(no subject)
I've decided to embark on a quest of epic proportions: to listen to every single album I own in its entirety. And not just listen to it, but truly Listen to it. Experience every melody, every rhythm, every harmony, every piece of sound. It's going to fry my mind and sap my emotions to the fullest extent, but it's going to be worth it. I'm currently finishing the last 5 or so minutes of 808 State's "Don Solaris", the first on the list.
I should really structure this.
Day One (11:39 PM):
"Don Solaris" is one of those albums that you listen to sections of, but never really finish because something comes up, or you push Stop because it's getting too weird. If you really put your mind to it, though, it's actually a very fun album to listen to. 808 State are really the pioneers of the acid house genre, and they're not afraid to experiment with sound. The tracks are all littered with drum & bass breaks and beats, electric guitar lines, sweeping synths, abstract vocal samples, and the like. Each track is completely unique, however. While there's definitely an overall "sound" to 808 State, there's nothing really tying each song together; and there doesn't need to be. I think that's really why I never finished the whole album: everything seemed to be fine on its own. However, when taken as a whole experience, the album moves from slow, almost aquatic beats into steady Underworld-style techno influences and then goes into airy, tranced beats that feel like you're sprinting across clouds. Somewhere in the middle, it turns into an 80s New Wave recording session meets electronic jam session, with saxophones and xylophones effortlessly interspersing with the steady samba beats and deep synth basses. The standout track is #7, "Lopez", which slows down and adds in the albums only real lyrics. I can only pick out the refrain, "Joy gives me my last regret." The lyrics for the most part are surreal, dreamlike, and you don't really need to "get" them. The vocal melody and harmony, accompanied by the dizzy drumbeat (sounds like what you feel like after spinning in circles) and lazy, cascading waterfalls of electric guitars make the kind of song that makes you sink into your chair while experiencing it. Everything else on the album keeps you on your toes, never knowing quite what to expect. It's a good thing; it yanks electronica out of the rut it seems to have been dug into.
11:51 PM. Am I stupid enough to try and understand another album when I have class in the morning?
The answer is yes.
I should really structure this.
Day One (11:39 PM):
"Don Solaris" is one of those albums that you listen to sections of, but never really finish because something comes up, or you push Stop because it's getting too weird. If you really put your mind to it, though, it's actually a very fun album to listen to. 808 State are really the pioneers of the acid house genre, and they're not afraid to experiment with sound. The tracks are all littered with drum & bass breaks and beats, electric guitar lines, sweeping synths, abstract vocal samples, and the like. Each track is completely unique, however. While there's definitely an overall "sound" to 808 State, there's nothing really tying each song together; and there doesn't need to be. I think that's really why I never finished the whole album: everything seemed to be fine on its own. However, when taken as a whole experience, the album moves from slow, almost aquatic beats into steady Underworld-style techno influences and then goes into airy, tranced beats that feel like you're sprinting across clouds. Somewhere in the middle, it turns into an 80s New Wave recording session meets electronic jam session, with saxophones and xylophones effortlessly interspersing with the steady samba beats and deep synth basses. The standout track is #7, "Lopez", which slows down and adds in the albums only real lyrics. I can only pick out the refrain, "Joy gives me my last regret." The lyrics for the most part are surreal, dreamlike, and you don't really need to "get" them. The vocal melody and harmony, accompanied by the dizzy drumbeat (sounds like what you feel like after spinning in circles) and lazy, cascading waterfalls of electric guitars make the kind of song that makes you sink into your chair while experiencing it. Everything else on the album keeps you on your toes, never knowing quite what to expect. It's a good thing; it yanks electronica out of the rut it seems to have been dug into.
11:51 PM. Am I stupid enough to try and understand another album when I have class in the morning?
The answer is yes.