Atlas Sound: Logos / Rough Trade-Ep (2009), Kranky
Rough Trade Shops tiene el detalle de regalar este Ep de seis temas a los compradores del fantástico Logos de Atlas Sound, el proyecto paralelo de Bradford Cox a su banda Deerhunter. Como sabéis, Logos fue celebrado en The JangleBox como uno de los mejores discos del año en su género, un tanto inclasificable, como sabéis. Pues nada, otra nueva aportación discográfica de Atlas Sound, en forma de regalo esta vez. Para el post de hoy os acompaño el vídeo con la colaboración vocal al disco de Laetitia Sadier: Quick canal.1. ‘Ruben’ (Traditional)
2. ‘Criminals’ (Electronic Version)
3. ‘Kid Klimax’ (Acoustic Version)
4. ‘Reminder’ (Previously Unreleased)
5. ‘I Know I Will Escape’ (Previously Unreleased)
6. ‘Nightwork’ (Previously Unreleased)
Atlas Sound: Logos / Rough Trade-Ep (2009), Kranky
Rough Trade Shops tiene el detalle de regalar este Ep de seis temas a los compradores del fantástico Logos de Atlas Sound, el proyecto paralelo de Bradford Cox a su banda Deerhunter. Como sabéis, Logos fue celebrado en The JangleBox como uno de los mejores discos del año en su género, un tanto inclasificable, como sabéis. Pues nada, otra nueva aportación discográfica de Atlas Sound, en forma de regalo esta vez. Para el post de hoy os acompaño el vídeo con la colaboración vocal al disco de Laetitia Sadier: Quick canal.
Atlas Sound: Logos (2009), Kranky
Escribir de nuevo sobre otro lanzamiento de Bradford Cox, vía Deerhunter, vía Atlas Sound, o de sus compañeros de banda (Lotus Plaza) comienza a ser algo casi monótono, ya que sus lanzamientos son casi constantes (el MySpace de Atlas Sound está desactualizado); pero lo cierto es que su música sigue dando nuevas muestras de frescura y de buen hacer. Lo cierto es que Cox para este 2009 tenía sólo preparado este disco de Atlas Sound, ya que el Ep de Deerhunter fue algo así como una filtración masiva, pero lo cierto es que ambos son discos sobresalientes, fruto del ingenio compositor de este nuevo Beck, por lo que de inquietud sonora y compositora se refiere. Este segundo álbum de Atlas Sound es un disco con el que nos pasa lo mismo que con otros buenos discos: conforme vuelves a escucharlo se descubren nuevos matices sonoros, vas apreciando temas que con anterioridad habías dejado pasar. Comienza este Logos con una introducción sonora instrumental neo-psicodélica titulada The lights that failed, aviso sobre con lo que vamos a encontrarnos durante el resto de la obra: Psicodelia a raudales, Experimentación más o menos puntual (sin pasarse demasiado), Electrónica, Lo-Fi, y sobre todo Pop de alto quilataje. An orchid es algo así como Bubblegum-Psicodélico, una especie de cruce entre The Monkees y Syd Barret, si es que este maridaje pudiera llevarse a cabo. En la cabeza de Bradford parece que sí. Walkabout es un impresionante tema con una introducción preciosa que desemboca en una canción en la que se ha utilizado un sampler de algún tema creo que de Panda Bear, mezclando elementos del género más Pop/Bubblegum con la idea de la experimentación con la que Cox se maneja. Impresionante tema que cuenta con la colaboración de Noah Lennox. Criminals es algo más tradicional, y en su sonido encuentro ecos del Dylan de mediados de los sesenta, con guitarrazos eléctricos algo desvahídos y con una distorsión básica; lógicamente puesto al día bajo el prisma de Atlas Sound. Attic lights es un tema más kraut, más reiterativo y cercano a una onda más experimental tipo Animal Collective, con quienes Cox compartió gira y fue allí donde compuso varios de los temas de este disco, éste probablemente sería uno de ellos. En esa misma onda algo más alejada del Pop tradicional se encuentran también Kid klimax, canción con influencia del Pop electrónico y Logos, que da título al disco y que además lo cierra. Quick canal es también otra muestra del Pop electrónico al que Cox se apunta con extrema naturalidad, contando en esta ocasión con la colaboración vocal de Laetitia Sadier, quien homenajea de esta forma a su banda Stereolab, influencia confesa de Bradford, construyendo un tema que se construye de forma lineal en claro crescendo añadiéndole instrumentación, en la línea del grupo de Sadier (en la entrevista que acompaño, Cox afirma que el tema iba a durar unos quince minutos). Washington school es un tema de Pop-Etéreo, con claro sedimento psicodélico que podría pasar por cualquiera de los discos que se van apuntando al carro del nuevo Shoegaze surgido en estos últimos meses. Para finalizar con este repaso de Logos, los dos temas que más me recuerdan a Deerhunter: My Halo, corte de Dream-Pop igualmente en crescendo; y la genial Shelia, la canción más poppie del disco, tema que no tendría nada que envidiar al mejor repertorio del Lou Barlow de los noventa, perfecta conjunción de armonía y guitarras precisas. Durante este tema, y durate todo el disco, parece que Bradford Cox parte de influencias sonoras más o menos clásicas exprimiéndolas y llevándolas a las últimas consecuencias (Walkabout, Shelia, An orchid, Quick canal…), imprimiéndoles su característico sello Lo-Fi/Experimental (el disco está grabado casi en su totalidad con primeras tomas), construyendo canciones y discos que pueden resultar ser apuntes del Pop del futuro, bien bajo la etiqueta de Atlas Sound como con la de Deerhunter. Imprescindible del año. Por cierto, dada la calidad sonora del álbum, no estaría de más que cuidaran algo más la estética de la portada.
