Plaid - C/D S/D

Curious what the connection between this Craig Leon album from 1981 (which James Holden has been praising lately) and early Black Dog/Plaid is – the sound's weirdly similar, as are some of the titles. Leon produced the first Ramones album among many others.

I'm definitely not keen with everything on Spanners but it's one of those albums I just can't help myself with, I have to hear the whole thing every time. Bytes is also incredible. Was kinda shocked to load up iTunes and see just how much I've played both those albums.

Gorgeous lead track from the new album, if it's all like this I would be very pleased.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ6I6J0yrHQ

Hawk Moth is indeed superb. Anyone listened to Reachy Prints yet? I'm not sure I love it yet. Like the last album, there are some gorgeous moments but also a lot of songs which sound like Plaid just being Plaid.

any opinions on the new one?

Apart from Hawkmoth it may as well be offcuts from Scintilli. I had a bit of trouble with Scintilli itself because it sounded like Plaid settling into a well-trodden path, but at least there were a few imaginative moments. This new one goes right over my head every time I put it on.

I haven't cared about them since about 2002 but I love this new one, less meandering pissing about then there used to be, the whole album is much tighter and the melodies are gorgeous.

Did you listen to Scintilli, Matt DC? If you like this one I think yo'd really like that one.

the first Plaid album i've been able to engage with.. the odd-numbered tracks are all great. as somebody said upthread, it feels very concise and punchy. sounds great in the (rental) car

With all the Ae excitement going on, let's not forget there's a new Plaid album on the horizon. 'The Bee' has been released as a preview. I was very disappointed by Reachy Prints, save for 'Hawkmoth', but this sounds quite interesting. An almost classic rock tinge to it at the end.

Man, people don't really care about Plaid anymore.

The new one is ok. I assume your;e disappointed, dog latin.

I used to be a huge Plaid fan right up until that soundtrack for the Japanese movie. I just lost interest after that. Those Black Dog archives kind of kicked off around then too and I got my fix from those tracks.

the one track that's getting all the radio play (ok, 3 plays) is good, makes me want to check out the lp. but then i said that about the last one and still haven't.

the website is shiny

Enjoying it so far! Quite low-key but some nice almost-cheesy synths, especially during the first half. 'Melifer' has me grinning like a loon each time the outro synth line kicks in ...

it's very pretty but they don't sound like they're exactly sweating very hard to try out anything new.

"CLOCK" from the new album is glorious. Plaid are great at what they do.

okay so I sorta gave up on these guys after Spokes, but I decided to grab Scintilli and I'll be damned, this is like everything I want out of a Plaid album (including being LESS THAN 70 MINUTES LONG). are the next two as good as this?

Last two are great. Plaid are cursed by consistency and it seems people lost interest in them. Higlhlights : nafovanny,
Wallet, clocks and the first track on the newer one which has a stranger things vibe

I started off with a copied cassette of Rest Proof Clockwork and when I got the CD never bothered with the end, so I've gone for nearly 20 years of listening to it without hearing the gorgeous hidden track at the end.

ah man that is such a beautiful tune. I can't believe it was just chucked on the end like that. This era is my favourite by them

i've fallen in love with the black dog's "otaku" recently. never got into any plaid albums, despite major love for "object orient". i should try again.

Clocks is one of their finest late period songs. Last two are worth checking out; they fly under the radar but these guys do their thing very well

Clocks is an amazing track. Hell, it might be my _favorite_ Plaid track, but I’m really into somewhat traditional IDM tracks that get occasional club play (e.g. LFO “Freak”).

Oh, Assult on Precinct Zero got club play too. Man, Plaid is super underrated.

Now that I’m thinking about it, the only other track I can think of is the acid edit of Windowlicker. I guess it’s a small genre. 😂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-oVgjE2i4c

great remix

Fucking love that track.

yeah my favourite. plaid are basically my favourite

Thought it was kinda cute how they made a stranger things style track on their last album. Mind you it ruled!

Also one of the plaid guys partner is Mara Carlyle who is so good. They remixed one of her tracks too

I really love the one track that starts as sort of an ambient cut-up collage and then suddenly transforms into hyperspeed Sonic the Hedgehod music

"Dang Spot" I think it's called

I've been on a real Plaid tip lately. Kind of felt like their last few albums were pale retreads of their previous stuff - same sound, fewer ideas - but I've had a large jumbled-up playlist going on in the background and it's still phenomenal stuff with plenty of character.

Would be great to do a Plaid poll, although it would throw into question whether to include Black Dog stuff too.

dont have much of plaid, just spokes.
i need to get more.
ordered the 2 new black dog albums this week.
one is ambient, the other is beats.
really looking forward to hearing them.

Spokes is where their sound started to consolidate a bit. It's a fun album but I'd say their peak was on Restproof Clockwork and parts of Double Figure.

yea Spokes strikes me as the "if you can only get one Plaid album, don't get this one" album

have to say I dig the new Plaid albums quite a bit. I get what DL is saying but I don't really mind a 'retread' of a style which no one else is really able to replicate. plus the new albums are short. which I think is a good thing. even their classic 90s stuff has chunks of filler on it.

definitely filler. the earlier Black Dog and Plaid albums all had short interludes (but they were good interludes). Restproof Clockwork is the all-killer front-to-back best album, but the first four songs on Double Figure beat pretty much everything on it before the album dwindles into some slightly thin, noodly nonsense

Dog Latin otm - spokes is the least essential plaid release and a fitting name - sounds like they’re treading in the mud.

The last two are underrated tho (particularly the latest). Very few electronic artists have as divine melodies as plaid or as much commitment to making abstract ideas tangible.

P brane EP remains essential as well

Reachy Prints has Wallet and Matin Lunaire

I saw them play Wallet in a forest in California once. it was good.

Wallet is so good

omg I just had a big epiphany regarding the title Not For Threes... It's a reference to their split from Black Dog, when they were "three". The subsequent release then was "For Twos"

Would be great to do a Plaid poll, although it would throw into question whether to include Black Dog stuff too.

You should do this! It'd be the excuse I'd need to listen to their post-Spokes output.

Yes please do. Plaid are underrated these days

I wish Plaid would do more vocal collabs. One of the rare mostly-instrumental electronic acts who are actually good at playing to their collaborators' strengths. Might invigorate their sound a bit more too.

yeah I still have no idea what to make of their 3 recent albums. they are very pleasant and actually a bit more consistent than their 'classic' stuff but they also feel like they were written by AI

totally. that's the best summarisation I've heard of their recent stuff. it's not bad, it just doesn't fill me with the same sense of joy or fun as before.

i still think scintilli is great, the more recent 2 are just okay

Scintilli sounds like a greatest hits rather than a new album - it's a great listen but a bit disappointing as their first proper studio album for several years after Spokes. Reachy Prints is too slight but has Hawkmoth. Digging Remedy has a bit more meat on it but there's nothing truly memorable on it - I just like it chiming away in the background

Ya'll are mad if Wallet and Matin Lunaire do nothing for you

wallet is excellent yes