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(07/08/18 11:30pm)
I was lucky enough to experience Mamby On The Beach this year over the weekend of June 23rd and 24th. As someone who tries to indulge and expose himself to as many summer music events around the city as possible, I have to admit that Mamby truly has a unique atmosphere and charm to it that I haven’t found at other festivals, even ones considered to be fixtures in the Chicago summer music scene. In the weekend I spent on the beautiful Oakwood beach, I not only got to catch some amazing musical performances, but also got to take in the many features Mamby had to offer, some by design and some not. Here are some of the main takeaways I had as a first-time Mamby On The Beach attendee.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYEg9mAlbw/
Location, Location, Location
This may seem like an obvious aspect to consider due to the name of the festival, but the fact that Mamby is held on the beach truly gives it a different angle than your standard outdoor live event in downtown Chicago. First of all, it should go without saying that if you come into Mamby wearing white shoes, they will come out a faded light brown from the sand by the end of the day (and yet, this was exactly what happened to me). Unlike some festivals I’ve been to where it seems that dehydration is considered an essential part of the experience, Mamby kept beachgoers in mind with easily accessible hydration stations and shaded areas.
It was as much a beach party as it was a music festival, complete with huge water balloon fights and beach volleyball tournaments. In the case that one got tired of the beach, the park stage offered a spacious grassy area right next to all of the food tents. The actual territory of Mamby is pretty compact, which was very convenient in getting between the different stages and activities. The biggest selling point for me, though, had to be the view of the Chicago Skyline from the Beach Stage. Through sun, sand, and fog, it's still easily one of the most memorable backdrops to a musical performance you’ll ever see.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkbZQNPn2Sl/
More Than Music
While the beach activities offered at Mamby contributed to the festival’s atmosphere, there were other exciting non-musical additions through their More Than Music program, some of which really surpassed my expectations. Right as I walked through the gates into Mamby, I was approached by a representative of the Human Rights Campaign. They gave me constructive information as to how I could help support the cause of achieving full equality for the American LGBTQ population, especially in a state like Indiana. In an environment where a significant portion of both attendees and performers belong to that community, the fact that the HRC was emphasized right off the bat was very encouraging.
Further into the festival grounds, there were some other More Than Music additions that really piqued my interest. My personal favorite was the Advice Booth, sponsored by Mumbo Jumbo, which had professional comedians to provide (hopefully) helpful suggestions to festival-goers in a bind. It seemed like a really unique way to gather strangers together to share about their lives, which at the end of the day is really what festivals are all about. There was also a small tent sponsored by Ravinia, that gave attendees a chance to give impromptu performances during the breaks between sets on the nearby Park Stage. Again, I was witness to complete strangers getting together, this time to jam or stumble their way through a cover of “Free Fallin”. Overall, these More Than Music activities all contributed to what I surprisingly found to be one of the highlights of the festival: the crowd.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkbdctanRJO/
A Different Crowd
For most music festivals in the US, there seems to be a general perception that they are either filled with obnoxious high schoolers or pretentious hipsters. After my experience at Mamby On The Beach this year, I think this festival is an exception to that rule. Perhaps it’s due to the quality and range of the musical lineup, the draw of the unique activities offered, or some stroke of luck, but the strangers I found myself around this year were not only tolerable, but downright pleasant. My experience with the attendees at Mamby could best be boiled down to an interaction I had near the end of Day 1.
I had just finished watching a set by one of my favorite bands in the world, Grizzly Bear. I bought some food and sat down at a picnic table to eat quickly, so I could catch some of the headlining sets that were starting soon. A man who appeared to be in his early thirties sat across from me and quickly struck up a conversation. He asked if I would wait with him while his girlfriend was gone getting water. I was a bit skeptical, but I didn’t really have any other choice but to stay there and finish my food. Soon enough, his girlfriend really did return with water and immediately offered me free tacos. They told me all about their huge group of friends they came here with, who they could easily identify because they were all dressed completely in white. Before I knew it, I was at the Beatport EDM tent with a group of 20 or so people dressed in white, grooving to Duke Dumont as they each told me their life story. Were any of their stories true? Was I unknowingly recruited into a cult? I’m not entirely sure, but that’s beside the point. I’d like to think I was approached by extremely friendly people who completely fit the accepting atmosphere Mamby on the Beach created.
I’ve had plenty of shows from artists I love completely ruined by lackluster crowds, yet at Mamby, the crowd’s energy actually enhanced the performances of a lot of artists I either didn’t have high expectations for or wasn’t familiar with at all, such as Moon Boots or Whethan. In festivals with obvious draws like Mamby on the Beach, there’s usually some sort of catch, but I found that pretty much every checkbox I could think of was covered. As a rising and relatively new festival that started only four years ago, I look forward to seeing how React Presents continues to add to the already impressive experience that is Mamby on the Beach.
(07/05/18 5:00pm)
Over the last full weekend of June, I had the pleasure of attending Mamby on the Beach, Chicago’s only major beach festival. While the location on Oakwood Beach with its perfect view of the beautiful Chicago skyline from the main stage was already reason enough to go, I was originally intrigued by Mamby's lineup. Mamby had a quality lineup despite the fact that it's still a relatively new festival, celebrating its fourth year in 2018. Speaking from first-hand experience, I can see how it has emerged as one of the hottest summer festivals in Chicago so early in the game and anticipate that it will continue to draw high profile acts for years to come. Here are some of the standouts and surprises of the musical acts I saw this year at Mamby On The Beach.
