patten’s first release for Warp and first since 2011’s GLAQJO XAACSSO is out Monday.
I’m as excited right now as I was upon hearing the preorder for the Ghettoville/Hazyville vinyl box set.
Never heard patten before. It’s pretty nice.
You’ve got good taste 
This other video he uploaded is dreamy…
Why thank you.
The Monomachine stuff you’ve posted points to you having excellent taste as well.
Speaking of, did you hear the new FIS release on Triangle?
I’m glad they’re finally getting past their drag/witch house trappings.
Serious Question - not a criticism by any means - I’m just an old guy who is willing and wants to be educated - what makes this FIS release ‘good’ or standout? - how do I distinguish this from say a poorer quality release from the same ‘genre’ ?- what is the genre? - is there no genre? Is that part of the charm? It sounds quite but not totally random, I get that, and understand that there are some very well respected acts who play in this space (some of which I like, but always prefer their earlier ‘structured’ stuff ) .
This reminds me in some ways of Pink Floyd’s "Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’ but set in an underground tunnel on a steam train instead of some roadies kitchen, and without a masterful rock band riffing in the background.
I guess I’m not fully getting the aesthetic but I want to understand it - please take this as it’s meant - educate me - send me some stuff to listen to - a playlist or a historical revue. Please?
Cheers!
Firstly, no worries on the question.
I’d like to think that this is a forum of reasonable, logical people that can have a conversation without it spiraling into petty insults over honest inquiries.
After all, we’re here to discuss and trade ideas; not make people feel negatively.
I guess, for me, what makes this a stand out release is
A) The fact that FIS is working to evolve his sound into something less instantly identifiable or as a work of any particular genre.
If you listen to this early release from 2011:
you can clearly hear trappings of other genres that have been WELL WORN for over a decade or more.
This new release pulls away from those standards into much freer territory.
Does that territory have it’s own trappings?
Yeah, but it’s rare to see an artist unshackle themselves from the expectations of an old sound to move on to something new(er).
B) To me it’s just an excellent sounding production.
It’s got a lot of harsh noises that, under the guide of a different engineer, would normally sound shrill and unpleasant.
In this case they’re compressed and eq’d to the point that the mix allows everything to breathe and create an atmosphere of dread without the usual ear fatigue.
Opal Tapes releases follow the same general aesthetic, but are MUCH harsher on the mid frequencies.
The new FIS often sounds like an old tape of a haunting in an industrial landscape dipped in heavy creme.
It also makes me feel differently than if I were to listen to something attempting to be more melodic and soothing.
This is Francis Bacon more so than Van Gogh.
As far as the Pink Floyd reference; it’s apt.
Not entirely sure I’d call them a “rock” band though.
Seems a tad restricting.
I’m a huge fan of Pink Floyd and love their experimental work as much as their straight jams like Echoes or Time, etc.
One thing that may have made them popular enough to cite here is the idea that they did songs that sounded of the era, but also did many experiments that wound up helping spin off other new types of music.
Not many bands of that era have the balls to go from a rock song like Breathe into a solely electronic piece like On The Run in the same sitting.
If you watch the making-of DSotM or Live at Pompeii they discuss the idea of experimenting and trying many, at the time, unorthodox things in the pursuit of new and varied music and sound design.
They were without question pioneers and Krautrock and Ambient music, among many other genres, owe them a giant debt of gratitude.
I feel like FIS, patten, Actress, etc are the same as Pink Floyd in many ways.
They’re using new tools to push music and sound design forward.
As the example shows, FIS had to put in work early to afford to be able to do something more experimental and still pay the rent.
Actress as well; Hazyville is more straight songs whereas R.I.P. is far more experimental and relies less on grooves and four on the floor beats.
As far as recommended artists in a similar genre . . . . hmmmmm.
I can tell you artists I like, but not sure if I can nail down a group of exactly similar artists.
These are certainly a start:
patten
Actress
10-20
Basic House
Huerco S.
Regis (or his Concrete Fence spin-off)
Klaus
Lotide
Lumisokea
OOBE
Patricia
Roly Porter
Perfume Advert
Raime
Lee Gamble
1991
And that’s of the artists I can think of in a similar vein.
As far as artists I listen to . . . this post would get exponentially longer.
Wow, this is an incredibly long reply.
@diapause thanks for taking the time to write this great answer - it’s perfect.
I particularly agree with your points around the production itself, but I probably wouldn’t have noticed it without a frame of reference that you’ve now kindly provided - so thanks for that
Completely agree with the Pink Floyd and ‘rock’ thing - that was me just being lazy - I do appreciate them for the range, experimental meanderings and envelope pushing technology tweaking. Glad my reference wasn’t completed wasted though
And, thanks for the list - I know about 2% of those acts - so looking forward to discovering some new sounds!
And one more thing - what do we call this stuff?
I have no idea what to call it.
I think that’s part of the allure for me.
It has no tags that Roland or a similar company can take and make a product with.
We don’t have to worry about the style getting oversaturated and someone releasing the DarkIndustrialAnalogAndFieldRecordingHorrorSoundtrack-Groove-Maker or whatever.
I did give the FIS ep a listen, not really feeling it though to be honest. Not sure why really… I think its because it sounds very organic, lots of samples of natural sounds. I’m more interested in pure digital sounds… that thick digital haze that artists like Actress and patten are working with…
Full EP is streaming now:
Sounds fantastic.
Awesome.
Thanks for the link.
I’ll listen to this at work today and pretend it’s Monday already . . .
I’m more interested in pure digital sounds…
You’ve just perfectly described why I got the Monomachine.
I am enjoying this FIS track nearly as much as I am enjoying this thread. What a thoroughly refreshing feeling to have people discussing music like adults.
The FIS track feels like it should be accompanied by something visual. In today’s youtube world I always feel that visual artists and musicians should get together more often. Goes to show the music is good too though, in tat it kinda conjures an aesthetic of its own. I certainly prefer melodic music ( I am a sucker for a cheesy pop hook ) but sometimes it’s nice to indulge in the pure experimentation.
Thanks for introducing me to some nice new sounds peeps.