Yeah Machine is my name, and hopping on bandwagons is my game!

Machine · 02-27-2016, 03:39 PM

Rainbow Grey

This is one of Plainview's projects so I'm excited to get around to reviewing one of our very own member's albums.

Track 1 Nice synthwork here at the beginning, backwards **** always freaks me out and this isn't an exception. Are you sampling a piano for the low noises? I wish the drums would very a little more than the loop being presented, but I do enjoy the ever evolving synth tones. Nice little opener, some synths could use some beefing up and the drum track needs some more variation, but not too shabby.

Track 2 I love the piano synth whatever that is in the front, but I'm not really into the drums timbre, sounds like a preset in FL Studio. Oh the beat changed up, now that I can get behind. Once again I feel like these synth tones, while pleasant, need some beefing up. There's not much low end to this album which makes me feel like a chunk of the sound is missing. More neutral about this one.

Track 3 Crazy samples right out of the gate. I can't help but feel like the organ sounds like a completely different song entirely. Now a trumpet choir? What the hell is going on with this song? Loving the quasi-trap feel that the drums have. Eh not sure about that one, too much going for its own good, a lot of it just didn't mesh well and sounded messy.

Track 4 The beginning sounds like an early Three 6 Mafia beat or something. Alright getting into some tribal drumming, oh this is real good. Not sure why those synths are coming in, the double bass and drum pattern needed some more time to breathe in my opinion. Whenever it gets to that groove in the song that's where it's the best. Don't like those sustained synths taking up the mix, they should be farther back letting the bass have more room to breathe because the way it is now the groove feels buried.

Track 5 I like the start, I assume that's a synth preset and a guitar maybe? The floating ambiance is complementing the jittery rhythms nicely. Beautiful string arrangement here. No complaints here at all, this is wonderful.

Track 6 Really nice beat, I'm really wondering how you got that guitar tone. Love love love that keyboard interlude. More trap influence, personally that's an up for me. Nice little outro, I can't really describe it, but I enjoy it a lot.

Track 7 Weird mix of backwards electronics and lo-fi guitar to make a really chilled out beat. Don't like the whole drum only bit there, the drums sound too sterile to get that much attention focused on them. Back to the beat, but with ambient electronics ahead of the mix? It would have sounded better if the beat instantly just cut out entirely for this whole section because when they came in it was total audio soup. This was good except for the one or two things I pointed out which I couldn't stand.

Track 8 Nice tone on the groove, almost industrial. This one has a really ****ing weird mix on it. Why is the melody all the way in the back, and the tambourine in the front? The melody has a nice Tortoise sound to it, but goddamn I wish I could hear it better over the drums. I like the new beat, crazy glitchy. Sorry, but the mix on that drove me ****ing crazy to the point where it was unenjoyable.

Track 9 Nice melody almost sounds like something I might hear in a commercial, but with some grit. That weird ass tone is great as well. Liking the breakbeat carrying the track. Once the piano kicks in full on it's just gorgeous.

Track 10 Didn't even realize the next track started. Nice chords, but I'm not sold on the all-over-the-place synth over it. Complete beat change up which moved straight back into the original beat, not sure why but I found that incredibly pleasing. Love the ambient wash over synth, but again I wish everything would just cut out when you do that. Like there should not be a beat around that at all.

Final Verdict: I see your talent Plainview and with some more work, which based on the fact that this is 6 months old I'm sure you've gotten, you could really make something incredible. The production sounds a little cheap at times, and occasionally the mix and placement of instruments is messy and claustrophobic; but you do have a penchant for experimentation that I love and a knack for a catchy line or melody. Keep at it, and don't take this personally I wanted to critique it as much as I could; a lot of this was very very nice, just some big things that need work in order to get something amazing. Based on the track you posted a few days ago I can see already you've improved tremendously.

6/10

Plainview · 02-28-2016, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machine

Rainbow Grey

This is one of Plainview's projects so I'm excited to get around to reviewing one of our very own member's albums.

Track 1 Nice synthwork here at the beginning, backwards **** always freaks me out and this isn't an exception. Are you sampling a piano for the low noises? I wish the drums would very a little more than the loop being presented, but I do enjoy the ever evolving synth tones. Nice little opener, some synths could use some beefing up and the drum track needs some more variation, but not too shabby.

