Reviews (page 9 of 10)
Today's helping is another electronica album, so I went in not expecting much. I have been known to hate that genre of music! The Avalanches are apparently an important exponent of "Plunderphonics", which is a music genre in the electronica realm, in which tracks are constructed by sampling recognizable musical works. Apparently, it is estimated that this album alone has roughly 900 samples scattered throughout! I find this album very repetitive, and one song runs into the next, so keeping track of what song I was listening to was a chore. For some reason, the whole album has a record crackling noise dubbed over the top of everything as if you were listening to this on an old hi fi, which is odd. As weird as it sounds, this was leaps and bounds better than any of the other electronica garbage that has been served up so far. Now don't get me wrong, it sure isn't something I would actively listen to on the daily, but as background music it isn't bad. Favourite songs: Frontier Psychiatrist, Electricity, Avalanche Rock, Live at Dominoes Least favourite songs: Two Hearts in 3/4 Time, Summer Crane 3/5
I’ve always thought this genre was more of a palate cleanser than anything else, but I really enjoyed this one. Not enough to listen to it again because, I’m a sucker for lyrics, but this is perhaps the best album of this genre I’ve ever heard, whatever this genre is called? The structure and chords were fantastic. The way they use 3/4 timing in “Two Hearts in 3/4 Time” is really dope in a way I haven’t heard before. 4/5
мило узнавать хиты из молодости, но так просто виньетки какие-то из всего
Fantastically quirky, full of intelligent samples and catchy beats
Every song just flows amazingly, also fantastic samples
I know what I'm listening to if I ever hang with Molly. Not my thing.
I had this at the time, though it wasn't an obvious album for me. I quite like it, but I'm not sure it stands up to much repeat listening. It's sort of OK, I don't know, maybe now I've got to talk about it maybe it's just quite boring and repetitive. Still like Frontier Psychiatrist though.
Great way to start a day - positive, uplifting, joyous.
Awesome new sounds, gets a bit repetitive (72%)
The entire album is very groovy! I dig the entire album.
This was fine, but the genre isn’t for me
Well made but not really for me.
Honestly didn't do much for me. I found the random talking too distracting. The music is varied, which is cool I guess.
Yeah!
This was an interesting and long pop/electronic album. The first song started off great and I really enjoyed it. As the album progressed it felt like it had some daft punk sounds going on and other times it felt like a 90s pop album mixed with distorted techno sounds which wasn’t great. And then I found out I still had about six more songs. Overall it was too long for what it was and didn’t live up to the first song. 4.6/10
A mixtape album rather than an album, a collage of samples lovingly assembled but also, like the 2manydjs and cut up stuff prevelant in the noughties also exhausting.
Ok edm, nice background music, but not something I would listen to
A ratos pop, a ratos electrónico. Fácil de escuchar. Sintetizadores y efectos varios
Alright
I didn't enjoy this on the first listen. I went back and had this in the background while doing some work and I enjoyed it a lot.
2.5/5 It’s not bad, but normally not my type of music. Still I kept interested in this album, so I’m having a hard time to rate this album. Maybe I should try it again some time. I like how the songs flow into eachother. Favourite song: - Frontier psychiatrist
Background music
One of my all time favorite albums, listening now brings back a lot of memories from the summer after graduating High School, driving around windows down, blaring Since I Left You. There wasn't anything else quite like this album at that time. Help pave the way for many densely layered electronic albums since, Stand out tracks "Frontier Psychiatrist", and of course "Since I Left You".
While I did not love every song on this album, the overall sound and flow and construction and musicality of this album blew me away.
Enjoyed this, I'll be looking further into their catalogue.
I almost started to like this, then it started to repeat and got annoying. It was kind of chill, but again, when a song repeats the same thing over and over, I start to hate it.
Highlights: Since I Left You, Flight Tonight, Electricity, Frontier Psychiatrist, Etoh
Amalgama de samples i retalls dels '80s i de diferents estils per generar un treball més cerebral que encissador, tot i que és com una marea sonora que si et deixés t'acaba emportant suaument
3.5 stars. Different sounding electronic album. Brings in a lot of elements and sounds and samples. Standout is "Frontier Psychiatrist" which seems chaotic but underlying beat and overall mix keeps it really fun.
Prettig gestoorde niemendalletjes op deze plaat, een raar soort trip die aan je voorbijvliegt. Het heeft vooral curiositeitswaarde, echt raken doet het niet. Zo eentje die je nog een keer moet luisteren omdat je je afvraagt: hm, wat heb ik eigenlijk gehoord?
Dit album heeft soms wel erg schel geluid en klinkt soms juist weer erg dof. Maar ik luister deze keer ook op de laptop. Misschien ligt dat daaraan? Dus nog maar eens in de auto opgezet. Ook daar dat geluid. In combinatie met de vele samples klinkt het wel hierdoor wel erg als een zolderkamerproduct. Wel creatief in elkaar gezet. Ik zal ook eens nieuwere muziek van hen opzoeken. Want al waren ze er met dit album nog niet. Veelbelovend is het toch wel.
