Symbion Project, Pete Samples, Joey Fehrenbach, Jens Buchert - So Sweet Yet Missing Something?

When you dabble in electronica/house/trance/ambient etc. you tend to run into a TON of really beautiful and fascinating sounds.  Most of the time you can't listen to each song but more than once or twice as it is just too repetitive and lengthy.  I would normally label such music as incomplete or missing that WOW-factor.  I think in the case of what you are going to see and hear below, these are a bunch of really great works that are just barely missing the WOW-factor.  They each have certain elements in them that are absolutely extraordinary, but for whatever reason they don't really go the extra mile and reach full potential.

Now after reading an opening paragraph like that, of course one might think... how the hell can you take such a pot-shot at someone's great works, especially when you have nothing even recorded.  Think you could do better?  I will of course concede that as a very valid point and I am totally non-defensible in that respect, but then again you can be the judges for yourselves if you think these tunes reach their full potential.  I will give my reasons why I think they are just off the mark.

SYMBION PROJECT






What you are about to hear in the opening of this song is I think one of the most amazing intro's to a song ever.  I am absolutely consumed with how cool the opening sequence is.  It is eerie and beautiful, and something that I could NEVER replicate in a hundred thousand years without finding this guy and asking him how he did it.  But he has this incredible opener, and then launches into a really lackluster ambient drone/drum solo for the remainder of the song.  I am absolutely baffled as to how you can have such an amazing opener, and then not build on that in some significant way.  Am I wrong about this?

-Soft Tempest-

PETE SAMPLES











Love this guy.  He has such a unique sound, and he just somehow turned Pete Sampras into a pun.  His most well known song Four Letter Words is a sonic gem for its genre, and has some really cool stuff going on.  I love the deep descending bass kick, and the symphonic overlays.  I am also really into the vocals that he has someone laying down, as I think they are perfect for this song.  About half way through though, he basically just stops the song, and we just sit there and listen to wind chimes or something.  Not sure why you would take the wind out of your own sails like that, but then again maybe it's just me??

-Four Letter Words-

JOEY FEHRENBACH








Joey Fehrenbach is a veteran of the GrooveSalad radio station on iTunes.  He's well known for his downtempo and ambient work, and is a great producer.  The first song I ever heard of his was Behold and I adored it for its simple form, and entrancing melody.  I did however make a small disclaimer note in my mind about how incredibly slow the tempo was, and that it seemed to gather a bunch of momentum for some big moment, and then never really did anything but stick to the same melody all the way through.  I don't fault Fehrenbach for making those choices artistically, I just felt like when I got to the end I had just missed an opportunity to hear something truly magnificent.

-Behold-

JENS BUCHERT





This is another guy I picked up off of GrooveSalad, and was really impressed with his work on Melange Electrique.  It appears that Jens is a very talented Frenchman, and he is quite adept at making some really incredible ambient/electronic tunes.  I adore the dissonant steel-drum overlay he puts in on this track, and I think it adds that element that makes the entire tune.  I wouldn't say there is too much 'wrong' with this tune except that once again I am waiting for something extraordinary to happen, and yet there doesn't seem to be a payoff from a long and incredible momentum gain.  See what you think..


-Melange Electrique-





I am not too big on critiquing others work publicly, as it is an automatic discredit to anything I am trying to do personally.  Every one of these guys has been doing this for a long time, and they all have incredible production ability.  While I am explaining that I really do love each of these songs, they just didn't totally knock me over when put under the microscope.  I am of course trying to explore another element of this blog which will be trying to understand what makes or breaks good music.  I am always interested to hear if other people are hearing or feeling the same things that I do when I hear these tunes or tunes like them.  Finding new music is a passion of mine, and sometimes you stumble onto something that you think is incredible, and then when you stand back and look at the entire work of art, you just aren't as enamored as you were in the beginning.  It's almost like a slight case of buyers remorse (especially if you bought the tune on iTunes).

Any comments on all of the above are much appreciated!  Let me know what you like, and don't like?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

-CS

Bonobo, Wax Tailor, Toro Y Moi and Caribou - A Veritable Medley of Downtempo

Think of this post as a mix-tape.  Not the mix-tape you made for your girlfriend in Junior-High, but the mix-tape you may have made to prove to the hipsters... you were hip.  Though I don't necessarily look like a guy who enjoys a bevy of downtempo beats, it turns out I really actually do.  I wouldn't say that with this post we are touching on some of the best stuff out there, but I think the groups listed in the title bring a lot to the table, each in their own way.  Well just go ahead and get started, since we are covering four artists.

