Plaid - Spokes

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

This is quite a large stylistic change I feel from the previous albums. Most of the tracks are the same tempo and idea and there is less playfulness than on albums like Restproof Clockwork, but this has been replaced by some wicked, dark beats nearly verging into Jump-Up territory.

I haven't listened to it enough yet to decide if I like it or not, but what do you think of the new Plaid album?

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I though the P-Brane EP from last year was terrific but my high hopes weren't machted by the material on Spokes, I'm afraid (this is on first listen, mind). I really liked Crumax Rins, but the whole album struck me as kind of vibeless.

― JoB (JoB), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)

yeh - i felt the same. so far, the great thing about plaid is the indescribable "vibe" but even P-Brane seemed to have lost a certain aura.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I've had a promo for about six weeks or so, and I've goen from liking it (I'd not heard Plaid before) to thinking it a bit meh (i've since got Double Figure, Rest Proof Clockwork and P-Brane. I'll be reviewing it for Stylus week after next, so we'll see what I think then.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

loving it. i was expecing something different when they said they that 'double figure' (easily my favorite out of the three albums) was the last of its type for them, and when i saw them live earlier in the year i was completely disappointed - no groove, no melody, just a bunch of slightly rhythmic sounds stuck together. so it was with a little trepidation that i approached 'spokes' but i have to say after only a week of heavy listening i'm sold on its greatness. while not nearly as overtly melodic as their previous work, those clever harmonies and little riffs are still there, with the tricky grooves bumped up to bigger prominence. it's different, but still great.

― heywood jablomi (heywood), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 22:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm starting to decide I don't like it very much, which is sad as they're one of my favourite acts in the world today.

My favourite was definitely Restproof Clockwork - it had a lot more ideas than any of their other albums and had consistently good tracks. The first four songs on Double Figure are their best work, however, but the album is a bit lacking after that.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 October 2003 22:11 (twenty-one years ago)

i haven't bought this or heard it yet, but i will buy it eventually just because every plaid lp has at least one track that does strange and wonderful things to me. i think trainer is my favorite though...

― disco stu (disco stu), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to see them next Thrusday at The Ocean Rooms. They were the highlight of the Mogwai-curated ATP a few years ago which was the only time I've seen them, so I hope heywood jablomi just had a bad night.

Only heard about half the album so far, and was a little underwhelmed, but I often find them to be "growers".

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I must confirm heywood's tour experience when I saw them last on the P-Brane tour.

Strange that I had no idea that a new album was imminent, since like dog latin, Plaid rate as one of my favo acts.

― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 03:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, what's the tracklisting on the mix CD you get from Warpmart?

― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 03:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Because "a free one-hour mix CD of Plaid classics and unreleased live edits, mixed by Plaid themselves" might make Spokes worth it.

― Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 03:37 (twenty-one years ago)

It's excellent, and it's no disservice to this record to say that Rest Proof Clockwork is still the best thing they did. It just hangs together really well and is quintesentially *them*, even tho they're rolling with some very dense breaks and stuff this time round... yeah anyways, really good.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 08:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm liking this a lot, the second half more than the first. 'B Boba Droid' is gorgeous - definitely worth a listen for anyone who liked the mellower oriental-tinged stuff on Dizzee's album.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

And I love the way that there's this awesome sweeping melody going throughout the penultimate track that they just will not leave alone and keep derailing into minor keys.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, in a lot of ways this is how I wanted Octane to sound - dense and dark and moody but not without a sense of purpose and light and shade and so forth.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:04 (twenty-one years ago)

WTF's going on with that sleeve art, though? It's like something hanging on the wall of the Lewisham High Street Pizza Hut circa 1987.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Loving the album art! The album's growing on me, still a few humdingers that don't progress very much, but even RPCW had those.
This is the first album they've done which I can't really tell the difference between tracks. That said, I'm sure I like "Marry" and "Zeal" quite a lot.

― dog latin, Monday, 20 October 2003 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think its a huge stylistic leap from what they've done before either - quite a few of the tracks hark back to tracks like Abla Eedio on Not For Threes (my favourite Plaid album still), or the morbid middle section of RPC. Also the fact that when I walked into Fopp and they were playing it and I knew *exactly* what it was without even having to check...

That incessant building melody on the opening track is awesome.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

The album art looks like In Sides, I thought. Still thinking Spokes is a bit meh.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 20 October 2003 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

The album art looks like In Sides

Don't tell Alex in NYC!

― dog latin, Monday, 20 October 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

are they playing at fopp tomorrow or have i totally imagined this??

― toby (tsg20), Monday, 20 October 2003 19:56 (twenty-one years ago)

WHAT???