Plunderhouse. Oftewel, house (lounge in dit geval meer) waarbij je bijna uitsluitend gebruik maakt van samples. Weer wat geleerd. Beter goed gejat, dan slecht bedacht. Het is één grote mix van samples, maar je bent continu aan het luisteren of je dingen herkent. Het belangrijkste is dat het lekker vrolijk is en dat is zeker na de depri 80s van de afgelopen weken een absolute verademing.
pretty cool/out there techno album. i liked the orchestral stuff they threw in every once in a while
Good sampling
4.3 - A warm, upbeat and lovingly composed dance record that flows perfectly for a full hour. Also a terrific piece of sampledelia in the vein of DJ Shadow, Panda Bear...Highlights: "Frontier Psychiatrist", "Tonight..."
Ooooohhhhh I really like this. Love the crackley vinyl effect and the choice of samples. Excellent for chilling out. Omg I love Frontier Psychiatrist.
J’ai trouvé cet album intrigant, un bon complément à un mood plus intérieur
This is what electronic music is all about. I got a lot of enjoyment out of this album, standout track - Frontier Psychiatrist
I have a mild obsession and listen to this all the time. One of my favorite albums of all time
Okay I suppose
SO MUCH FUN!! the vibes are immaculate
I really vibed with this. It all flows so nicely, each song goes into the next seamlessly. It was all over the place, crazy as a coconut
Funky lil tunes
Album number 365 of this big old journey and it's an exciting one. One of the first truly great albums of this millennium, this is immaculately produced and just a very impressive and groovy experience. I'm taking off one star just because, other than the title track, I've never really got a lot emotionally out of the record
Fun low key vibes
þokkalega skemmtilegt, gæti spilað aftur. Verður frekar langdregið, margar tilraunir sem virka svipað
Some highs & lows. Overall a decent album. In certain settings it could be a 4 star.
Not the type of music I'd listen to with headphones on. I get how it would be groundbreaking for use of samples in dance music, but not really my jam.
I liked it but also a bit too much going on here
Good
Weird and fun, with a couple of my favourite dance tunes - frontier psychiatrist being the absolute best. So many samples, from so many random places, that it can sound jumbled. But when they get it right, they get it so right!
Frontier Psychiatrist was memorable
Very mediocre, nothing bad but I would definitely not listen again
Look they’re super talented. I just don’t particularly enjoy this sound. In my opinion there’s too much repetition with not enough change to keep me interested. I know this is a crazy influential album and I know there’s other albums in this space that I really enjoy so it’s hard for me to rate it this low but it just doesn’t hit for me.
Creative jaunt through multiple genres from dance pop to trip hop. Expectations met. Definitely not an every day listen, but hits when this genre is what you're looking for
One of favorite complete listens. Such a great album.
since i left you contains a lot of sampledelia; i've mentioned this before, but suffice to say, sometimes i worry sampling shows more of a lack of creativity and doesn't allow an artist to create their own music. the songs that didn't rely too much on sampling other pieces of work were better. the album alternated between easy listening and dance music, an interesting combination. there were some noises early in the album that were incredibly jarring and unpleasant. all in all, a forgettable listen.
The album had an excellent flow; it felt continuous and like one combined, cohesive experience. This is not my first sampledelia type album on this project, though, so if I'm being honest, I just don't think I'm particularly into sampledelia from a musical perspective. Technically, it is impressive, and it wasn't even bad to listen to, but I just wasn't really grabbed by this.
I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed. I've heard so much more effective use of sampling. The feat of layering that has been acheived here is astounding, but I feel the technique gets so blurred, it just becomes dense music. Nothing about this album was memorable for me. I'd expect to hear it playing in some fashionable shop.
Samples making soundscapes for working or chillin
Some chill hip hop beats to work/study to
I wish I could do halves. Not a 2 and not a 3. Lo fi LL cool J. Not bad, cool beats
hey its that psychiatrist song
Funky
Parecia mais legal, lembra daft punk, lembra justice, mas é mais repetitivo
Better than I expected. I’d never heard of them.
In the realm of albums exclusively built with other musicians' samples, *this* just can't compete with the first DJ Shadow releases. DJ Shadow had it all: mystery, breadth, scope, dynamics, groove, melodies, evocative nocturnal moods, a varied tracklisting... In comparison, The Avalanches sound like a one-trick pony. They're meek, one-note, even bland sometimes (sure, they're messy as well, but it's a mess that flattens everything out to the same sort of mundane, ordinary level). Pretty ironical when you beat the world's record of the number of samples used for a single album (or you're close to beat it anyway). It's not a surprise even the creators of this album had a lot of trouble selecting a track from it that would be a decent single. They say it's because you couldn't extract one out of the original sequence it's from somehow. But maybe the truth is simpler than that. Maybe it's because *nothing* actually stands out in this record... Number of albums left to review: 710 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 145 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 70 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 81 (including this one)
This one was a new listen; definitely put a smile on my face and will be adding it as a regular session listen. I could see this as a great party starter for a summer BBQ kinda thing.
not exciting
I prefer Endtroducing…’s beat heavy Space Odyssey and Steinski’s pop culture call-and-response to this sweeping, baroque approach to sampling. Then again, I adore It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back which is pretty dense so maybe I just don’t like the execution here as much (It Takes a Nation brought the NOISE and Since I Left You is more easy listening so there’s that bias too). All that said, this is pretty enjoyable overall, I’m just picky.
