Dear BT/The Stiffler Brothers/The State Fair of Texas,
Sometimes we ask the tough questions in life. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? How did “Gangnam Style” reach number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100? And of course, when will all of those Furby’s we had in the 90’s come to life, Gizmo style, and destroy us all because we forgot to feed them for more than a decade?
Little did we know that the aforementioned questions would mean next to nothing to our lives once electronic dance pinoneer Brian Transeau, better known by his initials BT and also known as the person we’re directing this open letter to would take his personal smart phone, or maybe it was his business phone, out of his pocket, and snap a picture of a menu put together by the Stiffler Brothers at the State Fair of Texas. Now, we’re gonna skate to one question and one question only, and as alangley10 so elegantly asked in the comments section of your picture, HOW THE HELL DOES ONE FRY LEMONADE?!
I’m not the only inquisitive mind either! Users itsmadamk and afournilr are also profoundly confused. In fact, Sarachelle82 stated that her stomach and arteries hurt while looking at this particular photograph and I can only imagine the reason for such anguish is because of the need to know how to make fried lemonade.
So look, BT. There are Thirteen Angels sitting on your broken windowsill. THIRTEEN. That’s an unlucky number, I’ll have you know and I believe that the only way to send them back to heaven is to find the answer to this question. You and I don’t even have to share the answer if you know it. We can hide it in Our Dark Garden (no, really, I’m lying, if someone comments or Tweets me, I’m totally updating this post with the answer).
Are you still in Texas?! Can you go back?! I mean, this is a question that is sure to be even more pressing when my best friends and I sit down to partake in the Presidential Debate Drinking Game, thentry to provoke the moderator through the television to ask one of the candidates how they would evenly distribute the goods if they were given an unlimited amount of Fried Lemonade from the Stiffler Brothers, or from the State of Texas.
In closing, please help shed some light (or Hikari) on this deep, pressing issue because it’s Gathering The Darkness around here.
Update: Ladies and Gentlemen, the beloved friend and blogger Amber over from Open ‘Til Midnight has solved the mystery! Let us share the Last Moment of Clarity
Update 2: Krissy, fellow Pittsburgh resident, and re-designer of the Official BT website tweeted us with some interesting information as well! Check out the TED link.
Mystery fully solved. So whattayasay, Brian? Next time you’re in the ‘Burgh, you wanna make some Fried Lemonade with the locals?!
Alternate Ending: Best friends provide option number two for creating fried lemonade. Just, so, you know, you aren’t frying ice cubes and risking burning your house down. (Please don’t try this at home)!
If The Stars are Eternal So Are You And I was released June 19th, 2012 [iTunes]
Recently, Garbage announced a contest in collaboration with Beatport to remix “Automatic Systematic Habit” from their first record in seven years, Not Your Kind of People. During the time of the albums release, 2020k was unable to give the project a proper review because of alternate artistic endeavors, but has decided to touch upon it and display his own remix of the song!
2020k on the track: “Automatic Systematic Habit (2020k Remix)” is a work of art inspired by the Garbage track of the same name from their record “Not Your Kind of People”. The album inspired several instances throughout the track, including the Remixes opening voicemail lines. A work of labor and love, the 2020k remix hopes to bring in a fresh, personal and alternate perspective to the aggressive arrangement originally put together by Garbage, while remaining true to its original intent.
That being said, this review is a collaboration article between 2020k and Open ‘Til Midnight. You can read the full, unabridged text from Amber Waves via this article. Our words are in our standard text color, while Amber goes blue.
Driving right in: For the technical aspects of Not Your Kind of People, Garbage goes for an aggressive approach to mastering. According to the TT Loudness Meter the album ranks under an average dynamic range of 5dB (although the vinyl pressing of the record shows a world of difference in range levels). In fact, the highest average bit of dynamic range on the entire record reads at about 6dB.
It’s noteworthy that save for their debut, Garbage has always been a bit loud and fill their records with enough angst that its sound isn’t perceived as loud for the sake of being loud, but a bit noisier to maintain their emotional drive behind the angst driven records the grunge titans have come to be about. Is this the best mixed album of 2012? No. But, is it alright sounding? Yes. While the sonics never stop their assault, it doesn’t seem like there’s much unwanted, audible distortion.
