John Talabot

i haven't heard that one but of what i have heard, it's def a case of saving his best for the album - the limited sonic palette makes it a more coherent listen (and actually, there's a deceptively wide range of sounds in there, they're just all put to the service of the talabot aesthetic) and some of the melodies are just incredibly good. also, best sense of build-and-release in dance music since prime booka shade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXDPWB7-_0M

imo one of the best tracks of the last few years, above and beyond talabot though i do like lots of his stuff.

this is not a remix and is pretty great. idk what a whole album like this specific track would be like, but i assume that isn't really the case anyway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcSQF-_cOMM

Man is a genius and album is brilliant.

Yep, the album is a really really nice listen. "Destiny" is the track that struck me first time round (not on Youtube unfortunately), but I'm sure I'll have a new favourite tomorrow.

Barcelona house producer John Talabot has a knack for capturing the very specific kind of bliss associated with dancing on Mediterranean beaches at the height of summer. A penchant for rising chords means that all his melodies make you feel like raising your arms and face to the sun. Talabot also has arguably the greatest sense of build-and-release in dance music since prime Booka Shade: ƒin is full of incredible tension-releasing moments, from the extended break in Destiny to the entrance of Missing You's bouncing bass. The generosity of Talabot's sound can also be ascribed to the amount of disparate ingredients he puts to use in service of his aesthetic – particularly the variety of human voices on display. There are wordless chants and bright, optimistic pop hooks; an echoing scream is plucked from a horror film and deposited in the middle of a carnival on Oro y Sangre, while on So Will Be Now, cut-up vocals coalesce gradually and gorgeously into recognisable language. All of humanity seems to be here – and it's busy celebrating being alive.

i know we've had the whole sunshine thing throughout this thread but the (really great) album is kind of teutonic and a bit wintry to me...pional has that icey vibe to his tracks too.

also sort of a US vibe, "when the past was present" is prob my favourite so far, and it sounds like a joyce sims loop given some reverb.

I kind of agree with LG - maybe not necessarily re "wintry" but it does vibe indoors and late-night for me rather than "face to the sun".

most pimpin album of 2012

omg @ this record

yeees. No favourites yet, which is a good sign.

love that people are loving this

i know we've had the whole sunshine thing throughout this thread but the (really great) album is kind of teutonic and a bit wintry to me...pional has that icey vibe to his tracks too

Booka Shade comparison is probably on point here in that tracks like Mandarine Girl and In White Rooms were alternately really chilly and teutonic and then suddenly really hands-in-the-air and balearic sounding.

I feel like this album starts off pretty icy and then warms up. Actually a lot of this reminds me of The Field, although much better than The Field because he's much better at doing space and build-and-release.

on my first two listens i'm def in the "wish this was more summery" camp but its growing on me

Really feeling this record so far, still on my first listen. It's funny how summer vibes has become such a theme of this thread - is this because of lex's review? - but it snowed for the first time in Amsterdam today and 'Destiny' sounded perfect on my way to work.

This is greeeeeeeeat. But yeah, doesn't feel that summery to me, maybe just because of the weather outside right now.

I'm finding that there's a lot to take in with this album.

Last Land is the big big bomb. he confirmed for Primavera today, can't WAIT to hear this live in spain :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

this is going to blow up, huh?

yes i think so, not a huge pop way, but will reach a lot of people as it's so strong

*in a huge pop way

the record definitely has a balearic type of euphoria seeping in even though the palette isn't all beaches and sunshine. "when the past was present" and "oro y sangre" are some early faves but tbh i dig the whole thing

some tracks here remind me of the vibes on the gatto fritto album last year actually, which was prob less strong but still p great

the record definitely has a balearic type of euphoria seeping in even though the palette isn't all beaches and sunshine

^^ otm

personal faves at the moment :

oro y sangre
missing you
when the past was present

only got to hear the first 3 tracks earlier, but was seriously impressed at the breadth on display here.

