Geekoid's World of Music

Geekoid · 08-04-2012, 09:07 PM

It's all there

Nothing to worry about. I put maybe a little too much effort into these posts! lol. But I've learned over the years to save my work on Word, just in case. Sorry for being impatient! haha.

Geekoid · 08-04-2012, 09:43 PM

OK, so here's part 2.

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Part 2

I thought it was very interesting that Bjork considers her albums to be self-contained universes waiting to be formed by intuition and instinct.
When I see her discography, it makes me think of a collection of paintings or gemstones, each one very different from the other, with its own special place in time. Here are my favorite cuts from each of her most well-known microcosms, pieced together in something of a timeline of Bjork’s evolution. Doing this has given me a chance to actually understand her discography as a whole (I even looked up the albums not listed here), and it might even have started a personal paradigm shift toward listening to music album by album as opposed to track by track, since I really like having a bigger picture perspective on artists. So, here it goes...

1-DEBUT (1993)

A charismatic introduction before her move to England, Debut is named, obviously, because it’s essentially her first album as an independent artist, after her breakup with the Sugarcubes.

Bjork provided a splash of magic and intriguing, playful arrangements for the music scene of the early 1990s, and Debut has deservedly become a truly iconic pop album, launching Bjork to fame early in her independent career. After several years of listening, I’m still taken in by ‘Human Behaviour.’ It still manages to romp in with all the shadowy danger of a giant teddy bear at bedtime. The song has so much quirky character, and is as childlike as it is sophisticated. Bjork’s distinctive vocals are always fun to follow all over the map. I also like the eclectic use of instruments; they provide a kind of thrifty-sounding, low-key sort of atmosphere that compliments her well, and it avoids sounding overly dusty and cobwebbed, even after almost 20 years.

Spoiler for My pick from Debut:

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2-POST (1995)

This album is a colorful and vivacious "posting" of Bjork's thoughts and feelings prior to her move to England. She did a lot of collaborating on this one, and the album seems to embody the various ideals of electronic music at the time, which was in the process of evolving and refining new kinds of electronic music, most notably the trip-hop movement, which is hinted at here. As usual, she would end up infusing her signature stand-bys here and there; heavy beats, glittery accents, and orchestrated backdrops. In sharp contrast to Debut, which was more shabby and low-lit; Post is vibrant, polished and exciting; and even more aggressive, but it maintains that kind of youthful quality. The energy from this album seems to have carried over to the decidedly climactic album Homogenic, the first of the archetypal "twin sisters" Bjork mentions in the interview.

With Post, people often talk about how Bjork managed to exceed the success of her first studio album, as if Bjork is just as much a businesswoman as she is an artist. Her own words seem to indicate otherwise; and I think part of her success in the creation of Post has to do with her willingness to collaborate with other artists, infusing the best of what each party has to offer, and showcasing excellently produced electronic music.

It’s Oh So Quiet is probably one of the wittiest and most charmingly theatrical covers I’ve ever heard, and the music video does a good job showcasing her acting skills. It also calls upon a couple of my musical influences, both show tunes and electronica; so it’s a nice kind of crossover. It might sound really weird, but it looks like so much fun to burst out in song and dance around with a mailbox and a fire hydrant.

Spoiler for my pick from Post:

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3-HOMOGENIC (1997)

An exploration of beats and strings. This is the extroverted twin sister, described by Bjork as being "outgoing, confrontational, and hardcore." Bjork had spent a good part of the year before the release of Homogenic listening to beats; mostly Drum’n’Bass.

This album is stony, expansive, and stark, and in a way, it’s a tribute to her homeland of Iceland, with its glaciers, volcanoes, and grey drizzly weather. She wouldn’t return to her use of tectonic rhythms until she released Biophilia in 2011. This album exemplifies Bjork’s philosophy of merging opposite forces through music. One the one hand, she presents graciously flowing melodies and poignant, anthemic arrangements, which make me think of wide skies and vast silvery oceans; and on the other hand, he disrupts the flow with very sharp, angular, craggy rhythms; throwing the elegant waters into dramatic turbulence. Overall, it’s a great album for awakening the emotions and breaking out of a haze.

Her masterpiece, entitled "Joga," is apparently an ode to one of Bjork's closest friends, and is an homage to Iceland. One of my absolute favourite songs, it captures feelings of dedication, patriotism, intimacy, inspiration, awe, and even romance. Just a lovely song in every way.

Spoiler for my pick from Homogenic:

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4-VESPERTINE (2001)

This is Homogenic's more introverted, gentle, shy and patient twin sister. The beats are smaller, and the production is more intimate, with much of the vocals having been recorded by laptops. The purpose of Vespertine is to explore those innermost feelings one shares only in a domestic, sheltered environment with only the most intimate of their confidantes.

Despite my own identification with the album's concept, this isn’t one of my favourites by Bjork. Like some listeners, I just found it much too intimate, like something reserved for the affections of a married couple. In essence, it's a bit like walking in on somebody. And in a way, I think that’s what the album was intended to be- the candid discussions and experiences of an intimate pair at home alone. However, I can’t help but admiring its delicate, frost-laden beauty. This a good one to pull out during the dead of winter, when the trees are dusted with ice and snow, and you feel like slipping into hibernation under your covers. Hopefully if I ever get married, the intimacy shared in this album might feel a bit less off-limits. (Not to come off as too much of a prude).