Track 2 I love the piano synth whatever that is in the front, but I'm not really into the drums timbre, sounds like a preset in FL Studio. Oh the beat changed up, now that I can get behind. Once again I feel like these synth tones, while pleasant, need some beefing up. There's not much low end to this album which makes me feel like a chunk of the sound is missing. More neutral about this one.

Track 3 Crazy samples right out of the gate. I can't help but feel like the organ sounds like a completely different song entirely. Now a trumpet choir? What the hell is going on with this song? Loving the quasi-trap feel that the drums have. Eh not sure about that one, too much going for its own good, a lot of it just didn't mesh well and sounded messy.

Track 4 The beginning sounds like an early Three 6 Mafia beat or something. Alright getting into some tribal drumming, oh this is real good. Not sure why those synths are coming in, the double bass and drum pattern needed some more time to breathe in my opinion. Whenever it gets to that groove in the song that's where it's the best. Don't like those sustained synths taking up the mix, they should be farther back letting the bass have more room to breathe because the way it is now the groove feels buried.

Track 5 I like the start, I assume that's a synth preset and a guitar maybe? The floating ambiance is complementing the jittery rhythms nicely. Beautiful string arrangement here. No complaints here at all, this is wonderful.

Track 6 Really nice beat, I'm really wondering how you got that guitar tone. Love love love that keyboard interlude. More trap influence, personally that's an up for me. Nice little outro, I can't really describe it, but I enjoy it a lot.

Track 7 Weird mix of backwards electronics and lo-fi guitar to make a really chilled out beat. Don't like the whole drum only bit there, the drums sound too sterile to get that much attention focused on them. Back to the beat, but with ambient electronics ahead of the mix? It would have sounded better if the beat instantly just cut out entirely for this whole section because when they came in it was total audio soup. This was good except for the one or two things I pointed out which I couldn't stand.

Track 8 Nice tone on the groove, almost industrial. This one has a really ****ing weird mix on it. Why is the melody all the way in the back, and the tambourine in the front? The melody has a nice Tortoise sound to it, but goddamn I wish I could hear it better over the drums. I like the new beat, crazy glitchy. Sorry, but the mix on that drove me ****ing crazy to the point where it was unenjoyable.

Track 9 Nice melody almost sounds like something I might hear in a commercial, but with some grit. That weird ass tone is great as well. Liking the breakbeat carrying the track. Once the piano kicks in full on it's just gorgeous.

Track 10 Didn't even realize the next track started. Nice chords, but I'm not sold on the all-over-the-place synth over it. Complete beat change up which moved straight back into the original beat, not sure why but I found that incredibly pleasing. Love the ambient wash over synth, but again I wish everything would just cut out when you do that. Like there should not be a beat around that at all.

Final Verdict: I see your talent Plainview and with some more work, which based on the fact that this is 6 months old I'm sure you've gotten, you could really make something incredible. The production sounds a little cheap at times, and occasionally the mix and placement of instruments is messy and claustrophobic; but you do have a penchant for experimentation that I love and a knack for a catchy line or melody. Keep at it, and don't take this personally I wanted to critique it as much as I could; a lot of this was very very nice, just some big things that need work in order to get something amazing. Based on the track you posted a few days ago I can see already you've improved tremendously.

6/10

Great review, thanks a lot. Yeah, that was very early days for me in terms of production and mixing, but I'm glad you enjoyed a lot of elements, and I really appreciate the feedback. I can definitely agree with your points about certain areas that needed improvement, but I feel you enjoyed the same bits that I enjoyed after making it. I think I was trying to make something Kid A-esque, but the Trap sound is something I realised had influenced it in hindsight. I might re-approach this style at some point. Thanks!

Machine · 02-29-2016, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plainview

Great review, thanks a lot. Yeah, that was very early days for me in terms of production and mixing, but I'm glad you enjoyed a lot of elements, and I really appreciate the feedback. I can definitely agree with your points about certain areas that needed improvement, but I feel you enjoyed the same bits that I enjoyed after making it. I think I was trying to make something Kid A-esque, but the Trap sound is something I realised had influenced it in hindsight. I might re-approach this style at some point. Thanks!

No problem man, I'm glad I got to hear it I'm very excited for what you do next. And I do hope you explore the trap influence a bit because I think hat is still a style that needs to be more fully explored.

Also horribly sorry about my delays with these reviews, I've been very busy all weekend, I'll get back on track sooner or later.

