17. You Retreat In Time And Space

[Gazebo4]

Until the uplifting part comes in this song so is so extremely sad imo. And the beauty of it is that it feels like that optimism suddenly comes from nowhere, there is no build up at all, so amazing that sudden tonal shift.

Expect the unexpected!

[TaoTapeTao]

I recognize Everything You Do is a Balloon motifs

[yamanogato]

Actively listening for the first time writing this.

When the shakers come in. That’s the space it all shifts into a classic BoC vibe but—

Whoa, those hard midlevel synths in the final third?? So sharp! Stand back! Reaper vibes. (iykyk)

The funky bass sort of reminds me of Junior-era Röyksopp with a touch of Poor Leno from their Melody AM album.

What an incredible piece.
Thank you, BoC, for making us believe in love again.

[lyingtransferred]

Interesting choice of You in the title

[magrathea_ultima]

Until the uplifting part comes in this song so is so extremely sad imo. And the beauty of it is that it feels like that optimism suddenly comes from nowhere, there is no build up at all, so amazing that sudden tonal shift.

Expect the unexpected!

The start of that track fills me with immense sadness, mourning, it's almost unbearable, and I know that some songs, melodies do that to me, but this is a case where I am totally crushed, no matter how beautiful the rest of the uplift comes at the midpoint and along, I cannot shake the immense dread and pain of loss that it brings me. It's one of those tracks that I have to skip because it will send me into a spiral and unrecoverable crash.

[MyKneesAreCold]

Haven’t been on here much since the NYC session, trying to make some headspace to process the album properly, but I want to leave some thoughts on this track while I can still recall my initial reaction.

I was slightly disappointed at the NYC Inferno session once I realized that there would be no visual companion to go with the album (besides the spinning hexagonal flames). But the disappointment faded quickly as I realized I could close my eyes and focus on the music. I spent most of the session in an aural daze in this way.

Then You Retreat In Time And Space began and something about the song prompted me to open my eyes. I saw that the spinning flames remained but the classic BoC Super 8 images of children were now superimposed over the flames. I kept repeating, “Not the children…not the children!” in my head as the song played on. Very emotional. Intensely sad and simultaneously serene with the indescribable nostalgia that their music has always tapped into.

The second thought that came to mind as the track finished was, “this is the real Farewell Fire.” It felt like a very direct “goodbye”, which was echoed shortly after in the closing moments of Platonia.

[Den]

Then You Retreat In Time And Space began and something about the song prompted me to open my eyes. I saw that the spinning flames remained but the classic BoC Super 8 images of children were now superimposed over the flames.

This happened to me as well - I opened my eyes right as the ride cymbal and chimes began to play. The Super 8 footage was beautiful.

You Retreat In Time And Space is the most live sounding BOC recording ever. It really defies my expectations.

[Widmerpool]

Until the uplifting part comes in this song so is so extremely sad imo. And the beauty of it is that it feels like that optimism suddenly comes from nowhere, there is no build up at all, so amazing that sudden tonal shift.

Expect the unexpected!

In that regard it reminds me of a personal favorite, Happy Cycling. It shimmers eerily, intriguingly (definitive echoes of Badalamenti) for a good half of the runtime before of a sudden melting into something overwhelmingly emotional.
The harmonic progression in You Retreat is nothing short of magical.

[Waterbagel]

this track is everything - not even in my top 3 on the record so far but i mean this is just quintessential (yet new!) BoC

be a dear and pump that buzzsaw synth right into my veins, if you would

[turquoise70]

I have to be honest about something I've realized over the past day or two.

I can't listen to this song.

It MIGHT be my favorite song on the album, it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I think BoC have ever made.

But the noise at the beginning sounds like the chorus of tree frogs I used to be able to hear outside my apartment window, and the melody makes me think of my wife. Ex-wife, I guess. I got kicked out of that apartment. Said wife left me. And now I'm stuck with all the years of wonderful memories and togetherness and it's too much. Tearing up just writing this.

I can't listen to this song. I skip it.

It's so fucking unfair.

[Waterbagel]

I have to be honest about something I've realized over the past day or two.

I can't listen to this song.

It MIGHT be my favorite song on the album, it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I think BoC have ever made.

But the noise at the beginning sounds like the chorus of tree frogs I used to be able to hear outside my apartment window, and the melody makes me think of my wife. Ex-wife, I guess. I got kicked out of that apartment. Said wife left me. And now I'm stuck with all the years of wonderful memories and togetherness and it's too much. Tearing up just writing this.

I can't listen to this song. I skip it.

