Hot off the announcement of a June release of a 7″ vinyl featuring two tracks “Honeycomb” and “Gotham” (which you can read about and stream here), Animal Collective has released an eerie video which details the release of their new album, Centipede Hz.
Hz, you say? 20Hz-20kHz?! 2020k?! You like us..you really like us! Surely, it’s not a nod to us but the band did release a promotion video via their website that announced a September 2012 release and a track listing. The strange thing is that neither “Honeycomb” or “Gotham” are slated to be on the new record, but then again AC are no strangers releasing a bit differently than others.
On May 14th, Brian Weitz spoke to BBC Radio 1 about the band and the album and stated “We all moved back to Baltimore, the last few records we’ve written apart and by sending each other stuff. This time we all wanted to write in the same room together. We went back to our roots and we got a little practice space in this barn on Josh’s [Dibb] mum’s property and it was like being a garage band again. Merriweather Post Pavilion was a very sample-heavy record, we made it piece by piece in the studio, we constructed it. This one we wrote as a rock band in a room and we wanted to record it that way.”
1. Moonjock
2. Today’s Supernatural
3. Rosie Oh
4. Applesauce
5. Wide Eyed
6. Father Time
7. New Town Burnout
8. Monkey Riches
9. Mercury Man
10. Pulleys
11. Amanita
We’re expecting something amazing as always. This is the band’s 10th studio release and Merriweather.. was perfection, no?
Brandon Bethancourt, better known as unsigned Electronic artist Alaska In Winterhas done some pretty cool things. His 2010 record Space Eagle (The Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released on iTunes, but also as a cassette limited 100 pressings which contained three extra tracks. He’s also been brutally honest to his fans about his personal life in regards to choosing a daunting career in music (which is a read that every musician and listener should be required to view), and has come back into our lives with a new track and download called “You Will Be Alone”.
In his own words, the song is “a loose interpretive cover song based on the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche and something having to do with a Tiesto featuring Nelly Furtado track”. The obvious references of God being dead are present and they combine effortlessly with a semi-borrowed melodic incorporation of “Who Wants To Be Alone” by the world’s most sought after progressive trance DJ and eclectic pop superstar.
It’s mainly a piano based instrument, with nice, minimal percussion and bass elements. The most impressive aspect of the Alaska tune is it’s ability to take these elements and make a simplistic whole out of them that sounds like desolate euphoria, if such a thing could exist. Subtle vocal layers complete with reverberation complete the dreamy landscape.
Have a listen to “You Will Be Alone” below and snag a download of the track off Alaska In Winter’s official Soundcloud!
It’s a nice warped combination of controversial philosophy, four to the floor dance crossover tunes, and downtempo textures don’t you think?
Jazz-crossover Norah Jones has always had a bit of the blues in her. From her debut single [Youtube] to “Thinking About You” [YouTube] off of Not Too Late and beyond, we’ve seen a slight dark side amongst the light. However, nothing is as evident, even powerful than what she trudges toward on her fifth solo record …Little Broken Hearts. In an interview with Rolling Stone she stated, “I always heard the old stories about how you write better songs when you go through some shit. That sucks, but it’s true!”
It’s no doubt everything from the over the top looking artwork, album title, and decision to work with the eclectic Brian Burton (better known under the name Danger Mouse) prefaces an aspect of Jones not disclosed too deeply in her artistic vision thus far. But, after eight years together Jones and Lee Alexander had broken up and it’s no wonder why this obscure departure has found us a collection of twelve tracks filled with heartache and the raw, post-split sentiments that come along with it.
It’s more solemn than aggressive, but extremely effective in it’s delivery as a cohesive record. In it’s opening number, “Good Morning” begins with a dreamy synth line which contains an abundance of reverberation that it sounds as if a lethargic dreamscape has infiltrated the mix. Soon after, an imperfectly recorded electric guitar, panned to the right and filled with noise floor, compliments the main instrumentation and causes a nice mid-range grit that makes way for an open niche for Norah’s vocals to shine. The vocals are mixed up front, extremely compressed and equalized more toward the high frequencies to give a dramatic, breath-like feeling and create a somber disposition. A slight delay, mixed a bit lower in the mix, is also added for emotional appeal as well as to continue the consistency of the spaced-out feeling which it delivers.
As the song unfolds passed the chorus, stringed instruments make their way into song, along with several other synth elements and find themselves ebbing and flowing throughout both channels of the stereo mix, but more on the left side to counteract Norah’s guitar playing. The additional layers vastly help fill the track with even more sensations of creating a aural interpretation of morning. The feeling of waking up, the feeling of brightness encompassing someone, but combining what one normally associates with positivity, instead, with melancholy.
