Fennesz - Venice

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I couldn't find a thread on this album. I just bought this the other day at Other Music, and didn't even think it was out yet. I'm really enjoying this, even more than Endless Summer, and on about the same level as his Live in Japan. What do you guys think?

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Saturday, 20 March 2004 15:28 (twenty years ago) link

...my copy is still in "Transit". I eagerly expect it's arrival early next week.

― bahtology, Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:11 (twenty years ago) link

sonically beautifull, not as fun or playfull as endless summer (minus the sylvian track). kinda sad.

― twelve, Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:38 (twenty years ago) link

just as shitty as the rest of his stuff. i dare the dude to write a song.

― dddd, Saturday, 20 March 2004 20:20 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, dude, write a song!

― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 20 March 2004 20:34 (twenty years ago) link

why should he write a song?

― hector (hector), Saturday, 20 March 2004 20:46 (twenty years ago) link

I get bored of songs.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 20 March 2004 20:48 (twenty years ago) link

"Transit" is downloading as we speak (type). I eagerly await it.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 20 March 2004 21:05 (twenty years ago) link

"songs is rubbish!"

― cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 20 March 2004 21:10 (twenty years ago) link

hear hear!

― hector (hector), Saturday, 20 March 2004 21:26 (twenty years ago) link

Sick's Dad: "There's an 'orrible noise comin' out your bedroom."

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Sunday, 21 March 2004 09:34 (twenty years ago) link

Fucking hell, play Venice on your PC and then visit the Avril Lavigne website! Hey presto, Kevin Shields remixes Avril!

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Sunday, 21 March 2004 09:41 (twenty years ago) link

It should scare off all the rainy-day fans who hopped on with "Endless Summer".

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Monday, 22 March 2004 11:52 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=1831

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Monday, 22 March 2004 11:56 (twenty years ago) link

Nick, your review is OTM as far as I'm concerned.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Monday, 22 March 2004 12:55 (twenty years ago) link

A fine review, Mr. Nouthall, though upon first listen, I liked Transit. All Sylvian's shit sounds that way, as far as I'm concerned...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 13:15 (twenty years ago) link

today I think this is the best Fennesz album I've heard (admittedly not all of them)

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Monday, 22 March 2004 15:40 (twenty years ago) link

let's hear it for filmic doomed romanticism!

― tricky disco (disco stu), Monday, 22 March 2004 17:58 (twenty years ago) link

hear hear!

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 18:22 (twenty years ago) link

Nick, that Avril advice is really OTM!!!

I like Vencie, it's pretty. Buy yeah, I'd love for someone to remix it. Like Timbaland.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 22 March 2004 20:42 (twenty years ago) link

It's not so pretty when the guy who can't sing for shit suddenly jumps in on the second to last cut or whatever it is. Also, I think I liked the Japan album more. But yeah -- a very pleasant record.

― chuck, Monday, 22 March 2004 20:51 (twenty years ago) link

Like Timbaland.

i think this would cause ilm to implode.

the guy who can't sing for shit

woah - i think that's the first time i've seen that comment made towards david sylvian...

― tricky disco (disco stu), Monday, 22 March 2004 21:54 (twenty years ago) link

Do you mean Sylvian, Chuck?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 21:56 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, I guess that would be Sylvain - I never checked. (I do have an album by Japan somewhere in my collection, by the way, but I forget what it sounds like. They look kinda cute on the cover, I guess.)

― chuck, Monday, 22 March 2004 21:58 (twenty years ago) link

i don't like david sylvian's voice much, either! and neither does matos!

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 22 March 2004 21:58 (twenty years ago) link

I'll grant you that his voice is an acquired taste, but to say he "can't sing for shit" seems a little much.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:02 (twenty years ago) link

yeah geeta and you think lodger is bowie's best album!

xpost

― tricky disco (disco stu), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:03 (twenty years ago) link

I was not prejudiced in any way, mind you -- I have no opinion about David Sylvain at all. I barely even remember who he is! All I know is, the three times I played the Fennesz album, I was lulling away in its noisome beauty or whatever and suddenly that guy jumped in and I thought "Wow, this guy can't sing for shit, what's HE doing here?" But maybe he CAN sing, I dunno. Maybe he just chose not to on the Fennesz album!

― chuck, Monday, 22 March 2004 22:07 (twenty years ago) link

dude, bowie's voice is great on lodger! and it's nothing like sylvian's!

― geeta (geeta), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:11 (twenty years ago) link

i was only joking around...i wasn't referring to bowie's voice. (i just don't think lodger's his best, but taste is taste)

― tricky disco (disco stu), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:15 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah, Bowie's voice didn't go to hell til Let's Dance. Once he started singing in that low register all the time, it was ALL over.