BONOBO








The artist named after a monkey which apparently has an insatiable sex-drive, Simon Green has brought some really interesting work to the scene.  I am particularly fond of Green for his ability to intertwine some really compelling classic jazz sounds into a futuristic and laid back downtempo scene.  He has that knack for tight loops, and spotless transitions, and I would be remiss if I didn't at least give him a spot in an article either now or in the future. So 'now' it is.  You will notice a lack of vocals, and that is just his thing.  Even if you don't like instrumentals or just don't feel a song is complete without vocals, I would still give this guy a listen.

-Recurring-
I think this is an absolutely gorgeous display of Green's talents.  I am enamored with the far-eastern feel of this piece, and the beat is simple yet perfect for what he is trying to accomplish.  I am also surprised at the lack of "over-production", there seems to be plenty of analog sound in there to keep things balanced.




-Days To Come-
When I was mentioning a lack of vocals, I was talking about how Simon Green isn't a singer.  This song has someone's vocals on it, not sure who it is, but the unique sound seems familiar to me. I again like the far-eastern sound, and also those jazz references really come out quite a bit here.




If you want to hear some more Bonobo, I would check out the rest of his Days to Come album, and a couple other songs as well (Flutter, Kota and Noctuary to name a few off his Dial "M" for Monkey album).

WAX TAILOR












My brother put me onto this guy just a few weeks ago, and I have to say I was pretty impressed for the same reasons as I listed for our pal Simon Green above.  Just an overall impressive and tight display of production talent.  Wax has an even more downtempo feel, and seems to have listeners experiencing trip-hop sonic transference. Again a very jazzy sound, and if James Brown came in over top singing the vocals I wouldn't at all be surprised.  He also makes a lot of use of vinyl, and has some pretty impressive "scratch" ability.  He also seems to sample a ton of old movie or television lines, which I am usually partial to.  It tends to lend a lot to one's music.


-Ungodly Fruit-
This was the song my brother put me onto.  I was pretty impressed by it, as it seems to have this waltz quality to it, and yet still makes good use of a compelling beat.  I love the Santana-like guitar solo and flute work.  If this song makes you want to jump nude on a silk trampoline, then you and my brother have some strange interests in common (sorry man, had to add that in there haha)



If you are looking for a bit more from our boy Wax T, look no further than Que Sera and No Pity.

TORO Y MOI








This was another suggestion sent to me by a good friend, and someone who I share a good amount of common music taste with.  This guy Toro Y Moi is a South Carolina native by the name of Chazwick Bundick... yes, I said Chazwick Bundick.  He has a lot of electronic influences, and I wouldn't necessarily paint him as a downtempo artist like the two above, but he is capable of providing the same style with a different spin.  Toro is more of an electro-pop guy, and I am pretty fond of some of his work.  He isn't an accomplished vocalist by any means, but he gets the job done; and though his time-signature seems somewhat off throughout his songs, it lends a uniqueness to his work.  When I was talking hip, this is pretty hip.

-Blessa-
Though I think the vocals are a tad weak here, I do like the dreamy sound-scape.  I think it's a pretty interesting and thought-provoking sound he puts out.




-Talamak-
Though I am not particularly sure of the goal of this music video, I do like the song.  Again a pretty dreamy sound, and some strange beat time signatures, but overall some impressive work.



If you want to check out some more Toro Y Moi, have a look into New Beat and Fax Shadow.  Loving this LOTR reference.

CARIBOU






This was another recommendation from my friend, and actually an artist I had heard of before, and only missed seeing live because of a botched dinner.  Caribou was scheduled to play in Cincinnati for the Midpoint Music Festival, and a group of friends and I were very excited to go.  Needless to say, we went to have dinner at a neat little restaurant in town called Lav-o-matic, and had a VERY hard time getting served (just an off night for them I guess).  So we missed the show all together, which ended up leading us in a different direction, where we saw another pretty awesome band I will probably highlight in the future.  Anyhow, Caribou is a Canadian born musician, Dan Snaith,  who's original moniker was Manitoba; but he was unfortunately taken to court over this and had to have a minor re-branding.  This is again an electropop sound with some break-beat work co-mingled in there.  Again, the vocals aren't incredibly strong, and you will notice the same strange time-signature work as you heard with Toro y Moi.  Caribou has a bit of a more steely sound, and I get this almost 80's feel from listening to him.  Either way, it's some different and fun stuff.

-Odessa-
Strange music video, but cool and unique sound.  Overall, I really like the simplicity and again 80's feel to it.