Spoiler for my pick from Vespertine:

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5-MEDULLA (2004)

This album is notable in that it's an exploration of vocals and a capella arrangements. The intention is to showcase the "sacred" qualities of the human voice as a universal instrument of mankind. As a result, this is Bjork's most organic sounding album.

Again, though it's certainly an epic endeavor, this album is not one of my favourites. I can see what Bjork was trying to do here, but at the end of the day, it gives me the feeling that peoples’ lips are less than an inch away, blowing hot air into my ears. If I can even say it, for me Medulla is just too vocal. I generally have a problem with excessive breathiness in songs already - the anatomical reality is just too apparent; and I’m not a huge fan of the technical art of throat singing either, which is called upon in this album on occasion. With the added influence of Neopagan ritualism, it just ends up being much too physically, primitively, indulgently human for my taste. On the other hand, some tracks, like the colossal "Where is the Line" provide very interesting (and goosebump inducing) combinations of vocals and keyboard effects.

"Oceania" is certainly an interesting piece of artwork- it was written for and performed at the 2004 Athens Olympic games, accompanied by a massive display. The vocal layering is lush and somewhat ethereal, creating a mystical, ancient-world kind of sound that's exotic and aquatic; like a Siren chorus from the lost city of Atlantis. Really, Medulla creates a lush atmosphere of otherworldly, aboriginal-sounding music you'd expect to hear on Avatar's Pandora.

Spoiler for my pick from Medulla:

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6-VOLTA- (2007)

After a 3 year break from studio albums (she did a movie soundtrack in the meantime), Bjork was back in '07, and all about having fun. Volta is inspired by African music, and infuses industrial-style beats to enrich the feeling of tribal dance, and to infuse electronic elements with more organic forms of music. There are lots of horns and jazz influences as well, which provides an interesting contrast between primal rhythms, and the slick jazz and classical instruments she introduces to the work.

This album is neat; but it doesn’t create the same kind of compelling mystery that her previous albums did for me. In spite of that, I'll reserve my judgments for now, since I still haven’t given this album a proper listen-through, even though I really should. It takes a couple of tries for me to really get in alignment with Bjork’s music; I need to get into the right head space first. The thing is, this album is a lot coarser in its instrumentation than I usually prefer, so it will likely take some time to sink in.

I was actually notified by iTunes when “Earth Intruders” came out, and to me, it represents the side of Bjork I came to love in the first place- playful, quirky, dramatic, powerful and electrifying, with her signature tongue-in-cheek wit that is both contemporary and timeless. I couldn’t get this one out of my head for the longest time; that beat is just so ingenious.

Spoiler for my pick from Volta:

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7-BIOPHILIA- (2011)

For me, this is one of Bjork's finer accomplishments in the past few years. Many long-time fans were disappointed with Biophilia; and after all the hype and attention that preceded its release, many people wished she had been more "groundbreaking." But knowing Bjork, she never strives for "groundbreaking" per se, but instead for honesty. And in 2011, Bjork's idea of being honest seemed to be driving home her passion for synthesizing opposites, exploring concepts and fusing science and the human experience together in a symbiotic friendship. If it wasn't clear before that Bjork is attempting to bridge the gap between nature and technology, Biophilia makes it obvious.

I see this album as a culmination of most of the elements used in her previous work. There's the same almost nerdy, glittering, trinket-like quality that can be heard in Debut. There's the theatricality of Post, and the stark, elemental quality of Homogenic. There's the intimate recording methods like those executed in Vespertine, and the vocal chorus accents of Medulla. All of this comes together in a celebration of the natural sciences in a time when touch screen technology is advancing our ability to explore the ever-changing dynamics of natural processes.

In many ways, Biophilia is the most perfect album I could expect from Bjork, based on what my personal interests happen to be. If I was a child today, I would have been transfixed by this album in its ability to bring life to the scientific concepts that captured my intense focus- geography, geology, meteorology and astronomy. It would have been equally fascinating to be able to study the technical dynamics of this music, which strays from the familiar 4/4 time signature. That kind of format, in my mind, is a truly inspiring way of looking at music.

One thing that many people dislike about Biophilia is its use of unusual time signatures, her vocals (some people actually think she's tone deaf) and her seemingly random arrangements that sound like something "a child would make while plucking away at an instrument." But if you look at nature and its processes; the growth of a crystal, the spread of a virus, the complex double helix of DNA, a thunderstorm, a volcanic eruption; if you mimicked the nature of these things in music, 4/4 time simply wouldn't capture their true essence; the way they interact with time. The point is that these natural things each have their own kind of order, even if on superficial observation they appear to be random and erratic. Basically, that's the whole point of science to begin with- making sense out of what appears to be a realm of chaos.

I enjoy almost every song on Biophilia, and have been really enjoying the recent remix series. My favorite songs from the album, in order, are probably Mutual Core and Crystalline (tying for first), Hollow, Thunderbolt and Nattura respectively. These tracks merge nature, visual art and sonic vibrations into a quite synesthetic experience. I personally consider it to be a masterpiece.

