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Tue Jun 01 2021
5
A big bright spring time party where all my mates are having a beautiful time. Complex and intricately layered without being hard to listen to. They somehow manage to capture a thousand textures and feelings in every song (eg Etoh). Love the foreshadowing of the horse neigh early on before it comes back on Frontier Psychiatrist (and all the reoccuring samples for that matter). Also love the vinyl crackle that permeates through the whole thing. And the intros and outros all seem to be incredibly well thought out and compliment the incoming tracks so well. They're all 5/5 songs but highlights have to be Radio, Two Hearts in 3/4 Time and Electricity (huge tune). Pablo's Cruise gets an honourable mention too, what a freaky track.
Also.. 𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝖇𝖗𝖆
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Thu May 13 2021
2
I feel like one would need a belly full of E to really jam to this album. It's poppy without being catchy, edgy without being cool, eclectic without being interesting. It feels like some kids who were big fans of The Crystal Method tried their hands at something similar but missed the mark. It listens like a "nailed it" meme. The only thing saving this from a one-star review is the production being top-notch and because the track "Frontier Psychiatrist" is actually a really fun track for being a giant, jumbled sample-salad. It's about a minute too long but it's fun nonetheless.
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Thu May 06 2021
5
"Since I left you" is a staple and it paved the way for sample based instrumentals that ooze familiarity. This style of songwriting totally opened the door for this genre. If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out the artist "Dirty Art Club".
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Fri Jan 08 2021
5
Since I Left You makes up for its lack of obvious stand out tracks with impeccably perfect song transitions, catchy rhythms that are equally great for daydreaming as they are partying, and eclectic sample choices which give it that weird mysterious edge. Within these songs is a creative world, barely out of reach, with life and texture. It's like musical cinema or a gripping book. It's not perfect but it's worth getting lost in its suspense, romance, and overall joie de vivre. A worthy classic imo. Probably most appealing to EDM fans or very nerdy hip-hop fans as it has that DJ Shadow feeling.
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Thu Jun 17 2021
5
I have a lot of pre-existing fondness for this album - takes me back to end of uni / just graduated times. The title track was definitely the soundtrack of a summer around then.
It's just a fantastic melange of samples whirled together to produce some wonderful pop. I still really dig it!
Fave track - this is one of those albums where picking fave tracks makes less sense, as the way everything segues together is part of the magic. "Frontier Psychiatrist" should get a mention for the fantastic music video. "Radio" is a highlight, as is "Two Hearts in 3/4 Time" as is "Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life"
Awesome stuff.
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Thu Jan 13 2022
5
Plunderphonics is a unique genre for it's methodologies. By strictly using pre-existing music, artists will mix, match, and employ unconventional methods to create a whole new piece of art. Songs will be sliced and looped beyond recognition. It's an undertaking that requires insane production skills, as production becomes the songwriting in a way. If any album has mastered this art, it's Since I Left You.
There are around 900 samples in this album. It is a feat. The Avalanches themselves said that they were crazy, and they wouldn't ever get that ambitious on future releases. That ambition is what makes Since I Left You so incredible though, as the samples envelop and keep you on a constant adventure of The Avalanche's perfectly-crafted sonic landscape. Loops ground each song and get built upon with more and more samples. They come from every which way, there's no use in following each thread as it's best to just ride the wave. The album art is a perfect representation of this feeling, I think.
Thematically, The Avalanches leans into adventure through use of varying songs. As they all seamlessly transition from one to another, it's like crossing borders or biomes on your adventure. Track titles are indicative of this, with "Flight Tonight", "Pablo's Cruise", and "Little Journey". Worth nothing they had to re-record their big hit "Frontier Psychiatrist" because of samples not clearing (I'd imagine other songs got the same treatment). I encourage you to seek out the song on YouTube because it's a classic. Anyway.
This is an amazing album. I can't stress enough how much I adore the thing. Just so consistently well-made throughout the runtime and brimming with good times.
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Tue Jun 28 2022
5
This was the album that singlehandedly changed my mind on the ethics and artistic merit of sampling, and one of the 5 albums I credit with breaking me out of my "Rock is the ONLY real music!" phase (alongside Gorillaz' Demon Days, Madvillain's Madvillainy, Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass, and Daft Punk's Random Access Memories).
Also, it's damn good.
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Fri Sep 23 2022
5
10 Albums You Actually Need To Hear Before You Die
Chapter 1: The Avalanches - Since I Left You
I’ve always thought the term “plunderphonics” was a poor descriptor for The Avalanches’ music. It’s reductive and undermines the skill required to craft an album as captivating, detailed and unique as Since I Left You.
Plundering implies recklessness and a disregard for history; something done with a lack of grace.
Since I Left You is none of those things. It is a meticulously crafted record that, through sampling, nods to the past, while carving out a new way forward.
Comprised of thousands of samples (the band has estimated anywhere from 900 to 3000 over the years), Since I Left You is a veritable encyclopedia of modern recorded music and sound: disassembled, then reconfigured to create something new and beautiful out of the already known.
I first heard Since I Left You in the summer of 2002, stricken with mononucleosis. Tired of laying around at home, I went to Borders Books and Music to pick up the new Flaming Lips record “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” and see what other new albums had come in. I was familiar with Since I Left You, having read a review in Mojo Magazine a few months earlier. Their review, I believe, compared it to Paul’s Boutique, which I was a fan of, so it was a no-brainer when I saw it on the shelf that day.
While the Paul’s Boutique comparison was apt, it didn’t prepare me for Since I Left You. If you could cram Paul’s Boutique inside of a kaleidoscope and spend a summer afternoon staring through it…that’s Since I Left You.
Even though “Yoshimi” would end up getting more play on my stereo at the time, Since I Left You left an impression that continued to grow with each listen. Even now, some 20 years and countless listens later, I am in awe of it and find new details to appreciate. It is, in my opinion, one of the most important records of the 21st century, unrivaled in its creativity.
Since I Left You is truly a masterpiece.
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Mon Oct 25 2021
1
Oh dear. I hate repeated vocal samples. Frontier Psychiatrist used to make me want to break my radio. This might hurt... First album I can't actually listen to. So annoying. Good loops, but that horse sample and the same word 1,000 times just sounds moronic.
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Wed Apr 21 2021
5
An absolute masterpiece and one of the best sample-based albums ever made, if not the best. This is a fantastic album technically and musically, and I cannot come up with any serious criticisms of it. It is truly a wonderful album and always a pleasure to listen to no matter how many times I've heard it already.
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Mon Jan 18 2021
5
A marvelously put together concept that flows together so well. One of the most creative albums I've heard
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Thu Dec 16 2021
5
I felt the world something new
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Mon Oct 04 2021
3
Looped rhythms provide the soundtrack to a meditative disco in your mind, bleeps and blops poke the hard ridge at the back of your head, and maybe-familiar samples keep you guessing. In other words, it's a balancing act got right most of the time, the latter two elements keeping the tyranny of easy listening at bay. This also gave me pause to reflect that I was able to get a bead on this album because the 1001 listening exercise has exposed me to more albums of this type than I'd normally listen to, i.e. Chemical Brothers, Air and Daft. Praise be.
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Sat Sep 25 2021
2
60mins of tedious samples and scratching. It’s exhausting
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Sat Oct 30 2021
2
If you enjoy repetitive samples, words, and scratching ad nauseam then this is for you. It's like being stuck on a washing machine with a broken record.
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Thu Nov 12 2020
5
Love this. So happy all the way through, puts a big smile on my face
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Thu Jun 24 2021
5
I ruddy love this album. It's such a banger.
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Thu Jan 14 2021
5
Where has this album been my whole life
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Tue Jan 19 2021
5
Incredible.
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Fri Apr 09 2021
5
LOVE
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Tue Aug 24 2021
5
omg gorgeous
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Sat Sep 25 2021
5
One of my all time favourite albums. Simply flawless.
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Wed Dec 01 2021
5
Probably the best album so far! I loved it !
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Tue Dec 07 2021
5
So well crafted. They throw everything at this and it sticks. A perfect album.
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Fri Jan 21 2022
5
One of the most beautiful and powerful listening experiences from start to finish, an hour of sheer bliss and brilliance. If you want to hear the album as it was intended to be heard, listen to the Zomba promo version. It has one more song (With My Baby) and Extra Kings is fully realized as the streaming version is sorely lacking. Regardless, amazing album all the way.
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Sun Feb 06 2022
5
Goddamn this was magnificent. There are so many different genres coming together on this thing, and even on individual songs. The samples are really fun and can be super random to add some spice, too. Jammy. 10/10
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Sun Feb 27 2022
5
Fucking amazing
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Mon Mar 14 2022
5
So damn great.
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Mon Mar 21 2022
5
5. Fucking. Stars. I found this album on Limewire back in the day when I was a poor kid just out of college and I have no idea why I was looking for it. I downloaded it all and had no idea what order the songs went in. But one listen to 'Frontier Psychiatrist' and I fell in love. As usual, I love the kitchen sink production.
Aside - why, on Wikipedia, do they have a thumbnail of the cover art and when you click on it, it takes you to a page where you get the exact same art at the exact same size? Like... why even link it, Wikipedia?
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Tue Mar 22 2022
5
The sampling on this album continues to be divine.
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Thu Mar 24 2022
5
I went into this album not knowing anything about it, and I'm glad I did. This album's concept is something I've been needing to hear for ages. Everything about it is amazing, I love the catchy beats, the samples, radio static, etc. I've already relistened multiple times and I'm 100% checking out their other work. Favorite Songs: Frontier Psychiatrist and Live at Dominos
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Mon Aug 22 2022
5
Boy do I love this album
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Mon Aug 29 2022
5
An album so good they didn’t dare release another for almost 20 years
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Thu Sep 01 2022
5
Groundbreaking classic. In my top ten albums of all time easily.
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Sat Oct 01 2022
5
2000's music has an odd tendency to sound like nostalgia. Maybe it's the new century, a transition that baffled even computers during that time. But I felt that this IS what nostalgia actually sounds like. Snippets of familiar sounds that creates comfort despite the chaotic flow of the music as a whole. This really created a new perspective on sampling, leading to a number small movements later in the century. I can hear them here, the lo-fi hiphop, the EDM, even the nightcore.
The cover art, which is apparently from a painting by Fred Dana Marsh called "Sinking of USS President Lincoln, 31st May 1918", was also "sampled" and turned into a dreamy painting showing two boats across a big wave. It really defined the album as a whole, sampling and reinterpreting many music and movie snippets to create such an emotional wave.
It's been long since an album blew my mind. A new favorite right here.
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Sun Feb 07 2021
4
Never heard of this Aussie electronic crew until now. Pretty fun stuff with a hip hop flav!! Not doing a full review since I'm a couple of days behind on my listening due to our 2020 countdown weekend, but glad to know who The Avalanches are!
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Thu Jun 03 2021
4
The sound of this album was both familiar and different at the same time. Every song is comprised mainly of samples which gives the album a unique (unique for the 2000's at least) "time-traveler" feeling to it, of which I vibe with. Favorite track: Summer Crane
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Tue Jun 01 2021
3
** Controversial **- Not my ususal genre pick to be fair, but I think it's pretty boring.
I get that they are master samplers or some such, and sure, it's quite a feat to mash together 3,500 samples of other people's
musical genius to bring this album together, but I just don't think it sounds that great. So. Repetitive.
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Tue May 04 2021
3
cool sampled electronic album. flows well so it has to be listened to in full. good for walking and working.
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Sat Aug 20 2022
3
Recording the same track several times is apparently a must hear album. I guess for a passive listen this is okay, but some real great album had its spot taken by this?
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Sat Sep 10 2022
2
It's just wallpaper. "Music" for people who don't like music.
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Tue Aug 31 2021
1
I'm not a fan of the genre, and this album doesn't do anything to change that.
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Sun Oct 31 2021
1
Since I Left You by The Avalanches (2000)
On the plus side, there is a remarkable consistency on each of these tracks in tempo and tonality.
On the minus side is everything else.
1/5
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Sun Mar 06 2022
1
Unlistenable. Got half way through "Flight Tonight" and rage quit.
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Tue Mar 08 2022
1
The Avalanches.... Shit Tsunami is more like it. This is like if Moby had no talent for arrangement, or ear for music.
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Thu May 26 2022
1
Fake record static and skips ruin an album for me, I'm just imagining someone that buys this on vinyl and then is just frustrated with why the brand new album is in such bad condition. About the only thing that made the album better was thinking about that and laughing. "Frontier Psychiatrist" was good just because it's honestly relatable. I don't get why this is on here. I was doing homework so at least I didn't fully waste an hour of my life.
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Tue Aug 02 2022
1
I suppose it's quite clever at times, if you're into music created by samples etc. But for the most part it's just a horrible mess; annoying music made by people with no talent and even more crucially, no soul.
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Tue Oct 13 2020
5
love this album - need to listen to whole thing again
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Wed Jan 13 2021
5
Good!
