Reviews (page 2 of 10)
Incredible.
I ruddy love this album. It's such a banger.
"Since I Left You" and "Frontier Psychiatrist" I stumbled upon years ago, recommended to me by a faceless YouTube algorithm. They've been in *heavy* rotation for me since. I'm reserving my excitement since I never explored their discography, but absolutely adore their singles. Let's see if the album holds weight beyond those. ********* Wow. The entire album is crafted from a dense layering of samples. It's the ultimate postmodern (no longer a fan of this word, but appropriate here) record. What I found amazing is the care & thought put into the transitions. Many of the tracks slap (quite hard in a few cases, "Avalanche Rock" was too short! "Radio" & "Close To You" were some other toe tappers) but in every case there was a blending at the edges to herald you into the next song. That level of care and quality is rare. All of the gushing aside, I can't see it being on constant rotation. I love the singles and I'll come back for a few more, but as an experience it's not quite 'great' for me. (4/5) Out of respect for the time, quality and care put into this. I, also, endorse it's inclusion on the list. It's a pinnacle of the art of sampling, and it would be a no-brainer to put this on and let it play at a party. No one would know when one track stopped and the other ended, but you would know when you're in the next song. That's some electronic voodoo, right there, and I deeply respect the craftsmanship. I'll still stick with the singles ("Electricity" didn't grab me..) and probably revisit again soon. Glad I finally took the time to sit through this one, though. I wasn't disappointed, it just wasn't a love connection.
I can't fully comprehend the mixing skills that went into creating this album at the time, but it's certainly stood the test of time. Some earlier moments on the record are a bit more impressive and distinct than the later half, but still impressive all around. 4.4/5 -> 4/5
What can I say? I'm a sucker for samples. Do I like it because of some delusional belief that if I sat down for long enough with the right software I could pull something like this off too? Maybe. Regardless, this album did not disappoint.
Joyful, energetic, good times party music. It’s electronica at its core, but it samples so many other genres and styles that the big picture effect is like a musical collage. Every song is packed with samples and surprising shifts. Very fun. Really artfully put together and produced.
Really good album and much different than expected. I'm surprised this is my first time listening to such a great album from 2000. Honestly, the person's voice from The Avalanches is sometimes an instant skip for me. Unless you have great sound quality, it messes up my funk-shui. That said, I loved the album but mostly for the cool, trip hop & hip hop beats. One of my favorite pleasant surprises of the journey so far.
I absolutely love their 2020 album We Will Always Love You, but have actually not put that many spins into this, their debut. As I understand it, The Avalanches are one of those strange musical (like D'Angelo) acts that put out a much loved album and then went dormant for decades. This album is a masterclass in crate digging, sampling, and mixing that plays like a continuous DJ set. The title track opener sets an optimistic tone with dreamy flutes and orchestral overtones underpinned by shuffling drums. The song literally twinkles with pure positive energy. A seamless transition drops us into Stay Another Season, which retains the same vocal sample and flips the shuffle into a loose funk that transitions to pensive atmosphere (complete with horse sample). Some deft mixing keeps the long-running track spirit alive as things drop into Radio -- an exercise in mid-BPM looping. Two-Hearts In 3/4 Time is a beautiful down-tempo jam built around a descending wordless vocal sample. Flight Tonight is a really fun hopping song. I'd recognize the out of tune piano warble of Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life anywhere; Mac Miller sampled it on Macadellic for Aliens Fighting Robots. Makes for a nice tender jazzy interlude. Love Frontier Psychiatrist. Fun vocal sampling laid over what sounds like a fusion of epic western and hip-hop. Goofy and wonderful. ETOH pulls back out the flutes and harps for another solid head-bobbing entry. Life At Dominoes pushes the BPM up one more time before the album closer, with a sound that feels a bit closer to a Daft Punk club-thump tone. Extra Kings rounds things out on an optimistic psychadelic-folk note that makes me think of early Four Tet. Solid all around album that I always enjoy to tour. 4 / 5 for me.
Fun. Pretty good. A little dancier than I typically seek out, but enjoyable overall.
The way this was constructed is really impressive and it sounds so unique
Gonna need to relisten to this when i’m not having the worst day ever but the concept is very cool
Really enjoyed. One of the few 2000s albums that I haven’t been familiar with.
First thoughts, like before: if it's so great, why haven't I heard of it, or them before? On listening: this is very interesting indeed. The phrase "electronic music" worries me but this is a clever use of technology and samples. It's effective.
Like Gorillaz met daft punk, I'm going to listen to this again for sure
The Avalanches prove how sampling can be just as impressive as any other form of creating in music
I really really enjoyed this album. The Avalanche's use of samples really stands out, even today when it's becoming more and more popular in music. I enjoyed it so much that I sought out their other music after listening to this. Four stars without hesitation.
This is such a fun album. Finding all the samples must have taken an insane amount of time, since they had to manually find a sample and copy it (no good internet search). Top songs are easily "Frontier Psychiatrist" follower by "Since I Left You". Too bad they took so long to release their follow up, this genre really was going in the 00s early 10s. The album is a bit long and feels a bit all over the place but for sheer difference and freshness it deserves a four. Many of the songs make also great hip-hop beats, the remix with MF DOOM while not on this album is stellar.
Ahead of its time. Brilliant.
This is a ton of fun. I was only really familiar with the Avalanches' 2020 release "We Will Always Love You", so I enjoyed getting to go back and give this one a listen. I wasn't familiar with the term "plunderphonics" before this, so this form of ultra-sampling was neat. Familiar but remixed to the point of something new. Very danceable.
That was a fun ride. “Frontier Psychiatrist” is absolutely infectious. You can tell this act had an influence on a lot of more mainstream acts including Kanye West.
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
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!
Amazing sample usage, reminds me of Endtroducing... Standout Tracks: Since I Left You, Two Hearts In 3/4 Time, Close To You, A Different Feeling, Electricity, Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life, Frontier Psychiatrist, Live At Dominoes
Certainly an interesting album. It lost my attention at times and sometime felt like the shtick had been used all the way up. But a cool record nonetheless, and I love the approach to sampling in a decisively non-hip hop context. Favorite track: Frontier Psychiatrist
Not super into how repetitive some songs are - the robot sounds in the background are distracting and grating
3.5. Pretty good electronic music for early 2000s
Super well constructed album, sounds great. Enjoy that the album bleeds into each other, sometimes electronic albums can sound a bit out of place as it suits a live set more than a straight listening experience. That said there were some shit mixes esp after two hearts which what the fuck is the need when you get to sit down and curate an album unlike a set. There’s no rush?? You can do more than just fade the songs. At points I’m left uninspired by not hugely creative use of samples, if you’re gonna use 3500 samples fuck then up a bit ygm? Otherwise it’s just Lego. Frontier psychiatrist is a classic
kinda wierd, could go crazy on acid though
Tried this a few times and never got the hype. Frontier was fun
Naja, ist schon eine Leistung alles so zu mischen sodass man es am Ende noch etwas anhören kann, aber gut finde ich es nicht
It's a bit weird, but there's some nice vibey tunes in here. All weird samples flowing into each other. Frontier Psychiatrist is brilliant and elevates the score a bit, but overall it's a bit mad and chaotic for me to revisit or to have as a go-to background chill mix.
Some good beats and mixing. About 50/50 on the songs that I like/wasn't a fan of. Sometimes the songs started off good with samples with samples that didn't really fit later on in the song (or vice versa).
Sprawling and complex, hard to really connect with the vibe. Some moments felt like an onslaught of samples without a cohesive purpose. I appreciate the artistry of this, but I’ve enjoyed many other electronic albums that were much simpler than this. Impressive that this has over 3000 samples and no live parts, but sometimes less is more.
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?
cool sampled electronic album. flows well so it has to be listened to in full. good for walking and working.
** 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.
I'd never heard of these guys before, and was optimistic for the first minute or so. And I do like some of this, in the way that it is layered with sometimes competing melodies and rhythms that meld together into a solid groove. But almost throughout, if there are 10 layers, I like 8 of them, and the other 2 throw it completely off. Kinda like that singer for Wild Beasts just ruining the good music behind him, the foreground of these tracks (the radio voice, the screaming lady, the ultra-repetitive speech tracks, etc...) overshadows the cool stuff happening behind it and renders large swaths of this annoying and disappointing. I know I've said before that I thought this type of music was my thing. I just didn't realize how many acts were bad at it, which made me conclude that it is not, in fact, my thing, and I just love a few outliers. This is NOT one of those, and doesn't get far enough above a 2/5 to round up.