The best display of this hot mixing technique comes with the debut UK single of the record, “Battle In Me”. Its punctuating riff-stops evoke “Supervixen”, a tune that remains one of the band’s very best creations. Sexual magnetism churns and boils over in this track, complete with military-esque drums and shameless lyrics, making for a strong track that highlights the album. “Let’s take a torch to the past and the future/Let’s make out/I won’t tell your girlfriend.” Well Shirley, if you insist… – “Battle In Me” is the most rebellious track on the record, a fully produced force that builds from minimal vocal and electronic effects, that fall beneath Manson’s strong vocals. “It takes a lot to shake me,” Shirley laments, but by the time the chorus builds to its triumphant warrior-esque approach to song structure, it’s layers upon layers of guitars, mixed with semi-distorted vocals and pounding percussive elements, the excitement is through the roof.
Upon listen after listen of Not Your Kind Of People, it’s apparent that production value was a huge part of what went into this record and what made it fun. On “Automatic Systematic Habit,” the album’s opener, front woman and lead vocalist Shirley Manson’s vocals contain delays, reverberation, vocoder effected, filtered, and enough stereo buffer sounding effects on the dry vocal, as well as the wet tracks as well that the robotic (or systematic) feel to the song is heard instantly. This technique is also heavily used on “The One”.
Interestingly enough, Shirley’s vocal lines aren’t at the forefront of this mix for the most part of the song’s duration. In fact, it’s the dense guitar tracks that take center stage. It’s not only the album’s opening track that takes this approach, but the majority of the album. It works to a positive effect, giving Not Your Kind of People more of a band feel as opposed to what could have been done instead and what sometimes is done on band records (giving the vocalist the shine, while the band plays background).
“Man on a Wire” – A brilliant, addictive riff that reminds me of the hip-grooving riff of Finger Eleven’s “Good Times” draws the listener to the full-out rocker chorus on this tune, inspired by the documentary Man On Wire, the tale of a man who tightrope walked illegally between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. The song transcends into a “Screw the world, you can’t stop me” anthem to sing loudly with, a working-class battle cry against the powerful doubters looking down upon them. Delicious!
“Control” – Oh my God, this is pure sex. Sonic Tupelo honey with the gritty seething anger Shirley conjures so well makes for a stunner of tune. There’s a true sense of madness here, a journey down a very bad rabbit hole, hurtling towards the bottom without a hope in hell of survival. “Drown us with the burdens of our sins/Maybe I’ll look you in the eye, tell you, ‘You don’t want to die’/Maybe I’ll hold my breath and jump right in.” These are some of the best lyrics the band’s ever delivered, and I will be playing this one repeatedly in days to come. For anyone concerned that the darkness of their earlier work was long gone, fear not: it’s here. Come lose control.
While the quieter tracks may ask some to lose control, they certainly contain more of the shining moments on the sixth studio album by the band. “Big Bright World” recalls mature/electro-pop excellence, while “Felt” supplies more of a soundscape for the dream pop world to live inside. Elements of electronic music are infused with pop influences throughout the entire album’s run and they’re definitely translated well into the body of work this collective has released over the years.
The Deluxe Edition of Not Your Kind of People offers four extra tracks that are absolute perfection and should have remained on the standard edition of the album.
“What Girls Are Made Of” teeters through a lone opening of a kick and snare sample, with live guitar instrumentation. Feminist lyricism such as “We can bleed for a whole week straight every month and the pain doesn’t phase us” throw themselves unapologetically into the opening lines of the track, before a breakdown explodes into a mad yell “Haven’t you heard I let you off with murder? ..And I’ve been drinking again. It helps to block you out cause if I stop to think, I swear I’ll lose it.” While it’s definitely a geared more toward a female empowerment anthem, post-stressful event involving intimate human interaction, it’s point is certainly relatable all around. At the mid-way point, things calm down with a simple melody where all of the songs parts seemingly follow each other for a few bars, before breaking off into their own respective elements and disintegrate into the track’s chorus.