Lyrically, it’s frank and honest. Something we’ve seen Jones become quite good at over the years. “Good morning. My thoughts on leaving are back on the table. I thought you should know. And maybe powerful actions or powerful feelings will keep me from going. I’m folding my hand.” There’s nothing hiding in these words and when it comes to the disintegration of romance, the brutality and desolate disheartenment is undeniably present.
Picking up the pace, “After The Fall” barrows from the feeling of dub music while teetering upon reggae influences, but also maintaining an alternative perspective. Possibly named in reference to her 2009 LP The Fall, “After…” finds Danger Mouse thrusting the mourning artist out of her comfort zone as distantly as we’ve seen and effortlessly creates genre-crossovers seamlessly, without seeming over-ambitious. Delays, small snare drum rolls, and a trippy-plucked synth melody surrounds the track as she states “You couldn’t come through and I’m too far gone.” Lyrically, the line sounds as if it was something The Weeknd would pick up on and is one of the most surprising vocal lamentations we hear on …Little Broken Hearts.
“Happy Pills” also takes a poetic departure from the upfront songwriting technique that’s been incorporated and acclimated into Jones’ works since her debut. While in our track review of the song we stated it was still quite a straightforward declaration, the interesting concept of the track and line “with you gone I’m alive, makes me feel like I took happy pills and time stands still” shows an overall more unique and skewed vision. It’s playful, but rude. Confident, but sorrow filled. Many instant and intricate feelings are thrown into this track. It’s the most produced and makes it seem as if it’s the “Chasing Pirates” (from The Fall) of this album, so it’s easy to see why it was chosen as lead single. (Check out our single review here).
Perhaps the most interesting part of …Little Broken Hearts is “Mariam” in which the subject of infidelity runs rampant through the song’s four minute and a quarter run. Obviously, it’s directed at an antagonist named Mariam whom an affair with someone else’s lover. The kicker? While she starts off telling the woman she has a pretty name, she kills her at the end of the song. That’s right. If there was any indication that this is a completely different Norah Jones, it’s this song.
To top it off, “Mariam” contains instrumentation that drags on, but marches with it’s percussive section as to create an eerie setting for the horror-esque fairytale that brings the album artwork to the sly life that it represents.
Backtracking through the record, “Say Goodbye” features guitar and vocal fluttering effects. Interestingly enough, the flutters are on the stereo delay/background vocals and are set at a rate that’s fast enough so that it creates a subtly, but slow enough as to enforce the effect that’s overcome Norah’s voice. Harmonies flawlessly join in through the bridge and the chorus and are smartly pushed forth in the mix to ensure that no frequency battles or flawed representation within the layers is heard.
During the second verse, a small supportive synth line comes into play after each of the vocal stanzas and lightens up the feeling of the song. It’s a nice break, considering the dismal overcast …Little Broken Hearts embodies. The bulk of the record seems to feature really old recording techniques or nice plugins and EQ techniques that help give a throwback vibe and old school heartache to the album. It’s most apparent on “She’s 22” and guides its way through the album’s forty-four minute run.
Normally, it takes quite a few listens to understand the microscopic bits and pieces of what’s actually happening as a lyrical and musical piece of a whole on a Norah Jones Record. They seem to stay in one place sonically, while subtly exploring musical and mixing techniques. It helps blend together the album into one whole piece and with …Little Broken Hearts it’s no exception. While it’s her loudest record to date (sitting at at an average of 7 decibels of Dynamic Range) and suffers from distortion (though probably a technique applied on purpose considering it’s attempt to sound dated), it’s loud with dignity. Altogether, the mixing drives the artistry together to make the most unique Norah Jones album to date.
It’s also interesting to note that Norah Jones had a hand in playing eight instruments on this album: Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Electric Guitar, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Piano, and vocals. While it’s no surprise given the extraordinary talent she is, it’s of note that when you also add in the songwriting aspect and outside the box vision of …Little Broken Hearts it’s safe to say she gave her all on this one, most of all.
It’s real, it’s honest, it’s relateable, it’s exploratory, it’s everything that goes on inside a Broken Little Heart.
Album Rating: 3.5/5
Purchase …Broken Little Hearts [iTunes]
Purchase …Broken Little Hearts [Amazon]
Purchase …Broken Little Hearts (Deluxe) [Target]
Rap pioneer Missy Elliott and R&B songstress Monica have been friends for a long time. Ever since the pair brought their forces together to deliver Monica’s After The Storm release, the chemistry and creative energy has done nothing but flourish. On Elliott’s Under Construction, Mo’ was featured on the Salt N Pepa sampled “Don’t Be Cruel (featuring Beenie Man)”.