Meh. Not the worst of these electronic albums we’ve heard but entirely inessential to my ears.
Not my type of music. Quite repetitive and sometimes even annoying
moby did so much damage
Made me feel the way schizophrenia is described. I do not like the feeling.
That boy needs therapy! *Record scratch* * Horse whinny*. Man, this album is awesome. It has the perfect opener and then takes you on this wild ride, it's super quirky and has some really interesting samples throughout. An absolute joy and I can't wait to keep revisiting it. Favourites: Since I Left You Radio Tonight Frontier Psychiatrist
GRAHHH I LOVE PLUNDERPHONICS
2000s electronica. Loads of beautiful samples used to create tracks. Uplifting, vibey, summer party mood.
some of the most dreamy music ever, I keep questionning how it's possible to have even been made. It's a wonderful album to share with people and to zone out to
It’s the opinion of the entire staff that Dexter is criminally insane! This album is gorgeous. Has a really consistent sound with the vinyl crackles and pops and layered samples. Some tasteful drums, record scratching, and animal sounds.
Fabulously weird mix of chilled vibes.
Man this isnsokid’
Insane
Really great
Mästarna
It might be the recent Led Zeppelin albums, U2 and Bat Out Of Hell talking, but Since I Left You sounds even better than I remembered. Fresh and timeless!
danced the whole time. I love this album!
Эльфийский лес в новом Орлеане. Впервые до прослушивания альбома, при его появлении и первом взгляде на обложку меня схватило и отпустило. Охватила тревога, но ... Приятная ? Это саркастично меланхолический праздник. Это сложно назвать альбом это одна огромная симфония, которую пришлось поделить на треки. Как только ты слышишь первый "since i left you" ты понимаешь что дальше тебя ждёт час транса и восторга. Данное произведение запрещено слушать в разрыве исключительно альбомом. Очень сильно перекликается с альбомом entroducing своей собранностью, четкостью и одновременно намеренной растерянностью. Сэмпл проходящий через все произведение похожий на гоготание чаек и эта древняя флейта сразу цепляют и не отпускают до конца. Удивительно подобранные вокальные вставки уникальные в моем музыкальном представлении и моей наслушанности. Всегда возникало ощущение что я хожу по чему-то очень мягкому и надёжному, вижу что-то детальное и величественное, ощущаю пух на кончиках пальцев, а на языке что-то медовое и ферментированное. Не покидает ощущения контролируемого страха и тревоги - я боюсь и тревожусь но ровно столько сколько нужно для прослушивания. Оценка этого альбома рекордные 9,5/10. Это первая 5/5 в переводе которую была поставлена на моем пути. Этот альбом я очень хочу сохранить на чем-то жёстком круглом и желательно с принтом обложки.
shoutout tijdij
5/5 superb
What an album. If you don't like this then you are soulless and have no joy in your life.
10/10… sample dance / electro hip-hop / *2000 👂
This was already a favorite of mine. Such a weird album that works surprisingly well. The fact that the entire thing is made of samples is kind of mind boggling
Fun fact: the sample in the title track is saying "since I met you," not "since I left you." I still remember when I found that out and felt ridiculously gaslit. Anyways, I feel like it's not super farfetched to say that this is one of the most creative albums on this whole list. A ridiculous amount of different samples from a bunch of different decades came together to make this. I saw another review saying that the number was somewhere between 900 and 3,000. It really puts into perspective just how crazy this album is. This is 21 songs of 100% recycled music. There are definitely albums, other albums on the list, that did the same thing that these guys do here, but the big difference between The Avalanches and somebody like DJ Shadow or J Dilla is that these guys didn't limit themselves to Rap. This album throws itself across a bunch of different genres and makes some of the most fun music imaginable in all of it. They really do throw some incredibly wacky stuff around as well, especially with Frontier Psychiatrist. I feel like it could be a fun challenge to track down every sample in that song and listen to/watch whatever it's connected to. Anyways, incredible album, if nothing else for how ridiculous it is as a concept and how well-executed it turned out. I love this album more every time I listen to it.
Gorgeous timeless feel to it and v creative use of samples
This has long been one of my favorite electronic music albums. The creativity, skill, and composition is top tier, and each track seamlessly blends into the one before to create a symbiotic masterpiece. It’s hard to overstate how groundbreaking this album was at the time. The use of samples is carefully curated and eclectic, and the melodies and beats create a beautiful, textured landscape that’s also a straight up groove. This album is a perfect 10/10.
Jeg husker hvor jeg var når jeg hørte Frontier Psychiatrist på radio for første gang (som for øvrig har tidenes musikkvideo), og hvor mye jeg gledet meg til plata skulle komme. Flere tusen samples har blitt brukt for å lappe sammen denne plata, og det er et lite mirakel at det fungerer så godt som det gjør. Med tanke på at den ble laget på en tid det ikke gikk å separere ut lydspor er det utrolig at den ikke er mer masete og rotete enn det den er. Fun fact: Vistnok første gang Madonna godtok at noen samplet hennes låter. 6/5 håndverk, 4.5/5 plate.
An album that I forgot how much I loved. Absolutely brilliant
The Avalanches are a little to big to be underground and not quite big enough to be mainstream. This leaves them in a sort of liminal space where they are too popular to be properly underrated, Since I left You is largely regarded as classic after all, but are also definitely underappreciated by the masses. Maybe that's the price of working in plunderphonics, or maybe it's becuase they're Australian or took so long on a follow up. Whatever the answer, they are worth however much time you give them and, while you can debate about exactly how good their other albums are, there's no debate about this one. They came out of the gate as hot as possible and whether you think they managed to live up to it since or not, this remains as an incredible artifact of music. Definitely a must hear.
I can't remember exactly how I first became aware of The Avalanches, but what I do remember is that I'd never heard anything quite like them at the time, and that I found their mishmashing of assorted vinyl samples invariably fascinating. It's an album that very much rewards dedicated headphone listening, and it's a gift that continues giving each time I revisit it. Since I Left You takes on a narrative form across its running time, where each of the songs feel like immovable and irreplaceable pieces of the arc, whilst transitioning between one another subtly to give the illusion that they're still contained within the same scenery. It's not all atmosphere-driven, however, as there is no shortage of ingraining motifs to be found here, not least the wacky storytelling of "Frontier Psychiatrist" and the pulsating vigour of "Electricity". By all accounts, this album should feel like a cold, academic experiment, but somehow it constitutes an incredibly fluid listening experience vested with emotion. There is a warmth to the arrangements here that completely belies any haphazardness you might expect from the collation of disparate samples, though it is a warmth that is caveated by a cloak of melancholic longing and spiritual emptiness enveloping the songs. It's kind of like a wave of depression hitting you mid-summer, and I'm not positively sure that any other album out there encroaches into such a mood in quite the same way and with the same degree of skill. In short - I bloody love this album!
One of my favorites!!
A wonderful album reminded me a lot of the Radio 1 mini mixes I used to listen to only extended out over one hour. You can see the influence this album had on music over the next decade or
BANGERS i really like this one. frontier psychiatrist is an all timer.