Machine · 03-02-2016, 11:52 AM

Kinderalbum

Well I'm honestly going into this blind there is almost no info of this album on rym no one has even rated it, so I have no clue what I'm getting into here.

Track 1 Okay that was just 12 seconds of screaming not rating that

Track 2 Really interesting rhythm with lots of bells and whistles. This is strange, but incredibly dance-able. No clue what they're whisper singing about, not even really sure what language this is in. Alright then, sort of completely broke down Can style right in the middle. Loved this.

Track 3 Has this slithering bassline over free-form noise guitar that I can't get enough of. This is a strange album so far, but not completely inaccessible either. Short one, but quite well done.

Track 4 Another shorter one. I really don't have any complaints with the lengths because if I had to sit through 19 long ass tracks I'd off myself. Trumpet and accordion taking the forefront here. Not too much to say, nice little tune, has some interesting textures in the background.

Track 5 More industrial tone than any of the other tracks so far. The bass player is the best honestly, those basslines keep everything grooving throughout the chaos which is exactly what this album needs to make it great. Is it weird that I'm getting a ton of krautrock influence on this album? That was awesome.

Track 6 Little more sparse than anything else on here. Makes me feel like I'm in a smoky club that's centered right next to a steel factory. Simultaneously cool as hell and unsettling. Got a little bit strange with the weird crying at the end, but my opinion doesn't change.

Track 7 I love love love the off-kilter rhythms all over this thing. Nice female vocals too. A bit more melodic than anything else that's appeared on this album so far. All the playing is top ****ing notch, or at least it seems like it.

Track 8 Guy is singing like he's Tom Waits over here. I like the use of seemingly traditional song structure on this song with these absolutely strange rhythms and chord changes, creates a nice balance between the strange and the normal. Not too often that accordion is the lead instrument on an album.

Track 9 Beautiful strings to start this off. Over that there is some clanging percussion of some kind and a smooth as silk bassline. Love the female vocals on this album as well, very pretty. This is track is just ****ing incredible honestly, not much to it and there doesn't need to be.

Track 10 More toy percussion, accordion, bass, and other various strange instruments. Just basically what is expected of the album at this point. Vocals are great as usual, nice and gravely. The adlibing that the vocalist is doing is giving me quite a laugh, reminds me of some early System of a Down vocal textures that would pop up all around their songs back when they were good.

Track 11 Clanging beat that sounds like they're using metallic poles as percussion instruments, I think it's a nice touch. Love it when they pull out the strings because they're always beautiful; giving some room at the end of this one for a nice little soli from the strings.

Track 12 A march like drive to this. This is probably the most "industrial" track I've heard on here so far. Great brass playing. Wow this is genuinely amazing, a cacophony of percussion and brass with this cartoonish evil laughing over the top of it all.

Track 13 Longest track time, a full 7 minutes. This sounds like the soundtrack to some obscure 90's point and click game with Swans' A Hanging playing in the background. Once again the bass is just ****ing making it for me, everything about it on every track is just perfect. If I ever start a band I'm making sure our bass player does stuff like this.

Track 14 Another female vocal lead track which I love because they usually provide a great contrast to the harder male vocal tracks; much more melodic and traditionally "pretty" music. Nice minor to major key change once the strings come in, absolute bliss for the short time the key change happened.

Track 15 This sounds like someone is about drop some ****ing bars over this, someone call up K-Dot. Damn was not expecting a groove like this anywhere on the album at all, this seriously sounds like this album's attempt at a hip-hop groove with more Wait-esque vocals.

Track 16 Short track, uptempo and noisy as all hell. Strange a lot going on here. Okay some sort of breakdown with these skittering acoustics. Huh, that was weird.

Track 17 Not really sure what to make of this one at all. Okay now settling back into the regular; I say "regular" very liberally. Not too much to say about this one that I haven't said about other tracks already. There is some weird rumbling in the background that sounds like someone being subdued or something.

Track 18 This might be the strangest track so far. It has these wonderful plinking rhythms that seem to go from instrument to instrument with every note of the pattern. There's also Middle Eastern tinged vocals which I'm a big big fan of. More or less just a loop of what I described.