Spoiler for my pick from Biophilia:

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Blarobbarg · 08-05-2012, 04:15 PM

Nice posts! I know absolutely nothing about Bjork, but she's always seemed like someone I should listen to. Reading your reviews and hearing the sample songs, I have to say, I really like it. I especially liked "It's So Quiet" and "Crystalline." I've always liked musicals and old vocal jazz and the like, so It's So Quiet was right up my alley, and I loved the crazy beats of Crystalline. Good stuff.

Geekoid · 08-05-2012, 05:48 PM

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Lately, I've been really getting into the 80's electro/new wave/italo revival. More intensely than ever before it seems, people are really starting to embrace the electronic style of the 80s in every aspect of its uber-modern and ultra-electric splendor. This time around, people are actually starting to draw inspiration from the emotions of Italo Disco specifically, instead of just being influenced by "synthpop" in general. Italo Disco has a certain brand of beauty, evoking a certain poignant emotional tone with its romantic melodies and wistful tone. Italo/ post-disco beats and melodies are extremely catchy, and really elevate disco to a whole new level by drawing upon its best qualities and modernizing them for new, more technologically advanced generations.

I took notice of the recent 80s revival when Goldfrapp released their 2010 album "Head First," which received mixed reviews from fans, mostly because some people didn't care much for the slick, commercial sound of the album, which came off to some as a gimmicky attempt to win fans. Others criticized their very obvious 80s influence, seeing it as indulgent nostalgia and not much else. But the melodies they managed to create take a great deal of talent to conceive of. I imagine it would be somewhat difficult to come up with a melody that could have been released in a past era. Goldfrapp accomplished this feat so well, in fact, that people can't help but feeling as though they're having a blast from the past. I think many people who are critical of the 80s nostalgia feel like the decade they grew up in is to be left alone; never to be dragged back to popularity as they start to reach their 20s and 30s. "the 80s is over already. Can we just forget it even happened?"

What I think is very appropriate about this revival right now is that, because of its sentimental overtones, italo works well in material meant to be nostalgic, and it's a good alternative to other contemporary styles, because unlike the hard-hitting glitchy samplescapes of dubstep, or the throbbing repetition of trance arrangements, there is an elegance and subtlety in the way sounds are treated in nu-disco cuts. It's smoother, and more danceable. Not that it's necessarily better, but it's meant for a different kind of setting. This is a very opportune time to embrace the sound of italo disco, a genre which has kind of fallen to the wayside of peoples' memory over the years.

There are a lot of different artists participating in the 80s revival, all with a different take on what they think the decade had to offer, in light of the 21st century. Most of the revival seems to be taking place in France, where italo disco is really making a comeback.

If I have one real problem with this broad style of music, it would be that it's almost too clean with the use of modern instruments and software. There isn't that same quiver and quake that period instruments used to make. In a way, I think people have streamlined musical technology so much that it's starting to lose some of its charm and character. It would be nice to be able to hear this mixtape remastered with vintage instruments, but hey, progress is supposed to be a good thing, right? I also don't like that the genre tends to be associated with elitist rich kids who play their obscure indie electronic music at parties to look "individualistic" and "fresh." Whether or not this is true, I like to think that italo is a worthwhile format in and of itself, regardless of who happens to listen to it.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite tracks that fit the new-80s vibe.

Spoiler for 8 tracks de la nouvel 80ies.:

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Anteater · 08-05-2012, 11:43 PM

Excellent playlist there my man! I was unaware of Goldfrapp's change in direction on Head First, but I'm really diggin' it!

The 80's electro revival over the last couple years has certainly been prominent in any case, with some artists in particular having a particularly scary knack at creating some killer albums that would have fit in perfectly back in '85.

To illustrate this, here are Russia's prodigal sons, the magnificent Tesla Boy.

Geekoid · 08-06-2012, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blarobbarg

Nice posts! I know absolutely nothing about Bjork, but she's always seemed like someone I should listen to. Reading your reviews and hearing the sample songs, I have to say, I really like it. I especially liked "It's So Quiet" and "Crystalline." I've always liked musicals and old vocal jazz and the like, so It's So Quiet was right up my alley, and I loved the crazy beats of Crystalline. Good stuff.

Yeah, I realized that not many people who have heard of Bjork really know much about her work, and she's not often talked about here, so I thought maybe doing a quick overview would give people a general idea of what she's done, just in case they wanted to check out her stuff.

Crystalline is just mindblowing right near the end, eh? Mutual Core has some heavy beats, too. That whole album is pretty theatrical.

Geekoid · 08-07-2012, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anteater

Excellent playlist there my man! I was unaware of Goldfrapp's change in direction on Head First, but I'm really diggin' it!

The 80's electro revival over the last couple years has certainly been prominent in any case, with some artists in particular having a particularly scary knack at creating some killer albums that would have fit in perfectly back in '85.

To illustrate this, here are Russia's prodigal sons, the magnificent Tesla Boy.

Wow, the time lapse is making comments show up when I'm least expecting them! lol.

Yeah, Tesla Boy sometimes makes its way into the mix when I'm in a faux-80s mood. They're another great example! If they backward-emulated their instruments a bit, I agree, they definitely could have made waves in '85, even if only in club culture.

Trollheart · 08-08-2012, 06:24 AM

Great work, Geekoid! I'm dead-straight not into Bjork or Italian disco, nor do I ever think I would be, but the most important aspects of these journals I find is not that you're necessarily into the music (though of course that helps, or if you get into it via the journal entry/ies), but that they're written well.