Big fan of this one, had actually heard most of it before so it was fun to see a familiar face hehe
Man. I am such a sucker for well constructed sample songs. I’m not sure if the whole album is a perfect five, but its just good the whole time with massive peaks with Since I Left You and Frontier Psychiatrist. Love the way this album sets its tone so simply and stays just long enough on each beat
if you rate this album one or two stars you may be stupid. like three i get if it's maybe not your thing, but one or two stars you're fucked in the head bud
Variety: 5 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 5 Emotionality: 3 = 4.6 rounded up to a 5 "Rannygazoo, let's have a tune!" Been forever since I've listened to this. I do have the video for "Frontier Psychiatrist" in my Youtube music playlist so that pops up occasionally. I honestly don't remember much about it since around the time it was out aside form the couple of hits. I am terrible at remembering song titles though, so maybe I'll remember this more than I think. THE TRACKS "Since I Left You" - The second big hit off this I think, though maybe the more mainstream one? Also had a very memorable music video. Lush and busy as hell, this starts off the album with nice, reasonable and slow steps into the pool so we don't get a shock from the temperature change. I'll have to look it up, but was this whole thing made using mostly samples? Maybe I'm thinking of the DJ Shadow album? Several genres mixing are swirling around in the pool, but it's never distracting. This flows right into... "Stay Another Season" - ... which continues without a break in continuity and even carries over the vocal bit, and incorporates elements we'll see pop up on songs MUCH later. This is primo chill music to me, and it flows right into... "Radio", which lives up to its name, and feels like you've tuned into a slightly staticky live set from some MTV Spring Break beach party. The constant groove has yet to wear thin, and I don't see it happening anytime soon. Even though... "Two Hearts in 3/4 Time" picks up from the last one, it has a starkly different feel, and immediately veers off into a Stereolabish bit of electronic tweeness. It's quite airy and beautiful though and also has elements of something The Free Design might have done. By the end of this one we start the transition into... "Avalanche Rock" and we get something closer to what we will eventually hear on The Beastie Boys's Hello Nasty. If only very briefly, because... "Flight Tonight" comes right in and we're in early 90s dance/ hip hop territory here. C&C Music Factory teaming up with LL Cool J as heard from a couple of rooms away. Or something. Maybe Primitive Radio Gods? When... "Close to You" starts playing it feels even less like we've moved into a different song. That hardly matters though as we STILL have not lost the groove. It's not until around 2:30 that we finally move into another mode. Now we're firmly into some "Got to give It Up" faux crowd noises, so the party's still going strong. But then... "Diners Only" is close enough to another near the beginning of a song changeup, that it feels different from the start. The flute and the vibraslap in this one gives it a distinctly funky flavor. When things switch up again with... "A Different Feeling", it comes in almost like a Daft Punk song. The energy has not been sapped yet, but this one does take things down to a lower register. Ok, now I remember that... "Electricity" was a hit as well. Maybe smaller though. Damn, this slaps. Hard. A roller skating jam for the ages, up there with "Atomic Dog" and "Genius of Love". It's possibly the most separatable of the songs so far, as ... "Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life[nb 1]" starts right up into a completely different sound as we accidentally wonder into a wobbly jazzy piano bar somewhere in the Twilight Zone. Psychedelic isn't quite the right word. Some sort of altered state though, and we go on... "Pablo's Cruise" for barely a minute before... "Frontier Psychiatrist" starts and we get into one of the weirdest hit tracks I can think of outside of Herbie Hancock's "Rockit". I think I remember the bulk of the vocal samples here come from some awful 50's comedy record sketch ( someone out there oding the Lord's work has posted the timestamps for all the samples in the first comment of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu8_uDydq7w) . So much of this thing lives on in my brain ( heavily burned there in no small part from its awesomely strange music video) that I don't think I'll ever forget a note of it, from the exchange with the kid about the bird, violins, and the mariachi band which plays us out into... "Etoh", which feels like a waking dream where you are grasping to hang onto the slowly fading pleasure of sleep, but can't help but fall upwards into consciousness. There might have been more THC in those gummies than you thought. We awake to the sunrise and the birds singing in... "Summer Crane" where we get more of the same chill morning vibes, just with more cartoon birds twittering around and singing their song.The global sound collage stuff leans hard into a Troplicalia feel. We go on another... "Little Journey" to Honalulu ( I guess) where the Avalanches are playing... "Live at Dominoes" in Daft Punk drag I think. Or maybe it's their Stardust personas? This one feels extra packed, and weaves pretty deftly through a host of genres and sounds before almost falling to the floor with exhaustion. When... "Extra Kings" starts up, it almost sounds like a hangover of a track before dissolving into a candy coated, sugary sweet bit of electronic chamber pop. Though I think that candy might be laced with something. We come full circle as the pitch-shifted vocal sample from The Osmand's "Let Me In" echoes the pitch-shifted vocals from The Main Attraction's "Everyday" from the first track. HIGHLIGHTS - All of it was great but "Electricity" was still my favorite. MIDLIGHTS - ??? LOWLIGHTS - Check your head FINAL THOUGHTS This is essentially one long track with sections that segue, sometimes imperceptibly, into each other, but which all feel like their own unique parts. That said, I think this loses something unless you can key up an immediate auto play between tracks. I can hardly imagine not listening to it the whole way through, or worse listening to it on shuffle. The hits are maybe the only exception, and I'm fairly certain the versions played on radio and in videos are edited so they feel complete in and of themselves. This whole album is one giant block party playlist that does not ever let up, yet never feels exhausting. Even when the beats get loud or fast, or both, it also never loses its chill mood. This is a pure vibes album, and I'm struggling to find anything to knock it on. The fact that it's a masterclass in musical vulturism only makes it more impressive, somehow. With a lot of the sample heavy albums this far I've used a site to suss out and explore the specific samples. I have not even bothered with this one as it seems like it would be too daunting a task. It seems very obvious that whatever they did with the original parts is wholly transformative. Great stuff, and this'll be one I can't see myself ever getting rid of. My only note is they should have the last track flow into the first one for an infinite repeat experience. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Impossible FURTHER LISTENING - Kites Are Fun by The Free Design - Sound Dust by Stereolab - 10,000 Hz Legend by Air - Endtroducing... by DJ Shadow - Hello Nasty by The Beastie Boys - Os Mutantes by Os Mutantes - Alegria, Alegria by Caetano Veloso
A trip
Albums like this were what I was hoping for when I started this project. Despite the accolades they've received, I'd never heard of The Avalanches prior to getting Since I Left You this morning. This album is entirely constructed from samples. The effort in taking those samples and constructing them into music is mind-bending. In some ways it makes me think of the sample-based production of hip hop, but pushed hard at the limits until it forms something else entirely. This is a treat for the ears: the rhythms are in the broad spectrum of dance or disco, but all the sonic textures give it a tropical, psychedelic feel. Beyond the considerable ambition, it works and is coherent as songs and as an album. As far as its influence, I have no idea, but I’m happy to have heard this.
Vibes
I truly love this album, don't wanna get into cliches, but it really changed how I viewed music when I was like 16. The repetitiveness isn't a flaw, it's a tool and it's effective
Excellent album All music is built on what came before, the trick is to combine it into something new. 5/5
I came into this clueless. Super unexpected, 10/10
Looooved this, so much fun.
A phenomenal and fun listen. The chosen samples were great and they were remixed into some really stellar beats. There are genuinely no audible flaws with this. The tracks transitioned very smoothly into each other, yet each song felt very different. It was very hard to choose a specific favorite track, but I ended up with this one because the groove was so good and it sounded like something playing at a club in a movie. Also, there are more animal noises on this than you may think. Favorite Track: Live at Dominoes
25/03/2026 *1. since i left you - ooo nice guitar... strings are great!! looove immediately!!!! incredible use of sampling!! insane <333 2. stay another season - love how the samples from the last song are reused here.... and the horse from frontier psychatrist! *3. radio - love how the tracks fade into one another... beat drop! loove the ending *4. two hearts in 3/4 time - title reminds me of something i read about andy warhols short films.... wowowow!!!! love the cabaret sample! 5. avalanche rock - short but nice! 6. flight tonight - title like the joni mitchell song? loooove the drums in this one. the french rapping is reaaaaalllly nice!! 7. close to you - love it! especially the horns near the end and the stop-starting!! loooove the piano at the end. 8. diners only - nice :) *9. a different feeling - loove this one immediately! great tune! *10. electricity - loooove the intro... bass is fantastic! *11. tonight - reallly loving this one immediately as well! *12. pablo's cruise - looove the atmosphere in this one!! foghorn at the end is great! *13. frontier psychiatrist - already looooooove this one!!!! phenomenal!!! <333 14. etoh - softer... nice :) 15. summer crane - veery dreamy. love the strings about 1:40. *16. little journey - wooow love the start!! gorgeous!! 17. live at dominoes - loving it immediately... verry daft punk. more upbeat! not as massive on this one, just over halfway in, but still wouldn't complain if it were on :) 18. extra kings - looooove the start!! the horns are fantastic! kindof psychedelic... reaallly loved this one!! was already excited when this came up because i loooooove frontier psychiatrist and have been meaning to listen to this album!!! definitely don't regret that now!! phenomenal!! <3 <3 <3
O QUE É UM SAMPLER FOR A NON BELIEVER? Meu deus, não esperava por isso sinceramente. A PRIMEIRA MÚSICA já me deixou boquiaberto. Uma fusão de samples com uma melodia cativante e suave, E TRIP-HOP. Entrou pro meu radar de uma forma surpreendente, além de terem transições absurdas. E pensar q eram somente dois australianos. HIGHLIGHTS: SINCE I LEFT YOU, FLIGHT TONIGHT, Close to you, A Different Feeling, Electricity, Frontier Psychiatrist 8.5/10
I have to say that I really enjoyed this. EDM and hip hop are kinda my bread and butter, so most albums in these areas are enjoyable to me and the crossover is so natural. This album is a perfect example of that with the intense level of sampling that blends from chill EDM to chill hop. Frontier Psychiatrist is kind of the exception here as it is basically just a straight up hip hop beat. I really like EDM Trap, so this one stuck out as an obvious favorite. This is supposed to be a concept album of "an international search for love from country to country. The idea of a guy following a girl around the world and always being one port behind." I think this comes across well as you can hear the album jump almost from musical genre to genre, which is really cool to hear. This album also famously had over 3500 samples, and they never thought anything would come from this album, so they didn't bother to really record what samples would use. That had to have been a nightmare later. Overall a great EDM album and even better since it's from an "underrepresented" country like Australia.