Day 1: Saturday, June 23, 2018
tUnE-yArDs
I was already anticipating the set from tUnE-yArDs to be energetic and entertaining, but I was blown away by just how much groove band leader Merrill Garbus could squeeze out of her glitchy, percussive art pop in a live setting. I’d watched some of the past live videos of the group at large festivals, like Pitchfork, with a full set of backup singers and additional percussionists. I figured that the spectacle of that kind of ensemble alone would be worth seeing. When the band came onto the stage as only a three-piece, I was ready to be underwhelmed, but I will happily admit that I completely underestimated the power of loop pedals and a ridiculously tight drummer. tUnE-yArDs dazzled with cuts off of their newest record, I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life, as well as classic songs from older works such as “Water Fountain” and “Gangsta”.
Jack Harlow
Rising Louisville rapper Jack Harlow performed on the Park Stage in the middle of the day to a crowd that seemed mostly to gather for good spots for Cupcakke, but he certainly gained everyone’s attention with his tight set of no-frills trap. I can see him gaining a lot of traction in the scene over the next couple of years. His 2017 album Gazebo has some indisputable bangers that he pulled out on stage and had everyone bouncing.
Duke Dumont
While headliner Common closed out the Beach Stage on Saturday night, I checked out the Mixmag x Beatport tent, where British house DJ Duke Dumont was performing. I was struck not only by the tight set itself but also by the atmosphere of the tent and the audience. One of the things I commend Mamby on the most is that this lineup was clearly curated with an emphasis on which artists would complement the vibe of the festival or specific stage, rather than grabbing whoever had the most hype at the moment. This pick, as well as Richie Hawtin on Sunday, were certainly good examples of that. While I found this set to be particularly entrancing, any given time I stepped into the tent over the course of the weekend, the DJ sets were incredibly solid and paid respects to legends of the techno and house genres.
Day 2 - Sunday, June 24, 2018
Bugus
While Atlanta rapper Bugus was one of the earlier performers on the Beach stage on Sunday, his energy dictated otherwise. For a relatively under-the-radar artist, he worked the crowd as if he was a headliner. His impressive flow and catchy hooks contributed to a memorable start to the day at Oakwood Beach.
Moon Boots
I’m embarrassed to say that Moon Boots were completely off my radar for must-see artists at Mamby on the Beach 2018. They delivered easily my favorite set of the entire festival, featuring a seemingly endless supply of special guests coming onto the stage and some undeniable funky house grooves. These grooves got to the point that there was a man in the crowd performing what appeared to be very aggressive Tai Chi throughout the whole set and was quickly joined by other enthusiastic festival goers. It felt completely natural. Moon Boots’ set was the kind of pop performance I didn’t realize I needed in my life, but after it happened, I was kicking myself for not having known about them earlier. Needless to say, I’m glad I decided to check out their set based solely on their quirky name.
Jamila Woods
As expected, Chicago native Jamila Woods delivered a soulful and sharp set of her brand of R&B. Despite the fact that much of her music covers very serious and powerful themes and she doesn’t really make “beach music”, her melodic voice backed by an excellent band (particularly the keyboard player) complemented the environment of the festival well, similarly to the atmosphere Grizzly Bear created on the Park Stage the night before. In fact, it was a welcome change of pace from the energetic and playful sets that had taken the Beach Stage before her. She performed plenty of interesting arrangements off her 2017 album HEAVN as well as the Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment song “Sunday Candy”, on which she was originally featured.
(06/08/18 8:23pm)
June is finally upon us and that means it's summer festival season in Chicago! Throughout the next few months, music enthusiasts close to the city should consider themselves lucky as there is something for everyone in terms of music, especially at the major festivals people from all around the country flock to. The great thing about the festival scene in Chicago is that each one provides a unique experience, whether it's through the variety of the lineup, the location, or the vibe of the crowd. React Presents' Mamby On The Beach, which happens this year on June 23rd and 24th, definitely covers all of these bases and more. Returning to Oakwood Beach for its fourth year, Mamby is Chicago's only major beach festival, offering festivalgoers a chance to take in some awesome artists and do various activities all with a great view of the city's beautiful skyline as the festival's backdrop. Though that's reason enough to check it out, here's some of the music we're most excited to see at Mamby On The Beach this summer.
Grizzly Bear
https://youtu.be/BDQ7KgvwfaQ
Although Mamby has gained a reputation over the past few years for being one of the finest electronic festivals in Chicago, their lineups often include some great rock acts as well, most notably MGMT and Animal Collective in recent years. Grizzly Bear released their most accessible record yet, Painted Ruins, last year as a follow-up to their 2012 record Shields. Grizzly Bear will surely deliver a dynamic and memorable set and make a great addition to Mamby's lineup. While I enjoyed Painted Ruins quite a bit and look forward to hearing songs such as "Mourning Sound" or "Three Rings" live, I'm especially excited to see how this new sound will fit into their set in conjunction with some of their older classics, as Yellow House is one of my favorite records of all time.
tUnE-yArDs
https://youtu.be/3-7je-jsuC4
Eclectic electronic project tUnE-yArDs, fronted by Merrill Garbus, is a must-see artist on Saturday at Mamby On The Beach. The danceable polyrhythms of her music, complemented by expressive basslines and an abundance of African percussion, will make it hard for anyone in the vicinity of Oakwood Beach to stand still. Their new album I can feel you creep into my private life came out earlier this year in January.
