Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself

Their third LP is coming out soon and I'm excited! The first preview track, Helen of Troy is beautiful!

Check it here: http://www.soundamus.net/release/165478

Tracklist:

1.The Birds

2.Your Mouth

3.M

4.Helen of Troy

5.Mostly Translucent

6.Stay Away From Being Maybe

7.I Made A Tree On The Wold

8.Your Every Idol

9.You Are The Worst Thing In The World

10.Immolate Yourself

Whoa, about time! I can't wait.

I know! First release in five years.

Listen to what they say about the recording process. Sounds like BOC...

  Quote

Telefon Tel Aviv on the making of Immolate Yourself:

 

We started making this record in early 2007, without a very specific direction. We knew that it would be created almost entirely with analog synths, and that we were ready to burn the Rhodes. A disinterest in guitars followed quickly - they do not appear on the record at all, which is a strange thing for us. We slowly began the process of writing the songs, lazily, for nearly a year, while working on other music and playing some one-off shows which were mostly in support of the remix record which came out in May 07. This was the first time that we actually demoed the songs first, performed them live, etc. We concentrated first on obvious things like lyrics and melodies, thinking that we’d add the scattered electronic flourishes later. Admittedly, a creeping suspicion arose in our minds that perhaps we wouldn’t go through with it again. We realize that we are strange for thinking that the most basic approach to making music is, well, strange.

 

At the very start of 2008, we looked at what we had, and realized that it was a record, with almost all of the writing done. We began the actual production of the record in January and completed it in April - again, lazily, as we were both working on other things here and there, and dealing with life and its myriad problems (both personal and global), exacerbated by the Chicago winter. We finished nine songs, and with the help of friends, realized we needed one more to anchor it. A lyrical idea was brought to the table which spawned “Helen of Troy”. We knew then, after completing this song, that we were in fact finished with our record.

 

We also realized that without thinking about it, so much of our sound had changed, or been forsaken; left on the side of the road to wither in the sun. Gone are all of the high-definition micro-edit minutiae in favor of a new approach to texture for us - long form. The arrival of a tape machine in our studio gave way to experiments that are decades old in practice but entirely new to us - creating loops of drums, string synths, etc., running them around microphone stands in the studio, and striping them back against themselves - timing off, tuning suspect, noise abundant, texture rich. So our attention to detail strayed from the micro and wandered into the macro - for example, things such as the tape loops of church music that I found with Turk Dietrich of Belong, on an old reel that was given to him that neither of us had ever had the presence of mind to listen to in all these years, until this ripe time came upon us.

 

The record is still entirely Telefon Tel Aviv, but through a cross-processed filter; saturated, grainy, distorted, dusty, distressed. The whole idea of modern sounds in an outdated setting became the sonic focal point of the whole record, and almost instinctually so. Our meters were buried throughout the most reactionary and speedy mixdown of either of our careers. To use a hackneyed axiom as our own, we weren’t thinking - we were feeling. But it was in the dark without a torch, and running full speed for the nearest wall or the deepest unseen precipice.

 

The subject matter this time around is still based in what songs have been based in for decades - relationships, self-loathing, disgust, fear, beauty, wonder, and awe. The way they are treated is entirely new for us - in lieu of looking back wistfully or longingly, we felt that we were living it exactly as we were writing it, and that if we kept at whatever destructive lifestyles had nearly engulfed us, we would be destroyed. This is how inspiration arises for some musicians - for Charlie, specifically, it’s the wonder or terror of the moment that strikes him dumb with ideas and makes him reach for a napkin and a pen. For me, it always comes later, in the form of a dream - sometimes waking, but it is never a conscious moment or a decision. It is always the result of a semi-lucid state - half asleep, 5 a.m., sleepwalking, restless ideas of sine waves yelling in my mind. I knew I was out on the wolds and the storm was coming and I had to make a tree for shelter or I would perish in the torrents, while Charlie looked over the brink and considered another way out.

FINALLY!

I've been checking back to their site every couple months for about the last four years just waiting for some news about a new album. I was starting to wonder if they were throwing in the towel for good. This is a new release I'm actually a bit giddy about.

they've gone downhill since their first album. why the fuck do all producers need to slap some shit singing on their tracks. this was absolutely horrible.