Nice
Amazing album
Sounded great and was the perfect length. Surprisingly original even if a couple too many songs sounded the same. A great record.
This album is so amazing. I could probably listen to it forever.
A fun listen, lots of different styles meshed together. I somehow missed this when it was new.
Likable and fun and different. Baroquely layered and danceable (if one's into that sort of thing).
Mostly great
An album made entirely of samples all spliced together. Cool tech (for the early 2000s) but not something I'd normally listen to
Incredibly of its time, but not dated.
The Avalanches found a unique sound that helped Electronica find the mainstream with future artists. It is fascinating that now, years later, they are beginning to get the recognition they deserve. Sampling not only older R&B tracks, but using different drum and orchestration pieces in a multi-layered album, it is easy to forget just how innovative this was because it set the tone for the genre.
Since I left you is not what I expected. Flight tonight is kinda a poopy. Quiet electronic but really feels like it could have come out yesterday not 22 years ago. Frontier psychiatrist sounds awesome. Not quite my cup of tea, but does sound like a multiple listen sorta album. Wouldn't hate revisiting.
love this. cool transitions
Pelkästään sampleja...
This is one of the most surprising discoveries since I started with this project. It reminds me so much of Daft Punk but with its unique identity and style. The songs change from rock, hip-hop to straight electronica. They use interesting samples and manages to always keep things exciting and fresh. This is a 5/5 and something I gladly would like to go back to and listen to more.
Nice instrumental album !
Wooooww!! Very very very good instrumental, electronic, sample album.... Pretty much all I love and so week executed. 5/5
Wild, out-there fun. Not one's cup of tea, generally, but this takes off to otherworldly places and mostly stays there. Awfully listenable for being so densely layered.
weird
Samples. Lots of Samples. But that alone doesn't make for a good album. I guess this is not my kind of music at all. 2/5
Didn't know what to expect knowing nothing about the group. The album turned out to be disappointing, repetitive and ultimately irritating.
Not a big listener of electronic, but I really enjoyed this. Will definitely listen to more. And their new album features Johnny Marr!
Brings back memories of my time working at Virgin Megastores whilst I was a student. This album was played a lot and listening to it again took me right back. It’s a vibrant and bright listen and always shifting enough to keep you tuned in. A couple of standout numbers.
gets an extra star for frontier psychiatrist, rest of the album felt like background noise as it has no flow
Bra fredagsmusikk 🙌
begynte bra men litt plagsomt i lengden
A few interesting songs, but mostly it just sounds like background music to me.
An interesting album, basically all samples. Best listened in a row as there's smooth transitions between songs, still I've liked certain bits more than the otehrs. Saved songs: Since I Left You, Flight Tonight, A Different Feeling, Frontier Psychiatrist, Live At Dominoes
The way these samples are layered is just astonishing. The Avalanches really paved the way for so many electronic musicians after them.
It was okay
I'm of two minds on this one. On one hand, it had some great grooves that helped me stay productive today. On the other, I can't remember much about any of it, even though I listened to it twice. It's like a dream that you can't hang onto or articulate once you wake up, and it doesn't really affect your life in any meaningful way, except that you got some good rest. Also there were sequences where it felt like the soundtrack for an adolescent mind-trip montage in a low-budget Netflix show, but it also wasn't quite as interesting as all that. Best track: All of them?
Meticulously brilliant, and with enough catchy tunes to keep you listening to complexity here. One to revisit on a sunny pool party kind of day. 17/04/23
Loved the extended version. Learning it was all made with vinyl samples blew my son away.
Very meh
Never heard of em.
Don’t remember it so must not have been great.
Great example of mixing using samples. I had no problem enjoying this album in the background while I worked. I'm not so sure I'd recommend it as a must listen, but I would definitely relisten to this. 4/5.
Sonic madness. Wouldn't you just hate to be the lawyer in charge of sample clearance? Some of these LPs have never seen the light of day. A real good time, a great albums that stands toe to toe with the likes of DJ Shadow's debut. There's something for everyone to recognise on this.
The album was off to a great start, the titular song was totally up my alley. I also appreciated the seamless transitions between every song, however it made it hard to appreciate each song for what it was as I didn’t know where one ended and another started. Not a big fan of the industrial electronic vibe in some songs but overall was a decent listening experience. As a note, part of ‘Summer Crane’ sounded exactly like a Minecraft backing track.
I enjoyed the majority of the album, the first little bit didnt grasp my attention, but then it picked up, an interesting and different listen Very satisfying that its exactly 1 hour long 4
I was blown away by the complexity of the arrangements, the variety of samples and the sheer joy and elation that emanates from this album from beginning to end.
It's like MF DOOM for electronic music. Grows on you the more you listen.
I love this album. Such a fun and unique listen.
Not bad. I could see myself occasionally listening to some of this again if I remember
Прослушано
So we finally get an Australian act. Yay! What a let-down. Stitching together bits of other people's work isn't music. At least the first "song" has some sort of variation. But by the time you get to Flight Tonight all interest is lost. Can you seriously take pride in the never ending repetition of a few seconds of sound? Why MUST I listen to this? Music requires some musical skill. This just requires copy and paste.