“Bright Tonight” recalls the 90’s and something The Smashing Pumpkins would stumble upon. In fact, that’s not the only portion of the Garbage record that conjures up Billy Corgan. The Title track does as well. Although, different. It’s slow, meandering melody carries us into the album’s namesake, and I confess that I’m a little bored by this tune. This one’s b-side material at best: the lyrics are immature and Smashing Pumpkins captured this sort of vibe better in their track “We Only Come Out At Night”. Were this an instrumental piece, I feel it might work better, and perhaps Shirley forced lyrics onto this one to fit a sprawling melody no one wished to discard. This almost encroaches into M83 or Explosions In The Sky Territory, or perhaps Stars, if the words are set aside. Passable, but brought down by the attempt at an anthem for the band and their ‘darklings’.
All in all, do Garbage still have what made them trailblazers in the 90s?
Happily, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. While it’s crucial to note that the band explicitly set out not to evolve but rather return to their roots, this doesn’t make the endeavor unimpressive. The Garbage sound still holds up as ever, pushing grunge and pop into a fusion dashed with electronic play. Mercifully, the album steers away from hit-and-miss album Beautiful Garbage‘s overly saccharine zone, returning instead to their self-titled debut with the informed restraint of Bleed Like Me. The result is a solid album that fits well within the catalogue, and while it may not outshineGarbage or Version 2.0, it holds its own quite nicely with its older musical siblings. It also soars and pulses with that irresistible vibe of the “perfect roadtrip album”, making it a great choice for a late Spring/Summer release. The mixing leaves a little to be desired in places, however, which pulls the album away from perfection.
In true Garbage style, the gang has showed us they can progress through the stages of their respective careers and still come together to release a record that’s cohesive, heavy, and unique. Though Not Your Kind Of People does suffer in places, it’s still an album worth having in your 2012 collection.
Amber’s album rating: A
2020k’s album rating: 3.5/5
To read the unabridged version of Open ‘Til Midnight’s review of Not Your Kind ofPeople please click here
CLICK HERE TO STREAM AND VOTE FOR THE 2020k REMIX OF “AUTOMATIC SYSTEMATIC HABIT” IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BEATPORT COMPETITION.
Purchase Not Your Kind of People Vinyl Edition [Amazon]
Purchase Not Your Kind of People Deluxe Edition [Amazon]
Purchase Not Your Kind of People [iTunes]
When we reviewed Lana Del Rey’s debut album Born To Die we mentioned that the album was a great release to put a dent in the first quarter of 2012 (click here to read the review in its entirety). With the re-release of the record coming out in a Paradise Edition, filled with nine new tracks and coming out on November 13th, it looks like it’ll also provide the latter half of the year with a cinematic soundtrack to die for. Not only is there a string heavy cover of the standard “Blue Velvet” (popularized by Bobby Vinton, Tony Bennett, and an 80’s revival by Angelo Badalamenti in the David Lynch movie by the same name) that was featured in an H&M commercial, but the lead single of the project, Rick Rubinproduced “Ride”, features a brilliantly emotional music video clocking in at just over ten minutes.
A voiceover starts and ends the production and remains poetic through it all but the most haunting and, well, most Del Rey is toward the conclusion of the visual in which she states “I believe in the country America used to be. I believe in the person I want to become. I believe in the freedom of the open road. And my motto is the same as ever, I believe in the kindness of strangers. And when I’m at war with myself…I ride. I Just ride.”
Sexualized pinball scenes, a tire swing you’d die to spend a few minutes on, and a bunch of lovers and bikers fill the video and places yet another staple in absolute flawlessness and attention to nostalgic and somber attitude that Lana Del Rey’s music and visual accompaniments have become.
