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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 5, 2011 18:27:55 GMT -8
Today I'm going to write a bit about Groove Armada.
It's unfortunate that most people think of this when they think of Groove Armada:
This particular remix is much more Fatboy Slim than it is Groove Armada, and it got way too much radio / MuchMusic / MTV play for its own good in my opinion.
If you're willing to move beyond this and give their discography a browse, you'll find quite a bit worth listening to. Their albums generally include a fair number of downtempo and triphop tracks and at least a few that will get your ass(ets) shaking.
My first Groove Armada experience was with Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub), and while I still really enjoy it, I prefer the sounds of their previous album (Vertigo) and subsequent album (Love Box) on the whole.
Soundboy Rock took things in a bit of a different direction with more pop influence, and while the result is good, it seems to have lost some the sound I associate with Groove Armada and so it doesn't get as much love from me as their older stuff. I haven't given Black Light much of a listen yet, so I can't really comment on it. I don't own it yet, if that means anything.
Favorite up-tempo tracks (albums): Superstylin' (Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)) The Final Shakedown (Love Box) In My Bones (Vertigo) Love Sweet Sound (Soundboy Rock)
Favorite down-tempo tracks (albums): Edge Hill (Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)) Think Twice... (Love Box) Tuning In (Rewritten) (Love Box) Pre 63 (Vertigo)
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Post by wompwomp on Jul 6, 2011 6:07:46 GMT -8
I love the chill Groove Armada stuff.
The tune they did with Richie Havens, "Hands of Time", is one of my all time favorite tracks.
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 6, 2011 16:07:15 GMT -8
Yeah, I like that one too, but wanted to keep my list to only 4 downtempo tracks. Man, Love Box is such a solid album...
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 12, 2011 21:38:01 GMT -8
After a semi-hiatus from this thread, I come back with something that's definitely not on your regularly-scheduled programming. This album is making me re-evaluate my relationship with DnB: grooveshark.com/#/album/No+More+Idols/5253392It's not a straight DnB album by any means, there's plenty of other sounds on there too, but the more DnB-ish songs are among the ones I honestly can't stop listening to. As a result, I've started to (re)explore DnB and I find myself getting into it. I also have had a few flashbacks to when i lived in Germany 11 years ago and spent a very drunken evening dancing my ass off to DnB at a festival in Kaiserslautern (Uni Sommerfest). This was in the middle of my trance obsession and yet I remember having a blast. It's funny how time changes things...
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 16, 2011 16:52:16 GMT -8
Tonight's post is about a relative newcomer to the EDM scene (compared to most of the other stuff I've been posting): Morgan Page
Like many EDM artists, Morgan Page got his start producing remixes of other artists work. He quickly became known in the scene and started doing remixes of some very big name artists / tracks.
His music is very pop/dancey, but somehow it's not saccharine in the way that artists like Lady Gaga or Madonna tend to be.
He doesn't have a lot of his own material out there, but here are a few tracks (albums) I particularly enjoy:
Tell me Why (Believe) The Longest Road (deadmau5 remix) (Elevate) Dirty Laundry (Morgan Page Remix) (Elevate) Fight for You (Believe) Call My Name (Elevate)
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 21, 2011 21:40:05 GMT -8
So, it was inevitable I'd come back to the Chemical Brothers after my original post about Surrender.
I was discussing this with a friend the other day; my biggest and so far only regret (if you can call it that) of 2011 is not going to Coachella and seeing the Chemical Brothers perform live.
Quite simply put, the Chemical Brothers are one of the powerhouses of electronic music for a reason. They're awesome.
One of the things I find interesting about their recorded work is that their albums follow a similar structure to each other. They all start off somewhat middle-of-the-road in terms of tempo, and quickly ramp up to some hard-banging big-beat tracks to get you moving. You get a bit of a break in the middle, a brief return to booty-shaking madness, then end on a very spatial / mind-expanding note.
The fact that they can do this time and time again and consistently turn out solid albums is a testament to their staying power as an electronic music act. They just won't die, and I wouldn't want them to.