Pleasantly surprised at this one, when thinking about my dislike for the genre.. Generally good transitions and some fun tracks Favourites: since I left you, Radio, tonight may have to last me all of my life Least fave: Frontier psychiatrist 4/5
Interesting music with some cool songs on the album
instrumental hip-hop, acid jazz, and funk combine in a lovely box o' chocolates of an album.
This album expertly creates changing landscapes of sound that take the listener from disco clubs, to speakeasies, and notably inside a film. The transitions are done smoothly and the scope of the album has a larger than life cinematic feels. The sampling is top notch as well. This is certainly one of the most engaging electronic albums I’ve ever listened to.
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.
I knew Frontier Psychiatrist. Turns out I also knew Since I Left You, without actually knowing that it was The Avalanches. Frontier Psychiatrist can be a little overpowering. It's a great track, but can get a bit tiring because there is loads going on, and it's difficult to keep abreast of all the things there are assaulting your earballs. However - in the context of this album, it is amazing. This album is amazing. Speaking of keeping abreast - you need to, because this album is absolutely, 100% The Tits. I was not expecting it to be. I was in the market for this sort of thing back in 2000/2001 - and it didn't hit me. I wish it did, because I think it may have changed the course of my life. I'll say again. This album is The Tits. If there's anything I'd want to give more than 5 stars because it has gone over and above what I was expecting, what I was hoping for, and what I need to hear, it's this. There's some great albums in this list - and very, punishingly few of them come close to how good this is. Man, this is GOOD.
Respect the amount of sampling that went into making this album and I thought the transitions between songs were pretty seamless. There's a big lo-fi element that makes it somewhat quaint at times. Overall suffers from the same issues I have with most electronic music which is repetitiveness. Might be more fun in a live setting, but for individual listening is really boring to listen to. The only song I found interesting was "Frontier Psychiatrist" which pretty dynamic/not repetitive and had a cool Halloween/spooky theme throughout.
Frontier Psychiatrist is awesome. Loved this when I was younger. But a full album of similar is a bit much.
A bit much at times
This was a mostly pleasant and groovy thing to listen to half heartedly
Not my favourite, though I kinda liked Frontier Psychiatrist.
Alku oli ehkä vähän mielikuvituksetonta ja toisteellista, mutta levyn edetessä pääsi ihan hyvin fiilikseen kiinni. Pari kertaa pyöräytin konttorilla läpi ja ihan OK fiilis jäi.
Joitain biisejä onkin vuosien saatossa löytynyt erinäisiltä soittolistoilta viihdyttävyyden vuoksi. Kokonaisuus ei niille ihan pärjää. Kuitenkin oikein kuunneltava levy
Instrumental success
Different tunes
Banger
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.
a new morsel with every listen
I like electronic and sample heavy music in general, so I expected to like this album. While I got the vibe the most part, I think some songs had samples which were played just too often and the album itself was a good 15min too long for my taste.
Listened to on 9/21/22 3/5 Favorite song: since I left you The idea behind this album of flowing bits of music together flawlessly is genius but also pure chaos at times
This remains an extremely cool album to listen to all the way through, even with some really weird songs throughout. Since I Left You is still one of my favorite songs.
Wasn't familiar with the album, really enjoyed it, would give it another listen, set a lovely atmosphere
Hugely enjoyable but basically vacuous since it's an album of samples and a disco beat. Appeals to Millennials who hark back to the old days....bless.
Interesting sounds, not my favourite
Boring samples
Much better than their later crap. Still don't really get why I was so into this album as a teenager.
Had no idea what to expect from this and found it enjoyable enough
Surprising
Interesting one today, solid 3 for me, because it's not entirely for me but it's loads better than some generic background stuff. Also can't believe it's more than 20 years old, has a much fresher sound than that.
Love this. I knew the title track and Frontier Psychiatrist from before, but never listened to the album. This is one that is very much an album rather than a collection of songs, it flows so well and it manages to be a really easy listen to have on in the background whilst working and worth delving into deeper for a proper listen. 4/5, will definitely listen to again. Amazed by the complexity of it too.
Spawned a genre. Not for me Some is very samey. Frontier Psy is very clever
Really great album. Amazing sampling, smile inducing tunes. Bought this record a few years ago off the back of Frontier Psychiatrist. Highlights: Since I Left You, Frontier Psychiatrist, Close to You, Flight Tonight
It's just wallpaper. "Music" for people who don't like music.
Another great display of sampledelica after listening to 'Fear of a Black Planet'. Feels like you're in a movie based in the ocean, and the never-ending range of sounds and samples are the waves. Favourite Tracks: - Frontier Psychiatrist - Tonight - Since I Left You - Live at Dominoes - Two Hearts in 3/4 Time - Electricity - A Different Feeling - Close to You - Etoh - Flight Tonight - Radio - Extra Kings Overall Grade: 5/5 (A / A-)
Repetitive
Pretty sweet grooves and vibes. Definitely will relisten/put this in regular rotation.
It's somewhere between J Dilla and Kamasai Washington, but with a few too many horse samples.
Frontier Psychiatrist was in my heavy rotation when this came out.
Kinda weird and some cool moments, definitely to be experienced the whole way through.