-Kaili-
Again, a pretty interesting dreamy pop sound, and an awesome job working with filters and phasing.  I like his analog injections into a very synthetic sound.



Wish I was able to see this guy live to get a better feel for him.  I would say that he doesn't really sound much like anyone else I have heard to date, which in itself carries some weight.

Hope you enjoyed some if not all of the stuff here tonight.  I will be going out of town, but will attempt to get another two posts up this week before Friday.  I am also going to be getting back into some work with "Statefantry", which has been receiving quite a few upgrades since the last post about it.  I haven't put a ton of hours in, but have decided on a complete change in the direction of the chorus section, as well as a revamp to the beat which was suggested by my new hire (my brother as music consultant heh).  If I make decent progress with it between now and Friday, I will make a new video.  So stay tuned.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

-CS

Apparat - Was that a glitch?

I have unintentionally created this mishmashed archive of songs that I have run into over the years on my iTunes.  It is absolutely incredible for fishing out a group I haven't heard in a while to write about, and not so effective as a consistent and effective road trip playlist.  Before I sit down to make a post here on this blog, I always consult my 'archive.'  Just in case I catch something that I want to pay some attention to, and potentially bring to the wonderful folks out there (assuming they haven't already discovered said group).

Tonight was one of those nights where I hadn't predetermined a focus on any one specific group, and therefore I went to check in the archives.  There I came across Apparat, and I of course came across him rather quickly, as he was in the "A's".  I hit the one and only song I had on my iTunes, and then decided I might take my finding over to Rhapsody to check out some of this guy's other works.  I am pretty glad that I did that, as I think there is plenty to gain from hearing some Apparat.

APPARAT










This electronic/glitch/ambient artist is a product of Berlin, Germany.  His real name is Sascha Ring, and apparently he has been at this whole music thing for quite a while.  He got his electronic start in 1997, and has been creating sounds, songs, and tracks ever since then.  I was most struck by how well he incorporates analog instrumentation into his digital creations.  He does such a good job of keeping the listener guessing as to whether what they are listening to was synth or actually a piano.  It is apparent that Sascha has a fantastic ear, and his vocals are very heartfelt and soulful, and more importantly completely and perfectly on key.

I am always a sucker for something that is unique, and it is obvious that Apparat is exactly that.  I also appreciate his interest in multiple genres of music in that he dabbles in all kinds of electronic.  It is apparent that his talent has netted him a very successful music and sound engineering career in Europe, just based on what I have read about him.

You may not like electronic music, but this guy really has something special going on.  If you are interested in hearing more than what you receive here, check out his album Walls.

In the meantime, put on some nice headphones, kick back and relax.  This stuff is priceless.

-Ash/Black Veil-
This is a gorgeous and inspiring tune that goes from sounding like an Irish folk tune and quickly transforming into a gypsy ballad.  I don't really know if that is an ample description for what one is hearing, but I would say that it is an incredibly beautiful song, and one that is worth a few thousand listens.




-Arcadia-
This is another solid display of Apparat's talents, especially in the vocal arena.  I really thought the beat that kicks it off sounds a lot like a Kenna beat, but it quickly transforms into something entirely different.  I also really love how smooth it all sounds.  Another incredible, goose-bump inducing tune.




-Hailin From the Edge-
This is a different tune, something a little more dark and gritty.  I love the chorus section of this song, and I think overall its a pretty solid track.




-You Don't Know Me-
This is the song that sparked this article, and I think this is a really good example of his works that haven't any vocals.  I love the discordant overlays and the complex beat, and it seems to spew emotion from every measure.




-Headup-
This one is simply about the harmonization.  I really like the vocal harmonies in the chorus on this.  The  verse vocals are somewhat lacking..




-Arcadia (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix)-
Telefon Tel Aviv (whom I will end up reviewing at some point) went ahead an remixed Arcadia, and I thought it was interesting to show difference between the songs original intention, and then a more electro version of it.  Both of which of course bring some incredible things to the table.  Give this one some time to develop, trust me, you will like it.




I hope you really enjoyed Apparat.  I ended up surprised at how much of his stuff I found to be golden.  There is some REALLY beautiful work in there!

If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate!  Have a wonderful Thursday!!

-CS

Statefantry

This is that "song" I have been working on for a while now.  I am bringing you all a sample tonight, so that we can at least acknowledge that I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to get into production.  I whipped this video up quickly, and it doesn't have much to it, except for a minute of playback.  I took the vocals out because I don't currently appreciate their lack of creativity :)  I have the lyrics all set, it is just a matter of finding pitches that add an incredibly necessary depth that it is currently completely without.  I am not 100% sold on what you are about to hear in it's initial iteration.  We should just call this version 1.1, and we will just see how it goes from here.

