Jazz Pianist Vijay Iyer Reviews Tomorrow's Harvest

[LimpyLoo]

Nah

[mcbpete]

sounds like music in a loading screen in the sims. or what would play in the mind of a sentient toyota prius.

SimCityCore

[luke viia]

 

lol fuck this guy, wow

 

 

The playful nihilism of the early years, that winning formula that made BoC the electronica equivalent of Johnny Depp, so endearingly blank that everyone liked them, has seemingly given way to some grim self-seriousness and dreary melodrama. Maybe they could hire a sassy young intern to click and drag files around for them, update their Facebook page, keep the work atmosphere a little more fun and alive? Or maybe they could just break the formula a little and actually sing a song, strum some guitar, make an actual chase sequence, hire some blazing virtuoso drummer to light a fire under them, or something.

 

can't bother to read the whole review but i kinda agree with this sentiment. you guys take it so fucking serious and at face value, where here the guy is right - boc play it safe and i don't think he literally means for them to sing a song. but just do something out of their comfort zone. TH and CH both suffer from that.

 

 

the review is only about a page long, go ahead and read it, lol

 

and nah, he's not right, he's being a smarmy cunt just like we are imo. sorry if my "criticism" came off too serious, i'll use more emoticons next time

 

sounds like music in a loading screen in the sims. or what would play in the mind of a sentient toyota prius.

SimCityCore

 

 

also lol.

[Nebraska]

Is it a requirement to be overly verbose when reviewing music these days? Some of these guys take forever to say nothing.

 

i'm sure they have to be above a certain word count. i don't mind his writing. i get how it can be cringeworthy/pitchforky, but he's just trying to give himself a sense of identity so it's not "just another reviewer"

[sheatheman]

 

sounds like music in a loading screen in the sims. or what would play in the mind of a sentient toyota prius.

SimCityCore

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs5QGN-zhwM

 

He does this EXACT progression. Jamming Mixolydian.

 

I love piano music like that. Nothing wrong at all. He just needs to be playing by himself in a corporate atrium in Seattle.

[khov]

The dude is right : i love Boards of canada & i like the new album, but the Autechre AAA thread had this interesting quote from Sean saying (regarding music in general) that it's better to leave the "comfort zone" for a while, something Autechre are doing perfectly (just compare Oversteps to Exai to the Hafler trio collab) while BoC repeats themselves an awful lot on T.Harvest. I like the album but there are like dozens of moments/tracks when i have this déjà vu feelings.

[apriorion]

No way; fuck that. It's good for some artists to get outside their comfort zone, but that's not a recipe that works for everyone. BOC are so good at what they do--they should just do what they want.

 

And that Jazz Review Man still sucks. He has such an arrogant yuppie twat confidence that makes me want to barf all over his Vulvo V40.

 

Jazz Hands!

[lumpenprol]

No way; fuck that. It's good for some artists to get outside their comfort zone, but that's not a recipe that works for everyone. BOC are so good at what they do--they should just do what they want.

 

And that Jazz Review Man still sucks. He has such an arrogant yuppie twat confidence that makes me want to barf all over his Vulvo V40.

 

Jazz Hands!

 

completely agree, I like tearing this phoney a new a-hole, but unfortunately TH is still pretty weak.

[MadameChaos]

yeah man i mean, why don't they sing a song or hire a sassy jazz drumming intern ffs?

 

 

why?

why?

why?

why?

why?

why?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sheatheman]

^^^LOL^^^

 

Also, Tomorrows Harvest is not weak, It's perfect.

 

 

It's better than Exai.

 

[Joyrex]

I just caught wind of this "review" - pretentious twat climbs up his own arsehole, pics at 11. Move along, nothing to see here.

[LimpyLoo]

nothing to see here.

 

Well, except for the dude climbing up his own arshole.

 

*sets Tivo to 11pm*

[Candiru]

^^^LOL^^^

 

Also, Tomorrows Harvest is not weak, It's perfect.

 

 

It's better than Exai.

 

 

Ludicrous.

 

 

Exai eats tomorrows harvest alive, then shits it out, eats it again, shits it out again, eats it again, shits it out again... it's unfair that they were even released in the same year so that they would inevitably be compared

 

[lumpenprol]

Exai certainly beats the living crap out of TH. I don't even think Exai is Ae's top album, but it sounds like it came from a passionate and "musically generous" place, like they were overflowing with creativity. To me TH sounds too bloodless and labored over, almost every track feels like it was intended to be an opening or closing track, to be grandiose; it's hard to find an emotional core in the music, or much surprising experimentation. There is a nice stretch in the middle of the album, it's just not quite enough to sell me on the album as a whole.