Born to Die: Paradise Edition tracklisting
1. Ride
2. American
3. Cola (Pussy)
4. Body Electric
5. Blue Velvet
6. Gods & Monsters
7. Yayo
8. Bel Air
9. Burning Desire (iTunes Bonus Track)
Their mystery ridden, complex story lines that have been presented through the project’s YouTube account have created a tight knit following through the digital-only BOUNTY and ; in concert releases. 21st century marketing, combined with technological outlets and creative expression that walk a tightrope between nimble accessibility and brilliant experimentation are just surface level scratching of what Jonna Lee and Claes Bjorklund have accomplished together.
For two years, the electronic duo Iamamiwhoami have taken the internet and the international music scene by storm, causing a blindsided firestorm of acclaim from the blogosphere and MTV, even going so far as to receiving a 2011 Grammi award for Innovator of the Year. All this notoriety, and yet the project still did not have full release or proper judge of character behind the masks of the project.
In fact, it seemed as though it would stay that way. In a recent interview, vocalist Jonna Lee proclaimed the two lone tracks released after the BOUNTY series, “; John” and “Clump” were created as an epilogue of sorts. While it was an ending, the songs were presented right before their first live concert and the only information we’d been given on behalf of the duo was that of which was streamlined through iTunes releases and YouTube videos. Many took it as the end of the musical venture as a whole and hope seemed to be severed.
With the debut of kin, their first physically released album, the creative force has left their mark even further and continues to expand through these live shows and magazine interviews. What once was thought of as a project which came to a halt is now continuing at unstoppable speeds and kin proves the band worthy of doing so.
kin is crafted through versatile means that dip through hints of downtempo, industrial, trip-hop, chillwave, and all around electro genres that are packaged together under an umbrella of pop composition and experimental production techniques. While the first few listens recall voices of pioneers within the alternative dance community, Iamamiwhoami brings creative drive through their approach to the mixing and recording process.
Specifically speaking and most noted are the vocal approaches. The entirety of Iamamiwhoami’s discography has a precise vision in every aspect of its processes, but a strong focus on remaining fresh in terms of vocal production and recording is felt. Jonna Leesings in a very different tone than her contemporaries and on top of that is heavily effected in reverberation and delay to create an extremely dense world, thick with emotion and euphoric bliss.
Sonically, the record doesn’t have the largest dynamic range. It averages at about 6dB, but manages to give itself a very spacious vibe through smart use of equalization techniques. This is most touched upon on our track review of “Sever” but has also been mentioned elsewhere. In fact, the only place where kin seems to suffer from being too loud is from the minimal arrangement on “In Due Order” but upon listening to the album in it’s entirety, the track maintains the balance that the rest of the album has. Also, listening to the record on vinyl gives a vastly different listen, so we recommend to give that physical version a listen!
All in all, kin is a deeply conceptual journey from start to end. A look at different aspects of the human psyche, all interwoven into a greater whole that’s able to effectively and elegantly portray these folk-esque stories through means of sing/dance in a way that’s new and refreshing in the world of 21st century music and technology.
Album rating: 4.5/5
BUT WAIT! WE HAVE SOME DROPS FOR YOU! TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF IAMAMIWHOAMI’S DEBUT ALBUM, WE’RE GIVING AWAY THREE COPIES OF THE STANDARD EDITION OF KIN!
The standard edition of kin comes in a folded digipak and features both the album, as well as a DVD that features all of the videos released for the kin project! THERE ARE THREE GLORIOUSWAYS TO ENTER! Are you ready to Play..?
First way to enter:Like us on Facebook and leave a comment on this article telling us your favorite Iamamiwhoami moment so far and/or your favorite song from kin!
Second way to enter:Follow us on Twitter and tweet the phrase “This Rascal wants to win a copy of #kin by #iamamiwhoami from @Twenty20k. Give me the Goods!”
Third way to enter: Leave a comment on this post (make sure you enter a valid email address) letting us know your favorite Iamamiwhoami moment so far and/or your favorite lyric from the duo.
One winner from each way to enter will be selected on October 21st, 2012 and will be contacted via email so we can gather shipping information and sever these copies from our office! What are you waiting for?! Be a good worker and give us your submission A.S.A.P.
kin was released June 11th, 2012 via To Whom It My Concern & various September dates through Cooperative Music.