This sounds really nice! Will definitly check this one! :D

This music is very gay. I don't approve of it.

Although they made "what it is without the hand that wields it" which is a seriously awesome track.

  azatoth said:

they've gone downhill since their first album. why the fuck do all producers need to slap some shit singing on their tracks. this was absolutely horrible.

oh, they did that again.

i loved fahrenheit fair enough, and i thought map of what is effortless was good too, but i agree about the singing stuff. it's just pointless, interferes with the music rather than adding to it.

love the singing it add so much to it! the instrumenal would be much worse...I like this direction that they taking...dope music, the chorus is nice.

"This music is very gay. I don't approve of it." That comment just approve how gay you are.

but some of the singing is so obnoxious. like in "my day beats your year," if the chick was in an electroclash track, such a monotonal voice might be alright, but come on.

sometimes the vocals really add to the music. like the remix of "indigo children" telefon tel aviv did. that's probably one of my favorite songs this year. the only thing from the original track is the vocals, but they fit into the background amazingly well and don't overtake the song. i love it.

in conclusion,

yeah I agree n see your point, but with this track it definitly adds to the nice (but decent) instrumental with some human emotions to it.

i actually listened to the track just now and it sounds like 80s electropop. umm, i'm not sure how i should react to this.

hhhm how strange. this is the second time today i've come across the word "immolate" and wonder it meant. first was reading 'the road'.

  Quote

1. to sacrifice.

2. to kill as a sacrificial victim, as by fire; offer in sacrifice.

3. to destroy by fire.

this is like flashdance but for fucking faggots. well done.

  The Vidiot said:

Their third LP is coming out soon and I'm excited! The first preview track, Helen of Troy is beautiful!

Check it here: http://www.soundamus.net/release/165478

 

Tracklist:

 

1.The Birds

2.Your Mouth

3.M

4.Helen of Troy

5.Mostly Translucent

6.Stay Away From Being Maybe

7.I Made A Tree On The Wold

8.Your Every Idol

9.You Are The Worst Thing In The World

10.Immolate Yourself

thx

the page is nice

it shows releasedates of lots of artists I am really looking forward to have albums released

"sounds like 80s electropop" sounds good to me :D

Sounds like TTA went to the same recording studio as Trans Am. This post-rock-electro stuff... I don't know... It's really hard for me to like this after basing my expectations on their first release. That was a classic.

Hmm, now that I'm at a set of decent speakers I'm giving the track a listen... yeah there's really nothing TTA sounding about this at all. Like, there's literally nothing that ties this sound to anything else they've done previously, it's a different artist altogether. Wow. I don't think I've ever heard such a drastic shift in sound in one artist from one release to another (judging from this song at least). I've liked all the vocals they've used in previous releases, but I don't like the style of this singer at all. I never expected them to start making generic synth pop. Damn. Usually when artists I like go in a new direction I can appreciate it, but I don't hear anything good about this.

  azatoth said:

they've gone downhill since their first album. why the fuck do all producers need to slap some shit singing on their tracks. this was absolutely horrible.

True, this one song hints at a major shift. The days of micro-editing are through, but I'd like to hear the whole album first before I make a judgment. To be honest, I would like to see them try their hands at a pop record. I bet it will be really good.

not too sure about the new sound, from what I'm hearing in "Helen of Troy". I can't see the jump from what they were before to this as even somewhat making sense, but I'll wait to hear the full album for a complete judgment...

http://www.myspace.com/telefontelaviv

There's a new track on their myspace called "You Are The Worst Thing In The World" thats really really nice! I think even those who like the older stuff could like this :D check it out.

reminds me of joy division and depeche mode

lol this shit sounds like coldplay now.

  Alfred E. Neuman said:

True, this one song hints at a major shift. The days of micro-editing are through, but I'd like to hear the whole album first before I make a judgment. To be honest, I would like to see them try their hands at a pop record. I bet it will be really good.

Map of what is Effortless was almost a pop record, but without ridiculously catchy choruses.