The Album Club: "Famous Places" by Goldmund

Trollheart · 07-25-2017, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Quit with your temperance talk and get someone on the street to buy you some whiskey.

in the jar?

innerspaceboy · 07-27-2017, 07:50 PM

I was really pleased to see Goldmund surface in The Album Club, and while I'm a bit late I definitely wanted to add my two cents.

I'm well-acquainted with Keith Kenniff's electronic ambient releases under the Helios moniker and his post-classical work as Goldmund, and Famous Places is certainly an excellent highlight from his catalog.

Don't approach this record looking for something cerebrally-engaging, terrifically novel, or demonstrative of musical proficiency. Instead, Kenniff's intent is to create a warm and intimate soundscape to color a room for awhile. The focus is not on individual tracks or variation, but instead to maintain a consistent scheme of comfort and relaxation. And that effort finds great success with Famous Places.

To criticize Max Richter's Sleep as being too "samey" and lacking in explorative value would be to miss the point of the work, which is music for the subconscious and the unconscious state. In the sphere of much ambient music, unobtrusive melodies which slip in and out of conscious attention really achieve what the artist is going for.

Famous Places is a blissful experience as music for meditation, study, or just something to adorn the room while you pad around on a sleepy Sunday afternoon. Thoroughly enjoyable.

8/10

Trollheart · 07-27-2017, 08:36 PM

I think most of us agreed it is a good album to have on in the background or to fall asleep to. It's just that if you're going to actually review it, there's not a lot of scope there. Lovely, but ultimately quite boring, I think was the general consensus. So far. Mostly.

OccultHawk · 07-27-2017, 08:43 PM

Great review

If elavator music is the world's most disrespected genre it's a hell of a thing to basically make great elevator music. But that's what this is. It's great music that doesn't disturb. It actually took musicians this long to achieve. It hasn't been done in the past. Or maybe not since Gregorian chant. It's not bland or boring. It's not dissonant. It's not catchy. It's like it's not meant to be observed. This album or that one. It doesn't matter and that's the point. 4/5 stars.

OccultHawk · 07-27-2017, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I think most of us agreed it is a good album to have on in the background or to fall asleep to. It's just that if you're going to actually review it, there's not a lot of scope there. Lovely, but ultimately quite boring, I think was the general consensus. So far. Mostly.

I think everything said about it is very right on. It is boring if you approach it that way. I think that goes to show how the artist has removed his ego from it.

~~MicShazam~~ · 07-28-2017, 01:45 AM

I get and respect those perspectives, but to me, muzak doesn't have any place in my record collection or on my playlists. A good album of more involving music can easily work well as background music, given that the genre is right, so I don't need any dull ass elevator muzak. Just my feelings about it.

OccultHawk · 07-28-2017, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicShazam

I get and respect those perspectives, but to me, muzak doesn't have any place in my record collection or on my playlists. A good album of more involving music can easily work well as background music, given that the genre is right, so I don't need any dull ass elevator muzak. Just my feelings about it.

My argument is that it's much more than that but alrighty

Aloysius · 07-28-2017, 06:09 AM

The music seems almost deliberately devoid of hooks, as the composer gives his impression of various places without judgement - probably some of these places are beautiful, some ugly, and while almost every other composer or musician would show their emotional reaction to these places, he takes his reactions (and ultimately himself) out of the picture. I think this is a rare thing to achieve, however I still dont like it enough to want to go back to this album after the couple of listens I had.

6/10

~~MicShazam~~ · 07-28-2017, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

My argument is that it's much more than that but alrighty

I'm on board with that, I just don't know in what way. What you described in your previous posts is pretty much my definition of muzak, sans quality modifiers. Basically, I get that you see something worthwhile and admirable in it in some way. To me 'music that doesn't disturb', 'It's not catchy', 'It's like it's not meant to be observed' - are not postitive qualities, so that's probably where I don't get how to see it as ' much more than that'.

OccultHawk · 07-28-2017, 08:00 AM

It's an abstract, ethereal aesthetic.

I guess you could say that about any music but it feels more true here. Still, like all music it's going to boil down to you either like it or not and the deeper we dig the more ambiguous our language becomes. A part of me wants to say you don't get it but I think that's a cop-out. With music, there's never really anything to "get" outside of if you like it or not. I'm being a little non-commital here, but for me, part of what's engaging here is the artist challenges those traditional parameters. However, I can totally get your point if you respond with but he doesn't, that's impossible! lol I like this music but even I'm not sure if I'm pretending it's more than it is. But then again, for me personally, that's what's evoked. So there you go. A long-winded way of saying I like it.

View Poll Results: How much do you like the album? (Voting without a writeup is UNACCEPTABLE)
Loved it	2	20.00%
Liked it	2	20.00%
Meh	4	40.00%
Disliked it	1	10.00%
Hated it	1	10.00%
Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

07-27-2017, 08:36 PM	#33 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I think most of us agreed it is a good album to have on in the background or to fall asleep to. It's just that if you're going to actually review it, there's not a lot of scope there. Lovely, but ultimately quite boring, I think was the general consensus. So far. Mostly. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-27-2017, 08:43 PM	#34 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,006	Great review If elavator music is the world's most disrespected genre it's a hell of a thing to basically make great elevator music. But that's what this is. It's great music that doesn't disturb. It actually took musicians this long to achieve. It hasn't been done in the past. Or maybe not since Gregorian chant. It's not bland or boring. It's not dissonant. It's not catchy. It's like it's not meant to be observed. This album or that one. It doesn't matter and that's the point. 4/5 stars. __________________ 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Member of the Year & Journal of the Year Champion Behold the Writing of THE LEGEND: https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...p-lighter.html

07-28-2017, 08:00 AM	#40 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,006	It's an abstract, ethereal aesthetic. I guess you could say that about any music but it feels more true here. Still, like all music it's going to boil down to you either like it or not and the deeper we dig the more ambiguous our language becomes. A part of me wants to say you don't get it but I think that's a cop-out. With music, there's never really anything to "get" outside of if you like it or not. I'm being a little non-commital here, but for me, part of what's engaging here is the artist challenges those traditional parameters. However, I can totally get your point if you respond with but he doesn't, that's impossible! lol I like this music but even I'm not sure if I'm pretending it's more than it is. But then again, for me personally, that's what's evoked. So there you go. A long-winded way of saying I like it. __________________ 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Member of the Year & Journal of the Year Champion Behold the Writing of THE LEGEND: https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...p-lighter.html

07-28-2017, 01:45 AM	#36 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	I get and respect those perspectives, but to me, muzak doesn't have any place in my record collection or on my playlists. A good album of more involving music can easily work well as background music, given that the genre is right, so I don't need any dull ass elevator muzak. Just my feelings about it.

07-28-2017, 06:09 AM	#38 (permalink)
Aloysius Music Addict Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Adelaide, Australia Posts: 353	The music seems almost deliberately devoid of hooks, as the composer gives his impression of various places without judgement - probably some of these places are beautiful, some ugly, and while almost every other composer or musician would show their emotional reaction to these places, he takes his reactions (and ultimately himself) out of the picture. I think this is a rare thing to achieve, however I still dont like it enough to want to go back to this album after the couple of listens I had. 6/10