The thing that made these collaborations work so well? Missy’s unique production skill that takes standard time signatures and samples that creatively come together to form obscure sounding, but consistent experimental tracks with Monica’s traditional R&B styling.
Now, the two come together to pair up once more for a track called “Until It’s Gone” off Monica’s New Life album. But, what’s more interesting is Mo’s thoughts on the new Missy album, which she spoke upon during an interview with Rap-Up.com.
“Missy is missing from music and hip-hop because there’s no one as creative, as dedicated,” said the R&B songstress, who collaborated with Missy on her latest album New Life. “She thinks outside the box, but at the same time, draws you in the box that she’s in. She’s able to make visuals of things that I’ve never even dreamed of. I think hip-hop really needs her right now.”
“I’ve heard some new music and all I can tell you is that Missy is at her absolute best when she’s at peace with herself and there’s no pressure,” she shared. “She’s been able to work on her record with a host of real talented people and reinvent herself all over again.”
Considering we’ve waited seven years since Missy’s last album The Cookbook (which found Elliott exploring different producers as opposed to mainly working with Timbaland productions as she’s done in the past). We find her teaming up with Timbo again and after a slew of one off releases from “Ching A Ling” [youtube] to the Danja produced “Best, Best” [YouTube], which was released to promote her Block Party album (that we’re waiting for, despite a probable name change) it’s clear to see that these indications show that Missy has gone absolutely nowhere.
“Hold up, hell naw, like Britney Spears I wear no drawers,” she proclaims on the glorious 2007 collaboration with Dr. Dre and Justin Timberlake on the Timbaland record “Bounce” [Youtube] and we’re anxiously here unable to hold onto our knickers anymore.
Although an odd pairing to see on tour, it’s been confirmed that The Weeknd will be supporting Florence and the Machine on five of their 2012 United States tour dates. Blood Orange and The Maccabees will also open on selected dates.
To celebrate, check out the dates below courtesy of Pitchfork. The bold dates are the ones Abel will be supporting the band.
We’ve also included The Weeknd’s awesome remix of “Shake It Out” for your listening pleasure.
05-08 New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall *
05-11 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena *
05-12 Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center *
05-17 Perth, Australia – Burswood Dome *
05-20 Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena *
05-22 Adelaide, Australia – Entertainment Centre *
05-24 Sydney, Australia – Entertainment Centre *
05-25 Sydney, Australia – Sydney Opera House (Vivid Festival)
05-26 Brisbane, Australia – Riverstage *
05-28 Auckland, New Zealand – Vector Arena *
06-22 Scheessel, Germany – Hurricane Festival
06-23 Neuhausen, Germany – Southside Festival
06-24 London, England – Hackney Weekend
06-29 St. Gallen, Switzerland – Open Air
06-30 Arras, France – Main Square Festival
07-01 Werchter, Belgium – Rock Werchter
07-06 Balado, Scotland – T in the Park
07-08 Dublin, Ireland – Phoenix Park
07-12 Benicassim, Spain – Benicassim Festival
07-14 Lisbon, Portugal – Optimus Alive
07-20 Burnaby, British Coumbia – Deerlake Park
07-21 Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheater
07-22 Troutdale, OR – Edgefield
07-25 Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
07-27 Somerset, WI – Soundtown Festival
07-29 Indianapolis, IN – The Lawn At White River State Park
07-30 Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion At Nautica
07-31 Detroit, MI – Fox Theater
08-02 West Toronto, Ontario – Molson Amphitheater
08-03 Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Festival
08-05 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08-08 Oslo, Norway – Øya Festival
08-09 Gothenburg, Sweden – Way Out West Festival
08-22 Belfast, Northern Ireland – Tennent’s Vital
08-25 Reading, England – Reading Festival
08-26 Leeds, England – Leeds Festival
09-14 Mansfield, MA – Comcast Center #
09-15 Wantagh, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater #
09-16 Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center # 09-18 Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center #% 09-19 Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion #%
09-21 Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Amphitheatre #
09-22 Atlanta, GA – Music Midtown
09-23 Pensacola, FL – DeLuna Fest
09-25 Tampa Bay, FL – USF Sun Dome #
09-26 Sunrise, FL – BankAtlantic Center #
10-01 Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theater # 10-04 San Diego, CA – Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre #% 10-05 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre % 10-07 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl #%
10-10 Albuquerque, NM – Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion #
11-20 Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum
11-22 Munich, Germany – Zenith
11-24 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Heineken Music Hall
11-25 Antwerp, Belgium – Lotto Arena
11-27 Paris, France – Zenith
11-28 Luxembourg, Luxembourg – Rockhal
11-30 Dusseldorf, Germany – Mitsubishi Electric Halle
12-01 Berlin, Germany – Arena Treptow
12-02 Frankfurt, Germany – Jahrhunderthalle
* with Blood Orange
# with The Maccabees
% with The Weeknd
Purchase the “Shake It Out (Weeknd Remix)” [iTunes]
We quite like the cover we found on our search for an image for this post as well!
