ILM Listening Chamber 4

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Yeah, you know the drill. Sounds are here, comments go below. Enjoy.

― David Raposa, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah, I screwed the pooch. Try this on for size.

― David Raposa, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I ma relalty fucking drunk tonight... I have only gotten like a minute tonight into it and like it doesnt seem that good, I'm kind of bored. The voice is so thin. It seems like Laurie anderson only more boring. WOO O TRIP HO PWI TH VIOLINS SO SPECIAL

― Ian, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I likes. Reminds me of a less french, more lo-fi Stereolab. Its purty.

― bnw, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

nice backing, good orchestration but the voice is just too damn 'fuck it' to make it work - I'll rip it to cd, though, so I can fit it next to Mr Brown's f.e.a.r.

― philT, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

btw, if you're out of the loop and don't know who did the track then how can you find out????

― philT, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ask someone to email you a tittie.. er.. title :)

Anyhoo, I love this. This is really good, actually. Odd, the thing TWO people have said they don't like is what makes the track for me.. I really like the voice. Having said that, I also like the bleepy opening, the beat and the faux-bass line. I like the way the violins come in just before the chorus and squeal politely to themselves behind the voice. Hell, I like everything about this and I'm certain that this clearly makes me the saddest person alive.

― EdwardO, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like the violins and the voice. I hate the trip-hop drums. In fact I'm getting really sick of looped beats altogether, I just realized I hate modern music. Why do you trendoids and kids insist on buying such shit? Fuck it, I hate pop. So now you know.

― dave q, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Then again, I like that Nikka Costa song

― dave q, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like this quite a bit: Thick, warm radiator-hum bass- almost claustrophobic- given a bit of levity by the airy, whispered vocals. Yes to the blip rhythm and I think the (initially) unexpected violins of the chorus work well *BUT* the breathy French vocals also remind me of the 1 (wun) Stereolab track I've heard and not liked and the lyrics in the chorus are a bit cringe-worthy. For some reason, I feel I'll like this one less upon repeated listening, but so far so good.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

More bleak, more retarded - boo!

― Otis Wheeler, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

gah. it may be that i was listening to the prefuse record when this finished downloading, but, whoooo-wee. stinker poo. the nasty square-wave bass is quite nice, but the whole thing sounds like a track someone would put together when they first installed pro-tools, and NOT in a good way. the less said about the vocals, lyrics, and, uh, melody, the better.

― jess, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"The requested URL /ilmlist/ilm011007.mp3 was not found on this server." This on Sunday afternoon, Eurotime.

― JoB, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Click on the 2nd link (AKA the "screw the pooch" post). Or, if you prefer, click here

― David Raposa, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Downloading it now, but just a suggestion- how about assigning a fixed time before you reveal the artist/title on these threads, rather than making people specifically have to ask? 2 days, 4 days, a week, however long you think gives everyone a chance to hear it.

― emil.y, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yay, using AMG, I've managed to find the sources of the last two tracks. Aren't I clever?

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think I know who it is--but this is the kind of stuff that makes my skin crawl. It would've been disaffected cool, but it's so poorly constructed and pointless. It's got a preset drum loop, no production skills whatsoever, and no melody. I think the barometer is that any tyro could make this in half an hour given a female vocalist, a keyboard, and Cubase/ProTools. Hell, even a four- track. Eeesh, I guess it's no worse than any other background place setting, but it's not really music, is it?

― Mickey Black Eyes, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Crude. Inoffensive, admittedly, but not interesting. Very dumb lyrics. Very little thought given to the equivalent of what in the classical world is called the "development section" -- it's just the same thing, over and over again, and that original motif isn't enough to sustain my interest, nor is it recombined with other things or with itself in an interesting way. Some timbral awareness, but no evidence of any interest in exploring that dimension. Either the group has poor taste (and thinks that what they did was "enough" to make a fully fleshed-out song) or poor skills (and didn't have the ability to do any more than they did), since it wouldn't take that much to make this a lot more interesting.

― Phil, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

dull. it just finished and i cant remember it already.

― gareth, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What Phil and Gareth said. That beat is probably its biggest sin. The violins are the best part. So far I don't think the ILM Listening Chambers have given anyone any special insights, or anything.

― JoB, Sunday, 7 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Whinge whinge - so submit your own track, why don't you? I'm going to as soon as I get a moment.

Gah, damn these weekend posts, y'all are on No.4 and I've barely done No.3 yet.

I'm with Mitch on this one - it's okay. On the plus side, nice synths. On minus side, the voice. It sounds more German than French to me. So instead of gallic Sadier coolness we get FSK-like disinterest crossed with, as somebody already mentioned, early Laurie Anderson. But this is NOT Trip Hop - it's just a drum machine.