Repetitive. Couldn't finish
Ah yes, the plunderphomics album. Ive always enjoyed this album, but to be honest I've never seen why it's held in such high regard by some people. I've seen this on the top of many people's personal favorites, and it just never clicked that much with me. The absurd amount of sounds and textures, while being the main gimmick of the band, push me away to an extent. On this listen however, I did notice the mid-song transitions hit a bit differently, like the title track or frontier psychologist, which continue to not only be my favorite tracks on the album, but the only two I regularly return to.
Stone cold classic.
I've heard "Frontier Psychiatry" before and thought it was pretty neat, but listening to the whole album I just wasn't into it. Maybe if I was stoned and in the dark and concentrating on 100% it would do something for me, but with a fairly passive listen I couldn't dig it.
Some fun tracks on this album. Not one I plan to return to as it just didn't grab me overall, but it's good.
Stone cold classic, one of the perfect summer albums.
Honestly, good background music for work, but not sure I'd just listen for fun.
It was a good album, but not my speed.
First album here that's going in my regular rotation
Masterpiece. An hour-long journey constructed from small snippets of a few thousand dollar bin records, but crucially, it's a mesmerizing piece of music beyond just the process. Lots of good memories jamming out to this Watch the "Frontier Psychiatrist" music video if you haven't seen it Only topped (arguably) by their subsequent two albums
I had never heard of this band, but I really enjoyed it. I liked how the musical themes carried from track to track, and told a musical story.
Never heard of them like many. Really enjoyed the energy
I recognized the first track but otherwise had never heard of The Avalanches or this album before now. I had to give it a re-listen after listening to a podcast about how it came to be (thanks Ryan). Definitely appreciated the artistry and intense amount of work that went into making it on the second go. Certainly an album I'll go back to.
Not really my jam.
Good work music but didn't love it.
Really enjoyable listen, Frontier Psychiatrist was a song I only ever knew casually and in passing (and I didn't know the name or artist). Hearing the album build slowly and then having that drop was a fun surprise. My only gripe, if you could call it that, was that I didn't hear anything that I recognized as a hook until "Electricity" which is the 10th track on the album. I feel like the whole thing would be just as effective (and more concise) if you chopped off the front 25% of the runtime. I'll be coming back to this, for sure.
Uhh fine, this is a 5. But I give it under protest to Sean’s election tampering. Even now I can’t be sure if my 5 is somehow influenced by his interference.
i was on wikipedia for this and learned the word sampledelia and its the perfect word for this. kinda feels like you're just flipping through a radio that gets broadcasts from the last hundred years, sometimes overlayed into a dope beat.
Love this album and its clever use of samples. Ground breaking stuff at the time, but it just drags on a little too much for me in some places. A Different Feeling into Electricity is the best part of this album. 4.5 but cant get to 5. So 4/5
Groundbreaking classic. In my top ten albums of all time easily.
Chilled out mellow groves, theres a time and place for this and I can see myself listening to it again
unexpected journey
Some albums are greater than the sum of their parts, but what happens when all of the parts individually are masterpieces? This album was one of the first albums that I had hoped to be on this list. It is righteous and joyous and emotionally deep. I cannot help but to dance when I hear it. Do I like it? Nope. I adore it.
Didn’t think I’d like based on the first 3 tracks, then surprised at how much shit i get done with this in my ear. ADHD powers engaged. Not sure if i like it or if i like the benefits….
An album so good they didn’t dare release another for almost 20 years
2.25
Favorite tracks: since I left you, stay another season, frontier psychiatrist
I actually own this album, and have always been impressed by the Avalanches' ability to create music using almost nothing but meticulously layer samples. It's almost an aural analog to pointillism. Very cool.
Eclectic R&B house that kept me pumped for hours. Sometimes I need music with few lyrics & a good beat. The album felt like musical mixed media with bits & pieces from everywhere coming together cohesively in funky way.
Boy do I love this album
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?
Cluttered, ambiance loops that go on for too long. However, it wasnt fully awful enough to give it a 2
Классная электронная музыка. Проект необычный. Напомнил Messer fur Frau Muller и другие проекты Олегов.
Tightly knit and stupidly chill
To be revisited. I enjoyed the groove and truly excellent sampling , but struggled to concentrate on individual tracks or moments enough for it to sink in.
While Wildflowers is definitely the better album, this one really showed what you could do with sampled music and set the stage for the future. And it’s still very listenable
i did not like this
One of these electronic albums that works on many different levels. Should definitely be on the list.
This was really good. Nice grooves, creative sampling. Reminded me of both Daft Punk and DJ Shadow, but it still had its own sound.
I have the honor to give the 1000th group vote. Not the best timing though. I needed a few spins to find out what this is: a dj set cutting and pasting every sample they could lay their hands on. They probably had a lot of fun but there is no need to bother me with this stuff. Still two stars as some of the samples are really nice and groovy.