It’s technically been six years since Nelly Furtado’s unique voice delivered an album that stormed mainstream United States. Sure, there was 2009’s spanish debut Mi Plan and a greatest hits record released in 2010, but it was the 2006 third record Loose from the Portuguese songbird that really had our veins pumping with energetic vibes. It was an interesting time for Furtado in that she seemed to take a large departure from the folk-pop sounds of her first two records for a Timbaland inspired dance-pop sound. However, it was unsurprising, considering her collaborations with Missy Elliott on the “Get Ur Freak On (Remix)” [Youtube] and Timbaland’s remix of “Turn Off The Light (Featuring Ms. Jade)” [Youtube].
Never mind the genre that Nelly’s hopping into because the unique voice and songwriting aspect has always remained stagnant. With a record due out June 19th, 2012 called The Spirit Indestructible, it’s no doubt that with an album title like that, the songwriting and powerful words aren’t going anywhere.
You wouldn’t think the aforementioned paragraph is true if you heard the lead single off the record. The Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins produced “Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)” seems to fit right in with the mainstream top 40 charts and features a hook that is literally “The bigger the better, the bigger the better, the bigger the better, the better the bigger.” While it’s not exactly subpar to Furtado’s gloriously written discography, there are saving lines in which help to find a direction in the track that compliments it’s production.
Keeping in line with the empowerment and TLC-inspired anthems and themes, there’s a declaration of “I don’t wanna talk about sex, wanna express myself tonight. I can go fast, I can go slow, I can go places nobody else knows” which flows nicely with the seductive musings that have always been expressed through Nelly’s discography, and walked the thin line between overt and coy.
Toward the end of the track, the fast and slow lines come into play as a clever drum and bass breakdown comes into play. It’s a nice departure of sound for Jerkins as a producer and ultimately saves this song from succumbing to an unimaginative pop piece. Sadly enough, it seems that the radio edit of this song completely omits this part of the track, though we found that the album version of the lyric video has been put into place. Our fingers are crossed that Interscope knows what’s good for them and will promote the album version of the track.
The mixing? It’s loud. Anyone with ears can hear that and we don’t have a lossless version yet, so we’ll definitely mention this one in our review of the record.
In fact, the record is so loud that it sounds as if when the video was uploaded to YouTube, it sacrificed a lot of the high-end because of how much focus is directed at two things: The kick and Nelly Furtado’s voice.
The video? It’s one of Nelly’s more interesting ones. It’s no “Try” or “Say it Right,” but she’s never been the artist to put out huge, elaborate visuals with her music. They’ve always been simplified to allow musical compliments, but overall ensuring the music speaks for itself. It’s commendable and what we can say is there are a lot of tall people and big hoops in this video.
Hot off the heels of an unfortunate leak of Garbage’s first record in seven years, the band has made it sort of available to stream via NME.com. Click here to be taken to the page.
Currently, the stream is only thirty seconds of each track but it’s filled with the up and down tempo mixture that we’ve come to love from the band. In regards to any sort of word on our favorite’s here at 2020k? We still haven’t heard it. We’re saving our ears and any words for when we pick up the Deluxe Edition of the album and will promptly review every single auditory signal because of the intense anticipation we’re experiencing with wanting to hear this record for so long!
Though, we’re digging the clips for “Felt” and “Sugar”.
It’s always a surprise in regards to what you’re going to get with the always experimental, genre-crossing Animal Collective. Today, the band revealed a new 7″ release via Domino Records. The record, out June 26th, 2012 contains two new tracks “Honeycomb” and “Gotham” and is available for pre-order right here. No record player? No problem. An MP3 download will also be made available the date of the release.
“Honeycomb” is the sort of chaos we’re used to and is forever changing it’s structure and working with vast effects and stereo space. Throughout the insanity, the chaos “how many times have you said you’ve had it today?” is sung and it’s impossible to ignore the flutter that almost everything is drenched in. It’s a marching tune, it’s a banger, and it’s a realm of plug-in territory we know from the band all too well.
