I just cannot get into Syro

[Time Tourist]

track names make sense if a song has lyrics but when an electronic instrumental song comes out via someone fucking around with synths and gear, and you're making 100s of tracks, naming tracks can definitely be a bore. 

 

I can understand that. 

Maybe we should do it for him like with SAW2... Someone start taking pictures and we'll name them... Let's start with the London lp. 

[bitchroast]

ok. you start. 

[jules]

 

 

Honestly, while I love SYRO I do have one issue about Richard's recent output (not just SYRO):

 

Track Names - I get Richard famously said it was always a struggle to come up with track names, and hence why some of his early releases track names were "Untitled" (Joyrex EP series, Caustic Window, etc.), but how he names them roughly after what equipment he uses and what version/take of the particular track it is, makes them utterly impossible to discuss (or remember) with other fans!

 

I mean, beyond the ones that sound like names (Minipops, Aisatsana), most are just not something you can speak out loud (or search for in a music library). I bet most people have to look up the track names just to discuss them in threads like this. Not fun, Richard (but then again that's the exact reason why he does that)

I agree with this, also a track name gives a feel to the track in my opinion. Just the title can change the whole way you feel about it.

Like Collapse is a great title for that track, you can actually hear the track collapse at a certain point. Same with Abundance...

 

I try to remember the track number nowadays, but even that is getting harder with all the added tracks in the original album lists.

Not complaining here, just saying Joyrex is right!!!

Autechre and Aleksi P. Fans be like

I don’t know about that, there was a lot of chatter about bladelores before a note was heard...

[purplegoat]

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

[beerwolf]

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

 

I've always thought the same but also thought it was just me 

[Brisbot]

 

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

 

I've always thought the same but also thought it was just me 

 

Are you referring to the live version vs album version? If so oh definitely not. I remember in the Spyro thread a lot of people felt that way. 

 

I assume we all listened to it for 4/5 years, and when that reverb is stripped away it initially felt like a downgrade. I also think with the live version many parts are vague, and it's allows my mind to interpret what some the parts to the track are, instead of hearing it clearly.

 

To this day I play the (both) metz versions of the track about as much as the album version. Though every other album track he played live sounds much better on the album...well papat is an interesting live listen.

[Brisbot]

yeah. Also good to see people do that imagination thing where your mind will accentuate certain parts more than the audio recording and even make up little extra melodies and such.

[mushroom]

i never heard the live version and think xmas is one of his best tracks

[ulul]

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

That's a fact. I had the same thing with the Manchester track vs minipops. On the live recording when the voice comes in at the end it sounded very heavy, bassy and dark to me, which I loved. The studio version felt totally weak and forgettable.

[Brisbot]

You know it's kind of odd to realize those tracks are pretty old now. Syro is only a few years old, but Minipops was probably done in 2006 or 2007 and 4 bit was done live in what.... 2004? 2005? Most tracks feel like they were made around the same time even though oldest to newest spans almost a whole decade. Think s950 was done early 2014 or late 2013. Aisatsana also feels like it was done more recently.

[YangYing]

collapse sounds like it was made in 2006 too

[beerwolf]

Took me a long, long time to get into Surfing On Sine Waves and Selected Ambient Works 2. Pretty sure I had the same indifferent feeling as I have with Syro.

 

I've always been of the wise opinion that Richard knows much better than I do, so if I'm not into a major release of his it's me that's got it all wrong and not him. And one day Syro will just make perfect crystal clear sense to me.

[rekosn]

 

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

That's a fact. I had the same thing with the Manchester track vs minipops. On the live recording when the voice comes in at the end it sounded very heavy, bassy and dark to me, which I loved. The studio version felt totally weak and forgettable.

 

 heh i had the same with metz track.  its like when you like your old noisy tapes better than cds

[T3551ER]

Out of curiosity, did anyone ever confirm if the mastering on the Aphex bleepstore is the same as the vinyl? It says "mastered by Beau Thomas" but not sure if that means the whole thing or just select track(s). . . .  

[Brisbot]

 

 

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

That's a fact. I had the same thing with the Manchester track vs minipops. On the live recording when the voice comes in at the end it sounded very heavy, bassy and dark to me, which I loved. The studio version felt totally weak and forgettable.

 

 heh i had the same with metz track.  its like when you like your old noisy tapes better than cds

 

My brain associates that live version and xmas evet with way different times in my life. they're basically two different things to me.

 

collapse sounds like it was made in 2006 too

Yeah the mixing and mastering reminds me so much of The Tuss. Though drums are a giveaway it's more recent. I'm willing to bet T69 is the oldest though along that line of logic.

 

 

 

Took me a long, long time to get into Surfing On Sine Waves and Selected Ambient Works 2. Pretty sure I had the same indifferent feeling as I have with Syro.

 

I've always been of the wise opinion that Richard knows much better than I do, so if I'm not into a major release of his it's me that's got it all wrong and not him. And one day Syro will just make perfect crystal clear sense to me.

Lol imagine finally getting an album in your 60s that came out in your 20s.

[slate]

 

 

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

That's a fact. I had the same thing with the Manchester track vs minipops. On the live recording when the voice comes in at the end it sounded very heavy, bassy and dark to me, which I loved. The studio version felt totally weak and forgettable.

 

 heh i had the same with metz track.  its like when you like your old noisy tapes better than cds

 

 

Also the Metz track had extra hi hats halfway through and some cool extra sound effects here and there. That combined with the huge reverb and live context, the audience and as already stated the vagueness of it makes the live version LOT more epic in my opinion. But you can't live off of the live version, I am glad we have the proper track for the sake of having it, it would be horrendous to only have that 2010 recording. 

