out some individual tracks and tell you what I think.
Fly In The Sky Alone - I think this track has promise but it is much too cluttered. I can barely make out any of the sounds, and each is clustered around one another in an incomprehensible soup. If that soup were dissolved and reconstructed, or if each part were more isolated in the mix, then I think it would be better. This one really reminds me of a "Beaches and Canyons" B-Side. It literally has almost all of the signature Black Dice sounds off that album including the squeaky voices, randomized percussive beats and casio tones. Can You Hear My... - I think this is his strongest track. This could probably be a more nuanced 20 minute drone piece and it would still sound great. While most of the electronics and vocal mumblings are decoration, they serve to break up the drone and provide interest.
Throwing Frisbees... - Really wasn't expecting this kind of druggie sing along. I personally don't like this track at all.
I don't have time at the moment to listen to the others but here's my overall take. I think Hew Mun has some talent. He knows how to blend sounds that would otherwise be unmixable, and he does it in interesting ways. He is at his strongest when he embraces a kind of droning ambient aesthetic. Personally I would like some kind of build up and release from some of his stuff. With all that piling, why not release the tension and let some of the mix drop out. I hate to go back to the Black Dice again but listen to songs like "Things'll Never Be The Same" or "Big Drop." These are droning, somewhat repetitive psychedelic noise songs that actually breath, stumble, grow, and explode. I think Hew Mun should experiment with that kind of progression for his own betterment.
IS this a 180 as far as appreciation JB? Maybe the rest of the album works better than the two mp3 that are online? I like the Panda MP3s I have heard but am actually leaning towards Avey's stuff right now as far as preference. What am I saying? I love them both.
I seriously must have been smoking crack or had cotton in my ears the first time I heard those Panda Bear songs, when I thought they were bad. I was even hesitant to download the record but after doing so I am pretty much in love with it. It is incredibly beautiful and every track is pretty much perfect. I've been buying the LPs when they come out (I love vinyl) but I'm still going to but the full album too. What I mean by this if you guys aren't already aware is that Panda has already released a majority of the album on separate releases and different formats such as the "Comfy in Nautica"/"I'm Not" CD single, the "Good Girl/Carrots" split LP with Excepter, and the "Bros" 12" LP.
Originally posted by CouldBAnyone: Can You Hear My... - I think this is his strongest track. This could probably be a more nuanced 20 minute drone piece and it would still sound great. While most of the electronics and vocal mumblings are decoration, they serve to break up the drone and provide interest.
I like that one the best too. I thought 'Fly in the Sky Alone' was interesting but could be cleaned up and focused a bit. I think he's pretty good, and could get much better with time- for now though, the songs sound cool.
Posts: 1115 | Location: new york | Registered: 10 October 2005
JB - there's an neat interview of Panda Bear up on Dusted.
I listened to some of Person Pitch the other day, and I'm still not sold. The melodies are decent, but they don't seem to go anywhere - they all just kind of plod along, as far as I can hear. It may be that I have a crappy rip - I'll probably give it the benefit of the doubt and buy it anyway. Feels took a long time for me to appreciate, but now I'm enamored.
on Hew Mun - sorry it took me so long to reply. I listened to those tracks when you posted, but I've been busting my ass working on my own shit lately (more on that later, mebbe), so I didn't have much time. In short - I'm a fan!
My simply being a fan is maybe not so good for him as a musician, but I'm not sure I agree with the crit leveled by CouldBAnyone. I, for one, am omnivorous to a fault so 'throwing frisbees' was hilarious to me. And I would call 'flying in the sky alone' simply dense (which is a good thing imo in this case) rather than cluttered. I'll need a couple more listens to come up with how I might go about improving it. More on that later.
I read that Dusted interview. It was much more in-depth and interesting than the Pitchforkmedia artist list that he did for them. I love Person Pitch and I don't really see the songs running together at all. I was a huge fan of Feels too though, it's still my favorite Animal Collective album.
Originally posted by jonathanbrisby: I read that Dusted interview. It was much more in-depth and interesting than the Pitchforkmedia artist list that he did for them. I love Person Pitch and I don't really see the songs running together at all. I was a huge fan of Feels too though, it's still my favorite Animal Collective album.
I liked the interview too. The best part was when Noah said his daughter has horrible taste in music. Right on!
Something else kind of tripped me up: Noah mentions that he used to be able to read music. Used to? I assume nearly every capable musician can read music, myself having played music for a long time. It really surprises me to find out things like that. Interesting...
As for Person Pitch....I haven't heard it. My iPod has been full for a week and so all the new music I've gotten has been sitting on shelves or is waiting to be imported (no CD player because I'm down with the technologies and the series of tubes compromising the internets).
Hey JB, I just saw that you listened to the new Locust record. a seven minute opener!? Does that mean that this record will possibly exceed 15 minutes? I am really excited for their show with Daughters.
Something else kind of tripped me up: Noah mentions that he used to be able to read music. Used to? I assume nearly every capable musician can read music, myself having played music for a long time. It really surprises me to find out things like that. Interesting...
