One thing I find quite remarkable about john tabalot's productions (in general, but the album provides a high-concentrate example) is how they sound so deliberately loop-driven and structured, like you can imagine him walking along a line of machines and calmly deploying each little motif one at a time, and yet... everything builds so naturally and inevitably. It's music which really draws attention (and pays attention) to the architectural nature of dance music, but does so with paradoxical grace.
Reminds me vaguely of the Orbital of the Brown Album and Middle of Nowhere.
I see what you're getting at (structurally rather than sonically at least). What this at its best reminds me most of is the Orbital of InSides, especially The Girl With The Sun In Her Head - where you just hear all these loops patiently building on top of one another until they're all intersecting and you get this amazing build almost without noticing it. When the record is least successful is when Talabot abandons this approach and just lets the sounds sit there (El Oeste reminds me of The Field in a bad way).
― Matt DC, Sunday, 5 February 2012 17:09 (twelve years ago) link
You can find out his name, former production name and previous club residency if you google it. The only track I'd heard from him previously wasn't like the new works. Kind of electro house / techno mid 2000s influenced by Areal, Sender, Kompakt etc.
― mmmm, Sunday, 5 February 2012 17:50 (twelve years ago) link
My Google skills must really not be up to much.
― boxedjoy, Sunday, 5 February 2012 20:32 (twelve years ago) link
I think it was a Spanish site I saw it. Anyway, I think I read that he was resident at the Loft in Barcelona and his former production name was D.A.R.Y.L. Hopefully this wasn't a bad thing to post.
― mmmm, Sunday, 5 February 2012 20:57 (twelve years ago) link
Here's a D.A.R.Y.L. track on Factor City from 2006. Factor City is/was a Barcelona based label which, I think the main act were Undo and Vicknoise. Maybe related to Ferenc which did an album for Kompakt..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTJvepR-3wo
― mmmm, Sunday, 5 February 2012 21:01 (twelve years ago) link
Not sure about the Orbital references. Booka Shade I can just about see but fIN is more gothic. One comparison that leapt out at me: "When the Past Was Present" brought to mind early Saint Etienne! Try playing it back to back with "Speedwell", say.
This is a good album but I think it's most successful when Talabot has a vocalist to play off against (interesting contrast to Azari & III here, where I much prefer the tracks on their album that don't have the two vocalists on). The instrumentals are well constructed, and build very naturally as others have said, but sometimes lack a pay off. A notable exception is "Last Land", which is probably my favourite track at the moment.
Both the Pional collabs are awesome. But "So Will Be Now..." is particularly lovely. Are the vocal phrases on this 'sampled' from another song? The lyrics seem v. familiar.
― Jeff W, Monday, 6 February 2012 13:22 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah I think the Orbital references were in relation to structure and approach rather than sonics per se - there's not much here with quite the same sweep as peak Orbital. Booka Shade comparison is also on point wrt building loop by loop but the music isn't really alike either - obviously loads of dance music builds in this way but these two acts (and Talabot as well) are particularly good at it.
― Matt DC, Monday, 6 February 2012 13:55 (twelve years ago) link
Sorry to be a moaner but it needs to be said that D.A.R.Y.L. track above is horrid proggy 'minimal' (i.e not minimal at all) of the worst kind.
― Chewshabadoo, Monday, 6 February 2012 14:32 (twelve years ago) link
This. Booka Shade obv are an excellent comparison point too although as a general rule I think Talabot's grooves are more intricate whereas Booka Shade's were more spacious.
― Tim F, Monday, 6 February 2012 16:27 (twelve years ago) link
i think booka shade are way sleeker, and talabot more...relaxed? a touch more casual and thrown-together? they certainly use a different sonic palette, it's just what they both do with it that reminded me of each other
― first period don't give a fuck, second period gon get cut (lex pretend), Monday, 6 February 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
It's The Temptations - Just My Imagination
― Number None, Monday, 6 February 2012 17:02 (twelve years ago) link
Thank you! That was bugging me all weekend.
― Jeff W, Monday, 6 February 2012 17:17 (twelve years ago) link
Aww I'm quite enjoying that DARYL track actually. It's no Fast Freeze but it's pretty good, although I not sure about the bit when it gets all maximalist near the end.
― Matt DC, Monday, 6 February 2012 18:04 (twelve years ago) link
I like half the tracks on this album
― http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1tAYmMjLdY (dayo), Monday, 6 February 2012 18:31 (twelve years ago) link
FACT Mix: http://www.xlr8r.com/news/2012/02/john-talabot-delivers-latest-fac
― two lights crew (seandalai), Monday, 6 February 2012 22:48 (twelve years ago) link
Forgot to mention that I saw dude play on Friday night, and while it was a DJ mix of other tunes rather than his own it was excellent, really captured that same endlessly rising layered build effect.
Highly recommended!
― Tim F, Monday, 6 February 2012 22:59 (twelve years ago) link
His Boiler Room podcast is really good also.
i keep revisiting the episode of beats in space he did
― ⚓ (gr8080), Monday, 6 February 2012 23:54 (twelve years ago) link
these talabot mixes are like catnip for me. i'm not sure that anyone else out there has the ability to balance dance purism and an indie aesthetic with even close to as much success. at least not in 2012.