Track 19 Started with these industrial tones before completely moving to different section out of nowhere. Rhythmically this track is incredible, but there hasn't been a ton else going on in the song. Some brass flourishes here and there, but that's about it. I feel like the last track would have been a better closer and this should have been somewhere in the middle, but it's still a damn good track.

Final Verdict: Well **** me that was good, and I mean really good. Incredible actually. I was not expecting to enjoy this, but everything about it: the vocals, the accordion, the ****ing basslines, the toy percussion, the industrial tones. Everything came together perfectly.

8.5-9/10

**Frownland** · 03-02-2016, 11:55 AM

Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock

grindy · 03-02-2016, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machine

Kinderalbum

Well I'm honestly going into this blind there is almost no info of this album on rym no one has even rated it, so I have no clue what I'm getting into here.

Track 1 Okay that was just 12 seconds of screaming not rating that

Track 2 Really interesting rhythm with lots of bells and whistles. This is strange, but incredibly dance-able. No clue what they're whisper singing about, not even really sure what language this is in. Alright then, sort of completely broke down Can style right in the middle. Loved this.

Track 3 Has this slithering bassline over free-form noise guitar that I can't get enough of. This is a strange album so far, but not completely inaccessible either. Short one, but quite well done.

Track 4 Another shorter one. I really don't have any complaints with the lengths because if I had to sit through 19 long ass tracks I'd off myself. Trumpet and accordion taking the forefront here. Not too much to say, nice little tune, has some interesting textures in the background.

Track 5 More industrial tone than any of the other tracks so far. The bass player is the best honestly, those basslines keep everything grooving throughout the chaos which is exactly what this album needs to make it great. Is it weird that I'm getting a ton of krautrock influence on this album? That was awesome.

Track 6 Little more sparse than anything else on here. Makes me feel like I'm in a smoky club that's centered right next to a steel factory. Simultaneously cool as hell and unsettling. Got a little bit strange with the weird crying at the end, but my opinion doesn't change.

Track 7 I love love love the off-kilter rhythms all over this thing. Nice female vocals too. A bit more melodic than anything else that's appeared on this album so far. All the playing is top ****ing notch, or at least it seems like it.

Track 8 Guy is singing like he's Tom Waits over here. I like the use of seemingly traditional song structure on this song with these absolutely strange rhythms and chord changes, creates a nice balance between the strange and the normal. Not too often that accordion is the lead instrument on an album.

Track 9 Beautiful strings to start this off. Over that there is some clanging percussion of some kind and a smooth as silk bassline. Love the female vocals on this album as well, very pretty. This is track is just ****ing incredible honestly, not much to it and there doesn't need to be.

Track 10 More toy percussion, accordion, bass, and other various strange instruments. Just basically what is expected of the album at this point. Vocals are great as usual, nice and gravely. The adlibing that the vocalist is doing is giving me quite a laugh, reminds me of some early System of a Down vocal textures that would pop up all around their songs back when they were good.

Track 11 Clanging beat that sounds like they're using metallic poles as percussion instruments, I think it's a nice touch. Love it when they pull out the strings because they're always beautiful; giving some room at the end of this one for a nice little soli from the strings.

Track 12 A march like drive to this. This is probably the most "industrial" track I've heard on here so far. Great brass playing. Wow this is genuinely amazing, a cacophony of percussion and brass with this cartoonish evil laughing over the top of it all.

Track 13 Longest track time, a full 7 minutes. This sounds like the soundtrack to some obscure 90's point and click game with Swans' A Hanging playing in the background. Once again the bass is just ****ing making it for me, everything about it on every track is just perfect. If I ever start a band I'm making sure our bass player does stuff like this.

Track 14 Another female vocal lead track which I love because they usually provide a great contrast to the harder male vocal tracks; much more melodic and traditionally "pretty" music. Nice minor to major key change once the strings come in, absolute bliss for the short time the key change happened.

Track 15 This sounds like someone is about drop some ****ing bars over this, someone call up K-Dot. Damn was not expecting a groove like this anywhere on the album at all, this seriously sounds like this album's attempt at a hip-hop groove with more Wait-esque vocals.

Track 16 Short track, uptempo and noisy as all hell. Strange a lot going on here. Okay some sort of breakdown with these skittering acoustics. Huh, that was weird.

Track 17 Not really sure what to make of this one at all. Okay now settling back into the regular; I say "regular" very liberally. Not too much to say about this one that I haven't said about other tracks already. There is some weird rumbling in the background that sounds like someone being subdued or something.