 

It also seems part of problem was intentional, with the whole "we made the tracks deliberately short, the way tracks often get cut off on a soundtrack." Well, guess what, that has always pissed me off about soundtracks, too.

 

Strangely, Exai comes across as a more psychedelic album than TH, imo.

[sheatheman]

Exai certainly beats the living crap out of TH. I don't even think Exai is Ae's top album, but it sounds like it came from a passionate and "musically generous" place, like they were overflowing with creativity. To me TH sounds too bloodless and labored over, almost every track feels like it was intended to be an opening or closing track, to be grandiose; it's hard to find an emotional core in the music, or much surprising experimentation. There is a nice stretch in the middle of the album, it's just not quite enough to sell me on the album as a whole.

 

It also seems part of problem was intentional, with the whole "we made the tracks deliberately short, the way tracks often get cut off on a soundtrack." Well, guess what, that has always pissed me off about soundtracks, too.

 

Strangely, Exai comes across as a more psychedelic album than TH, imo.

 

When I say YOU, I'm not speaking to anyone directly, just anyone that disagrees with me.

 

Exai has no narrative. Tomorrow's Harvest does. Past AE albums have, like Quaristice. Exai has brilliant moments, but most people fail in their reasoning as they leap to praise it just because it does FM stuff that you think is really cool and futuristic and you wish you could do it too.

 

It abandons melody for technique and provocativeness for difficulty. I don't dislike it, but if Exai is really the greatest musical statement you can think of recently, then I really wonder what you feel/think of when you listen to music.

 

Listening to BoC for psychedelia is a very surface, stoner notion. Thinking that psychedelia is good just because it's "good music to take drugs to" is also quite shallow.

 

 

Besides, if Exai is so much better, why isn't it still the WATMM theme? It's obviously a sign.

[LimpyLoo]

I wanna squirt jazz on Vijay Iyer's face.

[lumpenprol]

 

Exai certainly beats the living crap out of TH. I don't even think Exai is Ae's top album, but it sounds like it came from a passionate and "musically generous" place, like they were overflowing with creativity. To me TH sounds too bloodless and labored over, almost every track feels like it was intended to be an opening or closing track, to be grandiose; it's hard to find an emotional core in the music, or much surprising experimentation. There is a nice stretch in the middle of the album, it's just not quite enough to sell me on the album as a whole.

 

It also seems part of problem was intentional, with the whole "we made the tracks deliberately short, the way tracks often get cut off on a soundtrack." Well, guess what, that has always pissed me off about soundtracks, too.

 

Strangely, Exai comes across as a more psychedelic album than TH, imo.

 

When I say YOU, I'm not speaking to anyone directly, just anyone that disagrees with me.

 

Exai has no narrative. Tomorrow's Harvest does. Past AE albums have, like Quaristice. Exai has brilliant moments, but most people fail in their reasoning as they leap to praise it just because it does FM stuff that you think is really cool and futuristic and you wish you could do it too.

 

It abandons melody for technique and provocativeness for difficulty. I don't dislike it, but if Exai is really the greatest musical statement you can think of recently, then I really wonder what you feel/think of when you listen to music.

 

Listening to BoC for psychedelia is a very surface, stoner notion. Thinking that psychedelia is good just because it's "good music to take drugs to" is also quite shallow.

 

 

Besides, if Exai is so much better, why isn't it still the WATMM theme? It's obviously a sign.

 

 

lol really? Quaristice is the most "narrative free" sounding of all Ae albums.

 

also thanks for telling me what my definition of psychedelic is, unfortunately you were far off mark. Has nothing to do with "good music to take drugs to".

[baph]

I wanna squirt jazz on Vijay Iyer's face.

all up in his Vijay-jay

 

Edit: wait, why would you do this?

[LimpyLoo]

 

I wanna squirt jazz on Vijay Iyer's face.

all up in his Vijay-jay

 

Edit: wait, why would you do this?

 

 

 

I was attempting pun-based humor, but apparently it's not a humor.

[DerWaschbar]

Mark Mothersbaug is p good idk what you guys are on about.

[Alcofribas]

 

I wanna squirt jazz on Vijay Iyer's face.

all up in his Vijay-jay

 

Edit: wait, why would you do this?

flol

[MadameChaos]

 

 

Exai certainly beats the living crap out of TH. I don't even think Exai is Ae's top album, but it sounds like it came from a passionate and "musically generous" place, like they were overflowing with creativity. To me TH sounds too bloodless and labored over, almost every track feels like it was intended to be an opening or closing track, to be grandiose; it's hard to find an emotional core in the music, or much surprising experimentation. There is a nice stretch in the middle of the album, it's just not quite enough to sell me on the album as a whole.

 

It also seems part of problem was intentional, with the whole "we made the tracks deliberately short, the way tracks often get cut off on a soundtrack." Well, guess what, that has always pissed me off about soundtracks, too.

