s&d (c/d?): larry heard

...i would not pay 'ebay prices' though.

Larry Heard crosses over into snooze-age territory when he's not being careful, and there's a raw quality to things like "Can You Feel It?"...

i don't know ... i really want someone to come on this thread and defend that stuff. the "ruff ardkore electronic noise always trumps jazzy musical electronica" dialectic needs to die a quick death RIGHT NOW because it is really tired and because we have run out of ruff ardkore noise to listen to and because it is strangling our appreciation of tons of other stuff.

the "reverential" / "misguided" combo in that sentence carries the distasteful whiff of ROCKISM, my friend.

seriously though, i don't like compost either (not one tiny bit!! and i revere brazilian-esque jazz and disco in general!!), but i don't locate my problems with their sound in their intentions. i am always suspicious of arguments that center around artists "intentions" or, even worse, "influences" (BLEARRRGH)

LOL. Yeah, that's what I meant (hides Rockist ass from view). When I go Rockist I'll be the first to slap myself.

I picked on Compost, who I'm sure, from interviews I've read, are a collective of folks who know their shit and how to take it/drop it intelligently in service of their own productions, because of a few things I've heard come from their label - a long time ago now - that whiffed of
exoticism for for me at the time. Am I making any sense? Sorry, a few drinks in now...

Anyway, I haven't heard much new dance stuff with a jazz sensibilty played out in a while. Could have been a passing phase, maybe? When Body & Soul was happening here in NYC that was a sound that made up a big part of what the guys played.

Back to Larry Heard: I like ALIEN quite a bit and Dance 2000 Parts I & II are also worthwhile.

Although strongo is right about some of the Jazzanova remixes.

I actually agree with this! I love love LOVE a LOT of jazzier stuff (Naked Music, NuYorican Soul, etc.). All I meant is that sometimes Heard sacrifices danceability for musicality - which is not to say that you can't be "deep" and still make people move.

perhaps i will shoot myself in the foot by stretching out a little brains-wise, here...

ok, i haven't heard it, it looks like it's got some good stuff on it (sun palace, swag, julian jabre, "acid soul", webster) and you know i'm into the 20:20 vision aesthetic (though this mix is much more of a grand central thing) - BUT the live drummer thing sort of rankles!! it reminds me of the roots or something ... now i will admit i sometimes like the roots (illadelph halflife and the unplugged thing but i sorta tune out after "do you want more?!?!), but i always thought if you are asserting that your flow is jazzy or whatever you are sort of undercutting your point by resorting to a live band to prove the point! (see also: US3) ... similarly the thing with dubble d playing live breaks under the ralph lawson mix sort of undercuts the point of eclecticism - if he asserting a continuum why does he need dubble d* to tie it together? (haha why not just say "fuck it" to beatmatching like theo parrish and chicken lips do, or just make edits like everyone else?)

similarly what attracts me to larry heard is that even though larry insists on some "organic" qualities like melody and soulfulness he does it in the least obvious way possible ... which is also, endearingly enough, prob the most brilliantly egomaniacal, too! with the "sceneries not sounds" albums he seems to be saying "yo, i'm going to play using the flattest, driest, most budget/econo sounding keyboard presets i can find, and only use super-stiff preset rhythms because my soulful deepness / melodic genius is so intense and unstoppable that it needs no producer-ly money mark shenanigans to adorn it"

[* i had super high hopes for the dubble d album ... guy playing live breaks under filter disco sounded awesome but it ended up just sounding like any other broken beat album, and not my dream project of one of those times square crazed bucket drummers dude jamming along to a cassette copy of the beatless dj-tool versions of early basement jaxx tracks ("samba magic - phase 2 hi mix") played on a boombox]

or are the bidders tokyo style vultures (or plastics fans) after hot toshio nakanishi artwork

Yes this is what I thought would be the case but it's actually very very good! Not Eskimo 3 level quality but, y'know, smoove and the like. The funny thing is that I don't really hear or notice the Dubble D break overlays. They must be the very er professional because they just sound like part of the track playing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4823570287&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1

Funny how you came to terms with your initial demo music for a high-end keyboard hang-up (even though larry insists on some "organic" qualities like melody and soulfulness he does it in the least obvious way possible). I can't imagine that it'a self-effacing and poetic of him to use factory preset sounds, if he ever has. As a keyboardist, he knows what he's doing (no piano mic problems or unrealistic piano sounds) and I'm pretty sure he was happy with the way the various elements sounded !

I mean it's mostly jazzy, often downtempo music that comes out under the Larry Heard name. You could play all of Ice Castles and most Larry Heard music in a tea-room full of old ladies all day. Not even their poodles would raise an eyebrow. And those things are a mean bunch of ...eyebrow-raisers. The sheer stealthiness of it all is part of the beauty as far as I'm concerned.