Track 18 This might be the strangest track so far. It has these wonderful plinking rhythms that seem to go from instrument to instrument with every note of the pattern. There's also Middle Eastern tinged vocals which I'm a big big fan of. More or less just a loop of what I described.

Track 19 Started with these industrial tones before completely moving to different section out of nowhere. Rhythmically this track is incredible, but there hasn't been a ton else going on in the song. Some brass flourishes here and there, but that's about it. I feel like the last track would have been a better closer and this should have been somewhere in the middle, but it's still a damn good track.

Final Verdict: Well **** me that was good, and I mean really good. Incredible actually. I was not expecting to enjoy this, but everything about it: the vocals, the accordion, the ****ing basslines, the toy percussion, the industrial tones. Everything came together perfectly.

8.5-9/10

Super glad to see you liked it that much.
This is pretty unique stuff and I was really unsure how you'd take it, especially since my opinion of it is possibly somewhat "skewed" since I speak the language (it's Russian btw) and am generally more accustomed to eastern european music.
I certainly hardly expected that much love.

Machine · 03-02-2016, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock

Will add

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindy

Super glad to see you liked it that much.
This is pretty unique stuff and I was really unsure how you'd take it, especially since my opinion of it is possibly somewhat "skewed" since I speak the language (it's Russian btw) and am generally more accustomed to eastern european music.
I certainly hardly expected that much love.

I honestly didn't expect to like that as much as I did either. I'll have to listen to some more eastern european music.

The Batlord · 03-02-2016, 05:49 PM

Oh ****. Cage up next. Hurry up with that ****.

Machine · 03-02-2016, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Oh ****. Cage up next. Hurry up with that ****.

It'll be up either tonight or tomorrow.

Machine · 03-03-2016, 03:07 PM

Movies For The Blind

Horrorcore and abstract hip-hop? Seems like something that will either be great or absolutely awful. Based on the one song I do know from him I'm expecting to at least enjoy this. I don't know how I'm going to listen to the lyrics and write at the same time so sorry if the reviews for each song are ****.

Track 1 Fun little beat. The guy has some pretty clever lyrics from what I can tell so far. So I guess that was just an intro? Is this a concept album?

Track 2 Cool enough beat although I wish it changed up a little bit at some point in the song as I don't feel the loop really justifies a song like this. I also thought while his bars were entertaining his flow is a little bit thick and slow moving for my taste.

Track 3 The beat on this one reminds me of some early Eminem type production, and his flow and lyrics do as well. In fact I feel like I'm listening to a more angry Eminem. Idk this one wasn't doing that much for me.

Track 4 Ha love the beat on this one! His flow is still too choppy for me to completely love but he had some damn clever lines and references on this one. The clockwork orange was really well done, a little more subtle than the rest of the more blatant references.

Track 5 Really meh. His lyrics were totally whatever and the references got a little overbearing. The beat was banging, but that's about all I like about this one.

Track 6 Great ****ing beat on this the string sample is perfect. The lyrics are classic horrorcore mixed with what I assume is a partially true story about his time in a mental institution. I'd say there's maybe one too many lines about jerking off, but hey that's just me.

Track 7 Just sort of a filler skit. Liked the beat backing it, but it seemed unnecessary.

Track 8 Nice cinematic beat to match what might be the most grotesque song yet. Basically he's just real angry at his stepdad and is imagining killing him. Fun stuff if not a little bit cringeworthy at times, his nasely tone doesn't really help in that department. Good, not amazing.

Track 9 Amazing storytelling on this one. It features our man Cage in different dreams where the only way he can wake up is if he dies, the problem being, he has no clue when he is awake or not. That was really ****ing good and it had a very intense beat to match.

Track 10 Great use of a Clockwork Orange sample in what is basically an homage to the movie. It's basically the "rap" version of the movie itself which I think is a nice little tribute to what must be a very important move for Cage, seeing as he references it every five seconds.

Track 11 Eh not really feeling this one. Mainly just a detailed account of how he wants to kill himself over some girl. That's fine, but the lyrics weren't that particularly great and didn't really hold me beyond the shock value.

Track 12 Didn't like the lyrics at all, they seemed lazy, his flow was off, and the beat was ****ing lame, not much more to say.