 

Strangely, Exai comes across as a more psychedelic album than TH, imo.

 

When I say YOU, I'm not speaking to anyone directly, just anyone that disagrees with me.

 

Exai has no narrative. Tomorrow's Harvest does. Past AE albums have, like Quaristice. Exai has brilliant moments, but most people fail in their reasoning as they leap to praise it just because it does FM stuff that you think is really cool and futuristic and you wish you could do it too.

 

It abandons melody for technique and provocativeness for difficulty. I don't dislike it, but if Exai is really the greatest musical statement you can think of recently, then I really wonder what you feel/think of when you listen to music.

 

Listening to BoC for psychedelia is a very surface, stoner notion. Thinking that psychedelia is good just because it's "good music to take drugs to" is also quite shallow.

 

 

Besides, if Exai is so much better, why isn't it still the WATMM theme? It's obviously a sign.

 

 

lol really? Quaristice is the most "narrative free" sounding of all Ae albums.

 

also thanks for telling me what my definition of psychedelic is, unfortunately you were far off mark. Has nothing to do with "good music to take drugs to".

 

there's only one way to settle this. BOC and Autechre have to fight each other. JR can you organise this?

[sheatheman]

 

 

Exai certainly beats the living crap out of TH. I don't even think Exai is Ae's top album, but it sounds like it came from a passionate and "musically generous" place, like they were overflowing with creativity. To me TH sounds too bloodless and labored over, almost every track feels like it was intended to be an opening or closing track, to be grandiose; it's hard to find an emotional core in the music, or much surprising experimentation. There is a nice stretch in the middle of the album, it's just not quite enough to sell me on the album as a whole.

 

It also seems part of problem was intentional, with the whole "we made the tracks deliberately short, the way tracks often get cut off on a soundtrack." Well, guess what, that has always pissed me off about soundtracks, too.

 

Strangely, Exai comes across as a more psychedelic album than TH, imo.

 

When I say YOU, I'm not speaking to anyone directly, just anyone that disagrees with me.

 

Exai has no narrative. Tomorrow's Harvest does. Past AE albums have, like Quaristice. Exai has brilliant moments, but most people fail in their reasoning as they leap to praise it just because it does FM stuff that you think is really cool and futuristic and you wish you could do it too.

 

It abandons melody for technique and provocativeness for difficulty. I don't dislike it, but if Exai is really the greatest musical statement you can think of recently, then I really wonder what you feel/think of when you listen to music.

 

Listening to BoC for psychedelia is a very surface, stoner notion. Thinking that psychedelia is good just because it's "good music to take drugs to" is also quite shallow.

 

 

Besides, if Exai is so much better, why isn't it still the WATMM theme? It's obviously a sign.

 

 

lol really? Quaristice is the most "narrative free" sounding of all Ae albums.

 

also thanks for telling me what my definition of psychedelic is, unfortunately you were far off mark. Has nothing to do with "good music to take drugs to".

 

 

Quaristice is high narrative. If you don't think it is, please tell me what your definition of narrative in music is and how Quaristice is lacking.

 

And I didn't say I was telling you what your definition of psychedelic was. Really I'm saying psychedelic is a crappy word that hasn't meant anything for decades.

[Guest rumbo]

 

 

Or maybe they could just break the formula a little and actually sing a song, strum some guitar

 

This infuriated me. Surely someone has pointed out to him TCH since this article was published, and he moved heaven and earth to remove that sentence. Right? RIGHT!!??

 

Cunt.

[IOS]

So, I had heard of Vijay Iyer by one of my lecturers a few years back, because VI has written a PhD thesis on the notion of 'swing' and microtiming (or 'participatory discrepancy', as he calls it) in various styles of music - which was and still is a very interesting topic, even more so to this present day and age, because there's a hell of a lot of music out there - whether acoustic, electronic or anything inbetween - that is concerned with microtiming, stutter, off-grid note placement, groove, swing, polyrhythmic stuffs etc. (I should mention here that VI has included a Squarepusher track in his PhD's discography, amongst other jazz, pop and African music pieces)

 

I'm going in a tangent now, and I apologise for that. I kind of relate the guy's 'reputation' to positive academic research; I can't say I know much about his 'performance practice', but the fact that someone has spent time discoursing on such a topic is very intriguing.

 

However - and this is the crucial part -

 

this sort of record critique that VI presented on Boards of Canada's Tomorrow's Harvest is full of shit; put simply, Miles Davis wouldn't even bother writing that fucking nonsense. So the next time that Vijay Iyer has some time to kill projecting some critique on a record that he doesn't even seem to relate to, he should just ask himself 'Would John Coltrane do that?'