CupcakKe
https://youtu.be/hu_XwnAiMXg
Mamby On The Beach always manages to find quality, high-profile local acts to put on their lineup each year and this year is no exception. CupcakKe will be delivering her energetic and hilarious style of Chicago rap on Saturday, June 23rd. Her most recent record, Ephorize, came out this past January and is full of bangers and overtly sexual one-liners that will be sure to entertain the crowd throughout her set. Personally, I'm cautiously excited to let loose during "Duck Duck Goose".
Whethan
https://youtu.be/56NvMT8DB-g
Electronic wunderkind and Chicago native Whethan will be hitting the stage at Mamby on Sunday, June 24th. Fresh off of a tour with The Chainsmokers, he'll be bringing his unique brand of future bass and trap that has garnered the attention of artists as influential to the genre as Skrillex and Louis the Child.
Jamila Woods
https://youtu.be/t3MhH2WekcY
Coming off one of the strongest R&B records of 2016 and a powerful set at Pitchfork Music Festival 2017, Jamila Woods is yet another excellent Chicago act to see at the festival on Sunday, June 24th. She'll deliver with a smooth, soulful vibe that will fit perfectly on what will hopefully be a beautiful day on Oakwood Beach.
Richie Hawtin
https://youtu.be/C5PSxe6iCnI
Minimal techno pioneer Richie Hawtin will be headlining the Mixmag x Beatport tent on Sunday, June 24th. He's been a legend in the genre for decades and I'm very eager to see how the crowd will respond to his style of abstract, yet danceable electronica. His set will be a must-see for fans of old-school electronic music or for people looking to just lose themselves in a trance of hypnotic rhythm.
Stay tuned for more festival news from WIUX!
(04/10/18 11:30pm)
Alex Venchuk is probably Bloomington's most passionate Death Grips fan. I first met Alex through a group on Facebook called Patrician Music Chartposting in a "Post which college you go to so you can make cool friends!" thread. As it turned out, we had quite a few groups in common, one of them being Death Grips Trashposting, a group of over 45 thousand members that shares updates, fan theories, and memes about the infamous industrial hip hop group. Alex posts frequently about Death Grips, both in the group and on her personal page. Most notably, she created a petition asking people to sign to support bringing the group to Culture Shock 2018. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way this year, but the petition garnered over 250 signatures, which is a promising sign for the Bloomington Death Grips fanbase. I reached out to Alex earlier this week and asked her a couple questions about her thoughts on the band, her influence, and Culture Shock.
What do you like about death grips and why should people listen to them? What do you say to people who sort of dismiss their music as just angry noise? (I say this as someone who’s unsuccessfully curated multiple playlists of “Death Grips Bangers” for friends who don’t really seem to appreciate them).
Alex: They're iconic and succeeding in a genre that's not accessible or near as profitable as others. When I first got into them like three years ago I merely liked them for how they sounded, their songs are very cathartic and perfect for a specific mood for many. At this point I've listened to them so much I realized how clever some of their lyrics were and how each member is able to influence DG as a whole. Flatlander AKA Andy Morin's synthetic techno-inspired instrumentals, Zach's punctuality and overall mastery of percussion combine as the perfect backdrop to an "angry homeless man" letting out all of his angst and nihilism into his vocals. They have created something utterly unique with the most hilarious fandom on the entire internet objectively. They're unconventional which to me makes them likable as a band, they don't care about their image which almost makes their image. For fucks sake when "Death Grips is Online" happened my browser nearly exploded. They just mess with their fans for fun and the fans hype DG up more than DG will ever hype themselves up. DG's social media is obscure as hell.
I've done the same thing! I always try to get people into them as you can see. To people that dismiss their music, I say 1. fuck em they're clearly not noided, and 2. some of us are normies and that's okay. Everyone has their own taste I guess, It just makes me sad when people I care about can't share in the benevolent aura of Mr. Grip with me.
Why do you think they’d be a good fit for culture shock, beyond the fact that they have a song called Culture Shock?
I think I just really love Death Grips and wanted to see how their angry music would react with the crowd at culture shock. I think people would either be really into it and scream all of DG’s songs out like banshees or they’d be like, what kind of hipster bullshit is this?
Exmiltary is one of my favorite albums of all time. The fact that they have a song named Culture Shock should give them a mandate to play the festival here. That’s hilarious. Additionally, I think it would make a lot of sill fanboys on DGTP in B-town and IU in general very happy.
Were you aware that there was such a large following for Death Grips around Bloomington? Did you expect this kind of response to your petition?
As I've become more of a part of the fandom I’ve noticed there’s an almost respectable fan base here, although I know it’s not that big of a base because a good amount of people I know refer to me as this crazy death grips Superman in passing (which is not wrong). I did not! I had my mom, high school TV teacher, ex boyfriend, etc. sign it. I got I think around almost 400 signatures if I’m right.
Are you satisfied with the fact that we at least got some sort of experimental hip hop this year at Culture Shock with Milo on the bill?
Yes, I'd say Milo is what I’m most excited for this year! Although he’s not exactly a Death Grips or H09909 experimental punk rap type performance I was sort of looking for, he’s talented and I’ve been following him for a few years.
