Hm, I think that was overgeneralisation, on reflection. As you were.
― MatthewK, Saturday, 7 November 2015 01:22 (eight years ago) link
aaand written before I heard the final line of Butterfly. Oops.
― MatthewK, Saturday, 7 November 2015 01:44 (eight years ago) link
Haha I just got there myself and I was about to say...
― Tim F, Saturday, 7 November 2015 01:49 (eight years ago) link
Finally got home to listen to this. I'm on Easily and am really happy with this. Not even to the remake of Realiti yet! I'm pretty nervous. This is great so far, but cryptic hints like
aaand written before I heard the final line of Butterfly. Oops.― MatthewK, Friday, November 6, 2015 8:44 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― MatthewK, Friday, November 6, 2015 8:44 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
ARRRRRRGH. What is THAT supposed to mean? Why am I on this thread right now?
― how's life, Saturday, 7 November 2015 02:17 (eight years ago) link
At Venus Fly now. Realiti a relief, thank god. Could hear these songs at the Area:One festival maybe? I love it.
― how's life, Saturday, 7 November 2015 02:29 (eight years ago) link
The 'obscure Japanese sample' on here is the guitar riff at the start of Butterfly
― ufo, Saturday, 7 November 2015 02:36 (eight years ago) link
oh man this album is amazing. Butterfly, in particular. That whole song is perfect and the end is the biggest payoff.
― pplasma, Saturday, 7 November 2015 02:44 (eight years ago) link
After 5 or so listens and a headphone upgrade, I'm starting to get into Art Angels. Even though I'd have been perfectly happy with Visions Pt. II, I'm glad that she made the album she wanted to instead of what people expected.
― pep ponk aliyev (seandalai), Saturday, 7 November 2015 03:15 (eight years ago) link
Judas
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Saturday, 7 November 2015 03:24 (eight years ago) link
Just now getting to this. nu-Realiti isn't better or worse, but I'm not comfortable with its differences yet. The title track is straight out of 1991...like Curve meets Happy Mondays.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 7 November 2015 03:31 (eight years ago) link
I think this is nice enough on laptop speakers but will give it the headphone treatment on my walk tomorrow morning
― RAP GAME SHANI DAVIS (Raymond Cummings), Saturday, 7 November 2015 03:44 (eight years ago) link
having followed her statements on music since she scrapped the first visions follow-up, this is pretty much the album i expected.
― call all destroyer, Saturday, 7 November 2015 03:50 (eight years ago) link
lyrics and feels from "Pin" easily hit some of the musical young love/ crush moments of E•MO•TION for me...
― mingalaba, Saturday, 7 November 2015 04:54 (eight years ago) link
It wasn't quite what I expected but it's still very enjoyable. On some level it's disappointing because there's nothing else in the same vein as Realiti, but that's ok. I do hope we hear more from the scrapped album she said she might release, since both tracks we've heard from around then are great (Realiti and David).
I feel like Visions is probably a more successful/cohesive whole but the uneven start is really the only issue I have with this.
― ufo, Saturday, 7 November 2015 05:06 (eight years ago) link
I really need to stop reading this thread. I'm getting impatient to the point of anger.
― austinato (Austin), Saturday, 7 November 2015 05:12 (eight years ago) link
Wait, why can't you listen to it now? It came out today.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 7 November 2015 05:13 (eight years ago) link
As explained upthread, I ordered from 4ad with the thought that I would get digital access today, but that's not happening, apparently.
I can't really stream it because my computer is fussy about such things (still running Vista and so on) and I want to be able to listen away from a computer screen anyway.
― austinato (Austin), Saturday, 7 November 2015 05:17 (eight years ago) link
I may just fold and buy it on Amazon mp3.
― austinato (Austin), Saturday, 7 November 2015 05:18 (eight years ago) link
I anticipated listening to this so much I dreamt about this album all night, and it sounds just as good irl. Only one listen in, but this album is fucking wonderful. I love the new REALiTi, too - it's lost a little demo stardust but it's not like you can't listen to both.
― Leonard Pine, Saturday, 7 November 2015 07:19 (eight years ago) link
I figure if you paid for a physical copy there's no big moral issue with dling alb from your favorite torrent site (but then again i see no big issue in the first place)
― niels, Saturday, 7 November 2015 13:48 (eight years ago) link
it's on spotify too
― George W. Lucas (diamonddave85), Saturday, 7 November 2015 15:05 (eight years ago) link
This album sounds better played over speakers in the common living area with the dog running around and roommates debating whether to get take out. Visions sounds better in my room while i look at the window, absently refresh ilx, or maybe read a few pages of anna karenina before taking my laundry downstairs.
― Treeship, Saturday, 7 November 2015 15:42 (eight years ago) link
That's oddly specific.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 7 November 2015 15:58 (eight years ago) link
when your lens is Treeship, your focus is specific
― μpright mammal (mh), Saturday, 7 November 2015 20:35 (eight years ago) link
or whenever your lens is actually a good lens
― the grimes of claire boucher ('90s on) (Sufjan Grafton), Saturday, 7 November 2015 20:56 (eight years ago) link
I agree with Treeship except on one minor detail that is that for me it sounds best if I leave the laundry in the room. As soon as I leave to take it down stairs for some reason it's charms fade.