Purchase kin via towhomitmayconcern.cc | Purchase kin vinyl/DVD via Amazon.com (2020k recommended) | Purchase kin CD/DVD via Amazon.com | Purchase kin Digitally via iTunes | Purchase kin videos via iTunes
While we’ve gotten “Flavors,” “Under Construction,” and the Boards of Canada infused “Left Side Drive,” (read our review and catch up if you haven’t heard it) it’s been four years since Solange Knowles’ proper album Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams was released. Now? She’s back and evolving the sound crafted on the 2008 release with a new song called “Losing you”.
Armed with a beautifully shot video by director Melina Matsoukas (who also directed “I Decided” and the latest confessionalChristina Aguilera video), “Losing You” continues Knowles’ exploration in combining hard hitting, easily accessible and emotional lyrics with Electronic experimentation while staying true to rhythmic R&B roots.
And how lovely is the song’s content? The groove is absolutely everything! Reverberated claps carry on the track’s subdued vibe, every portion of the song has it’s own equalized niche to thrive into and we’re not sure where the yelping on the right channel is sampled (if from anywhere) but it subtly drives the track and enhances it in the sort of way that the female sample in Junior M.A.F.I.A.‘s “Player’s Anthem” remains a classic staple in the genre of Hip-Hop in general.
Lyrically, it’s hypnotic with just a few phrases within the verse changing and altering while Solange’s perception of a confused love transpires. “I knew you waiting for the rest that you can’t get from me. Just chew me good and baby i’ll give you the rest of me” she confesses in the first verse, before transitioning toward a lament “There’s something I know you taking it away from me. I gave you everything and now there’s nothing left for me.”
Regardless, each verse ends with the confrontational and heartbroken line “I’m not the one that you should be making your enemy” which segues into the questionable chorus, asking a lover if she’s losing him for good.
One thing’s for sure, Solange is definitely not losing us any time soon.
Purchase “Losing You” & it’s B-side “Sleep in the Park” over at iTunes
Less than stellar album sales from major label recording artists can have haunting after effects. Madonna is still catching flack for having one of the biggest drop in second week sales for MDNA (2012), and while record sales aren’t particularly a determining factor in staying power in the digital era of music, they can have quite a nightmare-esque effect on an artist in the hands of one of the big three music companies.
Today, we take a look at two examples of artists who released albums on September 25th, 2012 to negative selling results: Kreayshawn and Nelly Furtado.
Columbia Records:Somethin’ ‘Bout Kreay is the debut release from California female rapper Kreayshawn and debuted to estimated sales of around 3,900 on it’s first sale week, placing the ironically electronic-pop/rap genre hopping album at 112 on the Billboard Top 200 albums. Known for her web series on her official YouTube channel and underground hit “Gucci Gucci,” it’s come as a surprise that she has the second lowest opening week sales by a major label artist ever. The lowest? MTV VJ’s Jesse Camp – Jesse and the 8th Street Kidz.
One of the most important facts to consider is that Kreayshawn’s internet presence is still very large. 2011’s “Gucci Gucci” has racked up over 38 million YouTube views and the 2012 promotional singles for “Breakfast (Syrup),” and “Go Hard” hold a combined total of over 3 million. Also, as chronicled through light-hearted video tour diaries, she’s been toured all over Europe and Japan to large crowds.
However, if you look passed the paragraph above you’ll find almost no other large promotional means for Kreayshawn, especially not domestically.
Does Kreayshawn care about sales? Her Twitter says no.
Interscope Records: Also released this week was the supposedly anticipated release of pop veteran Nelly Furtado’sThe Spirit Indestructible. However, with a debut at number 79 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart with sales only slightly higher than Kreayshawn, with sales below 6,000.
Nelly Furtado has always been an underdog on the music scene. Her sophomore record Folkloresucceeded internationally but was hardly embraced by the U.S. music scene and it seems as though her fourth English studio album is falling in the Folklore footsteps. It features production that’s primarily pop, but strays for a hard, minimal sound with stomping rhythmic structures and Furtado’s compressed, crass, unique vocals. It’s clear that Nelly’s style isn’t always fit the mold of the current popstar and because of it, radio unfortunately didn’t seem to pick up on “Big Hoops (The Bigger The Better)” and follow up title track single.
