A few albums recently listened.

I just found this album last night and ive been listening to it on repeat all day.  He expresses things ive felt in ways i never could.

Skee Mask - Pool

I meant to revisit this in December as I was compiling my top albums of 2021, but I didn't get around to it yesterday. I was using Spotify to keep track of everything I wanted to revisit, chronologically, and this was on my phone/iTunes so I kind of forgot. I had played it a few times already but I think most were passive listens, although some things definitely stood out. There's really good stuff on here but I could see trimming 20 mins or so. Still, I added it to my 2021 rankings in position 15 which is pretty good as it wasn't on my list of 50 before yesterday.

The Cure - Disintegration

Revisited this twice yesterday for The Cure listening club on DiS forums. One of their best, the most realized and consistent album probably, even though I prefer their dark trilogy albums.

Cristian Vogel - Rebirth of Wonky

Finally checked out his latest release from last year, added to my queue last February. I say finally but it's not like I've followed his career or anything. I was into Super_Collider (with Jamie Lidell) and checked out a few of Cristian's own albums in the early 2000s, but nothing ever blew me away. This one got on my radar more than anything else since, for whatever reason, so I added it to my queue. I like the cover, and the title was intriguing. I've never associated him with the wonky sound, but I guess there's a difference between wonky (associated with dubstep and hip-hop) and wonky techno, and this is apparently the latter. Anyway it's a good album, will have to spin again soon.

  On 1/4/2022 at 7:46 PM, sidewinder said:

Skee Mask - Pool

I meant to revisit this in December as I was compiling my top albums of 2021, but I didn't get around to it yesterday. I was using Spotify to keep track of everything I wanted to revisit, chronologically, and this was on my phone/iTunes so I kind of forgot. I had played it a few times already but I think most were passive listens, although some things definitely stood out. There's really good stuff on here but I could see trimming 20 mins or so. Still, I added it to my 2021 rankings in position 15 which is pretty good as it wasn't on my list of 50 before yesterday.

 

The Cure - Disintegration

Revisited this twice yesterday for The Cure listening club on DiS forums. One of their best, the most realized and consistent album probably, even though I prefer their dark trilogy albums.

 

Cristian Vogel - Rebirth of Wonky

Finally checked out his latest release from last year, added to my queue last February. I say finally but it's not like I've followed his career or anything. I was into Super_Collider (with Jamie Lidell) and checked out a few of Cristian's own albums in the early 2000s, but nothing ever blew me away. This one got on my radar more than anything else since, for whatever reason, so I added it to my queue. I like the cover, and the title was intriguing. I've never associated him with the wonky sound, but I guess there's a difference between wonky (associated with dubstep and hip-hop) and wonky techno, and this is apparently the latter. Anyway it's a good album, will have to spin again soon.

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Even though I caused world war 3 on the social forum and banned for 1000 years for being a racist, homophobic, misogynistic evil man (really? FLOL!) on DiS for not being ‘ultra woke’ I still read the music forum. And indeed I am a fan of Uncle Retrospective and everything he writes and does on there and have followed his fine work with the Mogwai and Cure listening clubs. I also recently played Disintergration and is an excellent album. I think they’re on Wish now which I’m gonna play very soon and never heard that before. I was more a Metal Head back then, but The Cure are a fine band.

  On 1/6/2022 at 1:16 PM, beerwolf said:

I think they’re on Wish now which I’m gonna play very soon and never heard that before. I was more a Metal Head back then, but The Cure are a fine band.

I just listened to it yesterday for the first time. I was also more into metal, the more mainstream alternative, and getting into industrial, so wasn't really paying attention to The Cure. Though I guess they'd qualify as mainstream alternative at that point, "Friday I'm In Love" wasn't my vibe. Though it is a fine song of course, it wasn't going to make 16 year old me pick up the album.

^  It's actually a great album tho. I might be biased because I got into the Cure backwards from Bloodflowers era, and Wish was the first one I bought for myself. It has a bit of a rougher, grungier sound than Disintegration, and is more diverse mood-wise, but also feels like a logical continuation of it.  But I suspect fans at the time might have been harder on it, as fans often are towards the next album after a massive masterpiece. Friday I'm in Love was kinda ruined by its popularity (generic radio background noise now) cause it's actually a pretty good song lol, I mean that is if you like poppy Cure (I do sometimes), as in, looking at it as a well-constructed pop song. Also, From the Edge of the Deep Green sea is a banger.

But of course nothing quite stands up to Disintegration.

(Wild mood swings is the one I've never given the time of day.)

  On 1/7/2022 at 1:17 AM, toaoaoad said:

 

But of course nothing quite stands up to Disintegration.

 

Apart from pretty much all of the albums that preceded it?

BTW to get on track with original topic, for the past month or so I've been aiming to listen to at least one album (or EP) that I've never heard before, from beginning to end, not skipping anything even if it's awful, per day. I didn't end up doing it every day but at least it motivated me to actively listen to some new stuff. Some of these are new, some watmm-recommended, some are quite old, some are things that have sat in my library for ages but never got around to them, and some are things I would be listening to anyway (like the new Loess was kind of a cheat). Mostly ended up sticking with electronic stuff but there's a smidge of jazz and one post-rock album in here. I'm gonna keep it up. Here's a list of what I've covered with just a very generic yes/no/meh rating

