Anybody else a little underwhelmed by the new release?

kelp · Post by **kelp** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:26 am

The only reason I bring up the idea of 'soundtracks' is because i've heard so many people refer to the album as being very much like a soundtrack rather than a normal album, sort of like a concept album. So it just sort of occurred to me that if that's the case then this would explain the sonic 'layout' of the album, lots of short pieces, lots of gaps, etc...

EDIT : sorry, didn't mean to bring 'sci-fi' into it, realise now that that was because people were mentioning john carpenter comparisons and obviously a lot of his work was in the sci-fi area

Geodesic · Post by **Geodesic** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:57 am

d e n wrote:"after 8 years of waiting, but I will just wait the next one..."

dude, you're never going to be pleased going about it that way.

It's just my way to try to be positiv and not to say: I don't like it's the end of BOC.

They tried something, it didn't work with me, but I will wait for their next try to see if I will be into it.

padawan23 · Post by **padawan23** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:11 am

40 year old - been with BOC from the SKAM days... and begrudgingly have to agree with the original poster.
I tried not to put the album on a pedestal as I have a tendency to "believe the hype" but some of the comments floating around on this forum are just plain "Fanboy".
Whilst its an enjoyable listen I expect alot more from BOC than standard electronica. To me the Overall feel of the album is disjointed. It sounds like they have started to use New Kit which inturn has took alot of the depth away. I am sure The LP will grow on me and as a few have said, there are some amazing moments on it (melody in White Cyclosa - grandiose feel of Come to Dust").. but thats just it, there moments.
The LP feels shoddily strung together using old back catalogue tracks alongside newer sounding tracks. Some of the tracks are C side at best - The Mobile phone chatter sample on NEW SEEDS!, TELEPATH's almost lazy sample of a geezer counting you down...! These sound Fan made.
Now I enjoy the BOC incidentals as much as the standouts and enjoy the mind warps as much as the bangers but feel the LP really doest hit the heights with either.

kelp · Post by **kelp** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:16 am

padawan23 wrote:they have started to use New Kit

Please explain?

NorthcutTAmnestY · Post by **NorthcutTAmnestY** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:23 am

I will admit that I was expecting some kind of radical change in their music as a result of the eight-year production period, but what I got was a fairly different BoC album with a lot of great tracks. Okay, so, I got an album with great tunes and that's all that matters to me in the final analysis. I'm not too bothered by a lack of prog-rock styling or a Noah Lennox guest spot

I don't quite understand where all the "same ole BoC" viewpoints come in though; since when have these guys made a track like Palace Posy or Jacquard Causeway? Nearly every track on here sounds unlike what they have recorded previously, but also unmistakably their sound - so I dunno, that's what I am hearing.

I do understand the view of a minimalist approach to a lot of their tunes here, but there's nothing wrong with minimalism and minimalism often doesn't mean "this shit's simple, brah." So then, I don't, however, understand the whole viewpoint on the drum programming being simple. :/

d e n · Post by **d e n** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:32 am

Geodesic wrote:
d e n wrote:"after 8 years of waiting, but I will just wait the next one..."

dude, you're never going to be pleased going about it that way.
It's just my way to try to be positiv and not to say: I don't like it's the end of BOC.

They tried something, it didn't work with me, but I will wait for their next try to see if I will be into it.

that's totally fair. when i get to listen to the album i'll will definitely not hide my opinion if i am not feeling it.

can someone explain what are

a) pads

b) new kit, and how you can know this change by ear

postbox1234 · Post by **postbox1234** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:56 am

I feel the complete opposite, I've been blown away by how good it is. I was expecting something much more low key (ambient perhaps) that would take me a long time to appreciate. I was never a fan of TCH either so expecting them to still produce music that interests me like their older stuff was a bit too hopeful. But it completely has and it's the best album I've heard so far this year. Cold Earth, Come to Dust and Nothing is Real are as good as anything they've ever done imo and I'll never forget listening to the opener on the livestream being completely blown away

Having said that I've never been as huge a fan of BOC as some of the people on here. I've always enjoyed them and listen to them semi-regularly but until I heard about the RSD teasers I've not really been desperate for a new album from them as some here have. Perhaps expectations play a large part (not necessarily quality, more the sound of it. Some people seem to be disappointed that there's less tape-warble here which I am unsurprised by (and even glad of) seeing as we live in a completely digital era)

kelp · Post by **kelp** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:01 pm

d e n wrote: a) pads

Pads? If you've played around on a synth at all then you'll know what they are. Usually a long drawn out sound (such as a string pad for a string sound), not normally used for lead parts but more background layered parts i guess...

realspiel · Post by **realspiel** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:10 pm

padawan23 wrote:40 year old - been with BOC from the SKAM days... and begrudgingly have to agree with the original poster.
I tried not to put the album on a pedestal as I have a tendency to "believe the hype" but some of the comments floating around on this forum are just plain "Fanboy".
Whilst its an enjoyable listen I expect alot more from BOC than standard electronica. To me the Overall feel of the album is disjointed. It sounds like they have started to use New Kit which inturn has took alot of the depth away. I am sure The LP will grow on me and as a few have said, there are some amazing moments on it (melody in White Cyclosa - grandiose feel of Come to Dust").. but thats just it, there moments.
The LP feels shoddily strung together using old back catalogue tracks alongside newer sounding tracks. Some of the tracks are C side at best - The Mobile phone chatter sample on NEW SEEDS!, TELEPATH's almost lazy sample of a geezer counting you down...! These sound Fan made.
Now I enjoy the BOC incidentals as much as the standouts and enjoy the mind warps as much as the bangers but feel the LP really doest hit the heights with either.

