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The Avalanches
 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 13:45 [#00835063]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker



just pimping out a great artist

here's a nice review

----------------------------------------------
Avalanches
Since I Left You
[XL]
Rating: 9.5
Contrary to the beliefs of many middle-American
supermarket-goers, not all samples are free. Just ask
Vanilla Ice. When he "sampled" the bassline from Queen and
David Bowie's "Under Pressure," he was faced with a
multi-million dollar lawsuit, rather than a complementary
napkin and toothpick. Sure, nobody bats an eye when
copyright law takes some money out of the shiny,
rhinestone-encrusted pockets of Rob Van Winkle or Puff
Daddy, but as soon as lawsuits trip up avant-hoodlums like
John Oswald of Plunderphonics fame, the concept of
thievery-as-art becomes a hot topic, and the line between
sampling and stealing becomes fiercely contended.

Given the fact that Since I Left You, the debut album from
Aussie party animals the Avalanches, contains over 900
individual samples, it's pretty incredible that this thing
got released in the first place. The fact that they sample
everything from long-forgotten R&B records to golf
instructionals to Madonna's "Holiday" makes it even more
impressive. But what really makes this album brilliant is
not as much the volume or quality of the samples used as the
way that they're employed. The Avalanches have managed to
build a totally unique context for all these sounds, while
still allowing each to retain its own distinct flavor. As a
result, Since I Left You sounds like nothing else.

Much of the beauty of the opening title song and its
accompanying track, "Stay Another Season," lies in the way
that the Avalanches turn obvious sonic mismatches into
something all their own. It's not too common that you'll
hear a sample of a horse, a rastafarian singer, and an
invitation to a Club Med disco all in the same song, but
somehow it makes perfect sense under the masterful direction
of the Avalanches.

Indeed, many of the most interesting moments on Since I Left
You come with these mismatches. "A Different Feeling" set


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 13:46 [#00835064]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker



...

Indeed, many of the most interesting moments on Since I Left
You come with these mismatches. "A Different Feeling" sets
horn blasts from 1974 against video game sounds from 1988--
the kind of bizarre pairing of classic soul with futuristic
sounds that constitutes a substantial part of Avalanches
magic. "Radio," which is slated for release as the band's
next Australian single, centers around a mantra-like vocal
sample, a thick disco bassline, and bits and pieces of
filtered guitars and synthesizers.

Throughout Since I Left You, sampled vocals are used almost
like percussion. But rather than utilizing the frenetic,
intricate rhythms seen in most contemporary rap, the
Avalanches repeat small vocal samples over and over again,
melding them into their rump-rocking grooves. And while many
of these songs rely heavily on the repetition of beats and
samples, no single part of the record is allowed to
stagnate. Something is always being mixed up-- a sample
transposed up or down a few steps, a beat chopped up into
little pieces and seamlessly restructured, an unexpected
vocal sample popping up out of nowhere before being
swallowed up by the massive sound the Avalanches have
concocted.

Another key element of Since I Left You is the keen sense of
humor the Avalanches display throughout. And "Frontier
Psychiatrist," one of two singles already released from the
album, is simply one of the funniest songs I've heard in
ages. Relying on a heavy, Ninja Tune-style beat for backing,
"Frontier Psychiatrist" busts out samples from 37 spoken
word recordings, resulting in an oddball, hilarious pastiche
of phrases like, "You're a nut! You're crazy in the
coconut!" And some brilliant scratching on a sample of a
parrot.

Though it contains many distinct songs and moods, Since I
Left You is a remarkably coherent record on all fronts.
Aside from the fact that the Avalanches achieve a certain
uniform "sound" on this album, subtler elements come into
play as well. Songs blend seamlessly into one another.
Samples r


 

offline DJ Xammax from not America on 2003-08-24 13:46 [#00835065]
Points: 11512 Status: Lurker



It's a great album I agree, but really...


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 13:48 [#00835066]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker



Though it contains many distinct songs and moods, Since I
Left You is a remarkably coherent record on all fronts.
Aside from the fact that the Avalanches achieve a certain
uniform "sound" on this album, subtler elements come into
play as well. Songs blend seamlessly into one another.
Samples reappear from song to song. And the album's final
cut, "Extra Kings," with its breezy flute and psychedelic
swells of sound, puts a brilliant twist on the album's title
track, fading out with that same chipmunky voice lamenting,
"I've tried but I just can't get you/ Ever since the day I
left you."