[bitchroast]

Out of curiosity, did anyone ever confirm if the mastering on the Aphex bleepstore is the same as the vinyl? It says "mastered by Beau Thomas" but not sure if that means the whole thing or just select track(s). . . .  

 

i purchased it. it's the same as CD/digital on bleep. 

contacted aphextwin store and got refund.

( they said the "mastered by beau thomas" was probably referring to the newly released bonus track E2.... despite the notes on the page making ZERO reference to that....  *grumble grumble*)

 

would still very much like for the beau thomas masters to come out.

 

compare marchromt track japan bonus track, to the single version... night and day.

[T3551ER]

 

Out of curiosity, did anyone ever confirm if the mastering on the Aphex bleepstore is the same as the vinyl? It says "mastered by Beau Thomas" but not sure if that means the whole thing or just select track(s). . . .  

 

i purchased it. it's the same as CD/digital on bleep. 

contacted aphextwin store and got refund.

( they said the "mastered by beau thomas" was probably referring to the newly released bonus track E2.... despite the notes on the page making ZERO reference to that....  *grumble grumble*)

 

would still very much like for the beau thomas masters to come out.

 

compare marchromt track japan bonus track, to the single version... heat and day.

 

 

fix'd (jk jk)

 

Thanks m8 - yeah, it's totally, absolutely unclear whether that floating period next to "Beau Thomas" is supposed to link to anything. . . on behalf of all of us wondering, big THANK YOU for checking this out. 

 

*gives gold*

 

*realizes that doesn't work here*

 

*cries deeply*

 

*prays for Richard to release alternate masters*

 

*realizes it will probably never happen*

 

*cries even more deeperly*

[goDel]

I'd imagine rich approved the mastering of the cd/digitals btw.

 

anywho, nice album. hope he releases more! and soon!!

[ulul]

 

 

 

I just want to know why the metz track is richard's best track but xmas is meh

That's a fact. I had the same thing with the Manchester track vs minipops. On the live recording when the voice comes in at the end it sounded very heavy, bassy and dark to me, which I loved. The studio version felt totally weak and forgettable.

heh i had the same with metz track. its like when you like your old noisy tapes better than cds

Also the Metz track had extra hi hats halfway through and some cool extra sound effects here and there. That combined with the huge reverb and live context, the audience and as already stated the vagueness of it makes the live version LOT more epic in my opinion. But you can't live off of the live version, I am glad we have the proper track for the sake of having it, it would be horrendous to only have that 2010 recording.

The percussion on Metz was a lot more snappy too. It doesn't really hit that hard on XMAS.

[BaggerMcGuirk]

 

Out of curiosity, did anyone ever confirm if the mastering on the Aphex bleepstore is the same as the vinyl? It says "mastered by Beau Thomas" but not sure if that means the whole thing or just select track(s). . . .  

 

i purchased it. it's the same as CD/digital on bleep. 

contacted aphextwin store and got refund.

( they said the "mastered by beau thomas" was probably referring to the newly released bonus track E2.... despite the notes on the page making ZERO reference to that....  *grumble grumble*)

 

would still very much like for the beau thomas masters to come out.

 

compare marchromt track japan bonus track, to the single version... night and day.

 

 

I just grabbed the Japanese version to compare on my nice headphones, all ready to disagree, but god damn if you're not directly on the money there.  The Syro version is very flat in comparison.  

[bitchroast]

granted, it's a bonus track and may have gotten less attention to detail!

{{ i still stand by the vinyls sounding better than the digis tho :-) )))

 

[BaggerMcGuirk]

Yeah, fair point.  I had just kind of written off the vinyl/digital debate on this as nitpicking, but after taking the Marchromt Pepsi challenge, I can see why it's a thing.  That being said, it is like watching a 4k copy of a movie I've seen a million times already.  It doesn't significantly change how much I enjoy the thing, but I do have a clear preference now for when I take the time to listen on a nicer setup.  

[cruising for burgers]

 

 

Out of curiosity, did anyone ever confirm if the mastering on the Aphex bleepstore is the same as the vinyl? It says "mastered by Beau Thomas" but not sure if that means the whole thing or just select track(s). . . .

i purchased it. it's the same as CD/digital on bleep. 

contacted aphextwin store and got refund.

( they said the "mastered by beau thomas" was probably referring to the newly released bonus track E2.... despite the notes on the page making ZERO reference to that....  *grumble grumble*)

 

would still very much like for the beau thomas masters to come out.

 

compare marchromt track japan bonus track, to the single version... night and day.

 

I just grabbed the Japanese version to compare on my nice headphones, all ready to disagree, but god damn if you're not directly on the money there.  The Syro version is very flat in comparison.

 

 

granted, it's a bonus track and may have gotten less attention to detail!

{{ i still stand by the vinyls sounding better than the digis tho :-) )))

 

 

 

top wave is from the single and bottom is japan bonus...

 

 

 

 

[cruising for burgers]

Yeah, fair point.  I had just kind of written off the vinyl/digital debate on this as nitpicking, but after taking the Marchromt Pepsi challenge, I can see why it's a thing.  That being said, it is like watching a 4k copy of a movie I've seen a million times already.  It doesn't significantly change how much I enjoy the thing, but I do have a clear preference now for when I take the time to listen on a nicer setup.

well in this case it is a digital/digital debate...

 

in a digital/vinyl debate you have to take into account that most of the times whoever masters it for vinyl is a different person from the one who masters the digital files... and a lot of different physical/medium factors are at steak when mastering it for vinyl... the mastering process for vinyl is basically a physical process...