Perhaps their Atari ST finally died

NorthcutTAmnestY · Post by **NorthcutTAmnestY** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:18 pm

But wait, there's some tape hiss at the beginning of Reach for the Dead!

Moloch · Post by **Moloch** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:24 pm

There's some on Jacquard Causeway too. And on some others...

flim · Post by **flim** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:43 pm

I think in fairness this was always going to happen no matter what they released. The gap since the last release has been so long that we have rinsed out and played every album, ep, rare, demo track (and in some cases even in reverse) so much that we have over analysed everything they have done and will continue to do. Which is fine and there is nothing wrong with that as we are fans, but pleasing everyone was going to be impossible.

Its almost like we had had to much time to know everything and notice all of the small things in their tracks. Some people love the phat synth leads, the random distorted childlike voices, the programming of the drums, some love the tape warped pads, others probably even hark back to the Campfire Headphase use of guitars (if this was the 1st album they got into). I guess what I'm trying to say each person has their own reason why they like these guys, so id say they had a headmelt trying to please everyone and make sure the hardcore fans where happy but also be progressive and not become complacent.

I would say tho they just produced what they wanted to from pure love and what was in them at the time, which is the right way to be imo, feck everyone else, its the only way any artist learns and progresses.

lyrical · Post by **lyrical** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:50 pm

BoC are all about aesthetics and here we have them delving into the world of 70's and 80's scifi with a huge handshake with John Carpenter and they are doing it extremely well. That means those cheesy sounding synths and very basic melodies, but as always they are catchy!

I'm not sure what people are expecting, BoC should be on some crazy progressive tangent like Autechre?

BoC are masters of 'less is more' at times and being able to make you listen to their tracks repeatedly. I know nothing about making electronic music but this album is very electronic compared to the last two massively produced 'studio' albums, they are songs i think would be played live quite easily. There is depth here and there is some seriously wonderful production too. It's a great album, a part from MHTRTC i've found it to be the most accessible album. But, my only wonder is its longevity.

seanandcandy · Post by **seanandcandy** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:55 pm

i don't think there's anything that could underwhelm anyone
i think the problem is some people don't like the sound or the aesthetic they were aiming for
too bad so sad

padawan23 · Post by **padawan23** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:55 pm

kelp wrote:
padawan23 wrote:they have started to use New Kit
Please explain?

really just trying to say that the "Sonic" landscapes all sound a bit to polished...I am not looking for a replica of the TWOISM/MAXIMA days but think the Sound has lost some of it's depth....
The distorted voices and crackles are there but they just sound a bit polished and ordinary....

d e n · Post by **d e n** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:57 pm

kelp wrote:
d e n wrote: a) pads
Pads? If you've played around on a synth at all then you'll know what they are. Usually a long drawn out sound (such as a string pad for a string sound), not normally used for lead parts but more background layered parts i guess...

so pads do not refer to a physical pad, like on a MPC or something... they classify a sound? so sustained strings, brass, etc. sounds are called a pads?

and flim, i think what you said is spot on. reminds me of the parable "once you think about it, it is all together lost"

lyrical · Post by **lyrical** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:57 pm

seanandcandy wrote: i think the problem is some people don't like the sound or the aesthetic they were aiming for
too bad so sad

Yeah That's Right · Post by **Yeah That's Right** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:05 pm

I mean, on the one hand I feel like there's no way the album could live up to the enormous hype train it created. By getting so excited and mentally prepared for a release you know almost nothing about you're almost certainly setting yourself up for disappointment. I try not to do that too much. A similar case was the release of mbv earlier this year, some people had unreasonably high expectations for that album and despite almost universal positive acclaim once the dust settled a lot of people have said they find it lacklustre. I felt the same really, the album had a couple of amazing tracks and quite a lot of so-so tracks. Talking so highly about it felt really forced because you probably knew deep down that it could've been better.

I feel this situation is a little like that, though to a lesser extent. Admittedly during my first listen, I had that sort of "hmmm" feeling for at least the first half of the broadcast, trying to decide if it was really up to scratch. But in the end, I didn't go in with unreasonably high expectations and I haven't been left disappointed. I don't honestly think this album will leave such a lasting impression as their other albums in years to come. It's getting major positive acclaim right now, as expected, and I'm glad there hasn't been much of a backlash because I think it's only right that it's praised, it's a great addition to their discography. But I feel that it probably won't be looked back on as fondly as their other releases. I think there will be a minority which has been left disappointed, but that is almost always the case to some degree. It's early days.

Personally I think it's a very solid album, slightly let down by a few lacklustre tracks, balanced out by some incredible tracks. It's definitely not as diverse, interesting, or consistent all the way through as MHTRTC but I'm really pleased with what I've heard for the most part.

justin · Post by **justin** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:07 pm

Theres been a lot of evolution in the electronic music industry since 1998 . So when people say they were underwhelmed i really think they just want to hear another band . Everything that is BOC was on the album for me .

Can anyone articulate exactly technically what was missing ?
did it need more arps , more children laughing , perhaps more sinister overtones , more Orange ?

Yeah That's Right · Post by **Yeah That's Right** » Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:16 pm

justin wrote:Can anyone articulate exactly technically what was missing ?
did it need more arps , more children laughing , perhaps more sinister overtones , more Orange ?

I'm going to take a guess and say that some people probably felt it was a bit 'safe' or lacking in diversity. I could see why if that was the case. I have no doubt that plenty of people will disagree here, but I don't think the album, as an overall piece of work, is as sonically interesting or groundbreaking as some of their other work. Clearly BoC weren't aiming to reinvent the genre but when you put this record side by side with their other albums, it's perhaps less eclectic and more predictable. It's more of a case of Tomorrow's Harvest meeting expectations rather well, as opposed than actually shattering them.