Have had this album on repeat for a bit Cool concept; they nail the mood through the whole album Since I Left You is just a great song Never knew when one song ended and another began Feels like a complete work
Had no idea what to expect when I popped this one, and the first track grabbed me right away! I fell right into the groove as they replicate some 70s soul sort of vibes. That changed and it all just sort of faded into the background. Not a bad listen when you just want something in the background.
not in the mood for noise rock right now
Yllättävä. Kuvittelin tältä levyltä jotain aivan muuta mutta täähän oli tosi samplauspohjaista, melkein minimal-hiphopiin menevää! Hyvää jazzahtavaa kamaa jossa on paljon erillaisii juttuja ilman että koko paketti hajoaa ihan totaalisen levälleen. Myös tollasta paikoittaista Daft Punk -vibaa. Täytynee kuunnella lisää tätä ja näitä jäseniä. Muutenkin oon viimeaikoina alkanut tykästymään tälläseen ikäänkun vähemmän tanssittavaan elektroniseen musiikkiin. Annan vielä maltillisesti 3 pongoo mutta lähentelee kyllä nelosta jo. 3/5
Tää on kuin sarja postikortin kokoisia maalauksia täynnä sairaan hienoja yksityiskohtia.
Äää rakastann. Parhautta alusta loppuun. Ihanaa, että tää on olemassa, kiitos aussijäbät.
Klassikkoasemaan noussutta sämpläysmusaa.
Heitt stöff, alveg hægt að dilla sér við þessa plötu frá upphafi til enda.
Flows neatly plus it brings good vibes. Nothing much else to say
I thought I was going to hate this, but I actually really enjoyed it. Not typically my cup of tea, but it was quite good.
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.
Poor, was dull then, still dull.
Dull, no real passion in it
Fab stuff. Mostly instrumental bobbins, but with good beats and little samples of this and that. Sometimes a bit self indulgent. I get why others mightn't rate it, but it's right up my street.
I do like a bit of Frontier Psychiatrist, always gets stuck in my head for the next few days.
3.5/5. listenable but repetitive at times
Good background for work
not their best album but not bad
It's like someone made a collage that almost doesn't look like a collage. They put a lot of work into the flow of it and you really appreciate the attention to detail. BUT... the subject, theme, or general feel of the piece is just not that extraordinary. It doesn't scream listen to me AND THEN you find out it is a sampling album. It screams sample album from the beginning. Maybe they did it at a time when it was harder than just having a MacBook. Maybe they did it before others did. Maybe they spent hours pouring over each cut. Does it elevate the collage to the work of Basquiat? I think it falls short.
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.
I have no idea what the fuck I just listened to. 3/10
Feel like this woulda been better if they cut out like 20 minutes in the middle
bro stop using my account pls oh fuck
Wow! Lekkere mix van soul, zuid-amerikaanse muziek en drum'n'bass. Heel interessant en eigenzinnig. Leuk. ****
Aaaaah that sample that Mac Miller also used! I didn’t realise their other songs (apart from Frontier Psychiatrist) were also good!
couple songs catch my ear, but doesn’t hit or sustain any high points for me
Avalanches has a few good songs in the mix. I do love the sampling in their songs. The right combinations make a song good. I love "A Different Feeling". I think I tend to like the more dance songs, which can be the less popular ones according to Spotify. I think they're good about creating an atmosphere in each song. "Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life" has the feeling of a drunken speakeasy band playing at 4 am. They're good with pitch bending at irregular times and including the crackle like you're listening to a vinyl record. This feel like it takes a few listens to understand where The Avalanches are coming from in creating each song.
Dance. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
A bit of fun. A bit of chaos. Not memorable
I 100% thought this was a modern release - especially the title track. It's a jam so Im stoked to see it get more love recently. As a whole I think this album aged really well. The production was modern and experimental, the tracks flowed into each-other giving making this album feel more like a mix. That said I do think the track sequencing was a bit off. Chill tracks were followed by aggressive ones with experimental timing, it took me out of my flow a few times. Standout Tunes: Since I Left You, Two Hearts in 3/4 Time. Frontier Psychiatrist
I expected to like this one a lot more than I actually did. I appreciate the originality and creativity of the sampling, and how the album flows as one continuous mix, but a lot of the individual tracks which make up that mix just didn't command my attention as much as I had hoped. The standout tracks here are strong, there's just a few too many skippable beats in-between. The artificial vinyl crackling on many of the tracks became increasingly grating as the album went on, and I can only imagine that hearing it on actual vinyl would be extra irritating in combination with the natural crackling one might experience. I suspect this album was highly influential when it released, but I definitely prefer the Avalanches' newer releases "Wildflower" and "We Will Always Love You" more than this one. Standout tracks: "Since I Left You", "Two Hearts in 3/4 Time", "A Different Feeling" and "Frontier Psychiatrist"
I think this was a really well done indie record especially for a debut album Most tracks have a fun, upbeat instrumental I enjoyed this however there were low points on it I also really enjoyed the MF DOOM remix of Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life 6/10
A couple of bangers and a lot of filler. I nearly gave up on this one.
Zomerse klanken. Naar het einde toe kon ik de muziek iets meer smakken
Love a great party album that delivers a great vibe. Sorry I missed you the first time around.
great samples - not normally my style but I liked a lot of it. I'll be looking into their other albums
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
interesting album - some really great house music
I love this album, Dancey with a lot of different samples.
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.
A symphony of samples, and an absolute delightful sort of background music that can creep to the foreground seamlessly.
me soa como musica ambiente so que eletronica, terrivel. os efeitos sonoros que tem em todas musicas se repetindo parecem aqueles de aplicativo de fazer beat. resumindo, destestei.
Pog förstalåt
Hey, it's that "boy needs therapy" song! Very much not my usual wheelhouse but quite good music to have on in the background while working.
Who doesn't love Frontier Psychiatrist?
