The Avalanches

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PS. the "English inflection" bit was supposed to be a reference to Tom's "ta muchly" line but its parent sentence got gutted.

― Tim, Tuesday, 10 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Possible difference - Britney and especially DC present us with pop scenarios (though lyrics and subject) which cant help but shape the emotional response to the song, so the manipulation becomes less abstracted and less of an issue.

The authenticity thing is a bit of a red herring. I dont think manipulation has anything to do with the realness or not of pop music. The annoying dialogue around sample-based records tends to be one of look-how-eclectic-rare-etc.-these-sounds-are: you're invited to admire the artist's tastes. But that's not happened with the Avalanches so far.

I dont know though, I've just not liked what I've heard much and thought I'd better grope around for a reason. Basically it catapults yours and Robin's soul into an ocean of joy and it leaves me thinking hold on, this is a bit cloying and annoying. And it's always easier to explain why you like something than why you don't. I've got other criticisms but I want to listen to the album and decide whether I'm right about them or not.

― Tom, Tuesday, 10 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

i guess, to set the record straight, i should put forth a definition of "crafted." when i use crafted above, i mean that the record sounds like a math equation and is just as rigid, i.e. since i left you doesn't strike me as a "loose" record; there seems to be a place for everything and everything is in its place. u2 is a very fine comparison point, i think. let's talk about "walk on" because i'd cede that "since i left you" (the song) is better than "beautiful day." is it crafted? yesssss, and i think i said as much in my review many moons ago, but what it comes down to is the quality of the parts, in which case i'd come down on the side of u2. the heart and soul i speak of with regards to daft punk no longer seems present in current-day u2, but the music is still agreeable to my ears and i readily admit that i have different expectations when it comes to different genres of music.

daft punk! they could be very well duping me into thinking that they mean all of what they're recording and it's really all just a big joke; i probably buy their simplicity of lyric and emotion because they're foreign and i potentially don't give them enough credit, etc. without getting further mired in theory, discovery hits the bullseye on my heart whereas since i left you merely grazes the ear. meanwhile, there is much hurt in that very same heart by your assertion that i take pleasure in disliking the album in ned- like fashion! ned-like! rarely have i been so insulted. but, yeah, i really wish that i loved since i left you as some of you do; i'm consistently looking out for new music to catapult my heart to the stars and based on all i heard i'm rather disappointed that it wasn't to be with me and the avalanches, though i shall continue to lend it my ear. most troubling, though, is that while i've not taken to the avalanches, radiohead's amnesiac, based on what i've listened to, is quickly becoming something i'm looking forward to. shocker!

― fred solinger, Tuesday, 10 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Must apologise for the implication in one of my earlier posts that "Discovery" and "Since I Left You" were pretty much the same thing. Having listened to both albums virtually all yesterday, the difference became very clear; "Discovery" is far *smoother*, for want of a better term, and because it's based around a comparatively streamlined, clean, direct sound rather than the Avalanches' hysterical sampladelia, I can see why it would seem more "meaningful" and "Since I Left You" seem more "contrived". I can see where you're coming from, Fred, and in many similar cases I'd agree with you.

Tom - I'd be *very* interested in your response to the album. I still think you'd realise after a while that it isn't that cloying and it *isn't* one of those emptily "smart", "superior" pomo projects, and in fact the most immediately striking thing about it is that it isn't like that. You were slightly disadvantaged by hearing "Frontier Psychiatrist" first - admittedly so did I, but I'd heard the whole album very soon and realised how (happily) untypical a novelty dud it is.

― Robin Carmody, Thursday, 12 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Well, I bought the album last night because I needed cheering up. And it cheered me up. Can't say fairer than that.

Yes, it works better as an album. It reminds me of a blither version of Hal Willner's Whoops, I'm An Indian - much more technically and sonically tingly but lacking the witty and beguiling mystery that album had for me. It's a good record, it'll soundtrack a Summer well and it deserves the praise it's getting if not the *degree* of praise.