― chuck, Monday, 22 March 2004 22:17 (twenty years ago) link

Personally I'm glad Timbaland wasn't brought in to remix Venice but hey diff'rent strokes.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:19 (twenty years ago) link

Sylvian rules. You're all fules.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:19 (twenty years ago) link

Personally I'm glad Timbaland wasn't brought in to remix Venice

Yeah well, they just couldn't match up their schedules, what with Fennesz's commitments to produce the next Mya and Luda albums and his finishing up work on the J-Kwon remixes.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:26 (twenty years ago) link

I thought it was Tim's solo laptop tour that mucked things up.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:28 (twenty years ago) link

I'm gathering, Chuck, that you don't like the low croon that much. Not a fan of Scott Walker either, I'm guessing?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:28 (twenty years ago) link

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

― chuck, Monday, 22 March 2004 22:29 (twenty years ago) link

Does that make you an ecstatic Alvin and the Chipmunks fan, then?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:33 (twenty years ago) link

Well, they were better than Bauhaus. (Less ridiculous, too.) No contest there....

― chuck, Monday, 22 March 2004 22:37 (twenty years ago) link

I thought it was Tim's solo laptop tour that mucked things up.

The thought of how cool this would be proves my original point!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 22 March 2004 22:38 (twenty years ago) link

Having heard it tonight, I proclaim it glitch-Vangelis, though this is not a criticism per se. Better post-gaze than the Air album easy. I like Sylvian dammit and always will. One song sure as hell sounded like the last song on the Seefeel debut (at least that's what I think it was), which is always a good sign. It can support remixing as much as lack it. And there ya go.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 04:02 (twenty years ago) link

'Venice' is ear candy, too eager to please and far beneath this man's considerable talents. love "Transit," though. a challenging partner tends to bring out the best in Fennesz. the duo with Keith Rowe coming out on soon on Erstwhile should be a stunner that sets everything right again.

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 04:08 (twenty years ago) link

Did you think 'Endless Summer' was mere ear candy as well?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 08:14 (twenty years ago) link

One song sure as hell sounded like the last song on the Seefeel debut (at least that's what I think it was), which is always a good sign
Yes, always.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 12:03 (twenty years ago) link

Plus, there's tracks like "City of Light", which sound like the gloomy, beatless parts of Seefeel's second album.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 12:04 (twenty years ago) link

CHRISTIAN READS THESE THREADS

― austria (nick.K), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 14:12 (twenty years ago) link

Good, I was very nice about him in that review.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 14:19 (twenty years ago) link

christian, I was only kidding about the songs.

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 19:41 (twenty years ago) link

uh oh an artist is spying on us...

― hector (hector), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 19:57 (twenty years ago) link

CHRISTIAN COME TO CALIFORNIA FOR MY PROM HOLLA DAWG MY # IS 415-GLI-TCHY

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 20:04 (twenty years ago) link

Skipping 77 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Isn't someone from Gang of Four a big-time engineer at Intel now? Remember hearing something like this years ago but of course it could be false.

― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Friday, 28 May 2004 16:25 (nineteen years ago) link

actually, Kevin is back playing, at least sporadically. he did some shows in Europe this past month, at least one of which I heard was surprisingly mellow.

― jon abbey, Friday, 28 May 2004 17:33 (nineteen years ago) link

oh hey Erstwhile dude! great job on the show last night.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 28 May 2004 17:41 (nineteen years ago) link

thanks, man, glad you enjoyed it. it was too bad we had to turn so many people away.

for me and Keith, it was a really great epilogue in many ways to the AMPLIFY festival we started in Cologne about three weeks ago, I've seen him perform seventeen times since then, including the two last night, and Fennesz twelve times (six in Cologne, two in Berlin, two in Boston, two last night, three of those solo and nine collaborative).

I can see why some people find the LU record a bit disappointing. it's a live recording, not something that was carefully worked on in the studio, selected, and ordered like most other recent Ersts. we tried to blunt expectations a bit with the title. I think once you get past your own preconceptions, that it's a nice addition to both musician's discographies, though, it's 180 degrees away from Venice, for instance, I'm glad I put it out. I'm going to do a quartet record of Keith, Christian, Oren Ambarchi, and Toshi Nakamura, the "Four Gentlemen of the Guitar", who premiered in Berlin two weeks ago, played Victo last weekend, and do a series of shows in France and Spain over the next couple of weeks. we should have lots of recordings to choose from, that one should be a killer, not sure when it will emerge.

― jon abbey, Friday, 28 May 2004 17:52 (nineteen years ago) link

jon- are keith/fennesz playing in the UK jon?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 28 May 2004 18:00 (nineteen years ago) link

nope, no more duo shows are scheduled. the only three they've ever done are the one on LU and the two this week in Boston/NYC. the duos did dovetail nicely with the recent CD release, but if Oren and Toshi hadn't made a prior commitment to a show in Amsterdam, these shows would have likely been "Four Gentlemen" shows also.

