What kind of listener wouldn't dig Pin? Thr dreamy eccentricity of Oblivion is totally absent from a track like this. Nothing in the sound of this album would be weird/unfamiliar/alienating to average pop listeners
― Treeship, Tuesday, 17 November 2015 23:35 (eight years ago) link
The "dreamy eccentricity" of "Oblivion" was totally its crossover selling point though. It always struck me as pretty likely that "Oblivion" (19.6m youtube views) would enjoy a very similar brand of success as Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" (18.3m youtube views), and certainly it fulfills a similar function as a dancefloor staple at a certain type of house party.
"Pin" is amazing, but I don't know what context it fits into, it's so busy and dense and gloriously self-impatient. I doubt it would alienate listeners, but it doesn't necessarily fulfill a role for groups of listeners either.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 01:43 (eight years ago) link
the janelle monae song is kind of a clunker
― flopson, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 01:44 (eight years ago) link
as usual
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 18 November 2015 01:46 (eight years ago) link
Flesh Without Blood feels the most like an alternate universe hit. Don't think she has much interest in being a producer/writer for anyone else now though from what she's said in interviews recently
― ufo, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 04:38 (eight years ago) link
In 2015 pop stars rly need to be able to pull it off live
― albvivertine, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 04:50 (eight years ago) link
If you don't hear the big difference btw demo and album Realiti like why do you even care much what music you listen to
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Wednesday, 18 November 2015 04:58 (eight years ago) link
It's like Tim got his hands on one of Al's "by the book" projects and hot rodded the damn thing. And we know the bones of that song can't handle the hot shot synth sound and JTT is bound to crack wise in the kitchen later but the chaos is more interesting.
― the grimes of claire boucher ('90s on) (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 18 November 2015 06:23 (eight years ago) link
idk about u but i am extremely undiscriminating, everything sounds the same to me. that's why i like all the music i've ever heard except the majority of this album.
― dyl, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 07:13 (eight years ago) link
xps uhm I guess I didn't mean "sincere" in some totally dated or lame way...
I meant (but not able to listen now and confirm my intuitions) that the vocals on realiti demo had some kind of melancholy vibe combined with etheral vocals, as if grimes is singing from some detached place high in the sky, musing on contemporary existence and spleen or whatever, and the album version is more in line with what I hear as general playfulness of singing on album, which works great on the other songs but imo takes away a bit of the urgency on the demo delivery
I also like the demo instrumental better
― niels, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 10:40 (eight years ago) link
I hear the "Welcome to reality" in the demo as very serious and almost zen, like bjork throwing rubbish off the mountaintop, whereas the deliberately cutesy performance of that line on the album is very ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Both work but they give very different resonances to the song.
― Tim F, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 11:12 (eight years ago) link
The two versions of Realiti aren't very different as songs but the performance and arrangement leave a totally different impression. Like the album version is so much perkier, there's a sadness to the way she sings the chorus in the demo. It's also a good example of why technically 'better' production doesn't always improve a song - a lot of the elements that add the crunch and rhythmic distinctiveness to the demo are still there in the album version, but they're mixed way down and are just elements floating around in the overall swirl of sound.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 11:30 (eight years ago) link
I think what I mean upthread is that the newer vocal is kind of mocking the sentiment of the demo. This was one of the tracks left on the shelf when she decided the album draft was too depressing and not where she wanted to go, so it's kind of a parody reading as a means of putting distance between the new and the old. As several posters above mention, there is a lot of arch, playful, throwaway vocal work - "Kill V. Maim" is like four-way bickering between Disney and Pokémon characters.
― MatthewK, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 12:26 (eight years ago) link
What the album version reminds me of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-PYqUHfTMA
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 18 November 2015 13:48 (eight years ago) link
this album is god damn amazing
― flopson, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 16:22 (eight years ago) link
'california' tripped me up when i first heard it and some of the early neg reactions in this thread tempered my expectations. but now i'm just, completely hooked on this shit. i really needed this album to be good cause i overdosed on visions too hard & can't really listen to it anymore, so grateful its a masterpiece
― flopson, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 16:25 (eight years ago) link
The demo version has a lot more space and dynamics to it, and the rhythm tracks are done in a way that gives them more of a funky syncopation and push-pull, and the vocal performance has more of a melancholy tinge. Also yeah the video is incredible and makes me want to go to every single place featured.
― on entre O.K. on sort K.O. (man alive), Wednesday, 18 November 2015 16:27 (eight years ago) link
the (demo) vocal performance has more of a melancholy tinge
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 00:18 (eight years ago) link
Given the album has gotten mostly positive press I think Grimes' complaint was perhaps a little premature.
This could easily end up album of the year though my top 5 or so is now looking very clustered.
― Tim F, Thursday, 19 November 2015 00:37 (eight years ago) link
Not at the time she wrote that song, though. The reaction to her pop oriented material was pretty excoriating prior to Realiti. I live this album too, but I'd be very interested to know what your other top 5 contenders are.
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 00:57 (eight years ago) link
*love
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 00:58 (eight years ago) link
Yeah I assume she was thinking of "Go" (though to me that song actually feels pretty sad anyway!).
Other top 5 contenders are Julia Holter, Vince Staples, Carly Rae Jepsen, HEALTH, Years & Years, Dawn Richard.
