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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
this album is god damn amazing
― flopson, Wednesday, 18 November 2015 16:22 (nine years ago)
'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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
the (demo) vocal performance has more of a melancholy tinge
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 00:18 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
*love
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 00:58 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
Thanks - like the Staples a lot and hadn't got around to HEALTH yet.
― MatthewK, Thursday, 19 November 2015 06:19 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
looks like a solid sequel to mischief makers
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Thursday, 19 November 2015 17:40 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
― 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 (nine years ago)
shake-shake
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 19 November 2015 18:01 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
― MatthewK, Friday, 20 November 2015 03:24 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
"Kill V. Maim" with a Le Tigre-song from their last album?
― zeus, Friday, 20 November 2015 08:22 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
Yeah, I meant This Island.
― zeus, Friday, 20 November 2015 10:27 (nine years ago)
― ✖✖✖ (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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimes,_California
― welltris (crüt), Friday, 20 November 2015 12:27 (nine years ago)
Genius says California samples Pon de Replay. So mixing those two?
― Frederik B, Friday, 20 November 2015 13:05 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
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 (nine years ago)
there is not a pon de replay sample on california
― james brooks, Friday, 20 November 2015 18:24 (nine years ago)
silly article from the gawker biosphere
― MatthewK, Friday, 20 November 2015 20:06 (nine years ago)
― james brooks,
As stated on her siriusXM takeover, “California” is a hate track towards the music website Pitchfork. This hate may be the result of various misinterpretations of her words, and Grimes has expressed her discontent in her tweets.The beat of the song also samples Pon De Replay by Rihanna.
The beat of the song also samples Pon De Replay by Rihanna.
http://genius.com/Grimes-california-lyrics
Maybe you're thinking about Pon De Floor? Pon De Replay and California definitely have the same beat throughout. I'm not completely sure it's a sample but it's definitely the same beat. Only Grimes added the sound of something like a kicked bucket in there.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 20:31 (nine years ago)
This is pon de replay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnhYHGimYkQ
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 20:32 (nine years ago)
In the grimes song it gets clear it's the same beat when she starts singing. 0:18 in California or so.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 20:35 (nine years ago)
It's pretty much a variation on the Diwali Riddim so you can easily mix California with the other artists sampling Diwali:
Lumidee, Sean Paul, Rihanna, Brick and Lace....
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 20 November 2015 20:39 (nine years ago)
it's easy to happen upon that beat when programming drums without consciously referencing anything in particular, especially when you're primed to respond to it having heard it in a bunch of different places
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Friday, 20 November 2015 22:11 (nine years ago)
its not a sample, is the correct argument here
it does appear to be a conscious use of the same or a similar drum pattern imo
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Friday, 20 November 2015 22:50 (nine years ago)
hey now genius is such a trustworthy source
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Friday, 20 November 2015 22:53 (nine years ago)
i defer to songmeanings.net
― the grimes of claire boucher ('90s on) (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 20 November 2015 23:02 (nine years ago)
i think if anyone's a trustworthy source here it's james
― j. winters (josh), Friday, 20 November 2015 23:11 (nine years ago)