― jon abbey, Friday, 28 May 2004 18:03 (nineteen years ago) link

should've been answered "Julio no Julio" but Jon's too nice.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 28 May 2004 18:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Overall a stunner, definitely one of the best things I've heard this year. "Circassian" is like an extended version of a Loveless between-songs interlude, a stunning arrangement of feedback and swirl. "The Point of it All" could be the most gorgeous thing he's done yet -- agog beauty. Sylvian *does* sound overmixed on his track at first, but you'll notice that he's gradually balanced and perhaps even a little subsumed by the supporting guitar (like the Europe whose decline he mourns?). I feel like such a tool throwing around MBV comparisons, but he truly comes closer -- in terms of emotional impact and that uncanny "clenched sigh" sound/feel -- to Loveless than almost anything else I can think of. Ned's right -- *this* is the real post-gaze, if you have to make those sorts of comparisons.

― Clarke B. (Clarke B.), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 02:48 (nineteen years ago) link

Jon Abbey! You big galoot....it's Alex from the News Desk here. You need to come out and aid our ailing softball team!

Seriously, man, howaya?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 4 June 2004 15:48 (nineteen years ago) link

alex in nyc is you? no f'in way, dude. are you still at the good ol' news desk, rerouting suckup jobs about dead Presidents?

― jon abbey, Tuesday, 8 June 2004 19:26 (nineteen years ago) link

A tender reunion! (Mr. Abbey, for the major update in Alex's life, you should go to this thread here:

Alex in NYC to be a daddy!

And post on it. The baby pictures are all, frankly, adorable. :-)).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link

little known fact: if you listen to keith fullerton whitman's playthroughs at the same time as fennesz's field recordings or venice (with both at high volumes) you have extended orgasms.

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 19:52 (nineteen years ago) link

Still not as a good as my 'Fennesz + Avril = New MBV Remixes' thing!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 8 June 2004 19:57 (nineteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

still LOVING this

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Sunday, 27 June 2004 19:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Wonderful to fire the fuck juice to.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Sunday, 27 June 2004 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link

Until Sylvian comes in, then it gets very weird.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Sunday, 27 June 2004 19:45 (nineteen years ago) link

some of the early tracks sound like a falling-apart angelo badalamenti number.

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 29 June 2004 23:51 (nineteen years ago) link

three months pass...

from the Empty Bottle (Chicago) website:
12/2 Fennesz

Does this mean he's touring? I couldn't find notice of it on Mego, Touch, or Fennesz.com. I hope he comes to LA. Info very much appreciated!

― robots in love (robotsinlove), Monday, 4 October 2004 05:20 (nineteen years ago) link

He was in Amsterdam on sept. 25 (during my holidays, grr), so it does seem he's touring at the moment.

― willem (willem), Monday, 4 October 2004 10:20 (nineteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...

he's always doing shows, one place or another. he does have some north american dates coming up in december:

12/1/2004 Underground @ The Drake
Toronto, ON Junior Boys

12/2/2004 Empty Bottle
Chicago, IL Growing, Octis

12/3/2004 Holocene
Portland, OR Nudge

12/4/2004 RX Gallery
San Francisco, CA Broker Dealer

12/5/2004 Knitting Factory LA
Hollywood, CA

12/7/2004 Knitting Factory
NYC, NY

― jon abbey, Thursday, 28 October 2004 20:46 (nineteen years ago) link

December 5, hmmm....

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 28 October 2004 20:50 (nineteen years ago) link

MOTHER OF HOLY FUCKING G-D, HE'S COMING TO TORONTO!!!!!!

This news has made my day.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 28 October 2004 23:28 (nineteen years ago) link

I'll be at the empty bottle show.

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Thursday, 28 October 2004 23:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Another opening slot by the motherfucking Junior Boys?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 28 October 2004 23:35 (nineteen years ago) link

SUNDAR, FENNESZ IS COMING TO TORONTO, DO NOT QUESTION THE BOOKING LOGIC.

But seriously, have you seen a show at this "underground@the drake hotel"? Where is this place?

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 28 October 2004 23:43 (nineteen years ago) link

December 5th is on a Sunday!

Weekend show!

― hector (hector), Thursday, 28 October 2004 23:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Another opening slot by the motherfucking Junior Boys?

You're complaining about this? Man, that's my kinda bill right there!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 29 October 2004 00:04 (nineteen years ago) link

I've been to an improv gig at the Drake. It's 1150 Queen W, in Parkdale, very very close to the Gladstone. A nice enough place with a cafe just upstairs. I'm looking forward to seeing Fennesz and a shitty opening band from Shitville just means I'll be able to get more work done that day and show up in time for Fennesz so it's all good.

