danshoebridge

Now it’s been out for a couple of weeks, what’s everyone’s thoughts on the Helsinki soundboard? I’ve given it a fair few listens - at this point I find it equally amazing and frustrating. First 10 minutes work as a great intro to their current sound – you can hear echos of Exai, Elseq, NTS and PLUS (not so much from SIGN though) but it sounds very different as well. The way everything mutates and transitions from one bar to the next is nuts. After the 10 minute mark it starts to get increasingly tiring though, there’s nothing melodically to hold on to, the pitched elements all sound like they are playing in different keys. Notes are queasily sliding about and by the time the watery bass comes in at 18 minutes the structure kind of collapses as well. By the 30 minute mark I find it genuinely unpleasant to listen to, something about the lead sliding about with the weird ascending percussion (C16 deep tread patch? Much prefer the Elseq version if so). But around 45 minutes it pulls out of the tailspin, things start to fall into place, it no longer sounds like 3 songs playing at once. The section that starts at 48 minutes is one of the best things they’ve done IMO, all these parts locking together yet constantly shifting, the way it segues into the next section with all the synth shards at 55 minutes is stunning. Most of the whole last third of the set is top-tier stuff really. Must have sucked live that this was where the speakers blew out. Overall definitely looking forward to the full soundboard release – second Barbican set also sounds great in places from the audience recordings. I’ll probably have to edit some bits out though if I’m going to keep coming back to them. Maybe with Covid delaying their original tour, this set has now been worked over so much that parts are impenetrable for mere mortals like myself?

Yeah the second half of the second set sounds pretty amazing, nice clear mic recording too - there's just more to 'latch' on to, more dynamics, it's just the sort of dark punchy stuff I was hoping for. I feel like I was at the wrong show damnit... Definitely looking forward to the release of this set.

1st set was very close to the Helsinki set - seemed to hit all the same points with the same overall structure. It sounded harder and more aggressive but that could have just been the volume.

Yeah I couldn't say I actually enjoyed it. It was an experience I guess.

I'm finding this one pretty hard going TBH. There's some bits (especially around the 50-60 minute mark) where it really comes together, but there's also large stretches that definitely test your endurance. Seeing them tomorrow with 3 friends who aren't fully signed up ae headz (more 'autechre-curious' I guess). God knows what they're going to make of it. I suspect I'll be buying a few rounds afterwards as I talked them into it.

It's fair that the guy's getting recognition for the original sample. As you can hear apart from the drums and a change in one beat of the rhythm, Xtal musically is basically what we created That's obvious bullshit though, both main synth melodies, bass and drums are all RDJ unless I'm missing something.

Yeah I can appreciate not wanting to be in a photograph. That said I know a couple of people who met TJ on separate occasions and both report he behaved like a dickhead.

Yeah I noticed on the press release for the reissues there's something along the lines of 'I haven't forgotten about O and F!'. Cosmos is over 15 years old now FFS. Still, nice to pick up remembranza on vinyl, that's always been my favourite of his.

Cycles 10 is actually hitting the spot at the moment. One track in particular but all the names are practically the same which makes it difficult to remember.

That question mark in the headline there... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines#:~:text=A headline with a question,%2C preferably%2C a national panic.

Saw the onesix concert at Royal Festival Hall and that material worked very well as a seated gig. Depends on the new live set I guess, if it's non stop bangers then seated doesn't really work. They're also playing festivals though? Hopefully they'll be changing up the set to suit the venue.

2 on the same day? Second one is afternoon I'm guessing... How many hardcore fans will be going to both?

Picked up 4 tickets, that massive queue made me worry but went from 124 to 0 in about 5mins. Looking forwards to Zoviet France as well. Definite step up from the usual Russell Haswell support slot.

Yeah only a couple of listens in but this is a great LP. I do like that Geir is always trying something new, not every one hits the same but he still knocks it out the park every few albums. Early days but this could be up there with Substrata, Shenzhou and Dropsonde, reminds me of N-Plants in places but much more interesting.

Nice, picked up a few bits from there - good to hear Mike's still knocking stuff out. Had many a good time at the Colony records nights he used to run in Shepherd's Bush.

Sounds good but £11 for a digital album is way too much.

The While EP has actually held up pretty well, first time hearing it in a few years but it certainly beats a lot of the Chiastic-alikes from around the same time. Crunch LP still sounds great, really enjoyed listening to the flacs on some decent headphones. Any other releases in there worth picking up? Already got Disctruction, MAS confusion, Marion & the Funkstorung remix LPs.

For UK folks, looks like Boomkat has some copies of all 3 volumes in. Probably not for long... https://boomkat.com/artists/topdown-dialectic?q[format]=Vinyl

Used to be an instabuy but this time I think I'll wait to hear it first. Every Burial 12 I've picked up from Rival Dealer onwards has ended up on Discogs.

There's been no new album admittedly but 2021 has still been a pretty good year to be a Seefeel fan.

Would be nice if the represses made it to the UK as well, postage from the US is just nuts at the moment.

Maybe I can convince the wife to get heroically stoned with me while I blast out Chiastic and look at the vinyl artwork, just like old times. This is going to be a tough sell though.

Norman have the reissues up - just Chiastic and LP5 though, no Confield.

Nice, wasn't aware of this. All of the stuff on his bandcamp page is a bit daunting but the DAT collections are always worth a listen - this one was an instant buy. Also has anyone noticed the 'gescom' DAT in the photos he uses for these comps? Listening to his stuff from around this time (and considering his autechre links) he could definitely be a contributor...

Yeah Elseq in its current form is kind of all over the place and one of their weaker releases (for me anyway). Cutting and editing it into a more standard format (like an LP and accompanying EP) puts it right up there with their best though.