What're your thoughts on the recent developments with the upcoming Death Grips album, Year of the Snitch? (i.e. Death Grips is Online and them collaborating with the harsh noise glass eating dude, Shrek director and Justin Chancellor from Tool)
I’m very excited for Year of the Snitch. Their album art so far for it looks like a still from the credits of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (the real art will probably be coming soon). (Update: the new album art is now out, this is what it looks like). When I heard they were collating with the director of Shrek, I almost thought I had read an onion article. I feel like this next album as a result will have more abstract imaginative concepts potentially. Tool objectively has respectable musicians in it I know but I'm not heavily into tool. Glass eating is fucking Death Grips at its finest in any sense of the phrase, hell yeah.
Lastly, do you have any memories from Culture Shock that you particularly remember fondly?
I had a blast last year. Post Animal is one of my favorite bands so I was super pumped to be front row.
Come out to Culture Shock next Saturday, April 14th in Dunn Meadow!
(04/07/18 2:06pm)
I got the chance to ask Jacob Bullard of Major Murphy a few questions earlier this week about their new record, their influences, and their upcoming set at Culture Shock. Enjoy!
1. First of all, congrats on the new record, No.1, that came out last week! From what I’ve read, it was three years in the making and was sort of your first big experience as a band moving into the studio whereas your past projects were recorded in a more D.I.Y. “bedroom” style process. Can you talk a bit about that transition and how it impacted the new record?
Thank you! We are very excited to have it out. That's true, of the 10 songs on this record, about half are some of our oldest tunes and the others are newer. We wanted to document the songs in high fidelity but at the same time try not to fuss with production too much and let it be a natural sound, so a lot of the record was recorded live.
2. Major Murphy’s sound gives off a pretty distinct 70’s rock influence. How do you feel about the recent resurgence of bands playing in this style like Temples or The Lemon Twigs rising in popularity?
I love the sound so am naturally excited to hear other bands exploring it. In some ways it does seem like a resurgence, but at the same time, I think the sounds of the 70's will never go out of vogue. I think for a lot of people that time represents a sweet spot in studio technology. There was really state of the art, hi-fi stuff being implemented but the bands and producers where still really relying on the performance of the artist to get a good sound. If you are into live drums and microphones you will end up studying the 1970's.
3. What’re some artists/records you’ve been listening to on the road for this tour?
We are all properly obsessed with the latest Sunflower Bean record. Paul Cherry's new record is great and I'm sure that will be in the rotation as well.
4. After having played at the Bishop earlier this year in January, how does it feel to be coming back to Bloomington for Culture Shock?
So excited! I have followed the festival from afar/online in years past and it always looks super fun. We are honored to be included.
5. What kind of show can people planning on coming to Culture Shock expect to see from Major Murphy?
We will be playing almost all songs from "No. 1" including songs like "Who I Will Be", "My C.C. Blues", and "When I Go Out" which haven't seen much action in the live set until now.
Major Murphy's new record "No. 1" is out now. Catch them and their soulful tunes at Culture Shock in Dunn Meadow on April 14th!
(03/31/18 9:55pm)
Rating: 6/7
Around this time last year, Phil Elverum released his ninth album under the name Mount Eerie, A Crow Looked at Me. The record documents in vivid detail the death of Elverum’s wife, Geniviéve, in 2016. Death isn’t exactly an uncommon theme within music, especially recently; from David Bowie’s Blackstar to Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie and Lowell, death has been a source of inspiration throughout both popular and indie music for as long as music has existed. It’s a subject that has been pondered and exploited time and time again, and despite how grim the music gets, most records dealing with death are still, at their very core, attempting to create art. Throughout each song on A Crow Looked at Me, one core message is reaffirmed: there’s nothing artful to be made of this experience. What listeners get from this record, if not art, is a disturbingly intimate view into the mind of a man who has seemingly already been pondering mortality throughout much of his life, and has to discover firsthand the difference between his artistic ruminations on death and “real death” itself.
I’ve considered myself a fan of Phil’s work for several years now. In fact, I often cite The Glow Pt 2 (released in 2001 under his now-defunct project The Microphones) as my favorite album of all time. Still, even I admittedly avoided A Crow Looked at Me for weeks after its release. After listening to it for the first time, my day was predictably ruined. To be honest, nothing could have prepared me for that record. I’d revisit it every few months over the year, and each time I’d be struck not only by the raw and heartbreaking lyricism, but by the considerable compositional merit of the record. Despite how quickly the album was made and the flow-of-consciousness style of songwriting present throughout the whole thing, the songs are individually memorable in their own right. Of course, it’s Phil’s immeasurable struggle and its portrayal throughout A Crow Looked at Me that has cemented it as one of the most iconic records in the Mount Eerie discography.
So that leaves us in 2018, with the new Mount Eerie project, Now Only. Oddly enough, it begins in the same way Crow does: with a major chord. “I sing to you”, Elverum addresses his wife; in conjunction with the harrowing line “death is real” that starts off the last record, it sets somewhat of a different tone. If Crow was an immediate reaction to Geneviève’s death, Now Only is a reflection of Phil’s spiraling thoughts that have only grown more convoluted with time. The tone of this record compared to the last is ultimately decided by its grand realization: death is not only real, but also permanent.