― psychgawsple, Tuesday, 7 February 2012 08:37 (twelve years ago) link
really really enjoyed Phillip Sherburne's review on p4k.
― boxedjoy, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 01:06 (twelve years ago) link
i don't think i get this, it's really boring and the jungle/frog sounds on the first track are embarrassing.
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 15:46 (twelve years ago) link
agreed. i'm just not hearing anything interesting or engaging here. or worth dancing to.
― jed_, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 17:23 (twelve years ago) link
i like the XLR8R podcast a lot though and have enjoyed the FACT mix so far.
― jed_, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 17:30 (twelve years ago) link
Let us start a new club for people who are just perplexed by the ILX love for this dude + do not understand what we are missing.
― Drexciya's Midnight Runners (Wheal Dream), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 17:40 (twelve years ago) link
grats to John Talabot for becoming the first dance act of the year that ILX feels is noteworthy enough for dissent
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Wednesday, 8 February 2012 18:07 (twelve years ago) link
really feeling this FACT mix
― Prince Rebus (donna rouge), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 18:13 (twelve years ago) link
what do you guys have against jungle sounds idgi
― psychgawsple, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 18:42 (twelve years ago) link
makes me feel like i'm listening to this:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BPHNH67AL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 18:47 (twelve years ago) link
they were awesome when New Order did it and they're awesome now
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Wednesday, 8 February 2012 18:48 (twelve years ago) link
karl otm
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 18:53 (twelve years ago) link
yea hard to go wrong with jungle sounds imo
― psychgawsple, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 19:05 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv4mhOdoH80
― ⚓ (gr8080), Wednesday, 8 February 2012 19:14 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8y64gbVMv0
― the late great, Wednesday, 8 February 2012 19:45 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dLzLHUNrPs
― psychgawsple, Thursday, 9 February 2012 03:40 (twelve years ago) link
yesssss, oh god that track is all time
― karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Thursday, 9 February 2012 05:48 (twelve years ago) link
Hating on jungle sounds is nagl. It's like hating on sea noises or something.
Anyone who's a bit nonplussed by this album should check out the excellent second 'If This Is House I Want My Money Back' compilation from last year, which features a more upbeat Talabot as well as a load of other dudes from this whole scene (Pional, Beautiful Swimmers, Permanent Vacation etc). Also if contains Mano Le Tough's 'Let's Not Talk About Love' which is one of the best records made by anyone last year.
http://www.discogs.com/Various-If-This-Is-House-I-Want-My-Money-Back-Zwei/release/3084122
― Matt DC, Thursday, 9 February 2012 09:33 (twelve years ago) link
^^^^ Every word of that is spot on. I love Talabot's tune on that but the Mano Le Tough is GODLIKE.
― Tim F, Thursday, 9 February 2012 09:38 (twelve years ago) link
also this remix is a must hearhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyhBFIKFeoA
― du mein bestie (micarl), Thursday, 9 February 2012 09:42 (twelve years ago) link
Probably time for a Mano Le Tough thread soon enough, his Stories EP was also ace and there's an album in the pipeline that I reckon will surpass Talabot's.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 9 February 2012 09:42 (twelve years ago) link
yeah the stories ep was amazing, esp "take it back"
― first period don't give a fuck, second period gon get cut (lex pretend), Thursday, 9 February 2012 09:44 (twelve years ago) link
pretty much track Mano Le Tough is releasing is just sound palette catnip to me
― I DIED, Thursday, 9 February 2012 09:46 (twelve years ago) link
pretty much EVERY track
Album coming out soon too.
― two lights crew (seandalai), Thursday, 9 February 2012 14:00 (twelve years ago) link
talked a bit to him a couple of weeks ago, album coming after the summer.
― sisilafami, Thursday, 9 February 2012 14:36 (twelve years ago) link
Loving Mano Le Tough, ilxor TIP!
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 9 February 2012 15:01 (twelve years ago) link
'if this is house i want my money back zwei' *was* really good, but i have been having a very hard time getting into this new permanent vacation 'selected label works' thing (save for the pional tracks i guess)
― psychgawsple, Thursday, 9 February 2012 17:34 (twelve years ago) link
i also cosign on the mano
― psychgawsple, Thursday, 9 February 2012 17:35 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah that third Permanent Vacation comp was really disappointing, far too many Sally Shapiro-type sadsack vocals all over the place. I really liked about half the second one and the first one is classic for all time, virtually everything there is wonderful.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 9 February 2012 18:55 (twelve years ago) link
The only problem with "don't leave me (friendly pattern version" is that the grinding boogie-machine outro should last five minutes rather than thirty seconds.
― Tim F, Thursday, 9 February 2012 19:00 (twelve years ago) link
Remember being disappointed/bored with the first Permanent Vacation Selected Works compilation when it came out - especially since there seemed to be much more interesting neo-Balearic stuff around at the time, even the Fred Deakin Nu Balearica comp - but 'If This Is House I Want My Money Back Zwei' is really nice.
― MikoMcha, Thursday, 9 February 2012 19:37 (twelve years ago) link