Oh they were absolutely incredible when I saw them live. Like somewhere in another universe than the Polydistortion album would have led me to believe. That's why I couldn't believe it when their next album was ho-hum. If there's any live bootlegs out there, I bet they're shit-hot, assuming the sound quality is decent.
― Phone of Drone (Bimble), Sunday, 12 April 2009 20:14 (fifteen years ago) link
Got some live stuff now that they did for KCRW in '97 and '99. Been listening to it over the last hour and a half or so and it is DOPE, of course. Ravers would be flattened by this shit.
― Take The Gothheads Bowling (Bimble), Monday, 13 April 2009 01:01 (fifteen years ago) link
link plz!
― Jena (who is actually a man) (Jena), Monday, 13 April 2009 01:47 (fifteen years ago) link
yes, please, post those links! i loved that live vid above, saw them live at Showbox in 99 i think and they put on an amazing show. i had to rifle through my vinyl to see what i had by them and was shocked to find 5 12"s. had no idea i had that many from them but they were quite good for 2 years.
― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 13 April 2009 01:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Well I didn't know so many folks would want this. I got it off slsk. Let me upload it and I'll see what I can do. Brian - we were probably at the same show!! Call me or get on AIM. I'm drunk and bored and I wanna talk on the phone to someone.
― Take The Gothheads Bowling (Bimble), Monday, 13 April 2009 02:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Hey I never did reply to DanNed did I. Agust solo album: lush strings (possibly all synth ones, not sure), him singing melancholy languid slightly twee stuff over it. In retrospect perhaps a little cliched, but I havent listened to it in ages.
― one art, please (Trayce), Monday, 13 April 2009 08:51 (fifteen years ago) link
Hey Trayce! You're here at just the right time! I finally finished uploading a bunch of live Gus Gus here. I hope this makes people happy else the mods will kill me and ban me and lock this thread, etc.
― Gross Chapel British Grenadiers (Bimble), Monday, 13 April 2009 09:00 (fifteen years ago) link
Great link Bimble! Thank you.
I have seen them live, but it was around the time of "Forever". Although that was an enjoyable show, this is better.
― I am using your worlds, Monday, 13 April 2009 14:37 (fifteen years ago) link
They released ANOTHER album on Kompakt last month, apparently:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_Horse_%28GusGus_album%29
listening to the first track "Selfoss", which is spacey ambient noodling for about 4:30 that suddenly drifts into... klezmer? huh
― DJP, Thursday, 30 June 2011 15:43 (twelve years ago) link
shiit that live version of 'Believe' is fantastic
― Dear Projectionist (blueski), Thursday, 30 June 2011 16:36 (twelve years ago) link
new album is really good! Much more song-based than the last one, though the first track doesn't really suggest that.
― with hidden noise, Thursday, 30 June 2011 16:43 (twelve years ago) link
Weird: at various points in my life gus gus may have been my favourite band and kompakt my favourite label but ... haven't had the urge to buy this yet.
― djh, Thursday, 30 June 2011 18:48 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah the new one is quite good, was a bit worried after the last one, especially because I was a bit cool on the ones before that. Heard this one while walking around looking at birds soaring up in the sky and it was pretty much perfect accompaniment. That little Klezmer break is fun but not very typical of the rest of the album.
― Sean Carruthers, Monday, 4 July 2011 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
Though I have to admit, I still really miss the stuff they were doing around Polydistortion or even This is Normal. The newer stuff since then seems way more conventional.
― Sean Carruthers, Monday, 4 July 2011 14:56 (twelve years ago) link
OMG that youtube of "Believe" upthread!! Love that song so much. Rarely has a song threatened so ominously to become its own entire world.
Kinda hoping Mungolian Jet Set go in this direction on their album.
― Tim F, Monday, 4 July 2011 15:09 (twelve years ago) link
the mellow vibe on the new one is really, really great
BTW I recommend giving 24/7 another shot, I recently pulled that one out and was startled by how much better it sounded given some distance from Attention
― DJP, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 16:31 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah I think it was Forever that really got me wondering about whether I still cared about them, and probably didn't give 24/7 enough attention because of that.
― Sean Carruthers, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 16:44 (twelve years ago) link
"Within You" on the new album is as good as anything they've done.
― I am using your worlds, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 17:08 (twelve years ago) link
ha Sean, I did the exact same thing
really, Forever is a dud compared to everything else they've done; I'd probably like it just fine had they released it under a psuedonym
― DJP, Tuesday, 5 July 2011 17:16 (twelve years ago) link
title track on the new one is amazing. when i was flying to iceland last month icelandair was "premiering" this via their inflight media service. also featured: tim hecker, âme's fact mix, many bizarre things.
i like 24/7 fine but arabian horse may well be their best record like ever.
― adam, Thursday, 7 July 2011 23:32 (twelve years ago) link
I still think This Is Normal is their best. The new one is great though.
― DJP, Friday, 8 July 2011 11:37 (twelve years ago) link
Polydistortion for me, with This is Normal close behind.
― Sean Carruthers, Friday, 8 July 2011 12:35 (twelve years ago) link
I doubt I'll hear another album as obsesssively designed as Arabian Horse from this year. Every surface is sandblasted aluminium, with but a few cues to the listener that mnml/tech house is another shape of folk music. Highly recommended for fans of Luomo.
― der dukatenscheisser (Sanpaku), Thursday, 25 August 2011 23:31 (twelve years ago) link
Belatedly on board with this album.
― Tim F, Sunday, 13 November 2011 08:37 (twelve years ago) link
I just got in from seeing Gus Gus live in Oslo. So at what point did they become the greatest band in the world? Amazing scenes. And one of them was dressed like the Big Lebowski.