Now Only brings necessary context not only to Phil’s relationship with his late wife, but to his relationship with death in general. On the second track, “Distortion”, he recounts his past encounters with mortality. Elverum provides flashbacks of his childhood where he first considered the true meaning of someone being gone, and whether that is necessarily defined by death. This is a topic that has been prevalent throughout much of Phil’s work in the past: what is the true end of human consciousness?
It is eventually revealed that Geneviève was actually only the second dead body he’d seen in his life, after only a great grandfather whose death didn’t leave him particularly disillusioned (that is, until he saw his open coffin). Despite having been someone who’d philosophized on the meaning of death for much of his artistic career, Phil essentially shares here that nothing is as blunt and unforgiving as witnessing death in its physical form. He clarifies in the opening lines of “Distortion” that he doesn’t believe in ghosts, but he knows that he’s still singing to Geneviève, because she still exists in his thoughts.
Similar to its predecessor, much of the lyricism on Now Only is delivered in a flow-of-consciousness style, making it especially moving when Elverum delivers the occasional vocal harmony as each song builds tension. These harmonies, combined with the extra layers of instrumentation, make much of this record feel closer to the more fleshed-out material he released on past Mount Eerie and Microphone records. It often functions as another layer of dissonance, conflicting with the raw and bleak proclamations on the record, particularly on the title track of the record, where the refrain very matter-of-factly talks about different ways people can die, backed by an oddly poppy guitar and drum progression.
All in all, Now Only is another fascinating and harrowing look into Phil Elverum’s thoughts, as he continues to openly share his experiences that are unimaginable to many. This album not only conveys the depression associated with loss, but also the curiosity and confusion that comes along with it, especially when there’s a wide societal expectation that one must “move on” eventually. It would be unfair to consider either A Crow Looked at Me or Now Only as simply “death” records; that logic would simply treat death as a monolithic event rather than as a concept with multiple angles.
Beyond life and death, this record contemplates existence. On “Crow, Pt 2.”, the record’s final track, Phil recounts all of the places and objects in in which he still feels his wife, and ends up coming back to reminding himself that she’s no longer present in his world. There is a particularly paradoxical element to this record in that it reinforces the fact that death isn’t poetic, yet through music it depicts true loss in ways that few other records can. It feels somehow wrong to say that I look forward to the next Mount Eerie record; in fact, I’ll probably avoid it for a few weeks like I did the last two. That’s not to say both Crow and Now Only aren’t beautiful or essential records; if anything, it speaks to Phil Elverum’s ability to recreate a world of tragic and uncomfortable reality.
(02/25/18 7:01pm)
Rating: 6/7
In July last summer, I attended Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, and on the final day of the fest I was faced with a classic festival dilemma: ending the day with a set from emo math rock legends American Football or with a set from eclectic experimental producer Nicolas Jaar. While I…appreciate American Football’s one good album they released almost two decades ago, I figured Jaar’s set would be one of the more energetic and lively shows I could experience at a festival mostly known for showcasing acclaimed (by Pitchfork) indie music, so I opted with the latter.
In a sense, I made the right choice; Jaar’s set was surely the more energetic and “danceable” option of the two. It wasn’t, however, exactly what I expected it to be, even as someone with some degree of familiarity with his music. Unlike most electronic festival sets, Jaar didn’t cycle through his catalog and simply provide an hour of buildups and drops, nor did he ask anyone to “put their hands up” or really interact with the crowd at all. The first twenty minutes of his show was essentially one long, intense buildup, a subtly pulsating sound blanket of ambient noise leading to one of the most satisfying peaks I think I’ll ever experience live. It was easily one of my favorite sets of the entire festival, and solidified Jaar’s place for me as one of few producers whose individual works each deserve my immediate attention.
And yet, despite this resolution I made to closely follow each of Nicolas Jaar’s upcoming projects, this latest album of his completely fell through the cracks for me until I saw Pitchfork mention it a week after its release. To be fair, Jaar didn’t really do much to advertise it: there was no social media hype, no singles leading up to its release, and most importantly, it was released under a different moniker most are probably unfamiliar with as of now: Against All Logic (A.A.L). Projects under his own name and his side band Darkside have garnered considerable buzz in the past, so to see this new album debut so quietly is perplexing, to say the least. Whoever was in charge of promoting this release truly did a terrible job, and it’s a shame, because 2012-2017 is one of the most refreshing experimental electronic albums to come out in recent memory.
Based on the title, one would assume that 2012-2017 is simply a collection of loose ideas from an endlessly tinkering producer who didn’t know what to do with them. However, much like the similarly titled Selected Ambient Works 85-92 from legendary electronic mastermind Aphex Twin (who Jaar clearly takes inspiration from), this record is less a scrapbook of sketches and more a collection of tracks that represent the versatility of Jaar’s sound. Past projects like Space is Only Noise or Sirens released under is name worked well to capture a specific aesthetic, with all the tracks flowing into each other to fill out a sense of consistency. Listening to this record in one sitting makes it clear why he chose to release it under a different name; it is meant to be appreciated in a completely different context than the work he has come to be known for.