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Thu Jun 24 2021
5
love this album. The samples and electronics work on every track. My favourite is frontier psychiatrist, banger
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Mon Jan 18 2021
5
elettrofigata, influenze
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Thu Jan 14 2021
5
I enjoyed this album a lot. Good mixes and upbeat songs.
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Thu Jan 21 2021
5
This album is an hour long song basically. It weaves through a ton of samples to make glistening and sparkly beats with that old time flavor. A lot of the samples still have the record popping sounds on them which I appreciate (either artificial or otherwise). I do think there is a couple filler tracks that didn’t really stand out as much to me and this could’ve probably been a 50 minute record. That being said, this is probably in the top 5 quintessential plunderphonics records and if you are into electronic music and sampling, you need to hear this record at least once.
Favorite song: Frontier Psychiatrist
Least favorite song: A Different Feeling
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Thu Jun 24 2021
5
This reminds me strongly of my time in Australia, when I discovered The Avalanches. Incidentally also an Australian band (not the reason though).
Absolute banger 5 stars EASY. Fun, alternative and love the use of layered sampling
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Tue Jan 19 2021
5
Great groove
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Wed Jun 23 2021
5
A FAT FIVE FROM THE MOMENT IT HIT MY EARS.
LIQUID GOLD RUNNING DOWN YOUR EAR HOLES, THEN INTO YOUR VEINS.
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Tue Feb 16 2021
5
Nice n flowy
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Tue Feb 09 2021
5
Such a great album. So many sonic textures.
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Wed Feb 17 2021
5
The best yet
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Thu Apr 15 2021
5
10/10 todo conecta re melo
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Mon May 31 2021
5
without a doubt a seminal album in the world of electronic music. doesn't get much better than this as far as experimental/glitchy electronic goes
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Fri Jun 18 2021
5
Not usually my style, but really good listen. Added to favourites
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Sat Jun 05 2021
5
Very solid and enjoyable
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Wed Aug 18 2021
5
Truely an interesting album I’ve never experienced before
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Sun Sep 26 2021
5
250921 11:17 4.5
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Wed Sep 29 2021
5
Such a fun and joyous cacophony of found sounds. 9/10
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Thu Sep 30 2021
5
Might have one of the best track flows there is, each song goes right into the next seamlessly. Love this album, so groovy.
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Tue Oct 05 2021
5
ну классный альбом чо, все на семплах как в первом альбоме дж шедова, тока тут фанкидиско ивот это вот все
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Mon Oct 11 2021
5
Realised I'd never listened to this all the way through. Really enjoyed it, a pleasant surprise. Top notch cut and paste sampling
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Thu Oct 21 2021
5
One of the great mixtapes of all time and the soundtrack to the type of millennial house party I always dreamt of going to but was never cool enough to be invited to. For inventiveness, the sheer amount and variety of samples used (which shimmer and melt into, then emerge out of each other seamlessly), the nostalgia factor, the tinges of longing mixed with sadness, and for just the sheer fun factor you can't beat this. It’s lightning in a bottle.
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Sun Nov 07 2021
5
Incredible timing. I was listening to this one on my own two days before this popped up here. I hadn’t listened to it in years prior.
If you like heavily sample driven music that’s very cycling and self referential, then I think this is going to work. So many things to notice on replays. I really dig this music.
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Tue Nov 09 2021
5
An Absolute Jam. All of tracks on here are linked perfectly well to create a fantastic experience front to back. Perfect record, nuff said.
Favorites: Since I Left You, Radio, Electricity, Frontier Psychiatrist
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Tue Nov 16 2021
5
Have listened before - fantastic album that opened many musical doors
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Sat Nov 27 2021
5
DISCO lives forever!
Fantastic album. Kept finding myself dancing for pretty much for the full hour. The cats thought I had lost it.
The sampling on this album is wonderful. These songs are complex and cohesive sample assemblies that had me constantly lit up with moments of recognition.
“Is that The Hustle?”
“Fleetwood Mac!”
“It’s Debbie Reynolds!”
“There’s Holiday!”
“The NBC Mystery Movie Theme?!”
“You’re crazier than a coconut!”
“Isn’t that a Disney short?”
I’m not singling out any songs. This album is too fun as a whole journey.
Fun fun fun yes indeed!
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Sat Nov 27 2021
5
This was a great dance party. Tempos and styles changed but we kept grooving from start to finish. Loved it.
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Sat Nov 27 2021
5
I am not at all familiar with The Avalanches. So, this was a new listening adventure, and I sid enjoy it very much!
There were moments where I felt like I was in a club and moments where I was kicking back to chill…and there were also a couple of moments where I was thinking “What…is…happening, and how can we make it stop?!?” But those moments were not disruptive enough to lessen my ‘love’ rating.
Also, Frontier Psychiatrist is an absolute masterpiece!!
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Wed Dec 01 2021
5
I recall driving to JB-Hifi in Woden to pick this up on release weekend and listening to it in the car on the way home. When 'Stay Another Season' hit I couldn't believe my ears... did Madonna okay that sample? Apparently she did. Wow!
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Fri Dec 17 2021
5
A suite of nicely mashed together samples and beats. Frontier Psychiatrist probably my favourite
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Tue Dec 21 2021
5
One of, if not the greatest, plunderphonix albums. Blends so well with so many different topics. It is a work a beauty
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Wed Jan 05 2022
5
אלבום מעולה, מוזיקה מיוחדת ואלטרנטיבית, אהבתי מאוד מאוד
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Wed Jan 26 2022
5
I nearly didn't listen tot this because I was doing sound yesterday for work. I'm very glad I didn't as I've never heard anything like this, it manages to be catchy without feeling tiresome and experimental without feeling convoluted.
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Thu Feb 03 2022
5
Rating: 9/10
Best songs: Since I left you, Radio, Diners only, Electricity, Etoh, Extra kings
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Mon Feb 07 2022
5
Really cleverly made with all those samples. Poppy and easy to listen to but the tracks have a lot of layers on re-listens. The album is sort of a complete experience, very well crafted. Been one of my favorites for a while!
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Thu Feb 10 2022
5
This album is so bouncy and fun, constantly weaving these grooves from all over. Radio is a jam. A Different Feeling reminds me of old Daft Punk. Frontier Psychologist is a favorite. Etoh into Summer Crane is smooth like butter.
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Fri Feb 11 2022
5
Muito boooom. Ótimos clipes também.
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Sun Feb 27 2022
5
It's just brilliant. Plunderphonics is an underrated artform, and Avalanches are masters of this.
The way the album flows through a strange neverending wistful holiday (which I always thought might be the afterlife, and I also believe one of the 800 or so samples is of Holiday by Madonna) is genius.
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Sun Mar 13 2022
5
Incredible. The Avalanches are masters of the mashup.
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Wed Apr 13 2022
5
Since I Left You and Frontier Pyschaitrist are brilliant tracks, the rest of the album pretty damn good
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Sat Apr 16 2022
5
Very fun electronica. Lots of cool samples and fun vibes.
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Sun Apr 24 2022
5
A Magnus opus of the sampling genre. This album screams warm summer evenings. Intricate and intelligent and yet contains all the necessary elements of a feel good pop album! How can you not love this?
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Tue May 03 2022
5
classic
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Tue May 03 2022
5
New generation Beastie Boys, great album!
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Fri Jun 03 2022
5
I love this album, it was my first introduction to plunderphonics, and it remains one of the only albums of that genre I can stand really. I really enjoy how it flows from one song to the next without feeling whiplashed or bored. There is a part towards the end that gets a bit slow, but I don't really mind. All-around a beautiful and magical album.
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Tue Jun 28 2022
5
A symphony of samples, and an absolute delightful sort of background music that can creep to the foreground seamlessly.
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Tue Jul 05 2022
5
Love this album. Such a classic that was steeped in so much mystery for the longest time as well. Would love to see a comprehensive list of all the samples they used. 5/5
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Mon Jul 25 2022
5
Aaaaah that sample that Mac Miller also used!
I didn’t realise their other songs (apart from Frontier Psychiatrist) were also good!
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Tue Jul 26 2022
5
bro stop using my account pls oh fuck
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Thu Jul 28 2022
5
Love this album. Been listening to this since college and I come to appreciate it more over the years. It follows in the steps of producers like DJ Shadow and finds a way to make energetic, catchy, and melodic songs almost entirely through samples. This album is over 20 years old but still feels cool and exciting and layered to me. I would name some standout tracks but I love this thing from top to bottom. That boy needs therapy.
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Wed Aug 10 2022
5
Äää rakastann. Parhautta alusta loppuun. Ihanaa, että tää on olemassa, kiitos aussijäbät.
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Wed Aug 10 2022
5
Tää on kuin sarja postikortin kokoisia maalauksia täynnä sairaan hienoja yksityiskohtia.
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