― Conan The Asshander (Doran), Saturday, 18 February 2012 01:50 (twelve years ago) link
They were always amazing from the get-go.
― (thinks and smiles) (DJP), Saturday, 18 February 2012 02:23 (twelve years ago) link
Saw Gus Gus live in 99 and they were amazing then. One of the best electronic live shows I've ever seen.
― brotherlovesdub, Saturday, 18 February 2012 04:28 (twelve years ago) link
Jealous, much... I listen to Arabian Horse and imagine it live.
― mmmm, Saturday, 18 February 2012 07:57 (twelve years ago) link
I had a few single by them in the mid 90s and they just seemed like some downtempo 4AD, trip hop thing.
More than happy to be proved wrong. Need to go and see them live again as soon as.
― Conan The Asshander (Doran), Saturday, 18 February 2012 15:09 (twelve years ago) link
Polydistortion and This Is Normal are now on Spotify!
― that is a weird thing to bring up over lean cuisine (DJP), Friday, 25 May 2012 18:09 (eleven years ago) link
Polydistortion was sounding just right this morning.
― djh, Friday, 18 January 2013 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
Biggi from Gus Gus produced the new John Grant album, or at least the electronic tracks, and it sure sounds like it. Great unexpected alliance.
― Deafening silence (DL), Monday, 21 January 2013 00:44 (eleven years ago) link
Does the recent 4ad book have anything interesting to say about them?
― djh, Saturday, 23 November 2013 19:47 (ten years ago) link
Okay I had no idea about the connection to the John Grant album, no wonder how much I loved it
― deX! (DJP), Sunday, 24 November 2013 00:27 (ten years ago) link
Trying to compile a home-made "best of". Heavily weighted to the first two albums, so far.
― djh, Monday, 25 November 2013 20:23 (ten years ago) link
I hope you're considering "David" and "Call of the Wild" from Attention
― deX! (DJP), Monday, 25 November 2013 20:25 (ten years ago) link
also "Hateful" from 24/7
― deX! (DJP), Monday, 25 November 2013 20:28 (ten years ago) link
Was thinking "David", "Desire" and "Attention" from that album, I think. At least one of those is likely to end up edited off a CDR-80 though.
― djh, Monday, 25 November 2013 20:30 (ten years ago) link
obv not "David" tho
― deX! (DJP), Monday, 25 November 2013 20:32 (ten years ago) link
"over" from arabian horse for sure
― adam, Monday, 25 November 2013 20:41 (ten years ago) link
There's a bit about Gus Gus in the 4AD book but the writer obviously thinks the label had lost its way by that point and I can't remember any interesting revelations.
― Deafening silence (DL), Monday, 25 November 2013 20:42 (ten years ago) link
btw adam is completely OTM re: "Over"
― deX! (DJP), Monday, 25 November 2013 21:57 (ten years ago) link
I was ambivalent about it when it came out (or not in the Gus Gus zone) but Arabian Horse really is very good.
― djh, Monday, 25 November 2013 22:27 (ten years ago) link
Fairly certain nothing from "Forever" will make it onto this best of. A surprising amount of Arabian Horse might, though.
Not delving into remixes and alternate versions too much (as am on a time schedule - a holiday) but the GiGi Galaxy version of "Barry" and the Roy's Lady Soul mix of "Ladyshave" will be on there.
― djh, Tuesday, 26 November 2013 22:43 (ten years ago) link
CDR80 - DraftPolyesterdayGunBelieveBarry (GiGi Galaxy)Remembrance Ladyshave (Roy's Lady Soul Mix))DavidOver Very Important PeopleSelfossWithin YouChanges ComeDesireBlue Mug (Demo)
― djh, Thursday, 28 November 2013 23:22 (ten years ago) link
Good selection. I'd add this remix from Forever
http://youtu.be/tATWv_jU400
― Rotating prince game (I am using your worlds), Friday, 29 November 2013 00:09 (ten years ago) link
Loving Arabian Horse so much that I'm bemused that I owned but didn't get into it when it came out.
― djh, Thursday, 12 December 2013 22:30 (ten years ago) link
Mexico is out today and it's sounding great. Haven't noticed Earth much so far though.
― Rotating prince game (I am using your worlds), Monday, 23 June 2014 10:07 (nine years ago) link
Read somewhere that Arabian Horse is Gus Gus's and Kompakt's best-selling album. Does that seem plausible?
Any thoughts on Mexico?
― djh, Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:15 (nine years ago) link
I want to listen to Mexico. I will pick up a physical copy soon. Can't imagine Arabian Horse selling more than The Field, Gui Boratto or the first Immer. They all seemed to have a lot more exposure than AH. Unless there is a market I'm not familiar with.
― mmmm, Sunday, 29 June 2014 16:48 (nine years ago) link
I love those quick synth note clusters in "Magnified Love", they make the track for me. I am using your worlds otm
― Vinnie, Thursday, 17 June 2021 23:35 (two years ago) link
i was going to say we should poll it again so i just went ahead and made a poll:lost in your POLL - GusGus Arabian Horse
― scanner darkly, Friday, 18 June 2021 02:58 (two years ago) link
the cover of Fancy "Bolero" feat John Grant is out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIaiU-XIEbU
i would love a full italo disco GusGus album.. Ali Schwarz's remix is nice too
― scanner darkly, Friday, 5 August 2022 18:28 (one year ago) link
love the new track from GusGus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrw9E0IxZA0
Lies Are More Flexible and Mobile Home still feel like "winter" albums to me (while Mexico was a "summer" album) so it's great to get a proper summer anthem from them.
― scanner darkly, Friday, 14 July 2023 23:15 (nine months ago) link