― Tom, Friday, 20 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Finally got the album...nice! Somehow very light on first listen. Even 'Frontier Psychiatrist' isn't that irritating anymore in the overall context.

But to finally anwser Dr.C's query: it's very hard to find a record to compare it with. Certainly not 'Discovery' (impossible). It just reminds me a bit of DJ Food's 'Recipe for Disaster'. I would think a rock-crit description could be along the lines of Mantronix doing a megamix with Art of Noise.

― Omar, Thursday, 26 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Avalances is, as Tim says, the result of happy accident, those original combinations are still evident, but then the raw inspiration has been sugar coated, or sun kissed, (depending on how you take it.) In particular I'm impressed what appears to be 'a love of their own sound', almost as if this album is a celebration of the initial mix, and although I agree with the critisism that it lacks 'heart' (since when did party soundtracks need a heart) their passion is expressed in the unremitting enthusiasm. On first listen, I found myself trying to turn it off after the a couple tracks, just for being too damn perky, but it was impossible, like making you way back to the shore when the waves keep crashing over and dragging you back out. Despite my initial problems the shameless effervescance rises above the eclectic self-congratulation that limits so many other bargain bin excursions, and the sequence of 'A Different Feeling' and 'Electricity' are evidence that there's more to them than mere play.
It's a milestone on the dull route from Cold-cut's Journeys By DJs, which shares the same broad scope, but lacks the lazer sighted attention to detail, that comes as the result of studio post- production. I'm surprised they pulled it off as access to a vinyl stackola and a DMX champion DJ is no guarantee of success. Still sublime, still ridiculous.
By the way, what's the Ehot sample, the vocoded mantra, something circa 96/97, Up Bustle and Out perhaps? Please, it's driving me mad.

― K-reg, Thursday, 17 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Avalances vs Daft Punk? Similar in that they are both complete albums, work from what has already come before, and share a sense of humour, but DP are taking a different position to the Avalances. I find that whereas A seem to be revelling in what they have found, making jokes, DP don't make the distinction between themselves and the music, the humour is dead-pan, suggesting that they themselves are the source of the music (this backed up by the robot gag)

― K-reg, Thursday, 17 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Have no idea what the vocoder vocals from "Etoh" are from originally, but it's probably my favourite moment on the album - funny that Daft Punk and The Avalanches both hit upon the idea of robots scatting at the same time. Admittedly the processes and results are both quite different. I think the vocal says "Did me wrong" before it launches off into cut up mayhem, if that helps at all.

― Tim, Friday, 18 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Trawling through the net to see if anybody had i.d'd the dexter sample (i heard it was from the same old film that might have inspired the cartoon). Anyhow just thought id contribute my view, I found the single Since I Left You exceedingly annoying, I dont know if it would sound better in context with the rest of the album but somehow i doubt it. The only other track i have heard is Frontier Psychiatry which was in a cold cut set i have on bootleg, i have to admit that I really like the cold-cut like crasy sampling of the tune, but from what people have posted here I somehow doubt that theres anything else on the album like it.

― Nick Davidson, Wednesday, 20 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Decided not to wait for the American release, and I don't regret it. This is an excellent album, no question, but from what people were saying I expected it to be a little more, er, revolutionary or something. Like a new direction in music. Not that good music need take a new direction. It kind of reminds me of The Clientele, in that The Avalanches work within an established form and do it very, very well, instead of trying something new.

The way each song flows into the next (what brilliant editing!), I'm sure it works much better as a whole. This is not a record for the Napster freaks, I don't think. So anyone who has heard a track or two and is on the fence should take the plunge.

― Mark, Wednesday, 20 June 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 00:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

Catching Dexter, the Avalanches DJ, in a few weeks, he's supposed to cut it up real well live and has received huge props from Public Enemy's Chuck D. Grandmaster Flash called him the most creative and original DJ in the world. Oh and he's Australian

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

your point?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

the most creative and original DJ in the world is Australian!

― s1utsky (slutsky), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

What is that beautiful image, Spencer?

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

My point about what?

