Be Up A Hello [2020]

[mcbpete]

Just had my first full listen - Damn was so looking forward to it an' all. The only tracks I really took to were Detroit People Mover and (less so and a weird way to end the album) 80 Ondula

The mixing for everything else is just so damn crowded with no sense of space, the kick drum seems to dominate everything and the rest of the drum kit sounds like it's stuck in a plastic box - in pretty much every single track.

Has Tom's hearing properly gone (or whoever mixed and mastered this?) 'cos this is a mushy mess !

[caze]

I really don't think there's anything particularly weird about his mastering, there's just a lot going on so it takes your brain a few listens to get used to it all. People really exaggerate the impact mastering has on things, it's really not that important. I doubt mastering engineers actually know what they're doing half the time, they've just convinced themselves they do (would be interesting to set up some blinded testing to actually confirm this, I have a feeling there would be a lot of embarrassment and/or denial going on afterwards).

[mcbpete]

8 minutes ago, caze said:

there's just a lot going on so it takes your brain a few listens to get used to it all. 

Not sure it's that - Out of interest I compared the mixing of some of the tracks to [possibly the most comparable to the album] Menelec from Ultravisitor and the clarity in each part in the latter is just vast compared to the bunched-up former

[Richie Sombrero]

That wouldn't surprise me, but the sense of space in Ultravisitor is quite incredible. I'm not sure how he managed it. 

[caze]

menelec is a lot less complex than the mental tracks on this album. it's a few synths, a break and occasional edits and fx. there is complexity going on, but it's just complex in terms of the edits, it's not as spectrally complex. this stuff has more components, importantly breaks mixed with drum machines, there's a lot of stuff fighting for the same space. after a few listens your brain is able to pick things out a lot easier.

Edited January 31, 2020 by caze

[mcbpete]

4 minutes ago, Richie Sombrero said:

That wouldn't surprise me, but the sense of space in Ultravisitor is quite incredible. I'm not sure how he managed it. 

I totally forgot how live sounding it was (as in Ultravistor). Remember the 'hello HALLOO 'ow are you' opener of Tetra Sync but my brain had totally forgotten the rest of the crowd interactions - Not heard the album in ages.

[kirm]

2 hours ago, perunamuussi said:

Have any artists ever  been consistently great for much more than a decade? 

Certainly nobody has managed 2 decades.

Autechre ... (sorry missed  all the earlier people saying this but bears repeating!) 

Anyhow quite enjoying the new sqpusher (though think NTS mix kicks its arse) 

Edited January 31, 2020 by kirm

[Richie Sombrero]

7 minutes ago, mcbpete said:

I totally forgot how live sounding it was (as in Ultravistor). Remember the 'hello HALLOO 'ow are you' opener of Tetra Sync but my brain had totally forgotten the rest of the crowd interactions - Not heard the album in ages.

The live vocal samples were somewhat odd but perhaps made sense after DYKS. 

Was quite surprised with first two tracks on Be Up, some very guitar sounding melodies and tones on first track especially. I think like vinyl version of Damogen I'll have to reorder this to make it work but there is a great album in there. Putting track one as last usually works 

[markedone]

9 minutes ago, caze said:

menelec is a lot less complex than the mental tracks on this album. it's a few synths, a break and occasional edits and fx. there is complexity going on, but it's just complex in terms of the edits, it's not as spectrally complex. this stuff has more components, importantly breaks mixed with drum machines, there's a lot of stuff fighting for the same space. after a few listens your brain is able to pick things out a lot easier.

i agree that its about the complexity and layering.  the first time hearing vortrack i got a bit of that claustraphobic vibe @mcbpete mentions, but as i got used to the different layers i can parse them out better and it starts to make sense.  menelec is certainly as fast and complex, but doesnt have the same level of textural layering going on here

[baph]

Happy to report the non-digital vinyl sounds fuckin lush.  Haven't listened to digital vinyls yet.  

 

 

[ignatius]

It just gets better. Having listened to for around 4 hours now it’s pretty great. Scales well to the PA at work.

[Extralife]

Really don’t understand the hate.  Love the first two tracks. Remind me of the vibes I get from Rich’s “organ” tracks from the dump.  Ambient tracks, especially Detroit, are lush....and the rest of the album just slays.

Easily up there with his best.

[Schlitze]

Absolutely love this record on first listen.. I let it play through as if it was a mix n not worry about tracks or shit.. it excels at the mid point with the instigation of Speedcrank

Edited January 31, 2020 by Schlitze

[acid1]

First 2 tracks grows on you. Its like slipping into a warm bath before all the mania happens.

[Hugh Mughnus]

Like the last two albums, I think this one is intended to be listened to two ways - original tracklisting 1st track to last, and vice-versa. 