The articles should be interesting, engaging, different and above all understand that not everyone is going to be necessarily into this music, and to accept that and not villify them for it.

Your journal scores on all counts, and I'd almost put it on a par with Anteater's work --- high praise indeed.

Keep it up!

Geekoid · 08-11-2012, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Great work, Geekoid! I'm dead-straight not into Bjork or Italian disco, nor do I ever think I would be, but the most important aspects of these journals I find is not that you're necessarily into the music (though of course that helps, or if you get into it via the journal entry/ies), but that they're written well.

The articles should be interesting, engaging, different and above all understand that not everyone is going to be necessarily into this music, and to accept that and not villify them for it.

Your journal scores on all counts, and I'd almost put it on a par with Anteater's work --- high praise indeed.

Keep it up!

Thanks. That really is quite a compliment

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I've kind of let things slip a little bit over the last week. It's been tough over the last few days- low energy, a bad sleep cycle and constant headaches (nothing I'm not accustomed to, of course). But I'm slowly coming back out from the fog. Let's get this thing running again.

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So, this time around, I'm stepping a little more toward the acoustic side of things with some 90s Adult Alternative favorites. The 90s were a gold mine for AA classics, and set the overall tone of top 40 radio then, with slower pop-rock music aimed at the 20+ age demographic. Demographics, however, aren't set in stone, and so Adult Contemporary music has also reached a lot of young people. It's the kind of music that parents can play in their cars, not needing to worry too much about the lyrics their kids are singing along to. Often the subject matter can provide some good conversations about life in all its curiosity. From the Barenaked Ladies to Sheryl Crow to The Tragically Hip to Tracy Chapman; these artists were like friends of mine growing up.

What makes this genre meaningful for me is the fact that it's music with mature (or at least witty), and intelligent lyrics about everyday life, sung by ordinary-sounding people. It's peoples' feelings and experiences placed in a form that melds perfectly with things like going to the grocery store, the doctor's office, or heading back home from grandma's house, watching the countryside roll by outside your window.

I'm the kind of guy who responds best to sensitivity and insight in lyrics. Too much turbulence really upsets and drains me. I tend to pull energy from low-key situations and intimate conversation instead. I'm a small town guy with interests that suit the city- quiet cafes, park benches, that sort of thing. In a way, AA music represents that kind of feeling for me- it builds a sheltered, rustic place where it's always like evening in the fall. It's like sharing my most intimate thoughts with a friend or loved one over a hot cup of cider, and everything is just casual and relaxed. Each song contains a memory of something irreplaceable and good in my life- treehouses and backyard parties, road trips and trips to the park, hiking in the woods, the people I used to know who have moved on, and people I've known for years who aren't like they used to be... Adult Alternative music is something like a home video or a polaroid camera to me- capturing those small moments that mean more and more as time passes.

And so, as summer begins to wind down here in Southern Ontario, the first few leaves are beginning to change color... it's barely perceptible, but the days are getting shorter... and I'm able to pull out a long sleeved shirt or a sweater on increasingly cool summer nights. And just like clockwork, I've really gotten into the mellow mood of 90s soft rock and its popular singer-songwriters as August presses forward.

Spoiler for 7 tracks of Adult Alternative:

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Geekoid · 08-12-2012, 11:19 PM

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This week's featured Christian music is from the lovely Leslie Phillips. Leslie has a voice I would compare to contemporaries like Amy Grant and Belinda Carlisle; with the same amount of expressive charm and emotional sincerity, Leslie Phillips was an extremely popular contemporary Christian artist in her day, especially with young Christians in the United States. Many of her songs still endure the test of time on Christian radio, and she is likely one of the most popular Christian female vocalist of the late 20th Century. Her unique approach to pop music sets her apart from the often drab and generic sound of ultra-conservative CCM, and Leslie herself was never really a conventional Christian.

To be honest, I don't enjoy any of Leslie's work before or after the release of "The Turning," an EP she released in 1987, which received high praise from both Christian and secular reviewers. It is still lauded by fans to this day as one of the better CCM albums of all time. This album contains many uplifting messages, mostly having to do with perseverance, waiting on God's timing, and resisting weakness and hopelessness. One of my favorite tracks from the EP, "Expectations" talks about the pressure Christians can feel to live up to the high ideals of other believers, which traps them in religious bondage. On every song, Leslie speaks from experience, as she had dealt with many family issues leading up to the album's release. I've always thought that music with spiritual themes is most effective when it's spoken from a personal perspective, instead of making generalizations and speaking for other believers.

The EP also includes some very unorthodox instrumentation, and she isn't afraid to embrace quality while also delivering a heartfelt message, something Christian artists sometimes fail to do. Her dynamic vocals earned her the nickname "the Christian Cyndi Lauper" which isn't entirely inconceivable.

But the cheesiness of her nickname isn't the only thing that she probably cringes at nowadays; since shortly after the release of her album, Leslie Phillips actually denounced her label for being a "right-wing propaganda machine," which makes some sense as far as I'm concerned.

