When Saints Go Machine

Doubtless mentioned elsewhere on here but I've just heard their debut album the other day and good god, this is kind of like how We Love was for me last summer, the debut release that comes out of nowhere that I immediately fall in love with. Danish quartet fronted by a guy that does the Antony style of singing -- except I like their songs a lot more than Antony's, for a start -- while other comparisons in my brain include Laurie Anderson, Depeche, Planningtorock, These New Puritans, Active Child, Bryne/Eno, etc.

i played this for a long while last year. love that dop remixed them.

voice kinda wavers between antony and arthur russell

feeling this! (where "this" = "church and law")

They changed up their sound a little bit at some point, because the new album (and other stuff released over the months leading up to it) is far more...er, avant garde (?)...than how they began two or three years ago. I like the progression.

I was going to say, I like the major bootstrapping at work.

listening to "Adds End" right now... holy shit

this is fucking amazing, and anything even remotely Antony-esque (lol aside from "Blind") is usually kryptonite to me

Hahah I know, right? I was listening to the album yesterday and it finally hit me the guy reminded me of Antony -- and then I thought, "But this guy is actually GOOD." (And yeah, "Blind" is the dude's saving grace but anyway MORE ABOUT THIS BAND PLEASE. Seriously think you'll love the whole album too, Dan, it does NOT sound just like that.)

"Fail Forever" from the new album is great, too

Also I was amused by this promo image (assuming it's not weird fan art) because it's VERY intentionally referencing a Depeche Mode group photo shot from 1990 or 1993, can't remember which:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-656O2moaJZc/TduOzrvPSII/AAAAAAAAAGg/jhN4bw4hJOI/s1600/wsgmmode.jpg

"You or the Gang" is also great; I see why you namechecked Depeche Mode for them here

love this - can definitely hear arthur russell, esp in adds end

xpost Yeah it's Depeche *just* pre-Black Celebration as I hear it.

"Pick Up Your Tears and Run" lol and here's the Planningtorock bit, although you could also have said tUnE-yArDs

It seems some people are talking about Ten Makes a Face (2009) and others are talking about Konkylie (2011). Which one are you talking about, Ned?

hadn't realized there's a new one

Konkylie, which I had thought was the debut but perhaps not?

I just grabbed the "Fail Forever" EP off of iTunes; this is hottness

yeah fail forever's an ep from the debut (ten makes a face), all of the tracks were from the lp (except for the dOP remix of fail forever)

Ah got it. Well then, their second album slays and then some.

Is the dude on the far right in that photo really in the band? He looks...different from the rest.
anyway, this is nice. Definitely an Arthur Russell quality to the singing (though in my house that just puts him into the general category of Muppet Voices).

tbh I've not spent a great deal of time with either album, so listening to Ten Makes a Face right now (and Konkylie next) I just realized that "New Elvis" sounds a lot like TV on the Radio with more intriguing production.

Haha TV on the Radio was another thing that came to mind for me (as well as me thinking "But I like this better...")

Yeah, so my impressions were correct. Konkylie is a little more loose and demented than Ten Makes a Face, but now I'm not sure which incarnation of the band I prefer. They excel in both directions.

video for "Church and Law"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEvnsKdP2m0

^^^ Church & Law is the first track that struck me, but this album is one of the most immediately convincing things I've heard ina very long while. I put it on when I woke up yesterday morning and listened to it on repeat until I went back to bed. Haven't done that in recent memory.

Bump, cos this is great.

skip straight to Konkylie IMO.

listening to "add ends"....really nice.....was full sure they had sampled an old arthur russell vocal there for the first two minutes of the track

Still definitely top 3 album of the year. <3 this band so much.

yeah this is a nice record. "add ends" is such a great song.

this is still badass btw

Damn right.

I will be very upset if Konkylie doesn't do well in the year-end poll.

^ I gave it a vote.

My own year end thoughts

didn't listen to this until now and heyyyy this is great

record makes me think of silent shout a lot honestly

I should really like this band, they have a lot of elements to them which suggest they'd be really up my street, but I checked out the record and it didn't really do all that much for me.

I had to play it twice to make it go from "good and nice" to "whoa this is brilliant"

man I spent a lot of time sleeping on "Church and Law"

this is kinda what i wanted antony/hercules & love affair to sound like before i heard them

just figured out half the reason I like this so much is because it's basically an albumsworth of "The Captain" by The Knife, which was always my favourite song on Silent Shout.