Be prepared to be underwhelmed... like I said, I'm just giving up a very small slice :)  Let me know your thoughts!

Comments, suggestions, insults!  All are welcomed.

Thanks for stopping by.

-CS

Low vs. Diamond - A Real 'Gem' Out of Colorado

My future brother-in-law was kind enough to dish these guys out to me.  He gave me their self-titled debut CD Low vs. Diamond, probably in an attempt to prove to me that he had good music taste.... well it worked :)  He actually has GREAT music taste, and this was a CD that I played over and over for the entire summer after he and I had finally met.

I am not entirely certain of what is so appealing about these guys.  In some cases the vocals sound a little off, even in a recorded version, which can lead you to wonder about their live show capabilities.  However, the fact is, the entire CD is a great CD.  Not one song on it doesn't have replay value.  They are a very good indie rock band, and they shouldn't stop at one disc, but instead start on number two.  Their album of 2008 is their only release, and that I think is particularly unfortunate.  My hope is that they will come back at some point with some more savory music.

LOW VS. DIAMOND








-Don't Forget Sister-
I really love this song, as I think it has a lot of energy, and I love the lyrics as well.   It isn't a complex piece of music, but it's meaningful and it has a lot of replay value (as I stated above).  Pretty intriguing music video as well ;)





-This is Your Life-
I like this tune because it builds upon itself quite well as it goes along, and it blossoms into a pretty significant ballad.  I think for what it lacks in knock-your-socks-off originality, it makes up for in it's heart.  My only bone to pick is the sharp guitar solo at the end.  I finally got over that one after a few listens.





-Actions are Actions-
"He's an over-privileged boy, who's careless with his words, his actions are the actions of a child."  I love the opening line, not sure why... just do.  This is a really solid tune, and I think my favorite of the album.  Check it out.





-Song We Sang Away-
This is a really great song, and another one of my favorites off of the album.  I would suggest getting a listen in on this one.





As I said, this is a really solid album all the way through.  Other songs you should check out are Killer B, Heart Attack, Wasted and Save Yourself. 


Hopefully this was enough to whet the appetite on a really solid band.

Thanks for comin' around!

-CS

Fiction Plane - Yeah... That's Sting's Son

A few years ago a group of friends and I met at one of our buddy's houses for the Mt. Adams Music Festival in Cincinnati, OH.  I had never attended the event before, but was surprised to see what a cool and large music scene it turned out to be.  That year the headliner for the show was Fiction Plane.  They are a contemporary rock band, and it turned out they were a hell of a lot better than I had anticipated, and they put on a very good show that night.  The lead singer of the band is the son of the very very famous Sting, of The Police fame.  It was utterly insane how much his son sounded like him, though his voice was a bit more gritty.  As I said above, I was very surprised by how good they were, and we ended up getting to meet the band and hang out with them after the show, because the stage was placed right in front of our friends' front yard in the street.

I didn't say much to the guys except that I really enjoyed the show, but they seemed like pretty down to earth nice folks.  They had some really simple and tight tunes, and then some very elegant stuff as well.  It appears from their site that they are spending most of their time in Europe which makes sense, and they have since released another album.  Their next stop is in Holland, and some of the music festivals they have been playing have some pretty big headliners.  But, let's go ahead and get to the listening.

FICTION PLANE





American Standard-
This song is off of their Bitter Forces and Lame Race Horses EP, but not on one of their main releases.  I absolutely love this song... I don't know why it didn't make the grade for a main release, but I plucked it off the previous iteration of their website a couple years back.  I don't think this captures their sound as it stands now, but I do think it is one of their best efforts from their very inception.




-Two Sisters-
This is a bit more upbeat song that I really liked when I heard it live.  I don't exactly remember where it was on the set list, but it was early, and it was the song that convinced me I needed to pick their album up.  Tell me that isn't Sting...




-Anyone-
Another upbeat and awesome song from their first main release.  I think they played this one live as well.




-Cold Water Symmetry-
Another great song from their first main release.  I think it has beauty in its simplicity, which is part of what made The Police so successful with tunes like Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.  So I guess you could say that son is following in father's footsteps!




-Patience-
Another gem from their Bitter Forces and Lame Race Horses album.  I really like this song, and its another one that captures their early sound.  In listening to their newest album Sparks, I would say they have reinvented their sound slightly.




Hope you enjoyed a little slice of Fiction Plane, and please leave any comments or questions if you have any!

Happy Hump Day!

-CS