Favorite albums of 2011 at the halfway point: 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6
Ilse: Nr. 5. Mi Ami – Dolphins EP (Thrill Jockey)
Yes, I know, quite a high spot for an EP consisting of merely 4 songs. Yet it’s so incredibly great; it’s filled with hyper, seemingly drug fuelled music to which you can hypnotically and desperately dance right into the early hours. This sound is a 180 degree turn from the music they used to make, which was more the kind of psychedelic, experimental noise rock. After losing their bassist, the trio became a duo and instead of finding a replacement, Martin McCormick and Damon Palermo decided to leave drums and guitars for what they were and moved on to samplers, a drum machine and keyboards. Now their music is still recognisable as being Mi Ami, but the electronic soundscapes filled with eerie, high pitched screeches in contrast with low pitched, bobbing beats and pulsing disco drums are definitely a whole different direction. In a way it almost seems like a statement to their bassist, like ‘fuck you, we’re going to have an awesome dance party without you, with tripping music to which we can take loads of drugs’. Another thing, less significant, I love about this EP, is its title. I have no clue as to why, but I always considered the name ‘Mi Ami’ to mean something like ‘my love’. However, because of the EP title ‘Dolphins’ I reconsidered this option and figured it could also just mean Miami, as in the city obviously, because you’d get Miami Dolphins then, which is ofcourse a rather clever name for an EP: when you try to find it, or information about it, on the internet, you’re directed to the American Football team. Perhaps their name is in fact pronounced as ‘Miami’, I am not sure, but it wasn’t until this EP that this possibility for me popped to mind. What's in a name, aye?
Yes, I know, quite a high spot for an EP consisting of merely 4 songs. Yet it’s so incredibly great; it’s filled with hyper, seemingly drug fuelled music to which you can hypnotically and desperately dance right into the early hours. This sound is a 180 degree turn from the music they used to make, which was more the kind of psychedelic, experimental noise rock. After losing their bassist, the trio became a duo and instead of finding a replacement, Martin McCormick and Damon Palermo decided to leave drums and guitars for what they were and moved on to samplers, a drum machine and keyboards. Now their music is still recognisable as being Mi Ami, but the electronic soundscapes filled with eerie, high pitched screeches in contrast with low pitched, bobbing beats and pulsing disco drums are definitely a whole different direction. In a way it almost seems like a statement to their bassist, like ‘fuck you, we’re going to have an awesome dance party without you, with tripping music to which we can take loads of drugs’. Another thing, less significant, I love about this EP, is its title. I have no clue as to why, but I always considered the name ‘Mi Ami’ to mean something like ‘my love’. However, because of the EP title ‘Dolphins’ I reconsidered this option and figured it could also just mean Miami, as in the city obviously, because you’d get Miami Dolphins then, which is ofcourse a rather clever name for an EP: when you try to find it, or information about it, on the internet, you’re directed to the American Football team. Perhaps their name is in fact pronounced as ‘Miami’, I am not sure, but it wasn’t until this EP that this possibility for me popped to mind. What's in a name, aye?
Random track to listen to: ‘Sunrise’
Linda: Nr. 5. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact (4AD)
Ah, Gang Gang Dance, a band that, even though they’ve delivered some awesome albums over the last few years, still seem a bit unsure about their live performance on stage and thus rely on the help of a guy with a garbage bag and another guy with some crazy dance moves to make their shows worth their audience’s money. Or so they seem to believe themselves. I’m not saying these extra additions don’t make for an interesting show, but it feels to me as if the band is undermining, and underestimating, the quality of their music by putting their faith of attracting an audience on garbage bag waving friends. Especially since their latest and finest album should convince people that the band can manage fine on their own. Gang Gang Dance have been a long time coming. Their previous albums suffered a bit from the hit-and-miss syndrome a lot of bands seem to suffer from, but with ‘Eye Contact’ they finally seem to have gotten it exactly right. The album starts off with the amazing ‘Glass Jar’ – and even though virtually every song that reaches the 10 minute mark is amazing in my book, this one deserves some extra credit. It is immediately recognisable as being a GGD track and manages to be interesting for the entire duration of the track, without being even remotely danceable for the first five minutes or so, which would be the main reason to listen to the band in the first place. If only they knew how to use ∞ appropriately they would have definitely ended up in my top 3.
Random track to listen to: ‘Mindkilla’
Stef: Nr. 5. Tiger & Woods – Through the Green (Running Back)
So well-executed disco album this. The lads of Tiger & Woods (which I still consider not the best pun ever, but oh well) have made an album filled with lovely, lovely disco tracks. Every track is just so easy on the ear, and they all roll like a motherfucker. Okay, wrong wording perhaps, but these tracks are so smooth. Some have vocals, but they rarely take center stage over the tunes. And tunes they are. They take the core, the essence, and then do that and do it again, and with that as the canvas they add and subtract layers as to not make it completely the same. Now, indeed, in most songs (almost all clocking in over 6:30) they use a repetitive sample, but the thing is, this bit they keep on repeating is exactly that piece of music you would actually want to hear over and over. It focuses on fun, on highs, and they sprinkle enough herbs on over it to keep the flavour. Because if you are going to repeat something, than you’d better repeat the best part, and that is something they have well understood. They make that the force that propels the songs forward, and as a result it makes you feel like you want to be having some fun and have a little dance. So much positivity come from these songs, and it results in me having a smile on my face when hearing yet another banging tune through my speakers.
Random track to listen to: 'Gin Nation'
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten