The Identity Matrix Presents: The Genre Dive

The Identity Matrix · 04-11-2017, 10:29 AM

Frownland, It can't hurt to look at it.

**Frownland** · 04-11-2017, 10:38 AM

First off, I second, third, fourth, and fifth Mondo's suggestion. Here're some more

Carla Dal Forno - You Know What It's Like
Renaldo and the Loaf - Songs for Swinging Larvae
Suicide - Suicide
The Residents - Commercial Album
Minimal Man - The Shroud Of
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Generator
The Soft Moon - Deeper
Tuxedomoon - Desire

The Identity Matrix · 04-11-2017, 10:42 AM

I have put them all in the suggestion box. Thanks! I will also bump up Mondo's suggestion on the listening list if you believe it is that good.

The Identity Matrix · 04-11-2017, 07:14 PM

Entry #: 0003

Genre: Electronic

Style: Synthwave

Artist: Mitch Murder

Country of Origin: Sweden

Album: Interceptor

Year of Release: 2014

Notes: Nothing much to say other than the fact that I have heard this guy in plug once or twice.

Impressions:

Goodness gracious this stuff is infectious. I couldn’t stop listening to this one. I must have played this record three or four times over before I stopped to finally write this. Oh who am I kidding, I have it on in the background as I write this now. The sound of this album, while still in the style of synthwave has many more chillwave influences quieter, funkier, spacier. That is at least what I found from my research. With the two major albums that I have listened to so far I have come to the conclusion that modern synthwave artists are fantastic storytellers. You might be saying, “Well how could that be when the songs are primarily devoid of vocals.” I’ll tell you how. Atmosphere, mood, and association. Those three points will be touched on as we dive into these tracks.

The first one I want to talk about is the opener. Saturdays. That opening sample hits the nail on the head with my major points. The alarm, the opening synths, I personally associate that whole bundle of sound with how I would wake up on a saturday morning in the 80s. I don’t know if that is weird or not, but it certainly enhances the experience. The bouncing synths make me want to jump out of whatever seat I am currently sitting in and get something done. I love it.

Now let’s talk bass lines. High Performance has a “high performing” bass line. Sorry…. But anyway this song is funky and lovely. Fantastic soundtrack to my day. Sold me instantly. I could say more but I'm really lost for words on this one. It's fun, and that is what I am looking for in this kind of music. Further down the line we get a series of chilled tracks, Race Day, Interceptor, and Snow Crash. These three Just make me want to sit back and let the world pass me by. Taking in the scenery that is played out before me. Man this album is such a journey. Taking an ordinary soundtrack style to a very ordinary day is hardly the pinnacle of excitement. But Mitch Murder managed it.

Another standout track that I would like to point out would be Thanks for Playing. A video game inspired track. This would be the type of music you would hear at those arcades near the beaches in California or Florida. It is fantastic. I love the way it guides me through a montage of life in that area of the world. The sun shining, the people enjoying themselves, It really transports the listener to wherever the artist wants.

That sick bass line returns in the next track In the Fast Lane, but other than that I would say its more of the same as earlier tracks. I did enjoy the second to last track quite a bit though. That would be Nocturne. The soundtrack to my day continues with me, by myself looking up at the night sky. No one to bug me or intrude. It's beautiful. The final track also sounds fairly similar so I find it about on par with the rest of the album for not doing anything really new.

I loved the progression of this album. It took me places that I had never been to before and yet they felt so familiar. This album felt a lot more real to me compared to the Perturbator album. Though I find the setting of that one equally interesting. This music simply invigorates and inspires. Yeah some ideas seem to be a little overused here and there, but it certainly is not a deal breaker, at least for me. The feeling, atmosphere, mood, all coalesce into a story. A story about people living their lives and chasing their dreams. I wish I could be these people and live out one of Mitch Murder's little fantasies that he has dreamt up here. Overall this album is a great one. I would recommend this album to anyone who even remotely enjoys electronic music to give this one a shot. I'll be listening to this one many more times in the future.

Initial Score: Interceptor receives a 8.2 out of 10

Standout Tracks: Saturdays, The Touch, Snow Crash, Thanks for Playing, Nocturne

Weaker Tracks: Race Day, Breakazoid, Traces to Nowhere

Both of the modern synthwave albums I have looked at here have been recomended to me by Kiiii and Chiomara. So thank them for getting me started.

Key · 04-11-2017, 07:44 PM

No problem my dude. You've been really diggin it the way I thought you would. It's a fun genre.

The Identity Matrix · 04-12-2017, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EPOCH6

Huh, somebody gave me a vinyl copy of this album some time ago when they moved out-of-country and had to pass on their collection, I haven't listened to it yet, maybe I'll dig it out tonight.

Looking forward to this journal, write-ups look thorough and thought out so far.

Batlord's sludge suggestions are great start.

Only album I'd add to that list, and not just because I'm a fanboy, is Conan's Blood Eagle, which I think is an unbeatable example of balancing production and style for maximum impact.

I owe you an apology. Due to my lack of focus I unfortunately missed this post. I was not intentionally ignoring you. Sorry about that, and thank you for the suggestion. I'll add it to the suggestion box.

The Identity Matrix · 04-13-2017, 11:57 AM

Entry #: 0004

Genre: Electronic

Style: Synthwave

Artist: Carpenter Brut

Country of Origin: France

Album: Trilogy (EP 1, EP 2, EP 3)

Year of Release: 2015 (2012, 2013, 2015)

Notes: Ok a couple of things. This album is actually a compilation of all three of Carpenter Brut’s EPs. I will be reviewing them all in one post due to me listening to them via the Trilogy album. Carpenter Brut is another one of the recommendations from Kiiii and Chiomara so this review is “sponsored” by them. The only real background I have for this guy is that he was played a couple of times in plug. I dug it then, and spoiler alert: I dig it now.