The thing is, a lot of Christian media, including some Christian music, is checked and double-checked by Christian record labels to ensure that the messages are in alignment with their ideology. The record label "authority" is mixed with theology and ideals of integrity. Unfortunately, there is a lot of political bias in these record labels toward right-wing agendas, even if the artist doesn't necessarily share their views. Blind acceptance of these agendas is something that does happen in Christian circles, because for many people, the Republican party or the Conservative party is considered the "Christian party," and therefore, no questions are asked and the ballots are submitted. I'm not saying this is always the case, or even usually the case; but it happens. I am of the belief that no one political party represents the ideals of all Christians, and that it's important to make all democratic decisions based on thoughtful consideration. And like faith, political agendas should not be forced, but discussed.

Whether or not this was Leslie's reason for leaving her label ("Expectations" kind of hints at her frustration, I think), she nevertheless retired from Christian music to pursue a secular career as Sam Phillips, whose music I actually have not enjoyed in the least, but she remains popular with critics. I don't know whether or not she still considers herself a Christian. All I know is that the content in her lyrics after "The Turning" make the prevalence of her faith look ambiguous at most; with very few philosophical, introspective or spiritually explorative lyrics. If there was any backlash to her decision from Christians, it was probably short-lived or responded to with maturity, as many of her old fans continue to enjoy her music, and today I haven't come across even a trace of bitterness. As a Christian, it saddens me a bit that Leslie wasn't able to continue sharing her faith through her music, and that she indicated that it was a waste of her time and talent, since she really did a lot of great things on this release.

Anyway, I still am a big fan of the EP, and some of her songs still receive regular circulation on my iPod. The song "Answers Don't Come Easy" is certainly my favorite; with a lovely melody and heartfelt vocals. You can hear the similarity to acts like The Go Gos and Amy Grant, and get a taste of Leslie's unique songwriting skills. Though it sounds like a lower-budget release, its charm and overall quality make it a personal classic.

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08-05-2012, 04:15 PM	#23 (permalink)
Blarobbarg Do good. Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Posts: 2,065	Nice posts! I know absolutely nothing about Bjork, but she's always seemed like someone I should listen to. Reading your reviews and hearing the sample songs, I have to say, I really like it. I especially liked "It's So Quiet" and "Crystalline." I've always liked musicals and old vocal jazz and the like, so It's So Quiet was right up my alley, and I loved the crazy beats of Crystalline. Good stuff. __________________ https://rateyourmusic.com/~Blarobbarg ｡･::･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆　^my RYM^　｡･::･ﾟ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆ (◠‿◠✿)

08-05-2012, 05:48 PM	#24 (permalink)
Geekoid Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 171	_____________________________________ Lately, I've been really getting into the 80's electro/new wave/italo revival. More intensely than ever before it seems, people are really starting to embrace the electronic style of the 80s in every aspect of its uber-modern and ultra-electric splendor. This time around, people are actually starting to draw inspiration from the emotions of Italo Disco specifically, instead of just being influenced by "synthpop" in general. Italo Disco has a certain brand of beauty, evoking a certain poignant emotional tone with its romantic melodies and wistful tone. Italo/ post-disco beats and melodies are extremely catchy, and really elevate disco to a whole new level by drawing upon its best qualities and modernizing them for new, more technologically advanced generations. I took notice of the recent 80s revival when Goldfrapp released their 2010 album "Head First," which received mixed reviews from fans, mostly because some people didn't care much for the slick, commercial sound of the album, which came off to some as a gimmicky attempt to win fans. Others criticized their very obvious 80s influence, seeing it as indulgent nostalgia and not much else. But the melodies they managed to create take a great deal of talent to conceive of. I imagine it would be somewhat difficult to come up with a melody that could have been released in a past era. Goldfrapp accomplished this feat so well, in fact, that people can't help but feeling as though they're having a blast from the past. I think many people who are critical of the 80s nostalgia feel like the decade they grew up in is to be left alone; never to be dragged back to popularity as they start to reach their 20s and 30s. "the 80s is over already. Can we just forget it even happened?" What I think is very appropriate about this revival right now is that, because of its sentimental overtones, italo works well in material meant to be nostalgic, and it's a good alternative to other contemporary styles, because unlike the hard-hitting glitchy samplescapes of dubstep, or the throbbing repetition of trance arrangements, there is an elegance and subtlety in the way sounds are treated in nu-disco cuts. It's smoother, and more danceable. Not that it's necessarily better, but it's meant for a different kind of setting. This is a very opportune time to embrace the sound of italo disco, a genre which has kind of fallen to the wayside of peoples' memory over the years. There are a lot of different artists participating in the 80s revival, all with a different take on what they think the decade had to offer, in light of the 21st century. Most of the revival seems to be taking place in France, where italo disco is really making a comeback. If I have one real problem with this broad style of music, it would be that it's almost too clean with the use of modern instruments and software. There isn't that same quiver and quake that period instruments used to make. In a way, I think people have streamlined musical technology so much that it's starting to lose some of its charm and character. It would be nice to be able to hear this mixtape remastered with vintage instruments, but hey, progress is supposed to be a good thing, right? I also don't like that the genre tends to be associated with elitist rich kids who play their obscure indie electronic music at parties to look "individualistic" and "fresh." Whether or not this is true, I like to think that italo is a worthwhile format in and of itself, regardless of who happens to listen to it. Anyway, here are some of my favorite tracks that fit the new-80s vibe. Spoiler for 8 tracks de la nouvel 80ies.: Electric Youth have put out some excellent material, including their 2 most successful songs "Faces" and "Right Back to You." They're a good example of a very close 80's and 2010's hybrid, with a sound that is really accessible to the latest generation. Canadian artist Sally Shapiro, working closely with Swedish ambient electronic artist Johan Agebjorn, fully embraces italo disco's form and subject matter, but sweetens it up a little with innocent vocals and a gentle atmosphere. Johan Agebjorn is becoming a well-known contributor to the 80's revival movement; and Sally Shapiro has become an instant favorite with electronic music fans and music critics, which all seem to be very pleased with her unique take on the genre. I found p e a c e FIRE (a Japanese DJ) on last.fm, and as I remember, I think it's available as a free download from their page. Antilles are interesting in that they employ a very close representation of the 80s, including a somewhat kitschy vibe with sugary lyrics and syrupy melodies. But I like 'em anyway. Hard-hitting beats from Kavinsky... and then there's also some Hauntology crossover with Principles of Geometry (from France). _____________________________________ Last edited by Geekoid; 08-06-2012 at 12:29 AM.