It makes sense to me. When you think about all the weird things that happened to music scoring in the first half of the 20th century, I think it's now apparent that written music was the primordial version of recording. It enabled people to repeat certain sounds. So now that we are able to record music, scores aren't necessary in more situations than in the past. I don't mean to say that written music is really obsolete now, though. If you want to coordinate a larger numbers of musicians I can definitely see the worth of making a score. But if you can make scoreless music without massive headaches, more power to ya. I don't think there should be any shame in not reading music.
Originally posted by vitunkrapula: It makes sense to me. When you think about all the weird things that happened to music scoring in the first half of the 20th century, I think it's now apparent that written music was the primordial version of recording. It enabled people to repeat certain sounds. So now that we are able to record music, scores aren't necessary in more situations than in the past. I don't mean to say that written music is really obsolete now, though. If you want to coordinate a larger numbers of musicians I can definitely see the worth of making a score. But if you can make scoreless music without massive headaches, more power to ya. I don't think there should be any shame in not reading music.
Yeah I see your point. I understand that a lot of the experimental music produced today wouldn't even pertain to scoring. How do you "score" a distorted mic ground on a piece of galvanized steel? What I meant by my previous statement is that I assume musicians who compose tonal music (like Noah) consciously craft harmonies, g major 7th to augmented etc... that kind of thing. Is it possible to understand how chord structures work without being able to read music? Maybe I'm just confused because I can read music and so I can't understand the perspective of someone who is musically illiterate (sorry if that sounds like a bad phrase).
My best friend is a terrific songwriter, but has never read music. He instinctually finds chords, harmonies, melodies solely on "ear" alone. However, he does have a muso mate who is classically trained and will actually score his songs, and define chords as diminished, augmented etc. I imagine ol' Pandy Bear does also.
Oh, could I feel as I have felt, or be what I have been, Or weep as I could once have wept, o'er many a vanished scene; As springs in deserts found seem sweet, all brackish though they be, So, midst the withered waste of life, those tears would flow to me.
Posts: 2332 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
I haven't ever been able to read music, but I've been playing guitar since I was 11 so that makes 16 years. I can play pretty much anything I want to and I have never, ever had trouble being able to put songs together, figure out logical chord progressions, or anything else for that matter. Maybe it comes from listening intensely. I started out obsessed with assholes like Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Yngwie Malmsteen and learned to play their solos through a loop function on an old CD player I had. After that I got into Nirvana, metal, punk, and what could be called indie rock in the 90's. From these I learned how to put songs together and other things. I would love to be able to read music but I just don't have the time or patience to do it. So far I've been able to do pretty much anything I want without having that ability and I know many many others who have the same experience. On the other hand, my fiancee is a classically trained vocalist and pianist and she can't write her own music if her life depended on it but she can play most any composition without difficulty.
Originally posted by jonathanbrisby: I haven't ever been able to read music, but I've been playing guitar since I was 11 so that makes 16 years. I can play pretty much anything I want to and I have never, ever had trouble being able to put songs together, figure out logical chord progressions, or anything else for that matter. Maybe it comes from listening intensely. I started out obsessed with assholes like Van Halen, Steve Vai, and Yngwie Malmsteen and learned to play their solos through a loop function on an old CD player I had. After that I got into Nirvana, metal, punk, and what could be called indie rock in the 90's. From these I learned how to put songs together and other things. I would love to be able to read music but I just don't have the time or patience to do it. So far I've been able to do pretty much anything I want without having that ability and I know many many others who have the same experience. On the other hand, my fiancee is a classically trained vocalist and pianist and she can't write her own music if her life depended on it but she can play most any composition without difficulty.
That's very interesting Jonathan, thanks for sharing your experience. I know this is changing the subject of the conversation a little bit but my friends and I often get into debates regarding the abilities of musicians versus the impact of their music. One of my friends is a wannabe guitarist and he insists upon the power of the virtuoso (in prog, metal, and other genres that glorify the guitar). I am always the direct opposite. Often I think the worst thing that can happen to a band is for them to take lessons. I know it sounds counterintuitive from a musician's perspective but often the most primal, emotional music comes from a genuine love for making sounds, any sounds, and not trying to "wow" a listener with virtuoso playing. Of course there are many exceptions to this, one of the biggest being Doug Martsch. His skill with the guitar is undoubtable, yet on record he subdues himself in favor of accessible, simple melodies. That is one of the reasons I've always loved Built To Spill. Just some food for thought...
and then of course you have bands like The Who in which virtuosity and straightforward songwriting skills go together beautifully... one example of many...
Oh, could I feel as I have felt, or be what I have been, Or weep as I could once have wept, o'er many a vanished scene; As springs in deserts found seem sweet, all brackish though they be, So, midst the withered waste of life, those tears would flow to me.
Posts: 2332 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
It is very amusing to me now, thinking back on how I learned to play the guitar that I was obsessed with virtuoso playing. I would much rather listen to something like Merzbow or CCCC now, musicians whose music by some people's definition doesn't even qualify as such. In retrospect, a Steve Vai record like oh say....Passion and Warfare seems like unlistenable garbage to me now.