Excellent
LOVE this
Relisten This shit needs to be taught in schools man. Quintessential example of the transformative power of sampling. Sounds just as fresh and interesting to me as my first listen. You could listen to it a hundred times and pick up on some new sound, some sample in the background that you never noticed before. Favorite Tracks: Since I Left You, Frontier Psychiatrist, Live At Dominoes Least fav: Genuinely don't think I have one 5/5
This was one of my favorites in college. Super good now I’m an adult. Great for just putting on in the house.
Absolute classic, frontier psychiatrist and the title track are fantastic, and the whole thing is wall to wall jams. Nothing out there really like it.
One of those albums I am rating highly because I first heard it in my formative years - I think I first heard Frontier Psychiatrist around 2006/7. I do think it's a great album though
What a cool album! I knew Frontier Psychiatrist from who knows where and was happy to find it again. Perfect music for my walk!
My super chill stony coworker recommended this exact album to me the day before it appeared on my generator, because he said the shirt I was wearing looked kind of like the album art (it does not). I gave it a spin and absolutely loved it. This kind of psychedelic, glitchy, sample-heavy chillhop is exactly up my alley. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, or tab of LSD, but the point of this list is to discover new types of music. This is album #455 of my journey, and it is so different from anything else I have heard so far. Most of us on this site not lucky enough to work with a friendly stoner with a questionable memory and perception of color would probably never would have heard this at all. Maybe it's just my love of dramatic coincidence, but I am so happy that Since I Left You made it on this list. I question many of the author's selections but, just this once, I think he really hit it out of the park.
A surprising 5. What a musical journey they take us on. Very similar structure to what DJ Shadow did with "Endtroducting....." and while I maybe don't love this quite as much as that, it's still extraordinarily impressive and totally transfixing. A genre-hopping, unbelievably creative ode to music.
beautiful
Wow what an album, this really blew my mind. I have been really craving something like this. I love the summery vibe, the unique samples and experimental vocal chops, I know that I will spend a lot of time with this album
5/5
One of the first CDs I had in my car, it never left the rotation. Genre defining
I loved this album! Perfect “getting stuff done” music, a good beat, but mellow feeling. The different samples made for really fun and interesting listening- definitely going in the repeat pile!
Incredible
That boy needs therapy.
Dooooo dooo dooo do do do do dooooo doooo 9 uur in de avond, 25 graden op de weerapp, het is een prachtige zomeravond in Amsterdam. Je springt op de fiets om met vrienden wat te drinken op een terras terwijl je tijdens de rit er naartoe nog probeert het hele album mee te pakken. Het leven is goed
What a unique album! I like how a lot of the songs flow into each other as movements of a larger work.
Fantastic album and the soundtrack to my mid 20s!
SO SO GOOD!! This album was so ahead of its time. The sampling, R&B, reggae, and Jazz sounds are mixed so perfectly in this album. I had completely forgotten about this anlbum until this reminded me of it. I ordered the Vinyl after listening, because it’s so good!
I've always loved this album. The amount of time and care that goes into a project like this is unbelievable, especially on today's world. It is a lost art.
Fantastic work
01) Since I Left You - 10,0 02) Stay Another Season - 9,0 03) Radio - 9,0 04) Two Hearts in 3/4 Time - 9,0 05) Avalanche Rock - / 06) Flight Tonight - 8,5 07) Close to You - 9,0 08) Diners Only - 8,5 09) A Different Feeling - 9,5 10) Electricity - 9,0 11) Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life - 9,5 12) Pablo's Cruise - / 13) Frontier Psychiatrist - 10,0 14) Etoh - 9,0 15) Summer Crane - 8,5 16) Little Journey - 8,0 17) Live at Dominoes - 8,5 18) Extra Kings - 8,5 TOTAL: 8,97 (90/100) Current ranking: 77/795
This is another example of an album that really feels like a complete experience. Each song flows so well, and there's such a consistent tone and it's so much fun. It was the perfect album to bring me out of my bad mood. Favorites: Stay Another Season, Electricity, Frontier Psychiatrist
Vivid flashbacks of my childhood sat in front of MTV watching the music video of this song! I love this sound
Electronic album, focused on sampling more so than oontz oontz. It made for great background music and would listen to it again. Highlights: radio, extra kings
Already knew ts, My generator is on a hot streaks recently, with albums like surfer rosa, the queen is dead and since I left you following eachother up. Ts an easy 5 for me. Introduced me to the genre and loved it ever since. The relisten was fun aswell. I also really like the fact every songs transitions very smoothly into every other song.
What an incredible journey through creatively crafted soundscapes. One of the best ambient records that I've heard in some time.
Well this just shot up to the top of my rotation. Incredibly creative sampling, flows perfectly from beginning to end, and just so much fun. Favorite tracks are hard to pick based off first listen when it's such a cohesive whole, but Frontier Psychriatist stood out.
This is fantastic. I am amazed that this sort of music can be "assembled" the way it is. Great beats, super eclectic and the production is fantastic. I really really enjoyed this!
I'm a sucker for transformative and sample heavy albums, and this is probably the very best example. Avalanches really managed to create beauty out of heaps of (probably landfill) records. Frontier Psychiatrist is a standout for me, but the entire album is a nice experience. It all blends into each other really well.
Världens bästa plunderphonics
Ett av mina mest givna val till en sån här lista! Kanske det bästa exemplet på sin genre, otroligt mycket kreativitet och sömlösa övergångar mellan låtarna som verkligen gör det till ett album att lyssna på just som ett album.
Känns väldigt unikt och härligt. Passar perfekt för det här projektet då det verkligen vinner på att man lyssnar på albumet från början till slut.
Jag älskar sånt här typ av musik!
Could play in the background just about any time.
So much going on but it all comes together so beautifully. One of the few albums that actually stands out on this list
I knew a few of these songs already, but what I didn't know was that the whole album is 100% samples. The haters may say there's no skill or creativity, and those haters are flat out wrong. Looping and cut-up work is a creative act, the haters just don't like the instrument. This album is a textbook example of how sampling can and should be done.
One of the most remarkable and beautiful albums ever made. An album that is made up entirely of hundreds of samples to create something brand new. God knows how they made it work so well. It's a perfect album.
A real masterpiece. It’s so much more than the sum of its parts. The biggest flaw is Frontier Psychiatrist which is such an unbelievably awesome song that it sort of makes the rest of the album seem lesser.
Another album I was obsessed with in high school. Still holds up
Banger album.
A Sample-forward masterpiece.
GEM
Really enjoyed this. I’d listened to it a long time ago and never returned and I’m not sure why. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it must be to piece something like this together. Apparently it has nearly 1000 samples across the record. Meticulous doesn’t come close! I’m not sure where this sits genre wise, somewhere between electronic and experimental (?) at times, but I guess the sheer amount and diversity of the samples makes it difficult to pigeonhole, which adds to the appeal.
I really didn't know what to expect with this one, never heard of them, and was generally blown away. Loads of samples, each song still cohesive whilst being interesting, and nice beeps and boops. The tracks with the singing are probably slightly stronger, as is the first half of the album. Front-loaded: Avalanche Rock, Two Hearts in 3/4 Time, and Flight Tonight were my favourites. On the long side, but I forgive them. Again, an album why doing this list is so much fun - on paper, absolutely not for me, but found myself jiving to it whilst driving. Solid 4.5.
A beautiful, complex, novel piece of work that is lush, ambitious, and gives me the same feeling that Nujabes gives me in hiphop in the electronic field.
пять баллов
A towering work of music. Classic.
Tatsächlich erst zum zweiten Mal komplett durchgehört. Damals war ich noch zurückhaltender, aber jetzt kann ich die 5 zücken. Im Gegensatz zum Song-orientierteren 15 Jahre später erschienenen Nachfolger ist das hier Vibes only, aber gestern beim Kinderwagen-Spaziergang kam das richtig geil. Was ist denn "A Different Feeling" bitte für ein heftiger Track?!