That luminarioes say he's great? well that just shows I'm a shallow person influenced by what other people say rather than what I hear.

That he's Australian? that my shallowness extends to the lowest most destructive emotion, patriotism,

That I am seeing him live in few weeks? that my general shallowness inevitably leads to the conclusion that I will have to see him live in the next few weeks (along with the Mad Professor).

Bring it on

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:00 (9 years ago) Permalink

where did grandmaster flash call him the most original and creative dj in the world?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've seen it quoted many places around the web. Try a search in google ["grandmaster flash" dexter avalanches] and you'll find many references to what Grandmaster Flash (and Chuck D) have said about him.

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 03:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

yeah, I'm finding alot of references to him saying it but I haven't actually found the place (or context) he said it. has anyone under 40 said it?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 03:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

I just did :)

― mentalist (mentalist), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 04:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

What is that beautiful image, Spencer?

That's from a t-shirt they sell on their website.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 04:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

I love that white Stepford-Cat!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 07:13 (9 years ago) Permalink

What's the deal with the Avalanches these days? So much love back in early 2001, then they seemed to disappear without trace almost as quickly as they appeared.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 08:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

i'm under 40, and i'll say it too.

their supposed to be working on the new record now. who knows when it'll see the light of day. i doubt it would be before late 2004.

― glenny g2003 (glenny g2003), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 10:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

people over 40 = not allowed to like or talk about good music, donchaknow...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 10:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

would love to see a new EP by them extremely soon

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 12:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

haven't seen him play a set, but remember a friend had a dmc tape with dexter in the finals and he was the only one close to bumping it as slick as craze. he played the solo from 'killing in the name of' with a tone blast. our love was like wo.

ps chuck d hypin somethin is like yr mum choosin yr girlfriends.

― nebbesh (nebbesh), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 12:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

What's the deal with the Avalanches these days? So much love back in early 2001, then they seemed to disappear without trace almost as quickly as they appeared.

It takes a damn long time to make records like theirs. That is all, I'd guess.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 00:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

New album anytime soon would be nice.

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 14:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

new anything

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

no kidding. do they even exist anymore?

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:21 (9 years ago) Permalink

all I can figure is it takes a long time to do what they do (or something)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

australians - represent! what's the 411?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

three years though!

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

Dexter's playing here on Friday, I hear he is great fun.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

are you going Ronan? You should ask him what the hell is going on. ;)

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:37 (9 years ago) Permalink

yes I will if I go! It's in a tiny bar too so asking him should be no problem.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

yay

― Chris B. Sure (Chris V), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 16:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

I think they've been working on it but in a rather desultory fashion. Since I Left You took a couple of years to make, incidentally.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 13 November 2003 05:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

robbie and darren are holed up working on it, james and dexta are out there djing, tony is doing nothing. wait... where's mark p?? he interviewed them and knows all about their new techniques!

― minna (minna), Thursday, 13 November 2003 05:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

Y'know, 'Since I Left You' is so untouchable and then you hear Gimix and you're not sure if it's even better or EVEN BETTER.

I'm ordering that f*cking kitten shirt.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 13 November 2003 08:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 13 November 2003 08:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

Dexter DJs often around these parts

― mentalist (mentalist), Thursday, 13 November 2003 10:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

here is mark p's article with lots of detailed tech talk

― minna (minna), Thursday, 13 November 2003 11:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

a note from the website re: the remix of "I'm a Cuckoo" by Belle & Sebastian

"Update: Belle & Sebastian Remix

The Belle & Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo (Avalanches remix) now circulating on radio and promo CD's is not the final remix version, but rather a work-in-progress mix which was pressed up by mistake and sent to UK radio and press.

The final mix will appear (as planned) when the single is released in -

UK: CD and DVD formats on Feb 16
USA: CD on Feb 24, DVD on Mar 9"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 15 January 2004 07:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

Both those pictures are sooo cool!