Like Kreayshawn, outside of YouTube videos, a few shows and radio interviews, Furtado’s U.S. marketing efforts were almost nowhere to be found. In fact, it’s almost as though they were hoping to bank on the success of her mega-hit Loose (which debuted with 200,000+ in it’s opening week) as it was mostly mentioned by journalists that The Spirit Indestructible is her first proper album in over six years.
This wouldn’t make sense though, as anyone could see that the return of Nelly Furtado would need more in terms of marketing. Her featured vocals on “The Morning After Dark” by Timbaland and “Who Wants To Be Alone” by Tiesto, as well as “Night Is Young” from her 2010 Greatest Hits collection came to critical liking, but not as much commercial success.
Summary: It is quite strange how these two projects have been handled. Kreayshawn is debuting her first full length album, while Furtado is a reigning veteran in the music industry at this point. To see two albums not succeed in terms of sales seems to split the blame on music, label, and the evolving industry that music seems to forever be caught in.
Regardless, the two artists will continue working properly and it’s not the end of their careers or world. Neither of them seem bothered, but it’s sadly been a hot topic in the media world for both individuals. 2020k enjoys examining the music business structures, especially for popular artists as the marketing campaigns can normally be pretty elaborate. It is going to be interesting to see how the major labels are going to handle their album (and possibly future albums) from here on out.
Topic to think About: Is sound to blame? What we’re interested in is if the loudness war also had any effect on driving listeners away. While we’re unsure of both of these albums dynamic range ratings, it’s quite clear upon a listen of any song off either album that the records are mixed incredibly hot. There hasn’t really been that much study on how the mixing of a record weaves itself into the psyche of a listener. In fact, it’s always been perceived by the labels that louder is better.
We’d like to see some psychological studies in the future on the effects of compression and limiting to a master track and the emotional effects it could have on the listener. Anyone out there willing to take on the task?
While 2020k favorites Origamibiro released their album Shakkei Remixed months ago, we’ve been waiting for fans of the band and readers of the blog to let the information on the album bombard their brain before we offered this one up…
2020k is giving away five copies of Shakkei Remixed by Origamibiro!
Yep! All you have to do to win a copy is send an email to cras.rkozain@gmail.com and let us know your favorite Origamibiro track, along with your name and location! It can be something off the remix album, Shakkei, or any other endeavors the band has involved themselves in. Don’t be shy, you can write more too! Let us know anything you’d like about 2020k or Origamibiro!
In case you’re unfamiliar with this trio, we first featured them last year, had an interview with them the first quarter of 2012, and reviewed both records to glorious acclaim. They’re organic, electronic goodness with a knack for creative live performance. So, we recommend you get researching: starting here and then venturing over to their official website.
Shakkei Remixed features glorious reworkings from their studio album from Set in Sand, Leafcutter John, Aus, Plaid, K-Conjog, Umin, Calika, ISAN, Low in the Sky, Proem, Phylum Sinter, The Remote Viewer, Offthesky, Upward Arrows, Ghost & Tape, Melodium, and Last Man on Mars.
Contest starts today: September 23rd, 2012 and runs through October 31th, 2012! (Because we love Halloween). Submit your emails and check out a stream of some of the tracks below!
Remember that time when we were going to post the video to Esthero’s “Never Gonna Let You Go” but didn’t? Well, that’s because we were too busy tweeting back and forth with her about the time my best friend ripped the head off of my Geri Halliwell Spice Girl doll because it was staring at me too much so I thought it was possessed. So whatchu think about that? Now you know how I feel…
Don’t judge me…Esthero used to paint their faces like Alice Cooper, chop off their hair, and hang them from the freaking ceiling. It’s true, it’s true, you can read the hilarious exchange if you click here.
In digression, the pink pirate has decided to go completely independent with her newest release Everything Is Expensive (save for Canadian distribution through Universal Records) and in true life imitating art fashion she’s politely asked the fans for a bit of financial support by opening a page through Pledgemusic.com.