That's the same day as my daytime Music Gallery gig, which means that everyone in Toronto will be able to make both gigs that day. Lucky you! Seriously, I'll post a thread about that one closer to the date with more details.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 29 October 2004 00:05 (nineteen years ago) link

Ned, they might have Low beat in the "dullest band I've ever seen" finals.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 29 October 2004 00:06 (nineteen years ago) link

Ned, they might have Low beat in the "dullest band I've ever seen" finals.

Aw, I've seen both and I think they're great. :-) Rah!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 29 October 2004 00:07 (nineteen years ago) link

Ned, they might have Low beat in the "dullest band I've ever seen" finals.
Whoa, I didn't realize you hated them that much (note to others: Sundar, Dyson and I were at the JB/Ratatat/Mouse on Mars show yesterday). I even thought you liked a couple of their songs!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 29 October 2004 00:17 (nineteen years ago) link

Heh, well, there were some songs I liked more than others but on the whole the Junior Boys weren't really my cup of tea. Mouse On Mars had the funk; Ratatat had the rock - I was feeling more of that, you know?

Maybe I should work on toning my online aggression levels down to the offline levels I aim for;)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 29 October 2004 01:00 (nineteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Bah, the Empty Bottle show has been canceled. Reason not given.

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Friday, 12 November 2004 18:42 (nineteen years ago) link

toronto's cancelled too!

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 12 November 2004 19:43 (nineteen years ago) link

maybe he has christmas shopping?

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 12 November 2004 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link

Toronto's CANCELLED??? First Black Dice (last night) and now THIS?

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 12 November 2004 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link

well, that's what i gathered from the posting @ soundscapes that said "fennesz - the drake, dec 1st CANCELLLED"

― mark p (Mark P), Friday, 12 November 2004 19:47 (nineteen years ago) link

the whole tour is cancelled, I did not hear why.

― jon abbey, Saturday, 13 November 2004 04:26 (nineteen years ago) link

two years pass...

Is there no general Fennesz thread?

Anyway lots of stuff happening - new lp with Sakamoto and tour with Mike Patton. Any opinions?

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 14:14 (seventeen years ago) link

I really like the collab with Sakamoto. A collab that actually works and where each artist actually interacts with the music they have been given which is quite rare in my listening experience.

While Stylus usually has pretty spot-on reviews, I think they missed the mark on this one.

I saw Fennesz play once with Didi Bruckmayr who is not dissimilar from Mike Patton (vocal improv-wise), so it's not that far out of the realm.

― William Selman, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 14:56 (seventeen years ago) link

(x-post)
Yeah, a lot's happening indeed. Coinciding with me listening to Venice and esp. Endless Summer a number of times the last few weeks.
Downloaded Cendre two days ago and found it quite underwhelming at first listen. I absolutely love [i]Sala Santa Cecilia and there's hardly any of the tension that's nearly palpable on that recording to be found on the studio album. Maybe I/it need(s) more time though.

Meanwhile - Fennesz is playing here in Utrecht/NL next friday and saturday! It's a triple bill during the annual Springdance festival, and this evening is based on Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps. Apparently, Fennesz will play a new composition based on a rendition of Le Sacre on the organ of the church in which the performance will be staged. More here.

― willem, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 15:02 (seventeen years ago) link

seven months pass...

Isn't time for a new album?

― baaderonixx, Thursday, 13 December 2007 16:37 (sixteen years ago) link

judhing by his website, he just released a new digital-only track. Anyone heard it?

― baaderonixx, Thursday, 13 December 2007 16:38 (sixteen years ago) link

Isn't time for a new album?

Too many reissues!

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 December 2007 16:41 (sixteen years ago) link

yep. i can't complain though. for some of them it was the first time i heard them.

― Mark Clemente, Thursday, 13 December 2007 17:17 (sixteen years ago) link

cendre is my favourite release of the year i think. it's got to the point where i can't sleep at night without listening.

― r1o natsume, Thursday, 13 December 2007 18:31 (sixteen years ago) link

I never picked that one up, since I never listen to the Sakamoto/Alva Noto stuff I have.

― baaderonixx, Friday, 14 December 2007 10:19 (sixteen years ago) link

"On a Desolate Shore a Shadow Passes By"

Beautiful. Halfway through, the track (guitars & electronics making the sounds of surf) nearly falls apart - like when you let sand (metaphore might've been induced by the title...) slip through your fingers and the last grains are about to fall through - and then a wonderfully treated acoustic guitar comes through. Awesome.

― willem, Friday, 14 December 2007 22:29 (sixteen years ago) link

six years pass...

happy 10th birthday Vemice!

― sleeve, Thursday, 20 February 2014 18:21 (ten years ago) link

Fuck me.

― the drummer is a monster (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 20 February 2014 20:55 (ten years ago) link

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