Making jazz-based music alone with synthesizers originally conceived to emulate the sounds of previous instruments (I look at etched-in "violin", "oboe", "electric guitar" presets and smile too) can sound a little dated but it's not that bad.

sceneries not songs was reissued last year. i think i like it, but i also think vahid's criticism in the opening post rings true for much of the cd (personally i quite dig the keyboard sounds, and as blunt notes the playing is perfect.) "dolphin dream" is an incredible song, it reminds me of the first barbieri/jansen ambient record but with 909 hi hats. i could imagine this track going down really well with the nuevo-deep house crew.

the question is, should i pick up volume 2? how does it differ from vol 1?

I really rate Back To Love but then I really like his vocals. It has a 90's nu soul / swing beat vibe to it. Mystical People is lovely...

Wasn't Sceneries Tu sent out via a web site?

#2 is MUCH better, and much easier to find, as it was reissued in large #s under the name "ice castles"

I am just now starting on a serious Larry Heard kick, I always knew and dug like "Can you feel it" etc, but there is so much great and varied stuff in his catalog that i wasnt aware of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-uOV4-y7vg

Also almost all the youtubes of Larry Heard/Mr Fingers tracks have comments from this guy:

LARRY HEARD**IS A HEBREW ISARAELITE..INSPIRED FROM THE MOST HIGH GOD OF ISRAEL * & THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE** AND YOU WONDER WHY YOU CANT GET ENUFF OF THE LARRY HEARD EXPERIENCE!!!,,U BASTARDS KILLED

JIMI!!!

nycslumz 1 week ago

'beyond the clouds', the lesser-known b-side to 'can you feel it', is one of my favorites of all time

Search Introduction for the best house-meets-cool jazz - on some songs - you're ever likely to hear. It's a sublime record.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70)

Often see this in the bargain bins. The vocals might be a bit much for some (not me) but the instrumental tracks are lush. Well worth picking up.

(Never got the love for the Sun Can't Compare fwiw).

If you like his vocal work then Back To Love and The It's On Top of the World maybe worth a listen. This http://www.discogs.com/Mr-Fingers-Classic-Fingers/release/116936 was my real introduction to LH, after Introduction. But it's expensive now.

Love 'Beyond the Clouds' and 'Washing Machine' and 'Stars' etc etc.. So many classics. Mystery Of Love and its instrumental version mystery of dub have to be all time classic examples of getting the most emotion and movement out of the fewest number of elements.

Some of the "gherkin jerks" material is just mad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zToBzy-Xv_Y&feature=related

Was listening to Alien this morning and half-remembering Vahid's opening posts so had to come back and check them. I feel ideologically very aligned with this record but OTOH when it comes to dance dudes flexing their Tangerine Dream this doesn't move me half as much as the Cowley reissue did. I feel this might have something to do with its brittleness - which, mind you, is also something that makes it feel quite distinct from other turns to new ageism during the 90s.

The Fingers Amnesia comp is going much cheaper than it used to. I'm embarrassed at what I paid for it 9yrs ago. Gherkin Jerks was one of the best reissues last year. Was happy to finally get my hands on Disco D recently http://youtu.be/s3n3_m_RM6Q

I asked somebody at Souljazz why they didn't release a compi of that Fingers material and got the reply that Heard wouldn't license more than one track at a time or some variation thereon. So getting an official reissue of Another Side is unlikely to happen which is a shame. It is around on torrent sites though thankfully.
Not sure how legit it was at the time it came out. Can't remember the details but I think I heard/read something saying it was never 100% officially released or something.
Love it anyway.

Was listening to Alien this morning

finally getting around to it today!

so far so good

che sounds much less convincing on "beauty of celeste" than he did on "the incident"

If you like his vocal work then Back To Love and The It's On Top of the World maybe worth a listen. This http://www.discogs.com/Mr-Fingers-Classic-Fingers/release/116936 was my real introduction to LH, after Introduction. But it's expensive now.

― mmmm, Thursday, 1 September 2011 13:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

Found a second hand copy of On Top Of The World and it's just lovely! Surprised it's not more talked about.

On a Larry Heard tip lately. Theres something about tracks like "Missing You" or "Midnight Movement" that feel like they are emotionally suspended. They carry the melancholy without ever resolving it with those warm synth textures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okYMoYEqG4s

I thought this revive was going to be about the excellent new Mr. Fingers album.

Nice. I didnt know there was a new one out!

new mr. white reissue from 2006 is absolutely gorgeous as well. "you rock me" bw "the sun can't compare"

love when they reissue something I paid too much for smh