― Rachel, Thursday, 15 January 2004 07:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

they're from t-shirts, but they're sold out :(

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 15 January 2004 08:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

there's a spiel up on the modular website about them working on the rekkid, or the remix rather.

― glenny g2003 (glenny g2003), Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

Cool! I've got a copy of that Belle and Sebastian remix. PAYDAY!

― tdk, Thursday, 15 January 2004 11:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 380 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

^ if ever there was a time for scare quotes

― also we’re divorced now and i hate this movie. (contenderizer), Friday, 8 July 2011 03:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

I hate this thread

― Janet Snakehole (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 8 July 2011 04:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

BTW, note that with no release date yet set, the "deluxe 10th-anniversary re-release" is likely to come out more than 11 years after the initial release - at time of announcement, it's already 8 months late.

― undeɹrated ærosm?th b∞tlegs I have pwned (sic), Friday, 8 July 2011 05:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

Hey, Jackson and his Computer Band. There's another guy who dropped off the face of the earth

― Number None, Friday, 8 July 2011 08:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

i believe he made some kind of Jamie Liddell-ish album a year or 2 back. maybe last year, even.

― Ludo, Friday, 8 July 2011 09:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

Really? I can't find any evidence of this online

― Number None, Friday, 8 July 2011 09:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

hmm googling myself now, and it seems i just made that up, i must have gotten him mixed up with some other idm cat who started singing. :)

― Ludo, Friday, 8 July 2011 10:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

That boy needs therapy lol

― Introducing the Hardline According to (jim in glasgow), Friday, 8 July 2011 12:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

hah I used to eagerly wait for a new Jackson album to drop but I think i've made my peace with the fact that it won't come out. I think he's done a ocuple of remixes in the last few years?

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Saturday, 9 July 2011 06:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

http://www.factmag.com/2012/03/19/danny-brown-to-appear-on-new-avalanches-album/

― Feebs K-Tel (NickB), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 09:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

Is that an Onion article.

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Colored on TV! (Mount Cleaners), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 09:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

It does exist! Kind of an odd choice of rapper but i'm cool with it

― Number None, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 10:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

i heard that they accidentally deleted all the album files

― trimdon orange explosion (electricsound), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 10:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

Tuesday, 30 January 2001 01:00 (11 years ago)

― MikoMcha, Tuesday, 20 March 2012 10:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Since I Left You double LP re-release on blue vinyl out now, 10th-anniversary deluxe reissue now running two years late, new mix up here

― ┗|∵|┓ (sic), Monday, 23 April 2012 02:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

Thanks for the link

― Spencer Chow, Monday, 23 April 2012 20:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

It's only a snippet but

http://www.factmag.com/2012/07/18/avalanches-tease-brand-new-track-online-listen-here/

― Number None, Wednesday, 18 July 2012 11:11 (10 months ago) Permalink

― no fear, Monday, 30 July 2012 16:15 (9 months ago) Permalink

listened to Cool Gays, the bit at the end sounds like a remix of a bit of SILY, zomg new track zzz

― ¥╡*ٍ*╞¥ (sic), Tuesday, 31 July 2012 02:39 (9 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

there's some new song (demo) out there featuring David Berman reading a poem, but it's pretty half ass. the music underneath is barely audible.

― dmr, Thursday, 23 August 2012 15:30 (8 months ago) Permalink

:/
i am becoming despondent.

― no fear, Tuesday, 4 September 2012 16:02 (8 months ago) Permalink

new david berman poem (ie 'like plastic Easter basket grass, falling from an overpass') >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fully audible avalanches music

― very sexual album (schlump), Tuesday, 4 September 2012 16:35 (8 months ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Well! *tap tap tap* You've lost your cover now.

― Jedmond, Sunday, 3 February 2013 04:02 (3 months ago) Permalink

Them and Dre, in a race to do...something.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 3 February 2013 04:03 (3 months ago) Permalink

*sigh*

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 3 February 2013 16:26 (3 months ago) Permalink

don't tell me Them have re-united as well??

― charlie h, Sunday, 3 February 2013 16:38 (3 months ago) Permalink

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