However, 2012-2017 isn’t necessarily uncharted territory for the Brown-educated Chilean producer. After all, he broke into the mainstream as a techno producer, with early hits like “Mi Mujer” or “El Bandido” still accumulating significantly more plays than songs from the experimental albums that have garnered him critical acclaim. This collection of tracks is certainly more accessible than his most recent releases, but also incorporates the experimentation most would now expect from a Nicolas Jaar project. Take, for example, the opening track, “This Old House is All I Have”. It starts with a distorted vocal sample, moved along by noisy bursts of what appear to be pretty heavily processed brass hits, seamlessly transitioning into a guitar driven soul groove. These heavy bass thuds continue throughout the track, and certainly clash with the smooth instrumentation, adding an odd sense of urgency to what would have otherwise been an enjoyable but forgettable beat. Jaar walks the line between danceability and experimentation throughout much of the record, but for the most part, the grooves in 2012-2017 are undeniable.
While it isn’t Jaar’s most cohesive project, 2012-2017 is yet another addition to the discography of a producer who not only is dead set on mastering his craft to the fullest extent, but can also have fun while doing it. Those who may find his other work pretentious or patience-testing would likely still understand the appeal of this record. There’s really not much to dislike about it; it’s a record which doesn’t really try to reinvent the wheel, but simultaneously brings more life and flavor to a genre which many would argue is becoming (or has been) more and more uniform.
(01/26/18 4:18pm)
Few, if any rock bands were as prolific in 2017 as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. At the end of 2016, after coming out with one of their most well-received records, Nonagon Infinity, they announced that they had quite the ambitious plan for the next year: releasing five full-length albums. Although they cut it close, they followed through on this promise, coming out with Gumboot Soup on December 30th. Each of these albums gave fans of the band a different flavor of their versatile sound, and this run solidified King Gizz as one of the most prominent acts in the ever-growing Australian rock scene. Of course, given how many stylistic changes the band went through with each of these records, there are many differing opinions as to how they stack up to the rest of their rather lengthy discography. Here are mine.
5. Murder of the Universe
Rating: 4/7
The final chapter of the “Nonagon Trilogy”, Murder of the Universe is reminiscent in sound and structure to 2016’s Nonagon Infinity, which many consider to be the group’s magnum opus. The record is split into three sections, each of them serving as plot points in this saga. I certainly could credit this record as being the band’s most ambitious effort of 2017; between each song’s breakneck pace, the intricate storyline, and the recurring melodic motifs, it is clear that somehow, King Gizz managed to put aside a great deal of time and attention to detail into Murder of the Universe. However, as meticulous and dense this record is, often times it feels like the band bit off a bit more than they could chew, so to speak.
Although it certainly flows well from song to song, it feels less like an album and more like an attempt at a psychedelic rock odyssey of sorts. It ends up being a pretty exhausting listen as a whole, especially when a good deal of the album’s runtime is taken up by spoken word passages. Although the melodic themes on Murder are interesting and are delivered in the typically fiery and energetic fashion we have come to expect from the band, there simply aren’t enough of them. While I think “Altered Beast” and “Lord of Lightning” are great ideas on their own and I’m sure they’re brilliant in a live setting, those two songs make up essentially 70% of the album, and the line “Altered Beast, Alter Me” loses its impact by the thirtieth time it comes up.
4. Gumboot Soup
Rating: 4.5/7
For an album which was essentially advertised as a collection of B-sides, there are a surprising amount of solid cuts that turn up on King Gizz’s final album of 2017. In fact, at times this feels more like a collection of singles that didn’t make their way onto either of the previous four albums. However, there is definitely a sense of which songs were left off of which albums: the chill, jazzy grooves of “The Last Oasis” and “The Wheel” indicate that they were clearly recorded during the Sketches of Brunswick East sessions, while the microtonal guitar lead on “All is Known” would really only have fit on Flying Microtonal Banana, and so on. In this sense, the band’s greatest strength is their downfall on this record, as there’s predictably not much in terms of flow throughout the tracklisting due to a lack of consistency in sound. If I were to want to show someone a “sampler” of what the band is capable of, I might recommend this album. While I might come back to hear individual tracks, especially highlights like “Beginner’s Luck” or “Muddy Water”, I doubt that I’ll be revisiting Gumboot Soup often for a holistic album experience.
3. Polygondwanaland
Rating: 5/7
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard opted to go in an In Rainbows-esque route on Polygondwanaland, releasing it completely for free on their website. They took this process a step further, encouraging fans to come together and create their own physical versions of the record, whether through tapes, CDs or even D.I.Y. vinyl LP production. Though it might be a bit of a stretch, I sort of see Polygondwanaland to have a similar place in King Gizz’s discography as In Rainbows does in Radiohead’s. Following a run of vastly different records, this offering is familiar (especially to fans of earlier records such as Quarters) yet continues to show subtle signs of progression and experimentation.
The incorporation of synthesizers on this record is a welcome one, and gives it a unique timbre throughout. The instrumental passages on Poly are as captivating as they are dense, with an interesting mix of the aforementioned synthetic sounds with acoustic guitars and layered flutes. Most of all, it’s astounding that on their fourth proper record of 2017, the band managed to come up with songs that were this well developed. Crumbling Castle is essentially everything great about this band put into one track. The stirring buildup of Inner Cell leading into the next two tracks is one of the most gratifying musical moments the band produced all year. The record reaches a bit of a lull nearing the end, but at its best, Polygondwanaland certainly holds up to the standard of the rest of the band’s discography.