I have to say, I don't get "Kelly"

or rather, it's such a conventional song compared to what's happening elsewhere on the album that it comes across as boring

It's my favourite, other than maybe Church & Law. Think of it as the 'single'. I think it works really well in the context of the album. For seven or eight songs you have these arty, sparse synth landscapes and then Kelly bounces in and provides a bit of light relief (not to mention a good backbeat for dancing). Also love the general production - that little 'whoo-oooh' after he sings 'first time Kelly kissed a boy'. And the general cadence in that line when he says something like 'the birds got bored and then left'. It's not really that intuitive for a pop song I reckon. It's not supposed to be a difficult album at all IMO.

I didn't say it was a difficult album, I said that the conventional "single" is really boring compared to the rest of it.

Not what I expected, shall we say:

http://drownedinsound.com/news/4144698-listen--when-saints-go-machine-cover-the-verves-bittersweet-symphony-dis-premiere

Meantime, some other cover, but I don't recognize the original:

http://soundcloud.com/when-saints-go-machine/when-saints-go-machine-ft-coco

video for track off upcoming album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbaoMyrG1e8

just playing the song and not watching the video since I'm at work, but yeah I love the song

Do they have a new album out soon? Just got Konkylie last month and it's probably my favourite album from last year.

I didn't realise properly that two of this band's members are also Kenton Slash Demon, a house duo whose yesteryear singles were outstanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0MwL20Wahk

oh wow surprised i didn't know that - the dOP remix of fail forever makes a bit more sense now though

Love Konkylie so much right now. Kelly is my current favorite track but it keeps changing.

Wish I could go back and vote for them in the 2011 albums list, it was thanks to that list I actually heard them.

I just want to bump this because everyone should listen to Konkylie right now, it's perfect for summer

btw Konkylie is also perfect for winter

Have been playing this a ton recently. Happy to say it's my favourite album of the decade so far.

So excited for the new album out this spring.

I've been listening to Konkylie again too. It's pretty much a perfect album - you can play it in lots of different situations to lots of different people but it's never dull or middle of the road.

Bad dreams ricochet, ricochet, walking talking in my sleep, dancing dancing on my tongue

I've settled on Add Ends being my favourite track now. This live version is just stunning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CrChTNLl90

Have been obsessing over Mannequin from the new album a lot too.

I didn't know there was a new album. When's that out?

I recently read they've completed the album and it has a name, so hoepfully not long to wait now. When Mannequin came out last May they said the new one would be out later in the year but it must have been held up slightly. It's not been that long really since Konykylie I'm just ready to hear what they do next.

Haven't heard Mannequin either (worst fan ever). TBH I'd be happy if they never released anything after Konkylie - it's the kind of record I fear them ruining for me with a follow up.

I know what you mean but I think you'll be happy with Mannequin, the strings in the last minute and a half are just stunning. I've been enjoying the first album a decent amount too (yeah I'm just showing off now) It's no way in the same league as Konkylie but has some great moments.

eh, i still haven't been able to get into konkylie. i'm fine with the first album.

New album out May 20th, so excited for this.

http://whensaintsgomachine.com/worldwide/

<i>Love And Respect feat. Killer Mike</i>

o_O

That could work.

Maybe the Killer Mike feature might actually get them some attention this time. Konkylie didn't even get a Pitchfork review.

wow, neither it did. i've seen then a couple of times in london to not small and pretty enthusiastic crowds so i guess i was thinking they were fairly popular, but on reflection i'm not sure i'd have come across them if not for ilm's 2012 polls.

I will, how you say, look into it.

Yeah I feel so lucky they appeared in the 2011 list and the people repping for that album are ones I really trust. I didn't read about the album anywhere else. It's now one of my favourite albums of all time and one of the reasons this site is just so important.

Hopefully the new album will make them a lot more well known.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KCML7xquDX4

Feels more like Killer Mike produced by WSGM/Kenton Slash Demon but it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCML7xquDX4

Into it.

Indeed.

I like it but I don't love it. Much prefer Mannequin but hopefully this will grow like that did.

Okay I love this now. Great write up from some bloke on Pitchfork.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/15215-love-and-respect-ft-killer-mike/

I am so fucking psyched for this album

Yeah me too. It's kind of amazing it's coming out the same day as the Daft Punk album as they're the two albums I'm most excited about this year.

Dunno about that Pitchfork dude, what a weirdo.

v nice track, feels like it cuts itself short a bit so i wouldn't mind a longer cut on the album (3 minute version for all that radio play obvs) but maybe i'll grow to like that slightly fragmentary feel. agreed that it feels more like killer mike produced by wsgm, but it's a good route for them, like how i would've been stoked for a gang gang dance hip hop production career after 'princes'.

I'm thinking maybe I should give these guys another chance.