08-08-2012, 06:24 AM	#28 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Great work, Geekoid! I'm dead-straight not into Bjork or Italian disco, nor do I ever think I would be, but the most important aspects of these journals I find is not that you're necessarily into the music (though of course that helps, or if you get into it via the journal entry/ies), but that they're written well. The articles should be interesting, engaging, different and above all understand that not everyone is going to be necessarily into this music, and to accept that and not villify them for it. Your journal scores on all counts, and I'd almost put it on a par with Anteater's work --- high praise indeed. Keep it up! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

08-04-2012, 09:07 PM	#21 (permalink)
Geekoid Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 171	It's all there Nothing to worry about. I put maybe a little too much effort into these posts! lol. But I've learned over the years to save my work on Word, just in case. Sorry for being impatient! haha.

08-04-2012, 09:43 PM	#22 (permalink)
Geekoid Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 171	OK, so here's part 2. _____________________________________ Part 2 I thought it was very interesting that Bjork considers her albums to be self-contained universes waiting to be formed by intuition and instinct. When I see her discography, it makes me think of a collection of paintings or gemstones, each one very different from the other, with its own special place in time. Here are my favorite cuts from each of her most well-known microcosms, pieced together in something of a timeline of Bjork’s evolution. Doing this has given me a chance to actually understand her discography as a whole (I even looked up the albums not listed here), and it might even have started a personal paradigm shift toward listening to music album by album as opposed to track by track, since I really like having a bigger picture perspective on artists. So, here it goes... 1-DEBUT (1993) A charismatic introduction before her move to England, Debut is named, obviously, because it’s essentially her first album as an independent artist, after her breakup with the Sugarcubes. Bjork provided a splash of magic and intriguing, playful arrangements for the music scene of the early 1990s, and Debut has deservedly become a truly iconic pop album, launching Bjork to fame early in her independent career. After several years of listening, I’m still taken in by ‘Human Behaviour.’ It still manages to romp in with all the shadowy danger of a giant teddy bear at bedtime. The song has so much quirky character, and is as childlike as it is sophisticated. Bjork’s distinctive vocals are always fun to follow all over the map. I also like the eclectic use of instruments; they provide a kind of thrifty-sounding, low-key sort of atmosphere that compliments her well, and it avoids sounding overly dusty and cobwebbed, even after almost 20 years. Spoiler for My pick from Debut: _____________________________________ 2-POST (1995) This album is a colorful and vivacious "posting" of Bjork's thoughts and feelings prior to her move to England. She did a lot of collaborating on this one, and the album seems to embody the various ideals of electronic music at the time, which was in the process of evolving and refining new kinds of electronic music, most notably the trip-hop movement, which is hinted at here. As usual, she would end up infusing her signature stand-bys here and there; heavy beats, glittery accents, and orchestrated backdrops. In sharp contrast to Debut, which was more shabby and low-lit; Post is vibrant, polished and exciting; and even more aggressive, but it maintains that kind of youthful quality. The energy from this album seems to have carried over to the decidedly climactic album Homogenic, the first of the archetypal "twin sisters" Bjork mentions in the interview. With Post, people often talk about how Bjork managed to exceed the success of her first studio album, as if Bjork is just as much a businesswoman as she is an artist. Her own words seem to indicate otherwise; and I think part of her success in the creation of Post has to do with her willingness to collaborate with other artists, infusing the best of what each party has to offer, and showcasing excellently produced electronic music. It’s Oh So Quiet is probably one of the wittiest and most charmingly theatrical covers I’ve ever heard, and the music video does a good job showcasing her acting skills. It also calls upon a couple of my musical influences, both show tunes and electronica; so it’s a nice kind of crossover. It might sound really weird, but it looks like so much fun to burst out in song and dance around with a mailbox and a fire hydrant. Spoiler for my pick from Post: _____________________________________ 3-HOMOGENIC (1997) An exploration of beats and strings. This is the extroverted twin sister, described by Bjork as being "outgoing, confrontational, and hardcore." Bjork had spent a good part of the year before the release of Homogenic listening to beats; mostly Drum’n’Bass. This album is stony, expansive, and stark, and in a way, it’s a tribute to her homeland of Iceland, with its glaciers, volcanoes, and grey drizzly weather. She wouldn’t return to her use of tectonic rhythms until she released Biophilia in 2011. This album exemplifies Bjork’s philosophy of merging opposite forces through music. One the one hand, she presents graciously flowing melodies and poignant, anthemic arrangements, which make me think of wide skies and vast silvery oceans; and on the other hand, he disrupts the flow with very sharp, angular, craggy rhythms; throwing the elegant waters into dramatic turbulence. Overall, it’s a great album for awakening the emotions and breaking out of a haze. Her masterpiece, entitled "Joga," is apparently an ode to one of Bjork's closest friends, and is an homage to Iceland. One of my absolute favourite songs, it captures feelings of dedication, patriotism, intimacy, inspiration, awe, and even romance. Just a lovely song in every way. Spoiler for my pick from Homogenic: _____________________________________ 4-VESPERTINE (2001) This is Homogenic's more introverted, gentle, shy and patient twin sister. The beats are smaller, and the production is more intimate, with much of the vocals having been recorded by laptops. The purpose of Vespertine is to explore those innermost feelings one shares only in a domestic, sheltered environment with only the most intimate of their confidantes. Despite my own identification with the album's concept, this isn’t one of my favourites by Bjork. Like some listeners, I just found it much too intimate, like something reserved for the affections of a married couple. In essence, it's a bit like walking in on