Good electronic sound
I have never heard of this band before so I didn't know what to expect. Unfortunately im not much of a fan of this type of electronic (?) Music. It was cool how they blended previous songs into the next songs in certain spots. The super repetitive lyrics on book a flight x 20 was frustrating to listen to. This was not my ideal album.
More electronic music.
Avalanches uvijek dobri. Ja znam njihove novije albume i jako mi se sviđa što su zadržali svoj sound.
This album is so good, znam ga već, ali hvala na ovom da se podsjetim! Odlično iskorištavanje sample-ova, fluidan album gdje se iz pjesme u pjesmu pretakaju tonovi. Pravi ljetni dragulj.
PO SJEĆANJU, nije 5 al ono, nije ni daleko
Das kommt dabei raus, wenn man talentierte Leute einfach mal machen lässt. Und die dann auch machen. Ist mir stellenweise trotzdem bei dem vorhanden Ausgangsmaterial (und ohrenscheinlicher Begabung) etwas zu wenig und etwas zu repetitiv, insgesamt aber ein für diese Liste ungewohnter Ohrenschmaus.
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.
Controversial opinion: the more recent Avalanches albums are a bit better, and contain more good songs. But this album isn't a must-hear because of 'good songs', is it? It earns it's place on the list (and my possibly-slightly-generous star rating) for three good reasons: 1. Sampling isn't impressive. But sampling *on this scale* is, I think, something of an art form. To stitch together a vibrant, hour-long collage of music entirely from samples is pretty unique and remarkable. 2. I always like to reward albums that flow seamlessly, and The Avalanches are exceptional in that respect. I love the way they use filters and foley to make it sound like you're physically moving from one track to the next on a continuous, kaleidoscopic journey. 3. Frontier Psychiatrist. I heard this on the school bus when I was 10 and probably assumed that was just how music was going to be in the 21st century. I still haven't heard anything like it since.
Very much enjoy Avalanches. Not crazy about the expanded deluxe version of this album, but the standard stuff is great.
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.
Maybe I didn't give it a fair go, but I didn't enjoy it much. The style of voice sampling got irritating pretty quickly
Not my thing at all
Couldn't listen to it all, too long. Lovely, warm production.. that choppy, sampley thing is done well but also kind of annoying. Liked by people in Bristol probably.
A plunderporn of a crate digger's wet dream and sample clearance lawyer's nightmare. This patchwork of samples could have either become a terrible gimmick a la Jive Bunny or a stroke of genius - luckily it was the latter. Best Tracks: Since I Left You; Flight Tonight; Frontier Psychiatrist
Incredible album and Australian to boot. Love these guys and remember this album blowing my mind when it first came out. Frontier Psychiatrist is just so much fun and the way the album works as a whole is just delightfult.
3/5
Wow. In terms of enjoyability this was really all over the map. Some tracks felt dull ("Since I Left You" being a prime example--sorry folks, but I didn't like the title track). However, "Frontier Psychiatrist" is a fucking banger and I dare anyone to say differently. Best track, hands down. Just sitting around the house when your brain goes "That boy needs therapy!" Seriously. Very creative use of sampling. If I loved every track this much I'd give this album five stars. Such a good song and worth listening to the ones I didn't care for to find a gem.
I kinda wish more songs on this album sounded like "Frontier Psychiatrist", since that's undoubtedly the best song here. I've been really harsh on these dance albums (and holy shit there's a lot of them on this list), but I really enjoyed this one. It was fun, funky and criminally insane. A bit too long though. None of the songs after "Frontier Psychiatrist" hit particularly hard.
Hi- A Different Feeling, Etoh Lo-Flight Tonight, Diner's Only Is this music? It sounds like samples repeated over and over until the artist gets tired of hearing them (usually long after I have). I'm just not a fan of repeating samples 16x times and calling it done, and that's mostly what is going on here. Some tracks actually do a pretty decent job of turning samples into music, A Different Feeling and Etoh are good enough tracks, but I'm not going to take them with me.
I only knew Frontier Psychiatrist prior to this, and it’s still the standout. The rest of the tracks have fewer random cuts but still plenty of samples and great beats.
New generation Beastie Boys, great album!
classic
The name of the band plus the album art made me chuckle. I'm happy to take a break from 1970 but don't have any idea what to expect, I've never heard of them and the cover and track list don't give much away. I didn't expect this! I also didn't entirely leave the 70's. The opening track is quite surprising, nostalgic, layered, interesting. I like it but I don't like the production, I feel like I am overhearing the party next door through the keyhole or something. As I listen on I'm feeling like an hour of this is likely to wear me out. Yeah, turns out too much of The Avalanches is tedious listening. Faves: title track and Summer Crane.
No thankyou!
I had never heard of this band before, it was quite pleasant, might put in on at some later date when I want something chill
Man that snuck up on me. Was expecting something completely different (Fleet Foxes) so had it on in the background just so that I could say I'd listened to it. It caught my ear and so switched to headphones. Fantastic stuff, not quite a 5 yet but over time could become one for me.
Une aventure trippante Prefs: Since I Left You, Flight Tonight, Close To You, A Different Feeling, Electricity, Frontier Psychiatrist, Etoh, Summer Crane, Live At Dominoes Moins pref: Extra Kings
A compelling collage of sounds that for the most part works. I just don't want to know how the sausage was made, for I fear it's just a couple of kids who've mastered Audacity or Pro Tools.