― Tim F, Thursday, 19 November 2015 03:19 (eight years ago) link
Thanks - like the Staples a lot and hadn't got around to HEALTH yet.
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 06:19 (eight years ago) link
Go is great imo but took 3-4 listens for me to really get into, maybe that hampered its chances
― albvivertine, Thursday, 19 November 2015 07:22 (eight years ago) link
can we talk abt how "Easily" sounds like some underwater shimmery late 90's William Orbit production and how it's so wonderful?
― Ina-Garten-Da-Vida (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:08 (eight years ago) link
how great wd the instrumental middle bit be as the soundtrack to like a water level in Super Mario 64
― Ina-Garten-Da-Vida (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:09 (eight years ago) link
how great wd it be if Grimes re-scored the soundtrack to Super Mario 64
or just make this gamehttps://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1484956/grimes%20only%20for%20n64.png
― the grimes of claire boucher ('90s on) (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:35 (eight years ago) link
looks like a solid sequel to mischief makers
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:40 (eight years ago) link
mischief makers' gameplay did have this great spacious melancholy feel
― the grimes of claire boucher ('90s on) (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:43 (eight years ago) link
Just realized this will be one of the first years I'll have a compatible list with Tim F. Grimes, Jepsen, Staples and Holter are also on my list and I haven't heard the others. I loved HEALTH previous albums I guess it's time to check this one.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:54 (eight years ago) link
― Ina-Garten-Da-Vida (Stevie D(eux)), jueves 19 de noviembre de 2015 17:08 (45 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, I think it was mentioned upthread that it sounds a lot like Madonna's Ray of Light. The song I'm actually reminded the most of is "what it feels like for a girl" which wasn't produced by Orbit but it was definitely influenced by him.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 19 November 2015 18:00 (eight years ago) link
shake-shake
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 19 November 2015 18:01 (eight years ago) link
Really love this album, and I wonder how nobody is reminded to Xenomania from the 00s. "Artangels" especially is like a Girls Aloud song.
― zeus, Thursday, 19 November 2015 23:01 (eight years ago) link
Yeah there's a strong Xenomania circa "Graffiti My Soul" vibe.
I'm also hopeful that "Artangels" (the song) spurs a revival of interest in EMF and Big Audio Dynamite.
― Tim F, Thursday, 19 November 2015 23:20 (eight years ago) link
ed was at the jukebox: http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=18736
― a self-reinforcing downward spiral of male-centric indie (katherine), Thursday, 19 November 2015 23:32 (eight years ago) link
Ah, haven't seen it, thanks. Good to see the Grimes and the Susanne Sundfor song getting so much love there too.
BTW, did Claire really say that she wouldn't do producing for someone else? Because Grimes producing Nicola Roberts would be a dream collaboration.
― zeus, Thursday, 19 November 2015 23:52 (eight years ago) link
― MatthewK, Friday, 20 November 2015 03:24 (eight years ago) link
Well, it's my birthday #30 in two weeks and I'll surely be sneaking something off this album into the dj's set. Any suggestions on songs and what to pair them with?
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 08:10 (eight years ago) link
"Kill V. Maim" with a Le Tigre-song from their last album?
― zeus, Friday, 20 November 2015 08:22 (eight years ago) link
you mean "this island" that was released 11 years ago. Unless they released a new album this year and I'm not aware of it. Le Tigre in general is a good fit and sounds great at parties.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 08:35 (eight years ago) link
I just googled for Le Tigre's discography and the only thing they've worked on ever since 'This Island' is production for this Christina Aguilera single feat. Peaches:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3flmNYNQCgY
Which actually sounds like a Le Tigre song feat. Peaches. I can't hear Christina Aguilera anywhere.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 08:47 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, I meant This Island.
― zeus, Friday, 20 November 2015 10:27 (eight years ago) link
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), 20. november 2015 09:10 (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
The rhythm track from California reminds me of an indie version of Single Ladies. So those two?
― Frederik B, Friday, 20 November 2015 11:31 (eight years ago) link
I was going to say that a lot of this album reminded me of Girls Aloud (Kill v Maim especially is like the sort of kitchen sink 'oh fuck it why not?' banger that would occur 3/4 of the way through a GA album), but I was too sheepish to actually do so.
― Matt DC, Friday, 20 November 2015 12:01 (eight years ago) link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimes,_California
― welltris (crüt), Friday, 20 November 2015 12:27 (eight years ago) link
Genius says California samples Pon de Replay. So mixing those two?
― Frederik B, Friday, 20 November 2015 13:05 (eight years ago) link
yeah, many songs remind of other pop/rnb hits of the last years."Venus Fly" has a "(Girls) Run the World" vibe.
― AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 20 November 2015 14:04 (eight years ago) link
Ah yes I knew there was a pon de replay sample. It isn't that obvious at first listen but could be mixed with any of the songs that used the sample.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 18:04 (eight years ago) link
silly article from the gawker biosphere: http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/grimes-is-a-very-awkward-pop-star-which-makes-art-ange-1741376304
Here’s the second-best jam, “Realiti,” in slightly modified form—it first showed up in March as the teaser for another album Boucher very theatrically scrapped, because “it sucked.” (You get to love the theater of it all with her.)
wha?
― flappy bird, Friday, 20 November 2015 18:08 (eight years ago) link