There’s a cheeky video at the top of the page followed by a ton of fantastic rewards Esthero has set up for individuals who donate a certain dollar amount. Do you want a signed CD? Do you want Esthero to play Uno with you in an LA coffee shop? Or, maybe you’d want her to call you and sing a lullaby?! Well, you can have all of those dreams come true and more with a simple donation in helping support the release of her third full length album. The funds also go toward getting together a band and rehearsal space for an upcoming tour.
Part of the proceeds also go to The Van Ness Recovery House.
C’mon. If you’ve followed my musical career you’ll see that I just released an EP via CD-R format and put together two budget live shows in an ironic sort of art imitating life fashion, so you understand this struggle (if you’re tardy to the party please click here). I’ll be throwing some funds over to one of my favorite musicians, though it won’t be much, but she deserves it! She’s brought us the classic Breath From Another album for God’s sake!
Also, if you read down the right side of the pledges it looks like “How Do I Get You Alone” is confirmed for Everything is Expensive. Awesome!
Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio 1 premiered the much anticipated track “Telemiscommunications” off Deadmau5‘s record >Album Title Goes Here<. The song has been circulating amongst the EDM community and elsewhere because of its tentative feature with Imogen Heap. The two tweeted what seems like decades ago about the song and has officially come to fruition.
As expected, it’s the vocal feature of talent Imogen Heap that allocates the closing track off of the upcoming release with it’s stunning debonair. Her signature ad-libs push their way through already delicately produced instrumentation as a way to add a silky outline of vocal vulnerability and are reverberated and automated for an extra silky sense of space.
Lyrically, a one-sided cell phone conversation with a lover is heard from the streets of what is presumably a busy area. “Hey, babe, how’s your day been? No, you first. Oh, what? The delay’s quite bad. Yeah, sorry. Where are you? I can’t really hear you, a taxi distracted,” she begins before lashing up a quick bit about being tired, having to go, and asking if she could call back. The chorus emits lethargic melancholy within the situation. “This is just so unlike us,” she says. “Cut back to horizontal-isms. If we could win just one small touch..contact vs telemiscomunications.”
It’d be impractical to not relate “Miscommunications” to the days where Imogen was one half of the duo Frou Frou. The release contains an Electronic background the group lavished in, while harboring solemn ownership of sounds which could sit quite nicely beside the bulk of introspective songs that came from the Details album sessions.
In addition to the melodic Heap offerings, we have the classic piano samples Deadmau5 has come to admire in his compositions. They’re crisp, clean chords that are compressed into the mix as a way to delegate beautiful direction into which the track flourishes and panned in a conservative way of lower notes being presented more into the left channel, and higher octaves placed more in the right portion of the stereo image. Aside being reversed at the chorus, they’re uninvolved in structural movement, but demanding in meaning and deliver an overall expressive impact of rainy day, album closing euphoria.
Otherwise? It’s an atmospheric vision of electronic bips and samples that give way to to simplified, rhythmic backdrop. Various synthesized pads mold their way into the foreground of the song and allow for something expected to lash out toward a four-to-the-floor, progressive world to remain
“Did I tell you I loved you today? Kiss kiss..” let’s out Imogen as the vocal layers build up, circling around the mix through both channels until it ceases with a long sustain on a last piano note, background vocals remaining at whole note, and the sampled percussion leading the track outward, to it’s end.
Disconnected while connected. It’s the perfect 21st century, technological love song that both Joel Zimmerman and Imogen Heap can relate to. Amongst their online connections with their fans through UStream and Twitter interactions, it’s a management of life outside of the technological advancements, while remaining in tact with them. A catch 22, an outlet that can enhance or destroy a social setting with one another. Telecommunications, while wonderful, can easily become frustrating, frigid, and a confusing way of connecting.
Listen to “Telemiscommunications” via BBC Radio 1 by clicking here and navigating to 56 minutes & 30 seconds. We’ve included an instrumental version of the song below, as a YouTube video uploaded to the official Deadmau5 account.
>Album Title Goes Here< will be released September 24th, 2012
2020k 