― Hinklepicker, Saturday, 7 November 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link
"Pin", love the dancey power pop feel, the lyrics-- "tearin at your hair like banshee", "Dirt on your fingernails, blood on your kneesBut did that ever make you happy?", etc etc
All of the little touches like how right after she says "just after 3" she makes this little exclamatory squeal that i find myself doing along with her and kind of doing this strange dance where i stick out my arms right at that moment...
― pplasma, Sunday, 8 November 2015 01:22 (eight years ago) link
are you looking for a harmony?
there is harmony in everything
― pplasma, Sunday, 8 November 2015 01:34 (eight years ago) link
Somehow feel this album augurs a Madchester revival (or has that happened already?)
― pep ponk aliyev (seandalai), Sunday, 8 November 2015 02:08 (eight years ago) link
There are a bunch of vocal moments on here that remind me a bit of pitched up happy hardcover insanity
― too young for seapunk (Moodles), Sunday, 8 November 2015 02:12 (eight years ago) link
*hardcore
Would welcome Madchester revival.
― austinato (Austin), Sunday, 8 November 2015 02:36 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlOrP1wSzCk
― pplasma, Sunday, 8 November 2015 03:28 (eight years ago) link
LOVE kill vs maim - finally someone finds the sweetspot between Crystal Castles, Jane Wiedlin and the Smurfs.
― djp HOOS clouds (NickB), Sunday, 8 November 2015 10:45 (eight years ago) link
Does Jagwar Ma count as Madchester revival?
― MarkoP, Sunday, 8 November 2015 15:18 (eight years ago) link
Also, besides "Ray of Light"-era Madonna, the other thing the title track somehow reminds me of is PM Dawn, but I'm probably the only person who would think that.
― MarkoP, Sunday, 8 November 2015 15:19 (eight years ago) link
besides "Ray of Light"-era Madonna
glad someone else said this; madonna in general is my pop reference point for this album much more so than anyone younger like gwen or katy perry or whoever. "belly of the beat" feels like it could have legs amongst ilx's dance-pop formalists (read: erotica fans). "easily" joins the small and exalted pantheon of things that sound a little bit like "don't tell me".
― denies the existence of dark matter (difficult listening hour), Sunday, 8 November 2015 18:18 (eight years ago) link
I'm fond of "Realiti," "World Princess Pt. II" (K-pop!), "Easily," "Flesh Without Blood," and the title track, but the tinniness of the vocals gets wearying (and as usual Janelle Monae's talent for muffling decent tunes + beats is intact).
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 8 November 2015 18:25 (eight years ago) link
Okay, I folded and just went to Spotify. Not really my premier choice to have my first listen be at the computer desk, but I just couldn't wait.
First impressions:—She is trying really hard to top Visions (this is awesome, just in terms of the sheer balls that takes).—Her voice is better on this album. Just all around. Not as buried in the mix, more interesting melodies. Ace.—The 'Think (About It)' break is used in the new 'Realiti'!—'Kill v. Maim' has so many layers and changes. It's only four minutes long, but feels at least twice, as it's like three or four mini songs in one.—She's cocky as hell. I like this.—Love this line: "I was only looking for a human to reciprocate."—Second half has some serious deep cuts that I reckon won't really sink in for quite some time.—Can't wait to take it for a walk with me.
Highlights:—'Flesh without Blood'—'Realiti'—'Butterfly'
― austinato (Austin), Sunday, 8 November 2015 18:49 (eight years ago) link
ray of light is the first pop comparison that's made sense to me lol
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 November 2015 19:24 (eight years ago) link
and actually that comparison may have opened up the entire record for me, that's awesome
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 November 2015 19:47 (eight years ago) link
^^^ same
― j. winters (josh), Sunday, 8 November 2015 19:56 (eight years ago) link
someone compared "pin" to crj emotion emotions but i feel like it's the same pitch just inverted subject-wise. what i mean is that it's been really great for a break up
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 November 2015 19:58 (eight years ago) link
kind of lol to envision Erotica as "formal" dance pop, like u couldn't dance to any pop music before 1992
― welltris (crüt), Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:00 (eight years ago) link
Since I first heard Visions, I always thought she was successfully blending Madonna's Like A Prayer and the Cocteaus' Treasure.
And this:what i mean is that it's been really great for a break up
OTM. Art Angels definitely has shades of breakup-ness to it.
― austinato (Austin), Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:07 (eight years ago) link
the weak link here is really "venus fly" which is a shame
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:19 (eight years ago) link
meanwhile i would like restate how fucking unbelievably great "venus fly" is
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:20 (eight years ago) link
there's a single note -- like a synthesized accordion -- at the very end of "flesh without blood" (4:15ish) that i'm obsessed with
― Treeship, Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:31 (eight years ago) link
uh i meant "butterfly" lol
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:32 (eight years ago) link
(continued from my previous post) most of her songs contain surprising little moments like that. i think that's part of why listeners connect so personally with her music. there are so many little production decisions to notice, and so you are constantly being reminded of the human hand behind the music. everything she makes feels very intentional and crafted
― Treeship, Sunday, 8 November 2015 20:38 (eight years ago) link