In releasing Since I Left You, the Avalanches have
essentially brought hundreds of slabs of inanimate vinyl to
life. Though it was no doubt meticulously constructed, this
is an album brimming with spontaneity, joy, sadness, humor,
reflection, and general human-ness. With its high fun factor
and subtle traces of deeper emotion, Since I Left You is the
perfect record for the party, and for the period of regret
and recovery after the party.

-Matt LeMay

-----------------------------------------------


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 13:49 [#00835067]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker



and here's some tracks

http://www.myisp.net.au/~refund/04-Two%20Hearts%20in%203_4%
20Time.mp3

http://www.myisp.net.au/~refund/04-Electricity%20(Original%
207_%20Version).mp3

http://www.myisp.net.au/~refund/04-Thank%20You%20Caroline.m
p3

http://www.myisp.net.au/~refund/02-With%20My%20Baby.mp3


 

offline earthleakage from tell the world you're winning on 2003-08-24 13:51 [#00835068]
Points: 27795 Status: Regular



i thought it was average. dont listen to it much. i give it
6 monkeys out of 10 possible monkeys.


 

offline Phresch from fucking Trondheim (Norway) on 2003-08-24 13:52 [#00835069]
Points: 9989 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



awesome album! funny, fresh and funky. i mean, think about
the amount of time it took to dig up/edit all those samples.
fuck!


 

offline DJ Xammax from not America on 2003-08-24 13:53 [#00835070]
Points: 11512 Status: Lurker



What's With My Baby from?


 

offline DJ Xammax from not America on 2003-08-24 13:53 [#00835071]
Points: 11512 Status: Lurker | Followup to DJ Xammax: #00835070



...because I love it.


 

offline Phresch from fucking Trondheim (Norway) on 2003-08-24 13:53 [#00835072]
Points: 9989 Status: Lurker | Followup to Refund: #00835067 | Show recordbag



is there going to be a new album soon?


 

offline Asche XL on 2003-08-24 13:56 [#00835079]
Points: 4241 Status: Lurker



Great CD!

that boy needs therapy.


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 13:57 [#00835081]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker | Followup to DJ Xammax: #00835070



DJ Xammax: From a radio promo only mini cd for "a different
feeling"

http://www.myisp.net.au/~refund/cd.html

as you can see, I'm a bit of a fan

10 releases for a band that has only released one album aint
bad ey? (one of which I paid $200 to get)

this track is also on most versions of the frontier
psychiatrist single


 

offline Phresch from fucking Trondheim (Norway) on 2003-08-24 13:57 [#00835082]
Points: 9989 Status: Lurker | Followup to Asche XL: #00835079 | Show recordbag



those boys...

:P


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 13:58 [#00835083]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker | Followup to Phresch: #00835072



I doubt it :(


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-24 14:01 [#00835087]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker



well, I'm off to work, enjoy the tracks, here's another one
it'll finish uploading in about half an hour (be patient)

http://www.myisp.net.au/~refund/04-Rock%20City.mp3



 

offline MachineofGod from the land of halo's (United States) on 2003-08-24 17:50 [#00835354]
Points: 3088 Status: Lurker



i hate this album! someone buy it from me, its in mint
condition too.

the artwork is excellent but the music however is quite the
opposite.


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-25 13:44 [#00836102]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker | Followup to MachineofGod: #00835354



whoah, way to kill a thread


 

offline DJ Xammax from not America on 2003-08-25 13:54 [#00836116]
Points: 11512 Status: Lurker | Followup to Refund: #00836102



It was destined to plummet.


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-25 14:00 [#00836120]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker | Followup to DJ Xammax: #00836116



all threads are,

ahen the world gets destroyed there will be no internet, who
will revive the threads then?


 

offline xlr from Boston (United States) on 2003-08-25 15:59 [#00836214]
Points: 4904 Status: Regular



I Love the Avalanches
I love it I love it I love it!

Ever since I saw the frontier psychiatrist video I had to
know more. I bought Since I left You on a whim and I
wasn't sure I liked the style at first, but over time it
really grew on me. Last spring my friend hooked me up with
a couple of live shows they did, and I still listen to those
all the time.

Even if you don't like their music you have to admire their
mixing skills.


 

offline Refund from Melbourne (Australia) on 2003-08-26 05:02 [#00836826]
Points: 7824 Status: Lurker | Followup to xlr: #00836214



do you have any live sets!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll do ANYTHING for them


 

offline xlr from Boston (United States) on 2003-08-26 16:03 [#00837565]
Points: 4904 Status: Regular



I got them as mp3s from a friend of mine. He found them on
kazaa, I believe. One is around 27 minutes long while the
other is a little over 30 minutes.


 


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