New single out

https://soundcloud.com/when-saints-go-machine/iodine

And keep an eye out for an interview soon...

oh hey this rules

New single is good, hopefully it will grow like Love & Respect did.

And keep an eye out for an interview soon...

― Ned Raggett

I was wondering if this album might get a review on Pitchfork? Maybe by the same guy who did that excellent review for the OMD album?

Never heard of him! (Separate plans instead on my end.)

Fair enough. I really want them to break through with this album, Konkylie deserved so much more attention that it got.

Never Daft Punk, what about this new one released today? I ain't heard it but I might buy it on shiny vinyl.

Just about to give this a listen on Spotify, am very excited. Think I might get the vinyl too.

Cripes, it's not on US Spotify. ;_;

Tomorrow, probably.

According to Amazon.com it looks like the US release date is next week.

Never Daft Punk, what about this new one released today? I ain't heard it but I might buy it on shiny vinyl.

― Pingu Unchained (dog latin)

Just ordered it on blue vinyl from here if you're interested. http://k7.greedbag.com/buy/infinity-pool-0/

This album is incredible.

Yeah this is really, really great.

http://pitchfork.com/advance/118-infinity-pool/

oh hey

btw the Pitchfork streaming interface is the worst thing in the world

It's something I've learned to live with, at best.

from an implementation standpoint, this stream is the worst fucking thing

having to wait 2-3 minutes between each song really stomps on the momentum of the album

fortunately the songs themselves are fucking great; currently on "Iodine"

like elements of this band but man the vocals being such an arthur russell imitation really throws me off :/

Yeah I also can't get past the vocals on this stuff

I have no rational reason for why the vocals don't bother me

I can normally get a ways in and be pretty down with the song and then the dude turns Antony on me and I just can't take it

this is literally the only context outside of "Blind" where Antonyisms don't annoy the shit out of me

I like to think of him as doing Antony's approach much BETTER than Antony, "Blind" aside.

AND I JUST WROTE THAT BEFORE READING DJP'S POST I'LL HAVE YOU ALL KNOW.

Musically I really dig it though - like if an instrumental version appeared I would buy in a hot minute

can I reiterate that this stream is the worst fucking thing in the world

an entire hour of continuous play and I'm on TRACK EIGHT

Okay THAT'S weird. I've never had PF Advance streams act like that, they've always been smooth continuous play.

I think I like this album but the stream is making me feel like I hate it. Currently on track 12 (yes, I've only advanced 4 tracks in the 25 minutes since I last posted)

Are you all in the US? I guess it'll be on Spotify there on Monday. I just got an email with a link to download the album as I preordered the vinyl which is out here and in the US next week. It might be out on download in the US already?

Okay I guess I'm on my own here, I love Antony's voice and don't mind at all that Saints guy sometimes sounds like him. I've only heard one Arthur Russell album which I didn't like one bit. I always think Konkylie is the album Hercules & Love Affair should have put out instead of that turd of a second album they did release.

when I first heard WSGM ('Kelly' I think) the Arthur Russell imitation was shocking in its uncanniness, but now lots of listens on I oddly don't hear the similarity that much beyond a phrase here or there. Not entirely sure what distinction it is I've made either.

Pre-ordered the vinyl. Kind of frustrating that it isn't out till the 31st.

oof 5.5

Well at least they bothered to review them this time.

System of unlimited love sorta reminds me of that one zero 7 song

This is a good album, if not as good as Konkylie, but it seems to be inspiring a lot of oddly written reviews in all sorts of places.

I feel like people are incapable of processing music like this in 2013

like maybe if someone was shaking a tambourine over every song and shouting "HEY HO" ppl would get it, idk

First listen: This is truly truly amazing! I love how, in contrast to their last album, they just go straight in with a massive big beating hip hop track, and from then on it's just deeper and deeper into the infinity pool. Absolutely smashing so far!!!!!!!!

Good timing -- my interview has finally run!

http://www.mtvhive.com/2013/05/31/when-saints-go-machine-on-working-with-killer-mike-and-recording-in-english/

Nice interview, Ned

Good work Ned.

Glad to hear your enjoying the album Dog Latin. Think it's become my album of the year at this point. I had no idea how they would follow Konkylie but they've done it in style.

I'm amazed at how much better this sounds on FLAC than on MP3. I'm no audiophile but this could convert me to a FLACnatic yet.