“Gotham” plays to the A-side’s counterpart, offering a slower and dreary landscape. With a warm bass and muffled sounding kick drum that compliments and warms the entire mix up as a whole.
Animal Collective’s signal chain is absolutely insane and we refuse to go through any aspect of the records too deeply without a solid, lossless product in front of us. However, musically speaking it’s impressive. This band is one that’s yet to let us down. Have a listen to the record’s B-side below and let us know your thoughts!
One of the more intricate releases of 2011 was Destroyed by Moby. Initially, the album was released in accompaniment with a book of photos that was meant to compliment the introverted, quiet feel of the record. The photos (which you can view on the mini-site) were snapshots of the artist’s life on tour and demonstrated the ironically lonely feeling maintained while performing in front of thousands of people and staying in sterile hotel/airport environments.
It was quite artistic and a great continuation of Moby’s artistry. If you didn’t want the book you could order a digipak of the album that came with some photos, or just the CD itself. Soon after, came another Deluxe edition of the album which featured an entire second disc of new material in the same line as what was initially released.
We’ve touched on this sort of marketing before with Moby with the example of 2009’s Wait For Me, a record that also showed a slew of re-releases. Read how we touched upon it here and check out our review of the initial record on the same page. here.
NOW, Moby is re-releasing his 2011 record again in two disc, limited edition remixed format. Disc one will be full of uptempo mixes from the likes of Kleerup, Paul Van Dyk, The Holy Ghost!, and more. The second disc? It’s known as the “small room DJ Mix” which unravels mixes by Photek, Yeasayer, and a remix of “The Poison Tree” by David Lynch which was initially released as an extremely limited edition vinyl to celebrate 2012 Record Store Day.
The last track on the small room disc is a thirty minute ambient track called “All Sides Gone” that plays in the line of the bonus disc Hotel: Ambientto the 2005 release Hotel. A simplified piano melody over top of gorgeous pads and languid electronic drones plays along the soundtrack equivalent to sonic comfort and meditation.
It’s quiet parts are quiet, it’s more built up portions are hushed as well, but it’s a perfect chill out tune that, while it mostly stays stagnant through it’s run, holds a magnificent delicacy that only Moby has been known for.
It’s also to note that this isn’t the first time Moby has released a track this long. 1994’s single found a stretched out, ambient release entitled “Hymn.Alt.Quiet.Version” which turned out to be 33 minutes and 43 seconds.
Destroyed Remixed is out April 30th, 2012. Click here to pre-order your copy.
UPDATE: CONTEST HAS ENDED. WINNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED VIA FACEBOOK.
Winners have been selected (at random) & messaged via my personal Facebook profile (because I can’t message using 2020k…) – Thank you to those who participated and to all those who continue to show support! You guys are great.
Check your messages and reply back with the necessary details. Thanks again.
Recently, our 2020k Facebook page hit 100 likes.
As a thank you to each and every one of the readers of this blog, I’m happy to announce that we’re giving away two U.S. iTunes Gift Cards* valued at $10! That’s one normal priced iTunes album and you still have a penny left over!
What you need to do to qualify:
1.) Go to http://www.Facebook.com/2020k
2.) Click “like” (if you’ve already liked us, skip to the next step)
3.) “Like” this article on the Facebook page
4.) You’re entered!
The one thing I find lacking a bit around this website is interaction between myself and all of you (leave some feedback and opinions..I don’t bite!), so if you leave a little something something as a comment in the post on our Facebook…I might pick a winner from the comments as well. 😉
Bigger and better prizes will definitely be up for grabs in the future so be sure to like on Facebook and follow on Twitter!
So far, 2020k is comprised of writings because of my love for audio and writing. No funds have been made from this website..all the contests we’ve had so far have been out of the kindness of the artist’s hearts (thank them..really)! Why no funds? Part in due to my laziness, part due to my incompetence as to how to set any sort of financial gain up, mostly due to I just really love doing this.
Everything that’s been done so far on 2020k and the decision to carry on with the website has large been in part of the reflection of response from all of you. Your clicks, emails, comments, and tweets are very encouraging and I’m thankful for all of the readers who have been with me since the site’s launch in March 2011. It’s definitely time to give back to all of you!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! If this post could be compressed, it would have so many compression plugins on it that it would pose whole NEW threats to the Loudness wars!
Deadline to enter: May 4th, 2012 11:59PM EST
Winner will be announced on May 5th.
*Please keep in mind that if you do not have the U.S. version of iTunes, you’ll unfortunately no be able to redeem the coupon. My apologies! I’ll find something in the world for the international readers next time. You’re appreciated! 🙂
2020k 