It's so fucking unfair.

sending virtual hugs

[GeoDose]

I have to be honest about something I've realized over the past day or two.

I can't listen to this song.

It MIGHT be my favorite song on the album, it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I think BoC have ever made.

But the noise at the beginning sounds like the chorus of tree frogs I used to be able to hear outside my apartment window, and the melody makes me think of my wife. Ex-wife, I guess. I got kicked out of that apartment. Said wife left me. And now I'm stuck with all the years of wonderful memories and togetherness and it's too much. Tearing up just writing this.

I can't listen to this song. I skip it.

It's so fucking unfair.

That sounds so painful... That feeling of loss is NOT a pleasant feeling at all.

Time doesn't heal all wounds, that saying is baloney, but I do hope you can heal one day soon. *hugs*

[Redd Panderson]

I have to be honest about something I've realized over the past day or two.

I can't listen to this song.

It MIGHT be my favorite song on the album, it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I think BoC have ever made.

But the noise at the beginning sounds like the chorus of tree frogs I used to be able to hear outside my apartment window, and the melody makes me think of my wife. Ex-wife, I guess. I got kicked out of that apartment. Said wife left me. And now I'm stuck with all the years of wonderful memories and togetherness and it's too much. Tearing up just writing this.

I can't listen to this song. I skip it.

It's so fucking unfair.

That sounds so painful... That feeling of loss is NOT a pleasant feeling at all.

Time doesn't heal all wounds, that saying is baloney, but I do hope you can heal one day soon. *hugs*

Also sending some care!

All of this in your own time, but maybe this is one way of life offering a way to face things that need to be faced so you can transcend them. Obviously I'm a rando on the Internet with 0 context, so forgive me if it's not my place to share. Some of this album is hitting me in a similar way though and it's pretty powerful.

[turquoise70]

sending virtual hugs

That sounds so painful... That feeling of loss is NOT a pleasant feeling at all.

Time doesn't heal all wounds, that saying is baloney, but I do hope you can heal one day soon. *hugs*

Also sending some care!

All of this in your own time, but maybe this is one way of life offering a way to face things that need to be faced so you can transcend them. Obviously I'm a rando on the Internet with 0 context, so forgive me if it's not my place to share. Some of this album is hitting me in a similar way though and it's pretty powerful.

Thanks, guys, seriously. I'm not sure whether it feels like it helps on your end, but I promise it does on mine. Every little bit of support I've been getting - which I'm very very grateful to say is a lot - from outside of my relationship has felt like one more pillar of strength I've got to get through this.

There will be life after this, I'm just down at the bottom of a valley right now.

[rd1994]

That one little synth line that plas every now and again almost feels like "MHTRTC in a nutshell" I love it.

That said even on like the 12th listen its really hard for me NOT to get choked up listening to this song.

[Cupz]

After repeated listens I think the second half does get a bit too schmaltzy maybe. Like a commercial for a new 3g mobile network or something. Has a tendency to sound a bit commercial/capitalistic. Makes me wonder if the band is kind of reluctant to making songs like this and only does so after the permanent orgasm denial of TH.

[qualia]

Some comments from the reddit on this one's relationship to Deep Time. (Deep Time is You Retreat in Time and Space)

yeah it's not the exact same chord progression but pretty close. deep time is bVI-i-bVII-IV whereas you retreat is bVI-i-v-ii. however, the v chord is a substitute for the bVII chord and the ii chord is a substitute for the IV chord, so in the end it's almost the same.

Ya i thought the synth part that comes in at 3:31 on yritas was a direct callback to the harp in “deep time”

[Decorah]

Anyone picked up on what sounds to me as horn sounds at 3:42 and 3:45? Very ancient and tribal, I love it.

There. I was looking to see if someone mentioned this sound and Twoism didn't dissapoint. It sounds like a foghorn to me in a way. I love this moment - a beautiful sound in a beautiful track in a beautiful album.

[happy]

After repeated listens I think the second half does get a bit too schmaltzy maybe. Like a commercial for a new 3g mobile network or something. Has a tendency to sound a bit commercial/capitalistic. Makes me wonder if the band is kind of reluctant to making songs like this and only does so after the permanent orgasm denial of TH.

"schmaltzy"

had to look that up, agree with that about the second half

[Den]

I feel this too right now. The second section sounds like the band on the cover of Societas X Tape playing a pastiche (as someone mentioned earlier) of a BOC song live. And it’s one of the less hi-fi sounding songs on the album, which accentuates the mixtape quality of Inferno. I’m just wanting to emphasis that there are aspects of this track - despite its explicit references to their sound - that is unlike anything they’ve ever released before. I’m still perplexed.