Joel Tammik - Horizont (2011) - no
µ-Ziq – Scurlage (2021) - meh
Jamie Saft - Borscht Belt Studies (2011) - meh
Datach'i - Bones (2019) - yes
Maps and Diagrams - f o e l (2009) - yes
Maps and Diagrams - Første (2013) - meh
Loess - Totems (2021) - yes
Microstoria - Snd (1996) - yes
Synalegg - Beating the odds (2020) - yes
Bitstream - Streamlining EP (2005) - meh
µ-Ziq and Mrs. Jynx – Secret Garden (2021) - meh
Ferrari Jackson - Lush (2011) - no
Martinou - Rift (2021) - yes
Karsten Pflum - Dogcatcher EP (2004) - yes
Kenny Werner - Beauty Secrets (1999) - meh
Speedy J - Public Energy No. 1 (1997) - meh
FSOL - Cascade 2020 (2020) - meh/yes
Downstairs J - Basement, Etc... (2021) - meh/yes
Dictaphone - Goats & Distortions 5 (2021) - yes
Syndrone - Salmataxia (2004) - yes
Opiate - Possible (2002) - yes
Opiate - Sometimes (2003) - meh
Patten - Glow (2020) - meh/yes
Papir - V (2017) - meh/no

  On 1/7/2022 at 1:34 AM, perunamuusi said:

Apart from pretty much all of the albums that preceded it?

Do you also think Amber is the best Ae album?

  On 12/24/2021 at 5:21 PM, perunamuusi said:

This and Boces

Yup. Mercury Rev sort of nosedived after these two records (imo) and never scaled such heights ever again (though Holes is something special). Actually played it again today (YIS) such a marvellous, druggy, spaced out record. I wonder if they can remember recording it?! 

I think See You On The Other Side is kind of a masterpiece in it's own right and would be most other bands' "career high". The fact that it's not in the same league as the first two only goes to show how good those records were.

When SYOTOS came out it still somehow sounded exactly like a Mercury Rev album should sound to me (albeit without Dave Baker). 

Holes is a great track  but Deserters Songs is where they really nosedived for me. Never really listened to anything after that record. They went too far over the rainbow with that one.

  On 1/7/2022 at 3:08 AM, perunamuusi said:

I think See You On The Other Side is kind of a masterpiece in it's own right and would be most other bands' "career high". The fact that it's not in the same league as the first two only goes to show how good those records were.

When SYOTOS came out it still somehow sounded exactly like a Mercury Rev album should sound to me (albeit without Dave Baker). 

Holes is a great track  but Deserters Songs is where they really nosedived for me. Never really listened to anything after that record. They went too far over the rainbow with that one.

 

 

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Funny I was thinking last night (immediately after posting) I should revisit See You On The Other Side. Which I will do. Pretty much now.

If I remember correctly it has a lot of brass sections on it....We shall see.

Wow - cool to see Mercury Rev fandom on here. See You on the Other Side might be my favorite of the bunch, but Boces is still such a noisy wild ride. 
 

Their latest album of Bobby Gentry covers is well worth a listen. I really enjoyed it.

https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/mercury-rev-bobbie-gentrys-the-delta-sweete-revisited/amp/

Stopped buying after SYOTOS. 

Yerself is Steam sleeve is framed on wall in lounge so absent from pic.

Okay. Fairly simple trip report of See You on the Other Side. Well I guess it’s been maybe 8 years since I last gave it a shot and the first few minutes of the opening track those old feelings came rushing back. I’m instantly comparing it to Yerself Is Steam and instantly feel let down. So I try to wiggle my mind free of this, because if I carry on there will be only disappointment. Second track, same feelings. More wiggling required to set myself free. 
Sudden Ray Of Hope definitely feels like a shift in the right direction. Followed by Everlasting Arm, which takes me by surprise! All of a sudden my ears have pricked up. Kind of reminds me of a alternative 90’s version of some out take from Sgt. Pepper. Very nice indeed. Then followed by almost an equal in vibe, Racing The Tide (maybe a bit too long though) after that my interest falls fast. But I must say those three tracks I mention I really enjoyed. 

  On 1/7/2022 at 5:20 PM, Extralife said:

Wow - cool to see Mercury Rev fandom on here. See You on the Other Side might be my favorite of the bunch, but Boces is still such a noisy wild ride. 
 

Their latest album of Bobby Gentry covers is well worth a listen. I really enjoyed it.

https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/mercury-rev-bobbie-gentrys-the-delta-sweete-revisited/amp/

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Quite sure a few years ago on watmm there was more discussion of guitar bands. Definitely remember a Neil Young, Sonic Youth and Led Zeppelin threads. Possibly loads more. That seems to of changed in recent times. Which is fine, these things come and go. No doubt there is a fair chunk of watmm who are into it all. Maybe it’s worth bringing back in some context? 
 

  On 1/7/2022 at 1:34 AM, perunamuusi said:

Apart from pretty much all of the albums that preceded it?

Seventeen Seconds > Faith > Pornography > The Head on the Door = Disintegration

The rest I can live without (having never heard any after Wish)

All of Connan Mockasin's discography.

  On 1/22/2022 at 10:51 PM, milkface said:

All of Connan Mockasin's discography.

don't sleep on the soft hair record. easily one of the best things he's done.

  On 1/23/2022 at 5:40 PM, Kennylogg Bubblebath said:

don't sleep on the soft hair record. easily one of the best things he's done.

Ohh yeah I recognise the album art, I didn't think to check whether he had material under other names, I'll give it a listen.

Sunken Foal - Friday Syndrome Vol. 2 (2013)

I've played loads of albums since my last post, but revisiting this one now as I'm looking at my favorites from 2013 (this was a late entry with a December release date). So damn good, just super fun and interesting stuff. Please please let's have a volume 4 soon. We still have Fridays as far as I'm aware.

https://www.discogs.com/master/164602-Diagram-Of-Suburban-Chaos-Status-Negatives

Amazingly fun, repetitive/minimalist synth work that you could compare to Nobukazu Takemura's Milano (a bit).