Trying to compare this to Konkylie is tough. That album was stupendous. This is at once much more detailed but equally less catchy. There are some true standouts while some of the tracks fade into the background. I'm not as keen on Vonsild's vocals on this one. They've done that thing where they reverb his voice so much it just turns into little echoing gurgling noises. I find the album comes into its own when you can make out at least some of the lyrics. This is all very nitpicky of me of course.

current fave is "System of Unlimited Love"

also really, really love the parts of the album where he drops into his chest voice, like on "Order"

System of Unlimited Love is a stormer. Loving the orchestration on Mannequin. Iodine is great too. This album starts and ends really abruptly compared with Konkylie.

System of unlimited love sorta reminds me of that one zero 7 song

― too busy sockin' on my 乒乓 (wins), Tuesday, May 28, 2013 10:19 AM (6 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

so this is just me then

there is something 90s "downtempo" about it tho right?

Makes me think of later Pink Floyd or Genesis or King Crimson or something I guess. There is a 90s downtempo vibe that I kind of try to ignore I guess. It sounds like a necessary indulgence for WSGM to draw from, but I worry that it lounges-down their sound.

I love it, I wasn't casting aspersions!

I did not expect them to release a poledancing video for "System of Unlimited Love"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cug2qoJpMX4

"Blurred Lines", what have you wrought

Okay so... How about a new album guys?

Just listening to Konkylie for the first time in a long while. My god.... it's definitely one of the best albums to come out this decade

lead singer doing a side project under the moniker Cancer, maybe you'd like it

i'll check it. thanks niels

most welcome

FYI the singer has an album out under the name Khalil titled "The Water We Drink"

It's not awful but it's not anywhere near as wonderful as anything he's done with the band. There's a lot of Autotune on his voice on it and it really doesn't suit him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRsOC-8l-E

new song and an EP due in May!

if only the song wasn't a bit of a mess eh

I'm excite, even though I must say the last album was a bit patchy

It's a nice toe in the water, if you will.

that Khalil album was really not good but I was hopeful that it was a diversion while they got back on track, hopefully all that directionless meandering is reined in on the new material

not sure about this new EP. It's a bit washy and unfocused, which was part of the problem with their last album I guess. Also, they should not work with Killer Mike. It doesn't work

New music: https://open.spotify.com/album/7GFYkow5SkzIXXX2RZVqy0?si=-6E010-hTSyA_7910n4f2A

sounds a bit meatier than a lot of other stuff they've released recently. Hurry up and get an album out please

can't believe Konkylie was 2011. Fuck!

Yeah been away too long.

I'd also welcome a new album.

Just looking back at this thread, it's weird how much I initially loved Infinity Pool. It's had such diminishing returns for me since then. So much so that I ended up selling my copy on. Iodine, Mannequin, System Of Unlimited Love and Slave To The Take In Your Heaven make an excellent EP. The rest of it seems so aimless. Konkylie is still a masterpiece though. One of my favourite discoveries from reading ILM over the years.

OTM re: Infinity Pool being a great EP with a bunch of padding, although I'd probably still include "Order" in my version

agree kitchen person. I like those tracks but it's nowhere close and I really hate that opening track

Still getting to grips with the new album, I think it is good but a little unfocussed in parts.

Love getting tipped to new releases by a thread refresh. The "I Don't Tell" video is beautiful. Ordered!

A few listens later and this has really opened up. I know there are many other acts being equally adventurous and bold, but who else is making music like this?

Just bumping this because Konkylie really holds up

hoping for a When Saints Go Machine/Let's Eat Grandma tour when live venues are allowed to reopen

didn't even realise they released a new album last year. is it any good? found infinity pool to be a bit hit and miss, but nowhere near as strong as konkylie

I played it once, it seems like a grower but not as immediately arresting as Konkylie or Infinity Pool before the shine wears off

Saw some tweet or something from them the other day about new work, I think.

The last one sounded amazing from a production and textural standpoint but it seems to actively repel hooks. I really liked it and went back to it a lot but there was nothing on it that stuck

It's funny reading that last post right as "Reflection of You (Bloodshot)" started up, which is eminently hooky to my ears

compared to Konkylie and Infinity Pool I think the last one makes a lot of unobvious choices, I do really like it but it's a different kind of listen

New album tomorrow!

I haven't seen a cd version announced - is it digital-only?

Oh, didn't know about this. Looming at their discography I don't think I've even listened to So Deep.

looking

although i like the idea of looming over a discography

Still Running's got a real modern r'n'b vibe

Weeknd Go Machine more like. What happened with this bunch?

New album due in September!

and it's their best album in a while, definitely

they've gone back to writing songs with proper choruses and synth parts that feel like choruses instead of meandering textures, which was nice but not anywhere near as satisying as this is

A good sign!

I wasn't really sold on their pivot towards pop-r'n'b really - felt like the sort of thing other people do a lot better. I'll check the new stuff though