I'm going to buck the trend of listing favorite tracks in this post, because the list can be summed up like this, more or less:
ALL OF THEM
If you're new to EDM, you owe it to yourself to listen to the Chemical Brothers. You can literally pick any of their albums and you won't go far wrong; for newbies I would suggest the following three options as my picks:
Surrender Push the Button Further
For me, these three typify the Chemical Brothers album experience. And for you skeptics in the crowd, know this: The Chemical Brothers, unlike many EDM artists, produce albums that are meant to be enjoyed as an album, not a collection of singles bought individually a la iTunes. This is a rare and unique thing in the EDM world where the single is king, followed by the EP, and it's something that should be savoured.
As a closing note, even if Daft Punk headlines Coachella 2012 and I get to enjoy their robotic madness in person, I will never stop forgetting the fact that I missed the Chemical Brothers at Coachella 2011.
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Post by Shaxspear III Esq. on Jul 21, 2011 21:42:53 GMT -8
No "Exit Planet Dust"?.......really?
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 21, 2011 21:44:46 GMT -8
Oh, I like that one plenty fine too, but I was trying to pick albums I thought would be more accessible to the uninitiated. Exit Planet Dust is great, but it isn't the first one I would suggest to the unfamilliar.
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Post by know ID yuh on Jul 21, 2011 22:00:08 GMT -8
Ok cowboy, I have room for one more Chemical Brothers album in my library. Friendly made me listen to Come With Us, and the first song is fantastically ridiculous. Pea made me listen to Further, and I can't get over how much I love "Horse Power."
I like the flow of each album, but I still love those catchy tracks. So which album do I check out next. You've put a lot of time into this thread, so your opinion wins.
By the way, I don't like singles or EPs. Just give me an album. It appears they have all of them on my provider.
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 21, 2011 22:04:39 GMT -8
Tough Call. If you like Come With Us and Further, and it's my pick, the next stop is Surrender.
If you love their more upbeat tracks, Out of Control and Hey Boy Hey Girl are the stand-out two on that album. I honestly think Orange Wedge is the best song on the entire album, followed by Let Forever Be. Those two send shivers down my spine every time.
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 21, 2011 22:20:10 GMT -8
Goddammit, now I'm listening to that album. Not exactly conducive to going to bed in the next 30 minutes...
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 21, 2011 22:26:03 GMT -8
Don't run.
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Post by Pea on Jul 21, 2011 22:50:40 GMT -8
Wtf Know, you haven't heard Surrender yet!? LISTEN RIGHT MEOW.
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Post by Pea on Jul 21, 2011 22:52:42 GMT -8
Strangely enough, I only got into the Chems a couple of years ago but Exit Planet Dust was the first full album of theirs that I heard. While not my favorite of theirs, it definitely holds a special place in my heart.
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 21, 2011 22:55:02 GMT -8
Pea, I suspect you and I are on the same wavelength here. I started listening to the Chems long enough ago that I bought Surrender on its release date, and it holds the same special place for me as I suspect Exit Planet Dust does for you.
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Post by Shaxspear III Esq. on Jul 22, 2011 6:28:34 GMT -8
Strangely enough, I only got into the Chems a couple of years ago but Exit Planet Dust was the first full album of theirs that I heard. While not my favorite of theirs, it definitely holds a special place in my heart. Amen. I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but that was one of two albums that kicked open the door to EDM for me.
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Post by stamper on Jul 22, 2011 6:38:43 GMT -8
Dig Your Own Hole is The Chemical Brothers best album. Period.
/Discussion
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Post by J-Dawg on Jul 25, 2011 22:05:17 GMT -8
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Post by Switch on Jul 26, 2011 5:47:37 GMT -8
^^^^ This is pretty interesting. I was almost getting bored but then the song kept evolving and it kept me listening. Overall I enjoyed it.
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Post by know ID yuh on Jul 26, 2011 21:28:28 GMT -8
Tough Call. If you like Come With Us and Further, and it's my pick, the next stop is Surrender. Wtf Know, you haven't heard Surrender yet!? LISTEN RIGHT MEOW. I downloaded Surrender from my provider tonight, so you'll see it on my "Now Playing" list over the next couple weeks. Thanks for the suggestion.
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