“Outside of all those free downloads and EPs, Atlas Sound is following Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel with the second proper full-length Logos. According to a note from Cox written on July 4th, the 11-track collection’s more in the spirit of Microcastle than his past Atlas Sound work.
My last album was a bedroom laptop type thing. Very introverted. Logos is an album that was recorded all over the world. It’s not about me. There are collaborations with other musicians. The lyrics are not autobiographical. The view is a lot more panoramic and less close-up. I became bored with introspection. This was also the case Deerhunter’s Microcastle LP, which was written during the same period.
He continues, including a mention of past leaks, Logos’ compositional process, and background info on how Noah Lennox and Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier ended up contributing.
I started recording December of 2007. I recorded the first version of the album, which was not intended for release. Due to some unfortunate mistakes on my part, this “sketch” of the album was leaked. Many of the songs where simply “placeholders,” songs I created quickly to help design the “arc” of the album.
I did not react well to the leak, in retrospect. It became the kind of internet-fueled drama that I was quickly learning to despise. I had always desired to speak through music, not blog posts and interviews, etc. I considered abandoning the project.
I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played “What Am I Going to Do” by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook – a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort “Walkabout.”
Each song on the album has a similar story. That might be my favorite thing about the album. It’s a collection of songs. There is no “filler.” There are little scrapbook details everywhere. Sasha Vine [of Sian Alice Group] provided a double-tracked improvised violin part to “Attic Lights” which was recorded backstage at a Deerhunter/Sian Alice Group show in Brighton. It might be my favorite moment of the album. I played it for some younger friends of mine. They cringed. They wanted more songs like “Walkabout.” Something with a big beat. I told them when they get older they will appreciate things like harmonicas and violins more.
Laetitia from Stereolab, who I idolized as a teenager and would later befriend on tour, contributed words and vocals to “Quick Canal.” The song was originally about 15 minutes long. I had zero ideas for vocals and asked if she could give it a shot. Andy Ramsay [Drummer for Stereolab] took a dub of the original and recorded Laetitia’s vocals at his press play studio in London. It was quite a treat to hear the finished product, now at an economical 9 minutes.
Almost everything you hear on the album is a first take. This makes it almost like a “live album” where a band sets up in a studio and just rolls tape. There are songs on here I don’t even remember recording” (stereogum.com)
MySpace
“Outside of all those free downloads and EPs, Atlas Sound is following Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel with the second proper full-length Logos. According to a note from Cox written on July 4th, the 11-track collection’s more in the spirit of Microcastle than his past Atlas Sound work.My last album was a bedroom laptop type thing. Very introverted. Logos is an album that was recorded all over the world. It’s not about me. There are collaborations with other musicians. The lyrics are not autobiographical. The view is a lot more panoramic and less close-up. I became bored with introspection. This was also the case Deerhunter’s Microcastle LP, which was written during the same period.
He continues, including a mention of past leaks, Logos’ compositional process, and background info on how Noah Lennox and Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier ended up contributing.
I started recording December of 2007. I recorded the first version of the album, which was not intended for release. Due to some unfortunate mistakes on my part, this “sketch” of the album was leaked. Many of the songs where simply “placeholders,” songs I created quickly to help design the “arc” of the album.
I did not react well to the leak, in retrospect. It became the kind of internet-fueled drama that I was quickly learning to despise. I had always desired to speak through music, not blog posts and interviews, etc. I considered abandoning the project.
I toured for a period in Europe with Animal Collective, whose band dynamic was very inspirational to be around. On the bus, we often played improvised iPod games. We would take turns formulating a theme or unifying concept and then play three songs. The goal would be for everyone to try and figure out the theme. During one of these games, someone played “What Am I Going to Do” by the Dovers. I was amazed at the hook – a weird organ thing with drums and electric bass. I mentioned to Noah that someone should really sample that riff. He agreed and he taught me a little about sampling and matching up beats. This ended up as the collaborative effort “Walkabout.”
Each song on the album has a similar story. That might be my favorite thing about the album. It’s a collection of songs. There is no “filler.” There are little scrapbook details everywhere. Sasha Vine [of Sian Alice Group] provided a double-tracked improvised violin part to “Attic Lights” which was recorded backstage at a Deerhunter/Sian Alice Group show in Brighton. It might be my favorite moment of the album. I played it for some younger friends of mine. They cringed. They wanted more songs like “Walkabout.” Something with a big beat. I told them when they get older they will appreciate things like harmonicas and violins more.
Laetitia from Stereolab, who I idolized as a teenager and would later befriend on tour, contributed words and vocals to “Quick Canal.” The song was originally about 15 minutes long. I had zero ideas for vocals and asked if she could give it a shot. Andy Ramsay [Drummer for Stereolab] took a dub of the original and recorded Laetitia’s vocals at his press play studio in London. It was quite a treat to hear the finished product, now at an economical 9 minutes.
Almost everything you hear on the album is a first take. This makes it almost like a “live album” where a band sets up in a studio and just rolls tape. There are songs on here I don’t even remember recording” (stereogum.com)
MySpace
Atlas Sound: Logos (2009), Kranky
Bradford Cox, el inquieto y proteico músico de Atlanta, ha ultimado los detalles del segundo álbum de su banda paralela a Deerhunter, Atlas Sound. ¿Qué encontraremos en Logos?: Lo-Fi, experimentación, Dream-Pop, Pop-Eléctrónico… todo ello resumido en una sola palabra: Pop, de alto quilataje sonoro y emocional. Imprescindible del 2009. Más información en The JangleBox.
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