Impressions:

This one is kind of all over the place. The three EPs sort of have a distinct flow that is unique to them. They kind of work smashed together as one long album, but I would much rather review them separately and then give one final score for Trilogy. I’ll start with a few general thoughts and then I will dive deep into the three EPs. First and foremost, It seems to me that the overall style of these EPs are very different between each other. They flow well on their own, but sound very much like a compilation when put together. Not a bad thing, just something I noticed. This album seems to have a lot of progressive tendencies. The live drumming and guitar parts definitely add to the mix, as I will explain later on. I really did not hate anything, but there were a few I found a little redundant when it came to what I have already heard in the genre.

Alright let's get started with EP 1.

This one is kind of a mixed bag when it comes to overall quality. I found about half the disc to be decent and the other half to be really good. Tracks like Escape from Midwich Valley, and Wake up the President fall into a little cliche territory with the way things are mixed. Decent enough sound, just I have seen other electronic artists do the same thing at about the same level. There is a mix of the chilled vibes of Mitch Murder, and the fast paced soaring melodies of Perturbator. Sometimes the mix works in tracks like Disco Zombi Italia, and 347 Midnight Demons (a personal highlight from the whole set). A lot of what Carpenter Brut is doing here feels solid. I kind of wish he added a little more experimentation or something different to the mix. Songs like Le Perve and L.A. Venice Bitch 80s are really close to being fantastic but settle to just being solid. It's a good start overall and It makes me want to explore more of what this guy has got to offer.

Now for EP 2

This is where it really gets good. I feel like on this EP, Brut gets into a groove and he never falls out. Seriously this disc is just hit after hit after hit. I especially loved the synth prowess on tracks like Meet Matt Stryker, and Hang ‘em All. The drumming is excellent on a lot of these tracks as well. I really dig the stuff off of tracks like Sexkiller on the Loose. The live drumming just really brings the tracks to new life. Obituary is probably the most chilled out from the bunch. It reminds me a lot of what Mitch Murder was doing with his more chilled out stuff. I love it alot. Really the lack of world building the first two EPs have shown really surprise me. There isn’t really a time or place that I can connect to any of these songs. It bothers me a little but it isn’t a dealbreaker for any of these songs really. Roller Mobster and Looking for Tracy Tzu would be the lowlights of this disc. They are great tracks, but I’m not feeling as excited when I listen to them. Overall this is easily the best of the three EPs, not a dud in the bunch on this one.

And finally EP 3

This one has probably the best song on the Trilogy compilation and the worst song. Paradise Warfare is a killer track. Progressive, heavy at times, the drumming is top notch. Everything I could not ask for anything more. This is probably the first time on this compilation where I started to feel some world building going on. Division Ruine (another excellent piece) leading into Paradise Warfare allows for Brut’s world to come into view. Sunsetting, a city in the distance, something similar to the cover art mostly. Now I did mention that this EP had the worst track out of all of them. That one would be Invasion A.D. It just feels redundant to me. He doesn’t really do anything new with this track compared to others. The chilled out moments feel rather boring compared to tracks like Obituary from the second EP. Overall though, the quality of the third EP is just under that of the second. Anarchy Road, Turbo Killer, and Run, Sally, Run! all round out the EP with solid groovy and fast paced synth work.

Overall, on an individual level these EPs are great. They all have a bit of uniqueness to them. It’s like watching an athlete improve over three seasons in a sport, the quality of play keeps going up and it’s exciting to watch (or listen to). As a whole though the Trilogy compilation accomplishes a mighty feat. While not necessarily flowing as well as a studio album per se, it provides a fantastic look into the mind of a growing warrior of the synth. This is the culmination of growth and hard work. It is about the music for this guy and I love that. I hope to hear more of his work in the future.

Initial Score: Trilogy receives an 8.2 out of 10

Standout Tracks: 347 Midnight Demons, Le Perve, Meet Matt Stryker, Obituary, Hang ‘em All, Division Ruine, Paradise Valley

Weaker Tracks: Wake up the President, Invasion A.D.

A little shorter on the overall thoughts of each track for this one. Just the sheer amount of content I needed to cover in a single post forced me to cut down a bit. I would be happy to discuss these further with anyone who wishes to. Thanks for reading, and I hope for those of you that are new to the genre like myself, will give this guy a shot.

Anteater · 04-17-2017, 08:11 AM

Synthwave is always such a fun genre to dive into. There's definitely been some "progression" in the genre over the last few years, which has led to critical acclaim for The Midnight, Trevor Something and FM-84 in particular. I'd recommend checking out this list as a reference point in your journey as you approach the present.

NewRetroWave.com - Top Ten Synthwave Albums of 2016

04-11-2017, 10:38 AM	#22 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	First off, I second, third, fourth, and fifth Mondo's suggestion. Here're some more Carla Dal Forno - You Know What It's Like Renaldo and the Loaf - Songs for Swinging Larvae Suicide - Suicide The Residents - Commercial Album Minimal Man - The Shroud Of Keith Fullerton Whitman - Generator The Soft Moon - Deeper Tuxedomoon - Desire __________________ 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

04-11-2017, 07:44 PM	#25 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	No problem my dude. You've been really diggin it the way I thought you would. It's a fun genre.