Music Banter - View Single Post - An Unstable List of Zarko's Top 75 Albums

Zarko · 08-25-2010, 05:55 AM

The Art Ensemble of Chicago – Les Stances a Sophie

Normally albums tend to struggle when being recorded specifically for cinema. After all, the artist has to create based on a visual media, which whilst it sometimes creates a flurry of ideas, can also inhibit potential ideas as the band is so focussed on creating something for this specific image. That hang up doesn’t happen here. Avant Garde Jazz at its best, Les Stances a Sophie creates the perfect blend of upbeat and catchy jazz to mix and match with their experimental sensibilities. Sometimes it does get a bit loopy, but when it does it is actually fun to listen to, which is amiss in many AG jazz albums. When it’s taken to a ridiculous level, for me there has to be a catch. The enjoyment that the band obviously had when creating this album shines through and also makes it an easier listen because of this fact. Technically the performances are pretty great, and they tend to handle solos well (Which IMO have the most potential to be boring as hell on most jazz albums). That being said, this music was never used FOR the film. Luckily they kept it, as if they hadn’t, jazz fans and music fans in general would have missed out on a lot. The album is also blended well length wise. A few long tracks are interspersed with a whole lot of shorties, which I tend to enjoy rather than 40 minute crap fests. Plus that bass line is just as amazing every time I hear it.

Eivind Aarset – Electronique Noire

Admittedly an album I have cooled on since I reviewed it in my journal, this album still holds up well in comparison a fair chunk of my guitar based ambient-ish music collection. The overall dark tone and lovely beats interspersed between lonely brass solos still works wonderfully, and is a top album when ‘in the mood’. The album, found as a by-product of my Nils Petter discovery, is relatively consistent in its output, even if it does harp on here and there. The problem with Eivind is that his material became pretty same-same, and instead relied on other artists to change things up a bit. It’s not terrible in terms of continuity – At least he got the first step right. The progression is what’s lost later on. But here, the production levels are very nice and crisp, if not a bit overly borrowed from aforementioned artists, and the quality is still solid. My biggest problem though, was that the greatness of the album for situations is difficult to remember when out of that mood or no longer listening to the artists, which is a pretty big problem. If they aren’t memorable beyond the name, they can’t be that good right? Either way, as I said, top album if you’re in the mood for some dark electronic/trip hop jazz stylings, but only okay if listening otherwise.

08-25-2010, 05:55 AM	#8 (permalink)
Zarko Barely Disheveled Zombie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 1,196	The Art Ensemble of Chicago – Les Stances a Sophie Normally albums tend to struggle when being recorded specifically for cinema. After all, the artist has to create based on a visual media, which whilst it sometimes creates a flurry of ideas, can also inhibit potential ideas as the band is so focussed on creating something for this specific image. That hang up doesn’t happen here. Avant Garde Jazz at its best, Les Stances a Sophie creates the perfect blend of upbeat and catchy jazz to mix and match with their experimental sensibilities. Sometimes it does get a bit loopy, but when it does it is actually fun to listen to, which is amiss in many AG jazz albums. When it’s taken to a ridiculous level, for me there has to be a catch. The enjoyment that the band obviously had when creating this album shines through and also makes it an easier listen because of this fact. Technically the performances are pretty great, and they tend to handle solos well (Which IMO have the most potential to be boring as hell on most jazz albums). That being said, this music was never used FOR the film. Luckily they kept it, as if they hadn’t, jazz fans and music fans in general would have missed out on a lot. The album is also blended well length wise. A few long tracks are interspersed with a whole lot of shorties, which I tend to enjoy rather than 40 minute crap fests. Plus that bass line is just as amazing every time I hear it. Eivind Aarset – Electronique Noire Admittedly an album I have cooled on since I reviewed it in my journal, this album still holds up well in comparison a fair chunk of my guitar based ambient-ish music collection. The overall dark tone and lovely beats interspersed between lonely brass solos still works wonderfully, and is a top album when ‘in the mood’. The album, found as a by-product of my Nils Petter discovery, is relatively consistent in its output, even if it does harp on here and there. The problem with Eivind is that his material became pretty same-same, and instead relied on other artists to change things up a bit. It’s not terrible in terms of continuity – At least he got the first step right. The progression is what’s lost later on. But here, the production levels are very nice and crisp, if not a bit overly borrowed from aforementioned artists, and the quality is still solid. My biggest problem though, was that the greatness of the album for situations is difficult to remember when out of that mood or no longer listening to the artists, which is a pretty big problem. If they aren’t memorable beyond the name, they can’t be that good right? Either way, as I said, top album if you’re in the mood for some dark electronic/trip hop jazz stylings, but only okay if listening otherwise.