2. Sketches of Brunswick East
Rating: 5/7
A few months after releasing Murder of the Universe, one of the band’s heaviest records, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard came out with something...different. Sketches of Brunswick East was some of the most relaxed music the band has put out. A collaboration with Mild High Club brought a record clearly influenced by jazz and soul. There are zero “YEEUP”s on this record, which seems to be either the album’s greatest strength or weakness, depending on what kind of fan you are. Despite a lack of intensity on Sketches, there is very much a sense of direction. The songs are all individually pleasant and inoffensive, but they’re all just arranged so tastefully that it’s practically guilt-free.
While the bass guitar has always been a vital part of King Gizz’s sound in the past, on this record it seems to almost take the front seat at times, and Stu Mackenzie’s vocals are used more as additional layers of instrumentation. This is particularly prominent on songs like “Cranes, Planes, and Migraines” or “Dusk to Dawn on Lygon Street”. Overall, it’s a refreshing sound, and shows that these workaholic Australians can groove just as well as they can rock.
1. Flying Microtonal Banana
Rating: 6/7
At the end of 2016, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard came out with “Rattlesnake”, the lead single off of their upcoming album titled Flying Microtonal Banana. The record, as the title suggests, would be an experiment in microtonal tuning, inspired by traditional Turkish music played on a microtonal guitar. To record an entire album under this condition would mean that each of the band’s seven members (yes, including both drummers) would have to modify their instruments to include microtonal frets. Was all this effort to make music with instruments that sound ever so slightly detuned worth it?
Yes. Yes it was. Like many of King Gizz’s best albums, Flying Microtonal Banana is at its very core a concept album. However, rather than having songs be interconnected through some recurring melodic theme or through an over-the-top fantastical plot involving altered beasts and vomit coffins, the songs are connected by this tonal challenge the band set for themselves. In fact, while there is a consistent sound to this record, each song stands on its own without flowing into the next one, which, oddly enough, is a bit of an anomaly for a King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard album at this point.
While “microtonal exploration” may seem like a gimmick of sorts, it actually works more as another dimension to a sound which may have otherwise sounded stale. There is a great sense of space throughout the record; the songs are individually minimalistic in structure, but capitalize on moments of sonic bliss. Whether they’re delivering seven-minute jams like “Rattlesnake” or “Open Water” or tight shorter cuts like “Billabong Valley” or “Nuclear Fusion”, each song seems to hold equal weight in the tracklisting. While the microtonal experimentation could have been taken a level further, this was such a compelling collection of songs that it didn’t hinder the quality of the album.
Although the band has not yet announced any new material coming out this year, if 2017 is any indication, there’s still much to be excited about in this band’s future.
(12/18/17 1:19am)
Released: 11/23
Rating: 5/7
Preview: Björk is back with another album full of emotion and lush soundscapes.
There are few artists on this planet who have a voice and style as characteristic to them as Björk. Over the span of her four decade career, her presence and influence in the realm of avant-garde and experimental pop music is indisputable. Two years following Vulnicura, an album of heartbreak and orchestral overtones, Björk returns with Utopia, a record similarly full of emotion and lush soundscapes.
Much of this new record may feel familiar to fans of Vulnicura. Just as last time, Utopia is co-produced by Arca, whose odd and disorienting instrumentals and sound effects are unmistakably present throughout the album. Utopia is also similarly intimate and isolated; the lyrics stay at the forefront while the instrumentals function to complement the thematic concept of the album.
The narrative of this new album is essentially the distinctive aspect that separates it from her previous recent work. While Vulnicura was presented as an album of loss, centered around her breakup with longtime partner Matthew Barney, Utopia is an album of rediscovery, focused on filling that void. The result is a record of restless introspection, and an exploration of human feelings.
For the most part, this record doesn’t disappoint. At its best, Björk’s passionate vocal delivery seamlessly blends with the abstract and ambitious instrumentation to generate some of her most captivating performances in recent memory. As in much of Björk’s discography, the musical arrangements on Utopia are comprised of a combination of organic and synthetic sounds. The most recognizable sounds that appear consistently throughout are that of flutes and birdsong, and even so, there are moments where the listener may find themselves wondering whether they just heard actual animate noises or some artificial bastardization of the real thing.
The lyrical content on Utopia is particularly enthralling. Even though they aren’t necessarily always particularly verbose or complex, Björk’s delivery often carries as much weight as the words themselves. This is most clearly displayed on tracks such as “The Gate”, where the refrain is comprised of what would usually be considered a banal or primitive hook:
“And I care for you, care for you, care for you, care for you”
Despite the fact that these words are not unlike ones you might find in any given top 40 song, the sincerity in Björk’s voice is undeniable. Given the context of the album, these lyrics raise not only the question of Björk’s specific infatuation for the subject of the song, but also what it truly means to care for someone. These proclamations of care are further reinforced by rushes of flourishing synthesizers that build in intensity as the song progresses, and as the lyrics move between “I care for you” and “You care for me”.
While moments of bliss like these are plentiful throughout the album, there are definitely parts of Utopia that may test the patience of some listeners. Take, for example, “Features Creatures”, which appears towards the middle of the tracklisting. Björk contemplates the “statistics of (her) mind”, commenting on how different features of people she encounters on the street remind her of a lover, and the strange feeling of each encounter bringing her closer to love. It’s certainly an amusing and thought-provoking concept, but after several listens, I still wasn’t really convinced that it warranted a track that was almost entirely a capella, with the exception of some ambient sounds and flutes that appear three minutes in.