Track 13 Weak hook, and the lyrics aren't really grabbing me. I think I'm just tired of this album at this point I don't really want to hear the rest like it's alright but not interesting enough to hold me for an hour. Beat bangs though.

Track 14 Another little interlude track, but the subject matter is at least interesting this time and the beat behind it is great.

Track 15 Again great beat, and the lyrics aren't bad if not a little too edgy for their own good. Yeah I'm bored as hell though, this album is about 10 or 15 minutes too long.

Track 16 Stupid ass skit

Track 17 This is more like it his flow is perfect here; nice and bouncy. The beat bangs hard as hell sounds like a car chase from a 60's movie or something. More of the album should be like this.

Track 18 Great closer, and has one of the few hooks on the album on the album I could actually get behind. Cute beat behind it all as well.

Final Verdict: It has its great moments and its ****ty ones as well. I don't know, it has a cult classic status behind it but I'm not really seeing it. Whatever, I'm done writing.

6/10

02-27-2016, 03:39 PM	#231 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	Rainbow Grey This is one of Plainview's projects so I'm excited to get around to reviewing one of our very own member's albums. Track 1 Nice synthwork here at the beginning, backwards ** always freaks me out and this isn't an exception. Are you sampling a piano for the low noises? I wish the drums would very a little more than the loop being presented, but I do enjoy the ever evolving synth tones. Nice little opener, some synths could use some beefing up and the drum track needs some more variation, but not too shabby. Track 2 I love the piano synth whatever that is in the front, but I'm not really into the drums timbre, sounds like a preset in FL Studio. Oh the beat changed up, now that I can get behind. Once again I feel like these synth tones, while pleasant, need some beefing up. There's not much low end to this album which makes me feel like a chunk of the sound is missing. More neutral about this one. Track 3 Crazy samples right out of the gate. I can't help but feel like the organ sounds like a completely different song entirely. Now a trumpet choir? What the hell is going on with this song? Loving the quasi-trap feel that the drums have. Eh not sure about that one, too much going for its own good, a lot of it just didn't mesh well and sounded messy. Track 4 The beginning sounds like an early Three 6 Mafia beat or something. Alright getting into some tribal drumming, oh this is real good. Not sure why those synths are coming in, the double bass and drum pattern needed some more time to breathe in my opinion. Whenever it gets to that groove in the song that's where it's the best. Don't like those sustained synths taking up the mix, they should be farther back letting the bass have more room to breathe because the way it is now the groove feels buried. Track 5 I like the start, I assume that's a synth preset and a guitar maybe? The floating ambiance is complementing the jittery rhythms nicely. Beautiful string arrangement here. No complaints here at all, this is wonderful. Track 6 Really nice beat, I'm really wondering how you got that guitar tone. Love love love that keyboard interlude. More trap influence, personally that's an up for me. Nice little outro, I can't really describe it, but I enjoy it a lot. Track 7 Weird mix of backwards electronics and lo-fi guitar to make a really chilled out beat. Don't like the whole drum only bit there, the drums sound too sterile to get that much attention focused on them. Back to the beat, but with ambient electronics ahead of the mix? It would have sounded better if the beat instantly just cut out entirely for this whole section because when they came in it was total audio soup. This was good except for the one or two things I pointed out which I couldn't stand. Track 8 Nice tone on the groove, almost industrial. This one has a really ing weird mix on it. Why is the melody all the way in the back, and the tambourine in the front? The melody has a nice Tortoise sound to it, but goddamn I wish I could hear it better over the drums. I like the new beat, crazy glitchy. Sorry, but the mix on that drove me ing crazy to the point where it was unenjoyable. Track 9 Nice melody almost sounds like something I might hear in a commercial, but with some grit. That weird ass tone is great as well. Liking the breakbeat carrying the track. Once the piano kicks in full on it's just gorgeous. Track 10** Didn't even realize the next track started. Nice chords, but I'm not sold on the all-over-the-place synth over it. Complete beat change up which moved straight back into the original beat, not sure why but I found that incredibly pleasing. Love the ambient wash over synth, but again I wish everything would just cut out when you do that. Like there should not be a beat around that at all. Final Verdict: I see your talent Plainview and with some more work, which based on the fact that this is 6 months old I'm sure you've gotten, you could really make something incredible. The production sounds a little cheap at times, and occasionally the mix and placement of instruments is messy and claustrophobic; but you do have a penchant for experimentation that I love and a knack for a catchy line or melody. Keep at it, and don't take this personally I wanted to critique it as much as I could; a lot of this was very very nice, just some big things that need work in order to get something amazing. Based on the track you posted a few days ago I can see already you've improved tremendously. 6/10 __________________ boost my ego listen to me stroke my delay pedal ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

