Hercules and Love Affair

Hey, is Classique #3 similar to #2? And let's not forget the Hercules Club Mix of "Blind", although it is my least favorite of the three versions I've heard. There is apparently a Serge Santiago mix of "Blind" as well.

No, its quite a bit sparser than #2. Tim Sweeney's played it quite a bit, so check the BiS archives if you want to hear it.

The club mix of Blind is great! Those bass eruptions just kill me. Saw stir drop it last saturday and it was the highlight of the night!

I'll have to find it over at BIS. Thanks for the info jng.

I keep expecting to hear "Girls and Boys" after the intro bassline drops! I'm digging the album version, haven't been inspired by any of the rmxs so far though.

I like the Knuckles more than I like any of their proper solo stuff, but there's something compellingly cohesive about all the H&LA tracks I've heard so far. I get the feeling that it's going to be one of those albums I can just set to repeat and leave it be, which is a v. exciting thing.

-- jamescobo, Monday, 28 January 2008 17:33 (2 days ago) Link

pretty much agree with this, herc&love affair stuff i've heard has all been pretty strong

this stuff is great.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fsb6pk-0L._SS500_.jpg

they are very good.

super jealous of anyone who has already heard this album. can't wait for vinyl release!!

it's really, really good.

Hercules' Theme.
Fucking hell.
Amazing.

http://www.ci.grandjct.co.us/CityDeptWebPages/AdministrativeServices/CustomerServices/Images/LEAK.jpg

god damn did this album turn out better than I could have ever hoped, even if it's as frontloaded as that Midlake album

so looking fwd to listening to this when i get home

Lovin' that cover art too. This is pretty fantastic.

Great cover. Good album w/a couple of IDM duffers in the second half.

This is awesome. Every Arthur Russell fan needs this.

best album of 2008

so stoked antony is on more than half of it.

It's pretty good. Not sure how good, but I've had it on repeat since last night, so that must count for something.

this is all kinds of good

the 7 minute mp3 i have of athene the = extended version i guess? its only 4 miuntes on the record?

My first impression is that I'm kinda underwhelmed by the album. It's good, but none of the stuff outside of Athene/Blind/Hercules Theme really engages me. Also, the homages to Your Love and Big Fun go a little too far.

Cover is holy shit awesome though.

Antony ruins this album for me in a similar way that Kelley Polar's new one is ruined by awful singing. Stop singing or release instrumental versions of your albums.

wow you are wrong!!!

brotherlovesdub

i don't mind being wrong, i just don't like vocals and especially dislike weak vocals. i'd much prefer to listen to this album if Antony didn't sing on it. i didn't like his song with bjork, didn't like his album. don't much care for singing over house music. i love Happy House though. now that's a DFA tune with vocals that i can fully support.

top marks for Classique #2 and the rest of the album that doesn't have Antony singing.

I love 'Dull Flame of Desire'. I love Antony and the Johnsons and i love what i have heard of this album that Antony sings on. Not sure how anyone can call Antony's vicals 'weak'? Back to dub for you good sir.

that's really funny, because if any song has "weak vocals" it's happy house

i think i like this a lot but i'm not totally sure. i don't think it's a slight to say that i don't yet like anything on here as much as 'athene'/'hercules' theme'/'blind'

'you belong' and 'iris' are the two of the rest that i like best, esp. 'iris' which sounds like the knife kinda

right, and i love Bernard Sumner's vocals too. i'm full of contradictions. antony's singing style just isn't my taste.

Couldn't be more wrong.,

it IS your taste.

i'm glad that antony is doing this. i hope he completely abandons the balladry of i am a bird now entirely.

completely entirely, shees. i'm done

i'm glad that antony is doing this. i hope he completely abandons the balladry of i am a bird now entirely.

Yes! Blind was like a revelation of sort, it's like what he was born to do. A voice with oomph like that has it's place, and where it was before wasn't it.

im pretty sure he cut the vocals for this before i am a bird now

i know for a fact that's true re: 'blind'

Alright, but that's besides the point. Him as a diva-ish disco vocalist works far better than him as indie troubadour.

Glad to see the Miami boys representin' here.

yeah but im saying it's not like this is a new phase for him or something, if anything it seems like the opposite

Yeah, my friend Sarah, who unlike me likes Antony generally, was saying that his voice sounds so gorgeous, so right on Blind, that it was made for it.

Anyway, when's the album out? When is Blind out (there's only a promo so far)? I want to BUY it! The cover is great.

Album March 10, "Blind" March 3.

The idea of Antony singing over house music just feels wrong to me but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise. Will give this a listen this evening.

there is most definitely nothing wrong about blind, especially the frankie knuckles remix... its oh so right

i think frankie knuckles should remix the whole album

The persistence of this thread keeps making me give this album another try, but, really, it does nothing for me. Most bafflingly overrated ILM faves since... Junior Boys?

heh, telling

just broke my 'no hype machine at work' rule in order to scope these dudes out

'Hercules Theme' sits very well with Escort's 'Starlight'

Well predictably I loves it all, esp. the Goldfrapp remix. No mix of 'Blind' really stands out for me, all good.

think maybe the constant triggering of "it's a blue" could've instead been a selection of cut up lines, bordering on Todd Edwards style. just doing that to the opening line only feels almost...lazy? still great tho

Both of those are good and better than anything on the new H&LA.

old guy in the black t-shirt looks way out of place xxp

is that munch

luv gay house; they better than indie tho.

xx cover roxx!!! but needs extended version.

Listening for the first time in a couple of months, and this is better than I remembered. If nothing else, "Painted Eyes" and "Leonora" are both excellent.

Weirdly, I never noticed that "Boy Blue" cuts out 1:45 into the song on the version I have. If anyone wants to e-mail me the full mp3, I'd appreciate it!

don't have mp3, but this album is great!!

what's the deal with no release in north america??

it's alright is corny as hell but i really like it

sorta see where you hear corny... earnest, definitely

"see where you hear" haha

New single: https://soundcloud.com/hercules-and-love-affair/do-you-feel-the-same-released/s-mPHkQ

I love it.

Great new song featuring John Grant !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTFf8jqPNu0

Oh, that's gorgeous; lovely video, too.

John Grant is an inspired vocalist choice.

No one's talking about it, eh? Too bad. I love it.

I don't have much to say about it but I am feeling it too. Still not as good as the debut but the John Grant tracks and "Do You Feel The Same" are some of the best stuff that he's (collectively?) done. The lyrics of "My Offence" feel a bit clunky but it stands out and I appreciate the sentiment if not the execution.

Kinda front-loaded but yeah, love it.

Man I need to give this another chance. I thought the second album was generally better than it was given credit for being -- and was surprised at the positive notices for the new one, which barely left an impression.

I have really enjoyed the new one while listening but it has a very generic feel. The beats and overall sound are repetitive over the course of an album.

New track. Gloomy indie is not what I expected.. Album coming in June.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmbDJFHqpoQ

Strange song.

new record is wonderfully goth