Unabhängig davon, ob etwas meinem Musikgeschmack entspricht, liebe ich Experimentierfreude. Von der hat dieses Album (resp. diese Band) so viel, dass ich richtig gut unterhalten war.
- ooh whimsical intro - feels like im a bird flying through a bustling coastal city in the 70s - WHOAH love those keys? that synth line? whatever it is i love it - ooh going into the next track, sequencing the last song as it transitions into the new - is that a horse neighing? - this feels like an alternate version of daft punk's discovery, but if it had a disco-y baby with fat boy slim. i'm LOVING this NO NOTES i'm super biased as i love this kind of poppy, electronic sequencey music. it instantly transports me to a different place and time and is a dopamine machine the whole way through. loved and saved to my library!
A very pleasant surprise… those transitions were EXCELLENT
That boy needs therapy
This is my favorite album ever made. It has been for 5 years now. I've heard it perhaps a hundred times since I first found it in 2020. I've laughed and cried so much and I love this more than Kid A, The White Album and a thousand other records. I don't think I need to type much about how incredible and beautiful this is to me. This is a record where I truly believe that once I marry and have children, I'm going to struggle deciding who I love more: my wife, my kids or Since I Left You. Can my wife and kids love me unconditionally? Yes, but can they make "Close To You"? Absolutely fucking not. Move over Steve Irwin, Crowded House, Kylie Minogue, INXS Tame Impala, etc.; this is Australia's greatest import. If you are able to make a song as humorous as "Frontier Psychiatrist" followed by a song sequence as tranquil yet colorful as "Etoh/Summer Crane", you deserve the world (10/10 (if there was an option, it would be an 11) 5/5 on this scale)
A perfect album.
This is the first album I’ve never heard that I’m giving 5 stars to. I always thought the avalanches were like the books, I now know differently. They are both sample heavy groups but the avalanches make fun music. That’s not to say the books are t good, I like the books but they’re not gonna make you want to dance. This album was a lot of fun and its sound was unique and fresh even though it’s 20+ years old. I wish I’d heard this album a long time ago but it was a joy to discover.
JA tak. Mest imponerende stykke sample-kunst nogensinde og det er ikke tæt.
I knew I liked this album, I didn't realize I was going to listen to it three times and still be dying to hear it with nice headphones.
Good that
God I wish I could unheard this and have the joy of hearing it again for the first time. Simply one of the most original documents of music of the past 25 years. I can't believe that after 16 years wildflower was nearly as good as this album. What a joyous, wonderful, fun, unique album.
Insanely impressive piece of work. Trail blazing. Catchy, deep. All the superlatives. Yet... I've never particularly enjoyed listening to it. Not entirely for me but 5 stars.
One of my fave albums of all time.
Love this album just my kinda cup of tea ☕️🔥🔥🔥
This album cover caught me and I had to dive in. So worth it. This album is so interesting and I need to check it out with good pair of headphones.
Rating: 9.5/10 Beauty in sampling: this album is comprised of hundreds of samples but every song and transition sounds so cohesive. An impressive feat for sure, it also happens to be absolutely beautiful and a joy to listen to.
There is so much to discover here. Great feeling.
A lovely collage that takes the listener on a journey. I remember being in awe learning how the record was cut, and it's amazing how fresh it still feels.
I knew some of The Avalanches, but I've never devoted the time to listen to a full album. What a magnificent surprise.
A majestic game with samples, I love this kind of level filling, funkiness. Discovered plunderphonics for myself with "Messer fur Frau Muller", but now it's a pity, that I haven't started with "Avalanches", and even specifically with this album. Fell in love with the first audition, wanna have it on a CD.
I absolutely love this album thank god they were able to make it before people got so annoying about sampling
Phenominal
OMG! How have I never heard of this group?!? Totally up my alley in a DJ Shadow type of way.
I loved this album. I recognized the titular song and Frontier Psychiatry, but I have no idea from where. It was just a fun, upbeat album.
This album is quite the feat. I enjoy music made from sampling. Some like it, others don't. Onto each his own. The format with which you listen to it matters greatly. It has to be CD or streaming. This is my only criticism. I read in the Wiki there was a vinyl pressing done in 2017. I would be interested to know how that changes the listening experience. I listened to this while working, enjoying the upbeat disco pop style. It looped around to the beginning and I was 3 in before I realized. It is something you can play streaming like a perpetual machine.
I was in no kind of mood for this but it’s impossible to resist. Amazing work!
Mint
Love this album, can't believe it came out 25 years ago!
YESSSSSSSS!!!!!! It's beautiful.
My review: love love love, groove groove groove, bliss bliss bliss breezy breezy brezzy Sounds so timeless. I cant beleive its a 20 year old album. Easy feelgood 5.
I felt cool listening to this. Really cool, walking around the house while it blasted. Everything is right about this record, the samples are fabulous. The segue to track two from the mind blowing opening track leads to Madonna, of course it does. Those two guys got it right, big time. I loved it then and I love it now. It will never age and it's a groove, put it on and feel really cool.
Its a classic, I have listened to this album fairly recently and it is fresh from my memory. Still really love being in that vibe where its sunshine and happy. Using omly entirely samples too which is just revolutionary
Album No. 0015 on my list. I was aware of the existence of The Avalanches, and that was about it. I've listened to this album for the first time and I have to say - it's just great! I'm completely stunned by this fun, elegant, timeless mix of samples - just stunning! All songs are great and I love that they basically blend into one smooth tapestry of sound that stretches through the whole album. "Since I left you", "Two Hearts in 3/4 Time", and "Electricity" are my personal favorites - but again, the whole thing is great! 5/5 stars - this will definitely become part of my heavy rotation.
Kept me entertained as background music during work. "Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life" stood out to me. I love hearing songs that sample others and this album was apparently one of the trailblazers of sampling in modern music.
August 16, 2025 Album #716: Since I Left You by The Avalanches *Since I Left You* has sort of been this enigma to me for a while, with everybody raving about it while I haven’t heard it. However, I’m very pleased as that has changed today. *Since I Left You* is an album experience that I haven’t had in a while, that being a really fun and engaging album that maintained my interest. It’s an hour long and yet it remains very consistent and cohesive throughout. It didn’t feel like it dragged for a second. Almost every track manages to deliver with intricate and jaw dropping sampling. Oh man, the sampling on this album. The thousands of samples said to have been used for this album are used to full effect. They’re so well together that, at times, I forgot that I was listening to samples. These samples are used to make amazingly catchy dance tracks. The title track immediately plunges you into these symphonies of samples which complement each other so well. Its vocal chops and hooks are catchy, and they remain that way all throughout the album. It’s impossible to not move while listening to this thing. Tracks like *Radio* and *Frontier Psychiatrist*, some of my favorites off the album, show how intricate this album can get. This album really left me dumbfounded by its fantastic production. *Since I Left You* is a stone cold electronic classic that’s still impressive today. I highly recommend it. Genre: Dance, Sampledelia, Disco, Plunderphonics, Art Pop Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, Decent to Strong 9 Favorite Tracks: Since I Left You, Stay Another Season, Radio, Two Hearts in 3/4 Time, Flight Tonight, Close To You, Diner’s Only, A Different Feeling, Tonight, Frontier Psychiatrist, Etoh, Summer Crane, Live At Dominoes, Extra Kings
For some reason I had it in my head that Avalanches were an indie guitar band. Not so. This is great, really enjoyed my first listen and looking forward to listening again and becoming more familiar with this.
That was a surprisingly good album that I had never heard before except for the one track. Ended up playing at three times
A super fun use of samples and a very enjoyable listen
First off, I really love how all of the tracks flow into each other, this album just has a great flow to it. When the tracks on here hit, they hit, however, there are a couple snoozers on here. I think this album could have trimmed ~10 minutes, but it is still a great album. This is my second time listening to this album. The first time I listened to this I enjoyed it, but got kind of bored by the end. This time I had a lot of fun listening to this and thought it worked a lot better. This is probably a very high 4 rounded up to a low 5. Low 5.
Remember being totally transfixed the first time I heard Frontier Psychiatrist. Listening to the whole album now, it's just such a triumph.
I already knew and loved "Frontier Psychiatrist" but hadn't explored any of their other stuff. Judging from what I'd heard about this band over the years, I figured I'd like them, and I did. They remind me of Propellerheads who are from the same era and did the sampledelia stuff too. Will definitely be listening to this again. P.S. You're crazy in the coconut!