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

i was in fopp on saturday and i distinctly remember a notice saying something like "plaid laptop set 6-8pm" and then a date, that might have been today. or tomorrow. or next tuesday. i remember a tuesday being involved. then again i have been having really strange dreams recently, and there's no mention of it on warp's webpage.

i can't get fopp's webpage to work (no flash on this computer) but maybe there's something about it there? a phonecall to them would probably sort it out, actually.

oh, warp's webpage does point out that they're playing at the warp halloween thing, though.

― toby (tsg20), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 08:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I've listened to the album a few times now and it's really starting to sink in.
I have a QSurround option that seems to push a lot of hidden sounds (like the amazing strings in Autechre's "Arch Carrier") to the fore. This option is making Spokes sound 100 times better than before.
I really like "Buns" (the second to last track that someone else mentioned). And the slightly Latin track towards the end (track 8?) is very cool too.

― dog latin, Thursday, 23 October 2003 10:12 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

The bonus cd is delicious.

― L(E^24) (Leee), Saturday, 8 November 2003 00:08 (twenty-one years ago)

awww! I want it now but is it still available? I really ought to buy the album but i'll only get it if it comes with that extra cd...

― dog latin (dog latin), Saturday, 8 November 2003 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's preorder only, but I might be a nice guy and burn you a copy. Shoot me an email.

― L(E^24) (Leee), Sunday, 9 November 2003 04:31 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

okay, so where have these guys gone? i heard they were going to be releasing a dvd of the stuff they were beaming up on the screens live, but that was nearly 2 years ago!

anyone wondering if they'll ever make that glorious comeback, especially since spokes was...mmm okay, and quite a long time ago now?

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

mmm okay?

I take it you've got a certain amount of permanent indecision about this record? I always find that... annoying. I've got records I want to sell for this reason.

― worst iPod case scenario (fandango), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:47 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno where Plaid are sorry.

― worst iPod case scenario (fandango), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:48 (nineteen years ago)

I saw them last year and their show was a combination of breaks done by one member, which was slightly dull, and dubstep by the other which I quite enjoyed. Quite a departure from their old material.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:51 (nineteen years ago)

fandango, i quite like it but it's not a patch on the previous two. sometimes spokes works very well - it kind of spirals and kaleidoscopes and makes pretty patterns, but it's not got the fun-ness of restproof clockwork, nore the beauty and melody of double figure. it's a very functional album which i like to play once in a while, when i'm in the mood. the other two records didn't leave regular rotation for about a year after i got them.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 27 February 2006 01:21 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

revive.

i bought the triple LP of "Trainer" by these dudes.

I really like it...what's the next best Plaid to get?

― M@tt He1ges0n, Saturday, 14 June 2008 19:56 (seventeen years ago)

you can stop there.

if you don't have them, get the black dog's albums on warp.

― moonship journey to baja, Saturday, 14 June 2008 20:02 (seventeen years ago)

so i've heard their best stuff?

yeah i've seen ppl discuss warp records. so is that a good label in general for stuff sorta i this vein?

― M@tt He1ges0n, Saturday, 14 June 2008 20:06 (seventeen years ago)

love the first 4 songs on double figure

― s1ocki, Saturday, 14 June 2008 20:07 (seventeen years ago)

aw cmon vahid, double figure and rest proof clockwork are both great, as is the p-brane ep. but yeah, if you liked trainer, pick up the 'book of dogma' EP collection that came out last year on soma.

― BATTAGS, Saturday, 14 June 2008 23:04 (seventeen years ago)

yeah i've seen ppl discuss warp records. so is that a good label in general for stuff sorta i this vein?

-- M@tt He1ges0n

no, not really. most stuff on warp is quite different from plaid.

if you want a plaid-ish vibe, you want to check these labels:

neo ouija
dot label
ann aimee
deFocus
ferox records

sublime records (japan)
clear
ampoule
applied rhythmic technology
GPR
likemind
reflective
planet e
source
delsin

^^ 95% of this stuff is out of print, so go to soulseek!

― moonship journey to baja, Saturday, 14 June 2008 23:26 (seventeen years ago)

the one plaid track you CANNOT live without that's on "rest proof clockwork" is "ralome" ... beautiful track

― moonship journey to baja, Saturday, 14 June 2008 23:43 (seventeen years ago)

There's an advert for detergent or something on UK TV at the moment that's got a track that REALLY sounds like one of the mellower Restproof Clockwork-era Plaid tracks; like, "rip off this, please, anonymous muso dude, the technoheads wont licence it".

― Scik Mouthy, Sunday, 15 June 2008 18:43 (seventeen years ago)

But yeah, keep RPCW, cos it's awesome, keep the first four tracks on Double Figure, keep P-Brane, and keep Trainer and the Black Dog stuff.

― Scik Mouthy, Sunday, 15 June 2008 18:44 (seventeen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.