Plaid Scintilli

The Friendly Stranger · Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:48 pm

I've been a bit lazy and haven't picked up any Plaid albums as yet. I have to say, listening to this now, it's beautiful. I really like it alot. So given the negative reviews it seems to be getting, I'll definitely be checking out more of their stuff. Where would you guys recommend I start?

Just read a very interesting interview. Apparently the vocals are all completely synthetic which I find astounding. Well worth a read...

auzzie4life010 · Post by **auzzie4life010** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 11:42 pm

The Friendly Stranger wrote:I've been a bit lazy and haven't picked up any Plaid albums as yet. I have to say, listening to this now, it's beautiful. I really like it alot. So given the negative reviews it seems to be getting, I'll definitely be checking out more of their stuff. Where would you guys recommend I start?
Just read a very interesting interview. Apparently the vocals are all completely synthetic which I find astounding. Well worth a read...

Well, heres a few of their albums...

Not For Threes
Rest Proof Clockwork
Double Figure
Trainer
Spokes

...just to name a few.

Lens Larque · Post by **Lens Larque** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:16 pm

jonnyjj74 wrote:Plaid just don't surprise me at all with their compositions. They are undoubtedly talented, but the way everything is so clean and precise turns me off.

I love the clean precise mode. This is adult music. Classic electronica album here.
Worth every penny I spent on it. Surprise is for puppies, baby kittens.

The Friendly Stranger · Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:27 pm

auzzie4life010 wrote:
The Friendly Stranger wrote:I've been a bit lazy and haven't picked up any Plaid albums as yet. I have to say, listening to this now, it's beautiful. I really like it alot. So given the negative reviews it seems to be getting, I'll definitely be checking out more of their stuff. Where would you guys recommend I start?
Just read a very interesting interview. Apparently the vocals are all completely synthetic which I find astounding. Well worth a read...
Well, heres a few of their albums...

Not For Threes
Rest Proof Clockwork
Double Figure
Trainer
Spokes

...just to name a few.

Thanks, but don't be too specific

Noumenon · Post by **Noumenon** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:35 am

I only have Rest Proof Clockwork and Double Figure under my belt to be able to form opinions about Scintilli and Plaid in general. But for some reason, I can't get into them. I don't doubt their skill as electronic musicians, but their music just sounds so plain and clean. It's not that clean-sounding music is a bad thing, but when I listen to Plaid, it's kind of like what I imagine it would be like to listen to a computer engineer read a Shakespeare monologue. That being said, I am enjoying a few tracks on Scintilli and will definitely give it a few more spins before putting it down. It's usually the case for me that if I like an album right away, I grow tired of it in a matter of weeks. The albums that take a while for me to appreciate are the ones that stick.

The Telepathic Kid · Post by **The Telepathic Kid** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:41 am

I only really enjoyed their first 3 albums, and from those I liked the more trip hop, more dubby, more reggae influenced tracks.

There's none of the squeaky clean jazz funk like Shakbu and Headspin, none of the IDM/dance fusions like Squance.
I mean I'm mostly disappointed because they've created some of the most daring compositions in electronic music fusing it with steel drums, jazz guitar, and many other instruments, but with the new one is mostly playing it safe in old school techno, like much of Spokes did.
I would have loved them to evolve and move their style forwards, adding more instruments, more intricate arrangements other than just building and repeating, and more vocals. The tracks off of their first three albums which contain vocals (not samples, actual sung vocals*) are my favourites.
The only really interesting track is African Woods, and that's mainly because of the vaguely african percussion sounds at the start.

remember, it's just my opinion, so before you all start to hate me again, just remember.

*At Last doesn't count, the vocals don't add to the track much at all.

The Friendly Stranger · Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:23 am

The Telepathic Kid wrote:The tracks off of their first three albums which contain vocals (not samples, actual sung vocals*) are my favourites.
The only really interesting track is African Woods, and that's mainly because of the vaguely african percussion sounds at the start.

remember, it's just my opinion, so before you all start to hate me again, just remember.

*At Last doesn't count, the vocals don't add to the track much at all.

It's funny, African Woods is my least favourite although I'd agree it's probably the most daring track on the album for them. I could never connect with this album in the same way as a real out there record like Geogaddi or Trademark Ribbons of Gold but sometimes the last thing you want is a challenging listen. This is a really easy but interesting album for me.

And I'd have to disagree about at last. The clean, delicate vocals are the perfect foil for the synth and piano melody. Having read an interview where they said that the vocals on this album are all entirely synthesised adds something for me. It's surprising how emotive the vocals are.

I do wonder though, as I'm a newcomer to Plaid I'm probably going to be blown away when I hear their earlier efforts. I guess that's the difficulty when you set such high standards for yourself.

The Telepathic Kid · Post by **The Telepathic Kid** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:19 pm

I'm not against an easy listen.
I'm against boring listens.

I mean Stereolab released the same album for their entire career essentially, each tweaking their formula slightly, and I love all their albums.

Scintilli just bored me. That's all.

Lens Larque · Post by **Lens Larque** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 11:23 pm

I think the strength of the album is its skillful synthesis. Everything is so wonderfully audible.

Its all so well defined I am reminded of Carlos' "Beauty and the Beast".

Stereolab, that part about it repeating itself is so stupid.

Mindshifter · Post by **Mindshifter** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:22 am

Just saw them live. They were pretty shit. Nice new album though.

Naal · Post by **Naal** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:13 pm

I wasn't feeling this either when first listening to the complete album. It felt too short and clean.
Like everyone else I was having high hopes after so many years , but felt a little dissapointed.
But after giving it some time I'm starting to like it a lot more.
Sure , it can't beat 'rest proof clockwork' or 'double figure' , but it's got a lot of moments where it resembles the atmophere.

'At Last' is a great track though; cool to learn from that interview that the voices aren't human.

But at the other hand, i feel like I'm trying too much to like it because it's Plaid.
I felt this way too with the last 3 Autechre albums where I wasn't really digging it when they came out and tried to force myself to like it and ended up not caring about it.
But when I listen to them a while later , I end up liking it more.

Distant Nebulus · Post by **Distant Nebulus** » Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:18 pm

I was listening to "founded" this morning on my drive to work and have to say this might be one of my top 5 favorite tracks ever. I say this because every time I listen to it, I get chills. The fact that it is so short also adds to its appeal.

Waterbagel · Post by **Waterbagel** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:08 am

Finally bought it off discogs. Can't wait until it gets in.

Noumenon · Post by **Noumenon** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:53 am

Distant Nebulus wrote:I was listening to "founded" this morning on my drive to work and have to say this might be one of my top 5 favorite tracks ever. I say this because every time I listen to it, I get chills. The fact that it is so short also adds to its appeal.

Founded is my favorite Plaid track. It's one I play mostly in my car, it's so good and weird.