I've been listening to Frontier Psychiatrist since I was like, 13, but I had never listened to this album in its entirety. It's a weird, groovy dreamscape of surprising samples and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The only hard part is, since basically all of the tracks transition seamlessly into each other, it's hard to pick out favorites because you're not sure when that track started. Favorite tracks: A Different Feeling, Frontier Psychiatrist
Pretty much an instant five for me as I've loved this album for years. It was really interesting reading the Wikipedia page and learning that it was never intended to be a commercial product. Having listened today I think it is much stronger in the first half and does start to dip a bit at the end, maybe a 9/10 but on this scale it's a 5.
The most epic example I’ve ever had of sampling
The best
The sort of kaleidoscopic perfection you can only achieve by collecting hours and hours of incredible audio clips over an lifetime and knowing how to slot them all together with immense skill, humour and imagination. Bravo to the lads.
Music assembled from old forgotten records and made into something cool and unique. IMO one of the best examples of limitations being a creative force. Favorite song: Frontier Psychiatrist
Не очень люблю концепт построения всего трека целиком на семплах, но клип к первому задел что то внутри, а следующие треки вызывали все более и более положительные эмоции. Большой разброс звучаний и настроений не позволил альбому зазвучать как каша из звуков, к концу отношение к жанру кардинально изменилось.
Love this album, some really good stuff.
Good
So good
I initially stumbled across this album when a video about the samples popped up on my YouTube feed. Absolutely fell in love with this. This is one of those albums that you truly have to listen to before you die. An absolute masterpiece, particularly the beginning section. The back half is a bit hit or miss for me personally, but it never lessens my enjoyment of the album
Perfection.
This kind of loopy, sample-based electronic music of some of my very favorite of all electronic music, and ‘Since I Left You’ is an absolute classic. It really doesn’t get much better than this. It’s sunny, it’s psychedelic, it feels both familiar and brand new at the same time, it’s incredibly creative, and it’s complex enough that it has a ton of replay value with something new to notice on many subsequent listens. One version of my perfect day involves an all-day pool party where everything is the perfect temperature and sunburns don’t exist and it happens in this album’s universe. 10/10
Wowee... this was A-mazing, I didn't think based on the genres I woudl like it, but the first song on the album had me hooked. I can imagine playing this at a summer house party.. ALSO can we speak about Frontier Psychiatrist, why did this actually make me laugh out loud, never happened before but looking for the next time it can
Yup, I absolutely loved this. I was immediately hooked (the opener is so good). There is just something about sample-based music that tickles my brain in a special way. I liked how some samples were recurring in multiple songs. I can see how some people would find it repetitive or annoying, but this to me just hits. Favourite tracks: Since I Left You, Two Hearts In 3/4 Time, Frontier Psychiatrist
This is so funky. I like the samples bleeding over between songs, it makes it a great album for a full listen. The only mark on it is some of the repetitive vocals samples overstayed a bit on a few tracks, but not enough for me to knock my score down
Talk about a proper ALBUM experience. This really takes you on a ride and never has a dull moment, a few points where I felt that I zoned out a little bit (because I was at my extremely dull job) but in fairness this album was a lot to take in on a first listen. The artists here have a good understanding of exactly when to change lanes and hit you with something unexpected or to take things down. I have listened to DJ Shadow on this list but reading about this album was the first time that I had heard the term plunderphonics. Admittedly, I don't have a great vocabulary when describing music so my best analogy for listening to this is like going on a night out early and coming home at sunrise, changing venues every half an hour as you reach peak drunkenness about three-quarters of the way through and just about everything in your night goes right for you. I will say that Avalanches is a much better name for the band than one of their earlier names "Whoops Downs Syndrome". But what can you expect from people who moved from Maryborough (cult country) to Melbourne (dickhead city). This was a phenomenal experience on multiple listens, I am very grateful to have received this as today's pick for an album, truly something that is well out of my wheelhouse. A true joy. Highlights: Since I Left You, A Different Feeling, Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life, Frontier Psychiatrist, Little Journey, Extra Kings
5/5. Such a unique album that it's hard not to include on a list like this. The production is phenomenal, it really just feels like one continuous track, with foreshadowing of future tracks with some samples and some repeated themes throughout. It just seems like they are having a lot of fun here with these samples as it shows through the chosen samples. The beats are enjoyable as well with random instruments and sounds added throughout. It's also crazy that they just dropped this as a debut. Best Song: Frontier Psychiatry, Since I Left You, Live at Dominoes
I have known about this for a while, but never really understood it until a full listen. Feels like such a complete project overall. Not only do all songs kind of run into one another, but thematically it just feels very complete and kind of creates its own weird world. Its like the total opposite of the Chemical Brothers where there are looped bits, but so much development and other sounds are happening around them. I especially love the parts or samples of some of the songs which run into the next. Also it doesn'y really feel like it fits into a genre box, which is weirdly refreshing. It's so well made that with all these samples, and there's absolutely no timing mistakes at all. Favourite songs: feels very wrong to single out one so its all of them. Will definitely come back to this. Overall around 9/10
I could be quite biased here as I LOVE this album but even being as objective as possible, it's hard to fault it. It was such a fresh and different sort of album when it came out, and that's now 25 years ago, unbelievably. They've taken hundreds of disparate pieces of samples, old films, crate digging nuggets and just sewn them together into a crazy patchwork that sounds like a non-stop party for a full hour. Frontier Psychiatrist is its insane centrepiece but only scratches the surface of what makes this such an enjoyable listen. It also nails the artwork and overall visual aesthetics. A true modern masterpiece.
basically the perfect combination of Having Already Listened Numerous Times and Been A Long Long Long Long Long Time Since I Last Heard for an ideal comfort revisit in the context of this project. and honestly given that i have been so fugking exhausted from work recently im gonna let myself off light here, u prob dont need me to explain why this is a good record lol. but i dont wanna waste this space so here's a few observations: (1) i forgot this record was a full hour long, i always remembered it as shorter. prob a function of the extremely melty tracklist? (2) ive always found this record very comforting but im only now realizing that idk how i would exactly precisely describe my emotional reaction to it. ig its bittersweet? maybe its the calm after the storm? or just a Too Brief eye in it? (3) an effect i often get from plunderphonics is a Dizzy one, like im falling thru an alice in wonderland rabbithole constructed of samples and i cant see the bottom and cant see the top. i dont rly feel that with this record??? maybe its the familiarity? maybe the dancey focus provides some grounding? (4) this might be an unpopular opinion, but that boy needs therapy
What a burst of joy! I think it’s best heard as a whole, like a Mozart concerto, to fully grasp the sample heavy grandeur of this album. Frontier Psychiatrist is a perfect example of the groundbreaking mash of spoken word, celestial choirs, and old school scratching. A masterpiece.
Lived it. What a vibe!
My first exposure to this album, like many, came through the Frontier Psychiatrist video. A friend showed it to me around 2010 or so. It was one of those moments where I remember thinking, "I didn't know music could sound like this, or BE this." Of course I had heard groups like Daft Punk, who used a lot of samples in their music, but this was different. This was an overwhelming blast of hooks with left turns virtually every measure; and because of that, I was instantly hooked on The Avalanches. I can only imagine how early fans felt knowing that they'd have to wait 16 years for a followup album, but they were probably kept somewhat satisfied knowing they had a virtually perfect album on their hands.
There are party records and there are PARTY RECORDS that transcend mere background music to become catalysts for joy and movement, and this is undoubtedly the latter: a sample-stitched masterpiece that transforms any space into an instant celebration.
Classic plunderphonics album. It feels like going on a journey/cruise. You go to different places, different emotions and feelings. Paints a beautiful picture
Listening to it as a concept album, it’s easy to get lost in its swirling textures and playful transitions. The way each track melts into the next creates a feeling of being on a surreal, nostalgic adventure, almost like flipping through radio stations as a child, each one carrying fragments of past memories. For me, the emotional core of the album comes from how it balances joy and melancholy. Flight Tonight is one of the most hypnotic and transportive tracks on Since I Left You. The way the track opens with that looping, swirling sample instantly sets the mood. The pulsing rhythm and chopped-up vocal snippets give it a sense of motion, like turbulence both literal and emotional. Where as, tracks like* Since I Left You* and* Electricity* radiate warmth, like a perfect summer day. Similar to Lemon Jelly's A Tune For Jack & The Staunton Lick. The most enjoyable part of listening was surrendering to the album’s flow. Never knowing what’s coming next but trusting that it would make sense in the grand scheme of things. It’s one of those albums where you can hear something new with every listen, catching tiny details you missed before.
Insane what you can create with so many different samples. 4 stars for the music, 1 extra for creativity
Banging album, really enjoyed it. Each tune flowed into the next, love it
This is the most original thing I've heard in my entire life!