somebody. And in a way, I think that’s what the album was intended to be- the candid discussions and experiences of an intimate pair at home alone. However, I can’t help but admiring its delicate, frost-laden beauty. This a good one to pull out during the dead of winter, when the trees are dusted with ice and snow, and you feel like slipping into hibernation under your covers. Hopefully if I ever get married, the intimacy shared in this album might feel a bit less off-limits. (Not to come off as too much of a prude). Spoiler for my pick from Vespertine: _____________________________________ 5-MEDULLA (2004) This album is notable in that it's an exploration of vocals and a capella arrangements. The intention is to showcase the "sacred" qualities of the human voice as a universal instrument of mankind. As a result, this is Bjork's most organic sounding album. Again, though it's certainly an epic endeavor, this album is not one of my favourites. I can see what Bjork was trying to do here, but at the end of the day, it gives me the feeling that peoples’ lips are less than an inch away, blowing hot air into my ears. If I can even say it, for me Medulla is just too vocal. I generally have a problem with excessive breathiness in songs already - the anatomical reality is just too apparent; and I’m not a huge fan of the technical art of throat singing either, which is called upon in this album on occasion. With the added influence of Neopagan ritualism, it just ends up being much too physically, primitively, indulgently human for my taste. On the other hand, some tracks, like the colossal "Where is the Line" provide very interesting (and goosebump inducing) combinations of vocals and keyboard effects. "Oceania" is certainly an interesting piece of artwork- it was written for and performed at the 2004 Athens Olympic games, accompanied by a massive display. The vocal layering is lush and somewhat ethereal, creating a mystical, ancient-world kind of sound that's exotic and aquatic; like a Siren chorus from the lost city of Atlantis. Really, Medulla creates a lush atmosphere of otherworldly, aboriginal-sounding music you'd expect to hear on Avatar's Pandora. Spoiler for my pick from Medulla: _____________________________________ 6-VOLTA- (2007) After a 3 year break from studio albums (she did a movie soundtrack in the meantime), Bjork was back in '07, and all about having fun. Volta is inspired by African music, and infuses industrial-style beats to enrich the feeling of tribal dance, and to infuse electronic elements with more organic forms of music. There are lots of horns and jazz influences as well, which provides an interesting contrast between primal rhythms, and the slick jazz and classical instruments she introduces to the work. This album is neat; but it doesn’t create the same kind of compelling mystery that her previous albums did for me. In spite of that, I'll reserve my judgments for now, since I still haven’t given this album a proper listen-through, even though I really should. It takes a couple of tries for me to really get in alignment with Bjork’s music; I need to get into the right head space first. The thing is, this album is a lot coarser in its instrumentation than I usually prefer, so it will likely take some time to sink in. I was actually notified by iTunes when “Earth Intruders” came out, and to me, it represents the side of Bjork I came to love in the first place- playful, quirky, dramatic, powerful and electrifying, with her signature tongue-in-cheek wit that is both contemporary and timeless. I couldn’t get this one out of my head for the longest time; that beat is just so ingenious. Spoiler for my pick from Volta: _____________________________________ 7-BIOPHILIA- (2011) For me, this is one of Bjork's finer accomplishments in the past few years. Many long-time fans were disappointed with Biophilia; and after all the hype and attention that preceded its release, many people wished she had been more "groundbreaking." But knowing Bjork, she never strives for "groundbreaking" per se, but instead for honesty. And in 2011, Bjork's idea of being honest seemed to be driving home her passion for synthesizing opposites, exploring concepts and fusing science and the human experience together in a symbiotic friendship. If it wasn't clear before that Bjork is attempting to bridge the gap between nature and technology, Biophilia makes it obvious. I see this album as a culmination of most of the elements used in her previous work. There's the same almost nerdy, glittering, trinket-like quality that can be heard in Debut. There's the theatricality of Post, and the stark, elemental quality of Homogenic. There's the intimate recording methods like those executed in Vespertine, and the vocal chorus accents of Medulla. All of this comes together in a celebration of the natural sciences in a time when touch screen technology is advancing our ability to explore the ever-changing dynamics of natural processes. In many ways, Biophilia is the most perfect album I could expect from Bjork, based on what my personal interests happen to be. If I was a child today, I would have been transfixed by this album in its ability to bring life to the scientific concepts that captured my intense focus- geography, geology, meteorology and astronomy. It would have been equally fascinating to be able to study the technical dynamics of this music, which strays from the familiar 4/4 time signature. That kind of format, in my mind, is a truly inspiring way of looking at music. One thing that many people dislike about Biophilia is its use of unusual time signatures, her vocals (some people actually think she's tone deaf) and her seemingly random arrangements that sound like something "a child would make while plucking away at an instrument." But if you look at nature and its processes; the growth of a crystal, the spread of a virus, the complex double helix of DNA, a thunderstorm, a volcanic eruption; if you mimicked the nature of these things in music, 4/4 time simply wouldn't capture their true essence; the way they interact with time. The point is that these natural things each have their own kind of order, even if on superficial observation they appear to be random and erratic. Basically, that's the whole point of science to begin with- making sense out of what appears to be a realm of chaos. I enjoy almost every song on Biophilia, and have been really enjoying the recent remix series. My favorite songs from the album, in order, are probably Mutual Core and Crystalline (tying for first), Hollow, Thunderbolt and Nattura respectively. These tracks merge nature, visual art and sonic vibrations into a quite synesthetic experience. I personally consider it to be a masterpiece. Spoiler for my pick from Biophilia: _____________________________________