03-02-2016, 11:52 AM	#234 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	Kinderalbum Well I'm honestly going into this blind there is almost no info of this album on rym no one has even rated it, so I have no clue what I'm getting into here. Track 1 Okay that was just 12 seconds of screaming not rating that Track 2 Really interesting rhythm with lots of bells and whistles. This is strange, but incredibly dance-able. No clue what they're whisper singing about, not even really sure what language this is in. Alright then, sort of completely broke down Can style right in the middle. Loved this. Track 3 Has this slithering bassline over free-form noise guitar that I can't get enough of. This is a strange album so far, but not completely inaccessible either. Short one, but quite well done. Track 4 Another shorter one. I really don't have any complaints with the lengths because if I had to sit through 19 long ass tracks I'd off myself. Trumpet and accordion taking the forefront here. Not too much to say, nice little tune, has some interesting textures in the background. Track 5 More industrial tone than any of the other tracks so far. The bass player is the best honestly, those basslines keep everything grooving throughout the chaos which is exactly what this album needs to make it great. Is it weird that I'm getting a ton of krautrock influence on this album? That was awesome. Track 6 Little more sparse than anything else on here. Makes me feel like I'm in a smoky club that's centered right next to a steel factory. Simultaneously cool as hell and unsettling. Got a little bit strange with the weird crying at the end, but my opinion doesn't change. Track 7 I love love love the off-kilter rhythms all over this thing. Nice female vocals too. A bit more melodic than anything else that's appeared on this album so far. All the playing is top **ing notch, or at least it seems like it. Track 8 Guy is singing like he's Tom Waits over here. I like the use of seemingly traditional song structure on this song with these absolutely strange rhythms and chord changes, creates a nice balance between the strange and the normal. Not too often that accordion is the lead instrument on an album. Track 9 Beautiful strings to start this off. Over that there is some clanging percussion of some kind and a smooth as silk bassline. Love the female vocals on this album as well, very pretty. This is track is just ing incredible honestly, not much to it and there doesn't need to be. Track 10 More toy percussion, accordion, bass, and other various strange instruments. Just basically what is expected of the album at this point. Vocals are great as usual, nice and gravely. The adlibing that the vocalist is doing is giving me quite a laugh, reminds me of some early System of a Down vocal textures that would pop up all around their songs back when they were good. Track 11 Clanging beat that sounds like they're using metallic poles as percussion instruments, I think it's a nice touch. Love it when they pull out the strings because they're always beautiful; giving some room at the end of this one for a nice little soli from the strings. Track 12 A march like drive to this. This is probably the most "industrial" track I've heard on here so far. Great brass playing. Wow this is genuinely amazing, a cacophony of percussion and brass with this cartoonish evil laughing over the top of it all. Track 13 Longest track time, a full 7 minutes. This sounds like the soundtrack to some obscure 90's point and click game with Swans' A Hanging playing in the background. Once again the bass is just ing making it for me, everything about it on every track is just perfect. If I ever start a band I'm making sure our bass player does stuff like this. Track 14 Another female vocal lead track which I love because they usually provide a great contrast to the harder male vocal tracks; much more melodic and traditionally "pretty" music. Nice minor to major key change once the strings come in, absolute bliss for the short time the key change happened. Track 15 This sounds like someone is about drop some ing bars over this, someone call up K-Dot. Damn was not expecting a groove like this anywhere on the album at all, this seriously sounds like this album's attempt at a hip-hop groove with more Wait-esque vocals. Track 16 Short track, uptempo and noisy as all hell. Strange a lot going on here. Okay some sort of breakdown with these skittering acoustics. Huh, that was weird. Track 17 Not really sure what to make of this one at all. Okay now settling back into the regular; I say "regular" very liberally. Not too much to say about this one that I haven't said about other tracks already. There is some weird rumbling in the background that sounds like someone being subdued or something. Track 18 This might be the strangest track so far. It has these wonderful plinking rhythms that seem to go from instrument to instrument with every note of the pattern. There's also Middle Eastern tinged vocals which I'm a big big fan of. More or less just a loop of what I described. Track 19 Started with these industrial tones before completely moving to different section out of nowhere. Rhythmically this track is incredible, but there hasn't been a ton else going on in the song. Some brass flourishes here and there, but that's about it. I feel like the last track would have been a better closer and this should have been somewhere in the middle, but it's still a damn good track. Final Verdict: Well me that was good, and I mean really good. Incredible actually. I was not expecting to enjoy this, but everything about it: the vocals, the accordion, the **ing basslines, the toy percussion, the industrial tones. Everything came together perfectly. 8.5-9/10 __________________ boost my ego listen to me stroke my delay pedal ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.