the sound is new, and it's probably the first dance album in years that i want to explore through multiple listens. multi-layered in the best way possible

i'm really surprised at how little i'm feeling this :\

does he play "live"-live yet? doing a couple of free shows w/ Chairlift on school nights this week (and a $ headline on Saturday) and I can't hack it for just a DJ set

the Primavera set is billed as 'live' but i guess it will vary

not feeling this. it seems kinda predictable to me: each track builds pretty much as you would expect; each switch gets flicked when you had anticipated it would. that's not always bad and, in fact, it can be useful in a dancefloor context, but it makes for a pretty dull home listen in this case and i can't imagine dancing to any of it either.

i've downloaded this but haven't felt the need to put it on yet, i keep just listening to sunshine and families

I'm scared to listen to this, the not-sunshine vibes suggested by people in this thread make me worry it won't have the same omgwow factor that all his earlier stuff has had for me.

I'm a bit worried that the album might be too quick to offer up all its charms and it might have worn out its welcome in a week or two...but atm it's exactly what I want to hear. It will be interesting to see how ILM rates it in next year's EOY...

Favourite tracks right now:
Destiny
When the Past was Present
Depak Ine

if gr80's not feeling this album well then I'M not feeling it, either #balearicsolidarity

i like it, i'm just kind of whatever about it i guess

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/01/27/john-talabot-i-could-go-three-days-without-leaving-the-house/

interesting that he conceived it as a "dark" album

thanks for posting that-- v good interviewee

really getting into this. its such an ~album~

I want to make an album more relaxed, more plain, without many highlights or any tracks that could get more attention by themselves than the full album, and I wanted to have a more intimate sound, more introspective, more dense, a way of defining all these is with the ‘dark’ word.

This is a really good description of the record, but seems like an odd set of ambitions in a way.

Destiny immediately stood out, I suppose mainly because of the vocals. But everything else I've had to listen to several times. I've even had some trouble associating particular tracks with names. It's all extremely detailed and subtle. I like it a lot though!

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.

Panda Bear-ish vocals on this Journeys song eh?

This is very captivating, deeply into this

yeah, the panda bear-ish vocals take me out of a little bit, i'm getting used to them, though.

Tim F that is a very OTM post.

Reminds me vaguely of the Orbital of the Brown Album and Middle of Nowhere.

oh man i did not make this connection until you said it but this explains a lot of my attraction to this record

So what was John Talabot's previous production name? I remember when he first started producing as John Talabot Sherburne did an article saying how he changed his name so people wouldn't connect the two but I'm intrigued.

Actually it was this article
http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1189

Enough time has passed and there's enough interest now that i think the cat can be let out of the bag

had never heard "families" b4 the tracks poll and cant stop playing it

the vibe of the beat on "missing you" reminds me of talking heads' "seen and not seen"

Ha, there's so much on this album that reminds me of other songs. The beat in 'Estui' sounds as if he sampled Tortoise's 'Djed'. It keeps on driving forward, I love it sooo

I should get this.

i mean i admit i was pretty high when it was finally opening itself up to me but yeah there's def not much in the way of direct sunlight

yeah, this passed me by. need to check it. i listened to FIN an absolutely obscene amount.

I still think his peak was the pre-Fin singles and remixes.

Haven't heard this yet but "Six Milion Ways" sounds exactly up my alley

Samsa is my jam and far and away the best thing on this. I appreciate what they're going for here, but sometimes the melodic ideas run their course pretty quick for me and it feels weird. For the most part this is a killer summer record though and is very good as a companion to movement.

*feels weird cuz this is a deep house record and not sure why I care about whether a melody has changed after 7 minutes

holy shit this album is G R E A T

hmm.. I just haven't been able to get my teeth into it

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

enjoying the hell out of this at my desk rn

great song to wake up to today, Brad, thanks

oh yes

really like Joakim's contribution to that new Permanent Vacation compilation this is from, it's just a remake of his remix of Antena

Was on Beats In Space last night

http://www.beatsinspace.net/playlists/947

(the live sets from Jex Opolis, Shy Layers and Eddie Ruscha worth checking out too)

Definitely into checking out the Shy Layers live set. Haven't heard of the other two but thanks for the tips.

Jex Opolis is great. Check out last year's Ravines album.

And Eddie Ruscha has released lots of great albums as Secret Circuit and was also half of Laughing Light Of Plenty with Thomas Bullock