Despite the fact that many songs on Utopia are individually interesting or compelling, there is a certain meandering quality to the album as a whole. It runs for 76 minutes, which doesn’t really seem justified given the lack of drastic variation from song to song. While the inclusion of flutes and birdsong in almost every song brings an element of consistency, there are some moments where they seem slightly superfluous, namely on interludes like “Paradisia” or the first minute of the title track, both of which could have easily been cut without compromising the feel or instrumental balance of the album.
This isn’t necessarily entirely the fault of Björk, however, as many of my reservations with Utopia lie in its production, in which Arca played a large part. Arca’s self-titled LP which came out earlier this year similarly showed a masterful understanding of sound design and texture, but a lack of structural awareness, ultimately resulting in a record that was intriguing, but not extremely memorable. Björk’s fiery performances alone make this an album worth revisiting, but there were definitely moments which could have been sharpened or omitted entirely.
Despite its flaws, Utopia is still a Björk album at the end of the day; her passion for creating imaginative and genre-pushing music is as present as ever, and the fact that she’s still managing to come out with a fresh sound multiple decades into her solo career is commendable in itself. Tracks such as the epic nine-minute “Body Memory” or the energetic opener “Arisen My Senses” prove that she’s still more than capable of translating her wandering ideas into the sonic odysseys she’s been known to deliver in the past. Overall, Utopia should stand as a solid and worthwhile addition to Björk’s discography.
(10/05/17 6:12pm)
4/7
Released 9/21/2017
Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a band whose sound is often characterized to be as arduous and prodigious as their name. For the past two decades, their cinematic brand of post-rock has established them as one of the most popular and acclaimed groups in the genre. Records such as F#A# Infinity (1996) or Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (2000) are almost undeniably classics, essentially paving the way for a different form of experimentation within rock music. Over the years, Godspeed has been known to be a band whose music carries social and political themes, despite their songs typically being almost completely instrumental. These themes are usually subtle enough that one could appreciate these albums based solely on their musical merit, but apparent enough upon further analysis, especially after some research on each album’s artwork and visual imagery used in their live shows.
For better or for worse, Godspeed essentially threw any shred of subtlety out the window in the weeks leading up to the release of Luciferian Towers. A press release posted by the band on the fourth of July (!) provides “context” for each of the four compositions on this new record. The listeners are informed that the opening track,"Undoing a Luciferian Towers", is intended to bring about imagery of a fallen skyline, build from “big lazy money writ in dull marble obelisks”. “Fam/Famine”, the third track, is meant to signify the deaths caused (or ignored) by an “arbitrary meritocracy”. Before signing off as “God’s pee”, the band concludes the release with a set of “grand demands” that informed this LP:
“
an end to foreign invasions
an end to borders
the total dismantling of the prison-industrial complex
healthcare, housing, food and water acknowledged as an inalienable human right
the expert fuckers who broke this world never get to speak again
“
Needless to say, the intentions of this record are blatant and bold. In this current political climate, did anyone really expect that an overtly political band like Godspeed would stay quiet? Of course not. We all knew that Godspeed would come out with what would probably be their darkest release yet; modern post-rock at its angriest and most intense.
Is that what we received? Well…not exactly. Upon my first listen, I had no knowledge of the specific “context” behind each of the songs, and was immediately struck by how oddly hopeful this album sounded in comparison to their past few releases. “Undoing a Luciferian Towers” starts off with a very long and dark buildup, with increasingly menacing and dissonant layers of instrumentation added throughout, until around the 7 minute mark, when a soaring and almost anthemic guitar lead comes in to resolve the chaos, ending the track on an eerily positive note. It was quite a cathartic way to start a seemingly pessimistic album. Perhaps this tone is presented cynically, as though this apocalypse being crafted is reinterpreted at the last minute as the making of something “great” (again). Even then, that’s probably a stretch.
From a purely musical standpoint, it is clear that Luciferian Towers is Godspeed at their most accessible. As the record starts gaining some momentum, there are points at which the band delves into straight jam territory, such as at the end of "Bosses Hang, pt. III", or "Anthem for No State, pt. III”. These parts get loud, sure, and have a constant, driving melodic theme, but there still seems to be somewhat of a lack of abrasiveness or fury, especially considering the grand statement the band intended this record to make.
That being said, this is still an album with many redeeming qualities, and it is by no means a poor effort from the Montreal collective. There are definitely points on this record where Godspeed plays to their strengths. “Anthem for No State” is a highlight, showcasing the band’s ability to develop rich and resonant textures to form the cinematic sound they’re known for. The orchestration on most of the tracks should be commended, especially with how strings and percussion are implemented to thicken the overall sound. It’s one of the more instrumentally dense records I’ve heard from the band, which mostly works in their favor.
Luciferian Towers is an enjoyable album overall, which works both as the record’s greatest strength and weakness; each composition on its own has musical merit, but compared to other Godspeed albums, there isn’t much room for interpretation or patience required of the listener. Records such as F#A# Infinity or Lift Your Skinny Fists are records that most people learn to appreciate after a few listens, drawing their own conclusions along the way. Luciferian Towers is by no means a standard rock album, but in comparison to Godspeed’s best work, it’s a pretty easily digestible listen. I would still recommend it to fans of the band or people looking to get into post-rock, but I wouldn’t consider this to be one of the better records in Godspeed’s discography by any means.