As with No.2 (to which I think I'd like answer now please), I'd probably buy this if someone didn't restrain me. All the right ingredients are present and correct...

― Jeff, Monday, 8 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

if the beats were any good itd be ok. they are shitter than shit

― ambrose, Monday, 8 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

So ... my first drop-in to the ILM listening chamber reveals a track from an artist/group I already love too much.

This makes it somewhat impossible to comment on this track specifically, except to point out -- defensively -- that it's not this particular artist/group's best by a long mile. I enjoy it in its proper context, but I imagine my reaction might be closer to the prevailing one here if I'd heard it in this standalone fashion.

Regardless, even if that track failed to inspire you, don't jump to too many conclusions when the artist is revealed. I mean, if you didn't dig this track, you may well not like the artist as a whole -- but if you're at all on the fence about this one, it's quite possible that the remainder of the artist's work will change your mind.

― Nitsuh, Monday, 8 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I LOVE the way strings sound with an analog synth! They've each got a little resined rawness that grabs and slips as they swell past each other.

But I agree with Ambrose that the drum loop is a liability. "not a value-add"

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 8 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The analogue synth I'm always a sucker for, but the beats do seem canned. All in all, this is the best one so far, though -- and I do like the vocals, which seem very approrpriate to the track's mood and sentiment of the lyrics.

― scott p., Tuesday, 9 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

atrocious. sounds like it's destined for minor college radio celebrity.

― your null fame, Tuesday, 9 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

oh, i like this, even if it is no kitty craft. i like the bleeps, and the breathy voice. minor college radio celebrity? hey, at least it isn't the wankfest that is mogwai.

― maura, Tuesday, 9 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's pleasant. I like its tinny qualities, and the bloops & bleeps, and the meek & husky female vocals. Laid back & relaxing. An album of this might bug me if I thought about it too much, but as background noise, it's quite pleasant. But I already said that.

― David Raposa, Tuesday, 9 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can make 1 or 2 good guesses who this is, I like the spoken bits 3 or 4 times better than the sung bits, I give it 5 or 6 out of ten.

The most interesting thing about the ILM Listening Chambers so far is seeing who likes or doesn't like which track. I would have guessed Maura liked this but not Nitsuh.

Saying "Oh it was done quickly on ProTools" is a poor, if currently fashionable, substitute for criticism.

― Tom, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like synths, the strings, the voice, but boy, that sorry excuse for a snare really grates. And you've got the whole ending to show it off. Lose it and you've got a song.

― palpable, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh it was done quickly on ProTools

the perfect response to the new Spiritualized album. ol' laughing pierce and his depressed cursor.

― gareth, Wednesday, 10 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Initial thought: this is quite interesting, not bad even so I am not a fan of electronic music. These people definitely must have listened to Stereolab. But on the other hand I feel Phil could be right. This track has no substance. Just an electronic beat (quite annoying), keyboards, some female singing (an attempt of at least) and speaking and some other instruments in moments. It is a little like wallpaper music but quite pleasant. Lyrics excerpt: When you put your hands over your ears you don't hear me. (It is not so bad really, I would give it 7/10 after several listens)

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 11 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Okay, its been a week. Someone spill it, please....

― bnw, Monday, 15 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What bnw said.

― David Raposa, Monday, 15 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's Lali Puna - Fast Forward. I'll talk about why I posted it when I'm more coherent.

― Melissa W, Monday, 15 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A German band. I should have known with these rubbish lyrics.

― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mel chose this one!? ShoXoR!

― Tom, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why a shock?

― Melissa W, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It just didn't sound very Mel-ish. i.e. not experimental or sad or big enough.

― Tom, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But Radiohead like 'em! (Sorry Mel, but I read it, it's true.)

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, Radiohead have this absolutely terrible habit of proclaiming a love for something right after I get into it. They're trying to make me look like a sheep! *baaaaaaaa*

― Melissa W, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Still awaiting the "why", Melissa.

So this is Lali Puna. I saw the Tridecoder album on Darla and was intrigued. I've just tried out the three mp3s on epitonic. I was on the fence in my earlier post, but they're now officially crossed off my list. I think they do really, really interesting things with synths and samplers, but I just cannot stand Valerie Trebeljahr's vocals.

― Jeff, Tuesday, 16 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

finally found a vinyl copy of this, and tis GRATE. nice cover too! also got a 7" with a Two Lone Swordsmen remix.

― michael, Sunday, 6 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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