Those two tracks as closers are more pleasant IMO than openers. Rest of the album works well in reverse as well. 

2 hours ago, ignatius said:

Scales well to the PA at work.

Works quite well with a big system. Enjoyed it far less on headphones tbh.

[ignatius]

52 minutes ago, Hugh Mughnus said:

Like the last two albums, I think this one is intended to be listened to two ways - original tracklisting 1st track to last, and vice-versa. 

Those two tracks as closers are more pleasant IMO than openers. Rest of the album works well in reverse as well. 

Works quite well with a big system. Enjoyed it far less on headphones tbh.

haven't checked it out on headphones.. probably won't until i have to fly somewhere. i do find the mastering/mixing far better than the last 2 albums. it's not ear fatiguing. 

[Nebraska]

wow, this just randomly showed up on my youtube feed and i had no idea he even had an album coming out. first track sounds really good

[SQUIDLID]

Wicked album end to end in my opinion. It didn't all gel straight away for me, but despite some of the really dense parts, it works. The track that I found hardest to get into was Terminal Slam. It's almost vulgarly intense but within the album with it's cheesy beginning, intense middle & chilling end is a mad journey, I kind of think some bits are supposed to be abrasive and grate with their cheer or intensity at points.

Love the ambient tracks, 80 Ondula is sick cinematic shit. Album is definitely a grower & up there with Tom's best in my opinion,

Hyped to hear more bonus cuts, I want more!

Edited February 1, 2020 by elcid4

[Braintree]

Speedcrank is fucking dope. I love all of the grindy FM sounds, pitch bending, and squawky-ness of this album. It has a wide range of synth tones that are really pleasing. Really hits the retro video game spot.

Giving it a second listen now.

9 hours ago, perunamuussi said:

Have any artists ever  been consistently great for much more than a decade? 

Certainly nobody has managed 2 decades.

(Apart from rdj obvs)

It's to be expected that even your highest regarded artists  (sqp) will fall off (or at least become less compatible with your tastes/expectations) 

Imagine how bad jimi hendrix would've been if he'd made it into the 80s

Depeche Mode.

7 hours ago, caze said:

I really don't think there's anything particularly weird about his mastering, there's just a lot going on so it takes your brain a few listens to get used to it all. People really exaggerate the impact mastering has on things, it's really not that important. I doubt mastering engineers actually know what they're doing half the time, they've just convinced themselves they do (would be interesting to set up some blinded testing to actually confirm this, I have a feeling there would be a lot of embarrassment and/or denial going on afterwards).

Cut out resonant frequencies. Match a mastering standard if that's important for your product (tv, radio, etc). Limit phasing. That's pretty much it.

[J3FF3R00]

Hate to be a hater but... not feeling this LP. 

The only tracks I really dig are Terminal Slam, the track that sounds like tangerine dream and the other quiet song. 
the rest is kinda messy and chaotic. 
 

 

[BaggerMcGuirk]

So, maybe a weird question. Has anyone else received the “Vortrack” vinyl?  I just realized I hadn’t received my copy from RedEye, and they replied that they hadn’t even gotten theirs.  Maybe I missed this earlier upthread. 

[d-a-m-o]

ok so I take back everything I've said about those two opening tracks and the album as a whole. After a few listens I like it a lot more, best album since ultravisitor without a doubt, was very surprised (not in a good way obviously) at first listen and it's very rare for me to change my mind in such a radical way about an album. Thanks Tom,  killer release !

Edited February 1, 2020 by d-a-m-o

[ARPA]

Album's been on non-stop repeat since I got it, it's probably going to soundtrack all weekend, pure joy! 

Edited February 1, 2020 by ARPA

[Uros]

13 hours ago, perunamuussi said:

After ufab and damogen, I have learnt to set  my expectations at a very low level.

Yet I am still braced for disappointment.

I had to hold my final word to the point when I could listen to the whole thing for the very same reasons. Had some high hopes for DF thanks to kwang bass, but the final result was just bad. So, although those three single tracks and Fracture remix were great, there was still a 50/50 chance that the rest of the album would've turned out to be a major letdown. Was really happy to be proven wrong. And imo, it's not just the nostalgia of the fancy breaks, like Pitchfork hints. It's more about the melodies, which I did find super cheesy in Ufabulum and DF, whereas Be Up A Hello has some great melody parts. Bass lines are as killer as ever, always liked Tom's work on those. Also, may it be illusion or not, the mastering (or whatever) isn't as aggressively loud as it was on those albums.

[Guest]

WHY DOES SPOTIFY CONSTANTLY FAIL TO INFORM ME ON NEW RELEASES OF MY HEROES? Received the information by Bleep mail. 

Will listen later, skipped through it and heard ufab/damogen vibes (bad), but I hope he surprises me.