08-12-2012, 11:19 PM	#30 (permalink)
Geekoid Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 171	_____________________________________ This week's featured Christian music is from the lovely Leslie Phillips. Leslie has a voice I would compare to contemporaries like Amy Grant and Belinda Carlisle; with the same amount of expressive charm and emotional sincerity, Leslie Phillips was an extremely popular contemporary Christian artist in her day, especially with young Christians in the United States. Many of her songs still endure the test of time on Christian radio, and she is likely one of the most popular Christian female vocalist of the late 20th Century. Her unique approach to pop music sets her apart from the often drab and generic sound of ultra-conservative CCM, and Leslie herself was never really a conventional Christian. To be honest, I don't enjoy any of Leslie's work before or after the release of "The Turning," an EP she released in 1987, which received high praise from both Christian and secular reviewers. It is still lauded by fans to this day as one of the better CCM albums of all time. This album contains many uplifting messages, mostly having to do with perseverance, waiting on God's timing, and resisting weakness and hopelessness. One of my favorite tracks from the EP, "Expectations" talks about the pressure Christians can feel to live up to the high ideals of other believers, which traps them in religious bondage. On every song, Leslie speaks from experience, as she had dealt with many family issues leading up to the album's release. I've always thought that music with spiritual themes is most effective when it's spoken from a personal perspective, instead of making generalizations and speaking for other believers. The EP also includes some very unorthodox instrumentation, and she isn't afraid to embrace quality while also delivering a heartfelt message, something Christian artists sometimes fail to do. Her dynamic vocals earned her the nickname "the Christian Cyndi Lauper" which isn't entirely inconceivable. But the cheesiness of her nickname isn't the only thing that she probably cringes at nowadays; since shortly after the release of her album, Leslie Phillips actually denounced her label for being a "right-wing propaganda machine," which makes some sense as far as I'm concerned. The thing is, a lot of Christian media, including some Christian music, is checked and double-checked by Christian record labels to ensure that the messages are in alignment with their ideology. The record label "authority" is mixed with theology and ideals of integrity. Unfortunately, there is a lot of political bias in these record labels toward right-wing agendas, even if the artist doesn't necessarily share their views. Blind acceptance of these agendas is something that does happen in Christian circles, because for many people, the Republican party or the Conservative party is considered the "Christian party," and therefore, no questions are asked and the ballots are submitted. I'm not saying this is always the case, or even usually the case; but it happens. I am of the belief that no one political party represents the ideals of all Christians, and that it's important to make all democratic decisions based on thoughtful consideration. And like faith, political agendas should not be forced, but discussed. Whether or not this was Leslie's reason for leaving her label ("Expectations" kind of hints at her frustration, I think), she nevertheless retired from Christian music to pursue a secular career as Sam Phillips, whose music I actually have not enjoyed in the least, but she remains popular with critics. I don't know whether or not she still considers herself a Christian. All I know is that the content in her lyrics after "The Turning" make the prevalence of her faith look ambiguous at most; with very few philosophical, introspective or spiritually explorative lyrics. If there was any backlash to her decision from Christians, it was probably short-lived or responded to with maturity, as many of her old fans continue to enjoy her music, and today I haven't come across even a trace of bitterness. As a Christian, it saddens me a bit that Leslie wasn't able to continue sharing her faith through her music, and that she indicated that it was a waste of her time and talent, since she really did a lot of great things on this release. Anyway, I still am a big fan of the EP, and some of her songs still receive regular circulation on my iPod. The song "Answers Don't Come Easy" is certainly my favorite; with a lovely melody and heartfelt vocals. You can hear the similarity to acts like The Go Gos and Amy Grant, and get a taste of Leslie's unique songwriting skills. Though it sounds like a lower-budget release, its charm and overall quality make it a personal classic. _____________________________________