Lost my review. Solid 5 Stars.
It’s a 5. I got up, I hopped around, and I just felt the music once it became clear this was gonna be another sample heavy “plunderphonics” album, ala DJ Shadow, but with a much more electronica/synth/club bend, as opposed to the more hip-hop/trip-hop vibe of “Endtroducing…”. Since I was literally just vibing that hard, I can’t really give any major critiques on the music or the samples – a few tracks were certainly less energetic than others, and a few of the shorter transitional tracks felt awkward, but… that’s a pretty damn fast 60 minutes. Super easy to get up and groove to, and when it nails a good beat drop / switch / whatever the hell, it feels kinda electric. The length of the album does bite at the experience a little, since a few tracks do feel like they peak after the first minute, and the overall energy isn’t quite as strong as a Fatboy Slim / Prodigy album, but it’s still pretty strong regardless. I wish I could provide a more critical analysis, but when you’re in the groove, I don’t think critiques necessarily matter – someone else can break down the complexities of the 4/4 (or 3/4) beats here, but I think my foot feels the complexities of tapping just a bit too hard on the ground. I really, really enjoyed this – it’s worth the acclaim it gets, and it’s a highly recommended 5 from me.
5/5 one of my personal favorite albums
vier bis fünf Frontier Psychiatrist Since i left you
It's hard to think of a more uplifting album experience. Just great vibes and amazing production throughout, it feels like 1 cohesive song. The well-known songs are classics, and for good reason, but the rest stands it's ground too.
Arguably the peak of sample-based music. Just feels like an album that couldn’t have being released after 9/11. The kind of music that could only be made by two people soaking in that Australian sun, unfiltered by ozone.
This was class
Actually really liked it- was very fatboy slim, chemical brothers, daft punk ish but its own kind of feeling. I liked the samples and breaking up of chaos with classical instruments on there
7/1089 - This album always puts me in a better mood. Masterclass use of sampling. The vocals are a bit repetitive but the variety of sounds and musical ideas throughout the album make up for it. Love this one.
-I had heard about this album and had been wanting to listen to it for a while because it sounded like something I would like… and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED -seriously can’t stop listening to this. feels like tropical paradise. such amazing work with the sampling, i notice something new and cool every time i listen to it -def works best as a full album listen rather than a work you pick out individual songs from imo. very immersive -Favorites are Since I Left You, Radio, Flight Tonight, and Tonight May Have To Last Me All Night
amazing and wonderful... haven't listened to this album in its entirety since 2017- i would always come back to the first 6 tracks or so, but this showed me that the whole album is beautiful and full of life.
Everything about this album is amazing. Simply the way it was made, but also the execution, the bonkers ideas, the collage of so many different sources, the grooves, the layers…. Incredible album. Ushered in the new millennium for sure. Must listen #63.
Absolute class. Both conceptually and musically a journey. Loved this when it came out and reminds me of finding my feet in a new chapter of life. There is optimism and fearlessness pouring out of the speakers. Up there in favourite albums of all time
fucking awesome. best disco album ever and probably one the best instrumental hip-hop album ever
One of the best albums of its type - a myriad of samples mixed to make a kaleidoscopic album that flows from track to track.
This has been on my list for a long time so I'm glad I finally had an excuse to listen to it. This did not disappoint at all. The hype surrounding this album is completely valid. This album has moments where it is fun and dancy then other moments where it is genuinely very beautiful. This album really is a journey. I can't believe it took me this long to this... better late than never I guess. Favorite track: Since I Left You 4.5/5
Hipnótico and full of technical skill
absolute belter of an album. Goes to show that sampling is a true artform. Taking anothers work and building upon it is one of the main tenets of humanity
soo cooooool what the hellll an avalanche of feel good music with crazy samples, great transitions and scratches??? i don’t even really know what more to say, i had a blast. my favorite part was the kid saying “a bird YEAH” 5 anxious attachment styles because The Avalanches better never leave me!
A crowded party Ebbs and sways to sampled tracks Lives life through the beat
100% deserves to be considered the quintessential plunderphonics album. The amount of samples packed into it is genuinely insane and it forms such an amazing cohesive experience you honestly would have no idea any of it it was sampled whatsoever. The Frontier Psychiatrist music video is still one of the best ever as well in my eyes.
This is CHAOS I love it. A showcase of how to use effects and samples for artistic purposes, I think all modern musicians should learn this. It's not the kind of music I listen to repeatedly, but I love this. 5/5.
A fantastic listening experience. I was enjoying myself the entire time listening to this album, one of my new favorites.
now this is an interesting one! haven't heard of the group or album before listening. this album is largely composed of sample flips, taking a lot of forgotten records and breathing new and interesting life to them. i like the very even balance of more energetic disco songs and ambient beats. it's a really hidden gem for electronic dance music.
This was SO MUCH FUN! That boy needs therapy.
Hype sampling init
Now this is an excellent album right here. Electronic music generally isn't my thing, but this style just works for me. I'm definitely getting some Endtroducing... vibes from this album, which is fitting because both of these album revolutionized the art of sampling. Apparently this album was made from thousands of samples, which is just insane. And they all come together to form a very cohesive album that I love. Each song continues into the next, and I love it. I do feel like the whole album experience is probably better than listening to its individual songs, but that's not to say that some songs don't stand out. The title track and "Frontier Psychiatrist" are particular highlights. Those tracks are just amazing, and the rest of them work very well together. The vibes are great, and the album doesn't overstay its welcome. This is easily one of the best electronic albums I've ever heard. It's an absolute classic. Good job Australia! Light 5/5.
Enjoyed. Funky
A real cinematic experience, each track flows into the next effortlessly creating interconnected dreamlike rooms. It's so layered I can't start to comprehend how they managed to take the countless samples to create something as cohesive as this. It's controlled chaos. It lacks standout tracks, but the whole album experience is what makes this so good. Best song: Two Hearts in 3/4 Time Worst song: Avalanche Rock
Listened to this while playing Civolution. I'm winning at the moment, but it is a long game. This took me right back to college. I loved this album then, and I still love it now. Hands down their best album. Perfection for me!
De momento mi fav de los nuevos (pg)
Favourite song - Close to you
One of my favourite albums! I love the use of samples throughout, and the songs are so catchy, even if the lyrics (like in Frontier Psychiatrist) make absolutely no sense and are just completely crazy! But there’s just a sense of real energy and fun throughout the album that infects me every time I listen to it, and I love it!
damn son
This was an incredible ride of an album and one that really fulfills the purpose of this list. This album ebbs and flows between thoughts and songs and moods in a beautiful flowing way. I would not have come across this album in my normal listening, but I would absolutely recommend this to others.
A great pioneering plunderphonics album that takes sampling to the next level and coheres perfectly.
lowkey visionary
Wow. Was blown away by this album. I noticed the sampling right away, and when I dig into the album info, found that they created this for fun using thousands of samples! Super cool and it all flows together so well. Every listen you discover something new. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: yes Favourite Song: so many
Very cool. Mixes genres
Life changing
An absolute pleasure to listen to. It’s hard to go through this album without a smile. Sample intensive (to say the least) dance m music of really high quality. The samples of different sounds, eras, locales all weave and flow around each other in harmony. The music is dancing with itself while you’re dancing to it.
MGMT vibe. Really dig. Sounds like an integrated collection of Kanye samples. Fav songs: 1. Frontier Psychiatrist 2. Electricity 3. Extra Kings Bet they are fantastic live.
An instrumental album not hard to hear. Perfect
Michael
Good album. Like the plunderphonics genre.
This album is criminally insane. Perfect for active or passive listening. Creative, fun and overall beautiful. A must listen to electronic experience
Classic
Caught me totally off guard but what an absolutely exceptional album this is. Describing its philosophy doesn’t really do it justice - the process of assembling a coherent record from sampled fragments is now commonplace, but it’s been executed so poorly that it can be easy to dismiss the truly outstanding exponents of this technique. But The Avalanches made a record that is completely unique, and more importantly it just doesn’t stop grooving for its entire hour-long duration. Hadn’t heard this record before but will definitely be going back to it from now on. Absolutely brilliant.
Jesus this a long one Ok this album is so meticulous and EVERY sound you hear has thought and purpose behind it. The transition from Radio to Two Hearts in 3/4 Time is insane. Summer Crane Thoroughly enjoyed this, fuck yea edit/ im cheating, this edit is 1.5 years later and this album alone was in my top 5 most listened to in 2024. I listened to this back to back to back constantly and I still come back to it all the time. 5/5
Nice electronic sound, tracks flow into eachother, great for background music
I love this album, perfect from start to finish. I have very found memories of this.