03-02-2016, 11:55 AM	#235 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

03-03-2016, 03:07 PM	#240 (permalink)
Machine moon lake inc. Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Detroit Posts: 2,125	Movies For The Blind Horrorcore and abstract hip-hop? Seems like something that will either be great or absolutely awful. Based on the one song I do know from him I'm expecting to at least enjoy this. I don't know how I'm going to listen to the lyrics and write at the same time so sorry if the reviews for each song are **. Track 1 Fun little beat. The guy has some pretty clever lyrics from what I can tell so far. So I guess that was just an intro? Is this a concept album? Track 2 Cool enough beat although I wish it changed up a little bit at some point in the song as I don't feel the loop really justifies a song like this. I also thought while his bars were entertaining his flow is a little bit thick and slow moving for my taste. Track 3 The beat on this one reminds me of some early Eminem type production, and his flow and lyrics do as well. In fact I feel like I'm listening to a more angry Eminem. Idk this one wasn't doing that much for me. Track 4 Ha love the beat on this one! His flow is still too choppy for me to completely love but he had some damn clever lines and references on this one. The clockwork orange was really well done, a little more subtle than the rest of the more blatant references. Track 5 Really meh. His lyrics were totally whatever and the references got a little overbearing. The beat was banging, but that's about all I like about this one. Track 6 Great ing beat on this the string sample is perfect. The lyrics are classic horrorcore mixed with what I assume is a partially true story about his time in a mental institution. I'd say there's maybe one too many lines about jerking off, but hey that's just me. Track 7 Just sort of a filler skit. Liked the beat backing it, but it seemed unnecessary. Track 8 Nice cinematic beat to match what might be the most grotesque song yet. Basically he's just real angry at his stepdad and is imagining killing him. Fun stuff if not a little bit cringeworthy at times, his nasely tone doesn't really help in that department. Good, not amazing. Track 9 Amazing storytelling on this one. It features our man Cage in different dreams where the only way he can wake up is if he dies, the problem being, he has no clue when he is awake or not. That was really ing good and it had a very intense beat to match. Track 10 Great use of a Clockwork Orange sample in what is basically an homage to the movie. It's basically the "rap" version of the movie itself which I think is a nice little tribute to what must be a very important move for Cage, seeing as he references it every five seconds. Track 11 Eh not really feeling this one. Mainly just a detailed account of how he wants to kill himself over some girl. That's fine, but the lyrics weren't that particularly great and didn't really hold me beyond the shock value. Track 12 Didn't like the lyrics at all, they seemed lazy, his flow was off, and the beat was ing lame, not much more to say. Track 13 Weak hook, and the lyrics aren't really grabbing me. I think I'm just tired of this album at this point I don't really want to hear the rest like it's alright but not interesting enough to hold me for an hour. Beat bangs though. Track 14 Another little interlude track, but the subject matter is at least interesting this time and the beat behind it is great. Track 15 Again great beat, and the lyrics aren't bad if not a little too edgy for their own good. Yeah I'm bored as hell though, this album is about 10 or 15 minutes too long. Track 16 Stupid ass skit Track 17 This is more like it his flow is perfect here; nice and bouncy. The beat bangs hard as hell sounds like a car chase from a 60's movie or something. More of the album should be like this. Track 18 Great closer, and has one of the few hooks on the album on the album I could actually get behind. Cute beat behind it all as well. Final Verdict: It has its great moments and its **ty ones as well. I don't know, it has a cult classic status behind it but I'm not really seeing it. Whatever, I'm done writing. 6/10 __________________ boost my ego listen to me stroke my delay pedal ever wanted to hear death grips songs... but they're acoustic? me neither.