A lovely collage
"Frontier Psychiatrist" permanently altered my brain chemistry as a tween, so this album holds a special place in my heart. I have never listened to the full album before, just the singles and most recently just the title track. I didn't realize that the whole thing flows like one song/crossfaded set list. I love picking up the repeated samples that callback to other movements throughout the album (NEIGHHHH). This is an enormous effort that is super fun to listen and dance to. Great vibes, you could throw it on in the AM or the PM. YOU'RE A NUT! YOU'RE CRAZY IN THE COCONUT! WELL WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT BOY NEEDS THERAPY!
The Avalanches’ Since I Left You is a groundbreaking testament to the art of sample-based instramental music, standing proudly alongside DJ Shadow’s Entroducing and J Dilla’s Donuts as masterclasses in the genre. I first encountered this gem as a promo CD while interning at a publishing company in 2000, and it instantly captivated me. Its plunderphonic brilliance is undeniable, weaving a rich tapestry of samples into a seamless auditory experience. The album’s strength lies in its ability to continuously evolve and shift grooves, creating an effect akin to transitioning through ever-changing dreamscapes. Each listen reveals new layers and nuances, thanks to the intricate and swirling soundscapes that The Avalanches craft so effortlessly. This constant evolution, paired with an irresistible groove, ensures that Since I Left You remains engaging and fresh, making it a crucial influence on my work as a music producer. Despite the lengthy wait for a follow-up and the departure of a founding member, The Avalanches' debut remains a timeless piece of art. Its impact on the genre and on me personally is profound, cementing its place as a true classic.
The work they do sampling all the old tunes is simple amazing. And the best thing is that it sounds so relistenable
An absolute complete masterpiece. Still among top Sunday albums of all time. The only problem is that the inclusion of this album suggests someone making this list has listened to music in the last 30 years, but has only hit the top of the iceberg.
Delightful. A favorite. A memory.
Get a drink, have a good time now. Welcome to paradise! A delight to listen to this album straight through, the way it is meant to be consumed, and get the great track transitions and cross-album references. E.g. Track 2 (Stay another season) is really like Since I Left You pt 2 with the horse sample teasers to Frontier Psychiatrist. Sending those signals.. those digital signals! Two Hearts in 3/4 Time - like an idyllic stroll through a countryside Lots of bops I wouldn't remember by name, like A Different Feeling (track 9). That piano intro to Tonight May Have to Last Me All my Life.. Frontier Psychiatrist... unbeatable. The impact this song has had on my errant thoughts is hard to quantify,. FLIGHT 2-2 IS OFF TO HONOLULU! And a nice fade out... 5/5!
Maybe I'm crazy. This album was insanely good, front to back. The cohesion, the production, the creativity! I dare say there were no skips. Sure, some songs at the end weren't as captivating as those at the beginning, but I still thoroughly enjoyed everything I heard. As it had no skips, this album gets my very first 5!
Beautiful sonic design. Enjoyed jt thoroughly.
Since I Left You is just an incredible album. It takes the listener on such a musical journey. The title track has been one of my favorite avalanches tracks despite only getting into the duo in 2019. Their live sets are incredible as well.
Frontier psychiatrist ftw
A monumental achievement in sampling and dance music and an undeniable classic. Perhaps due to its sheer inventiveness or diversity, I think it holds up better than albums such as Endtroducing, and certainly compared to the poppier/big beat artists of the time like Fatboy Slim or Moby. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this, even if I do prefer their _amazing_ 2020 album We Will Always Love You quite a bit more.
Great immersive album, such an experience
The Avalanches know how to groove, but some of the songs get lost in the sauce here. Since I Left You is an incredible start that blends really well into Stay Another Season, but the stuff they're doing on Radio just doesn't hit for me. Then you have the middle of the album which all blends together really well, but becomes forgettable until A Different Feeling hits. Favorites are Two Hearts in 3/4 Time and Frontier Psychiatrist. EDIT: It's been a few days and I have to come back to this. I now accept that some of this might not be my style, but oh my god I have nothing but the highest respect for this album after realizing the number of samples that went into this. It's just damn impressive and needs to be commended.
One of the best produced albums ever. The song transitions flow so smoothly. The amount of time and effort it must have taken to find and effectively use all of these samples is simply mind boggling. Sampling is an art.
This album was created entirely with samples. If you research it, you’ll find it contains over 3,500 samples, making it a true testament to the art of sample-based music. For me, this album is like a time capsule. I remember the late ’90s and early 2000s very clearly, and this was the kind of music I was really into. It contains a lot of samples and vibes that bring back precious memories. When I say time capsule, I mean it on two levels: it captures the essence of the past through its samples, and it also resonates with me on a deep, personal, nostalgic level. This album has segments that are more house music oriented, but for the most part, it’s a chill out/downtempo album. Although I’ve known about this album for a long time and have heard bits and pieces of it in the past, I never played it from beginning to end until now. Looking back, I feel like I missed out, but better late than never.
Plunderphonics, dance. Super sample heavy instrumental. Loved it all the way through, honestly wish it was longer. 5/5
THERE'S A GENTLEMAN THAT'S GOING ROUND // TURNING THE JOINT UPSIDE DOWN
Literally one of my favourite albums ever. So inventive and Dexa is a genius on the decks
Awesome
The high water mark for sampling. Just an enjoyable ride front to back. Frontier Psychiatry is quotable as hell! And he also made false teeth
This is the album that got me on board with sample based music as an art form. Haven't really listened to The Avalanches in a while, but I still love them, and this album is great as a cohesive experience listened to in order.
A no-skips sonic journey that reminds you that a party is only possible with other people.
Some of the songs on this album should be added to the playlists of fast fashion stores, difficult-to-understand contemporary art exhibitions, culturally savvy hipster cafés and the game Beach Volleyball Summer Fest for the PS2. 5/5.
I had no expectations for this and when the first track started I assumed it was going to be some disco-funk album that I really wasn't in the mood for. I was delightfully surprised to learn that this is one of the smoothest, booty-moving, mood-boosting, low-fi sets that I've heard in a long time. Besides how skillfully crafted and assembled the pieces, one of the biggest things that strikes me about this album is that if it were made today it would probably never get a professional release as an album through a publishing house—it'd be released in a sea of podcasts and loved by their followers. Then five years later it'd disappear without warning when they broke up and shut down their SoundCloud account, leaving naught but the fond memories of a few and a soundless placeholder within The Internet Archive to prove it ever existed.
already very familiar with this album. one of the standard-bearers for sample-based music for me, so music fun and consistently vibrant across its 18 tracks. I haven’t listened to this in a while so I’m rating this based off memory. 9-9.5
Since I Left You and Frontier Psychiatrist were the big hits but the other deep cuts were surprisingly evocative and good. Really enjoyed this.
💖 frontier psychiatrist 🗣️ 9️⃣
Very cool
They sample and scratch a fucking bird. All you need to know about this incredible record
Great stuff.
NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL COOKING!!!
the light at the end of the tunnel that is 90s electronic music
Love the samples and chopping, a new sound I haven’t really heard before
Such a great ride. This album is crazy in the coconut. The Avalanches are fantastic. Fave Tracks: Since I Left You, Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life, Frontier Psychiatrist, Summer Crane 4.8/5
You wanna know how many times I’ve quoted “Frontier Psychiatrist” over the years? I would like to know as well, because it would probably be a crazy (in the coconut) high number.
A groundbreaking masterpiece!
Ah yess weer een beetje een modern album. Had deze lang niet meer geluisterd, maar erg chill Vet dat deze hier tussen staat, onverwachts maar heeel terecht
Probably the only true album that you must hear before you die. To make an album that's made of disjointed samples and to structure them in a way that both sounds good and is as cohesive and as smooth as SILY is extraordinary, most bands fail to do this with normal instruments. There will never be another album like this, even The Avalanches didn't try this style again, opting for more actual instrumentation and features on their next two albums.
It was fun. I enjoyed the album flowed seamlessly between songs
Deze heb ik ontdekt toen een lotgenoot deze moest luisteren voor de lijst en sindsdien heb ik deze meerdere keren geluisterd. Een ontzettende zomerse, lekkere plaat van begin tot eind. Een combinatie van house, soul, instrumentale hiphop en triphop. Als het een boek was zou het volgens de leraar Nederlands niet meetellen voor de literatuurlijst, maar dat houdt me niet tegen om een 5 te geven.
Hell yes.
Changed the Australian music topography
masterpiece