I read a bit about this album before listening to it and wasn't to impressed. However after listening to it, it just resonated with me a lot. I can't quite put my finger on it since I'm not a huge fan of this type of super sampled music (I got Endtroducing..... a while back and didn't like it) but this album seemed to avoid what I hate about the genre.
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?
Very fun electronica. Lots of cool samples and fun vibes.
Not a fan of the repetition in most electronic music, and this one is no exception. Nothing particularly interesting here, fine as background music. 2 stars.
Mi ricordano un po' i daft punk e i portishead.
No
Meh - I like the general vibe, but not their best album
electronic didn't catch me
Since I Left You and Frontier Pyschaitrist are brilliant tracks, the rest of the album pretty damn good
Revisiting 70’s motown. I find it boring
It was fine. It didn't do anything for me though.
Cool album art, especially for this kind of music. I want to enjoy this, but it's a bit messy on the first take. I suppose I've come to prefer Daft Punk's cleaner, less cluttered sound, at least for studying to. May enjoy more on another listen. Frontier Psychiatrist is a hell of a tune though.
Mmmmm. Maybe not as good as I remembered it, though there are some standout tracks.
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
The sampling on this album continues to be divine.
Nice enough songs, but they all sounded to me like they'd been recorded with a microphone left in the other room. Not for me.
Middle ground on this one, interesting work, but is it one I would sit back and revisit on my own otherwise? Unlikely...although I liked the ETOH track and the first two tracks - title track Since I Left you and Stay Another Season.
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?
This was fun! A little repetitive at times, but that's inherent to the form, I guess. A huge undertaking to make a catchy, danceable album using sound collages. Very cool, very impressive.
This one's all about "Frontier Psychiatrist." There's a reason it's the one song I ever heard from this band back when independent alternative radio was an actual thing; everything else barely made a dent. Speaking of dents, my relationship with this website is apparently broken. I wrote a whole thing for the Janis Joplin record, clicked "submit," and it promptly told me to go fuck myself by deleting every bit of it and not letting me even rewrite it. But I really liked that record. Even if "Cry Baby" was the only song on it I'd probably give it 4 stars. I like the others enough to keep it there. Also, spot on comparison to Joe Cocker, Craig. That had never occurred to me; now it's all I hear. Fishbone. I completely expected this entire album to be nothing but variations on "Bonin' in the Boneyard," (which lol, so so bad). Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not that at all. I'd probably still prefer to listen to Living Colour or (for sure) Faith No More, if I'm in the mood for something that's at all in this ballpark. But it's a solid three star effort to my ears. Also, I still laugh at that story that supposedly John Cusack played some Fishbone song on set while holding up the boombox during that pivotal moment of SAY ANYTHING. Hahaha. Little Richard. You know what the drill is from the word "go," but as far as albums with songs that all kind of sound the same it's hard to argue against the effectiveness of this one. I assume this was all recorded live, as well? I mean, damn. "Ready Teddy" blows the roof off. No wonder white people stole this.
Great usage of sampling. So pretty.
Oh the early 00s. Smorgasbord of samples, and jumping all over the shop
Another genius takes the genre to its pinnacle. Creative use of obscure genres in a consistent manner. Tracks flow seamlessly from one to the next, matching the reoccurring samples and motifs that glue the whole album together. Many songs feel like extensions of the previous. But unlike other sampledelic artists like DJ Shadow, these tracks shift the focus from building an atmosphere in long sequences to short strings of ever-evolving club hits. There's much to digest in this hour-long program, but all of it worthwhile. You can really appreciate all the tracks. First several tracks have a bright summery feel to them (reminiscent of Saint Etienne) before shifting to a harder, funkier groove with "Flight Tonight." "A Different Feeling" is a deep cut that struck out to me, for constantly shifting its tempo and mood. This track really calms down the pacing building up to the Daft Punk-esque "Electricity." The calm "Tonight May Have..." gives off Charlie Brown vibes and reminds me of 2010s Youtube lofi with all the static and chill mood. And then suddenly "Pablo's Cruise" shifts to psychedelic weirdness, leading into the operatic vocal sample-heavy "Frontier Psychiatrist." Next 3 tracks lead us full circle on the bright summery theme, only this time more of the atmospheric low key feel of DJ Shadow. "Live At Dominoes" gives us one final hurrah in another Daft Punk-esque dance mix, which is kinda placed in a weird spot since the psychedelic "Extra Kings" immediately goes back to a mellow but dramatic finish.
So damn great.
Incredible. The Avalanches are masters of the mashup.
Good
The Avalanches.... Shit Tsunami is more like it. This is like if Moby had no talent for arrangement, or ear for music.
Unlistenable. Got half way through "Flight Tonight" and rage quit.
Musically this album is fine and pleasant enough to listen to, easy on the ear with a bit of a retro groove and a sense of humor. Much of the sampling is overly loopy and could have been used more creatively. Bleeps, static and other noises are also done a little heavy handedly. That said, this was pretty fun. The second half of the album is top notch. Fave Songs: ETOH, Summer Crane, Frontier Psychiatrist, Live at Dominoes, Electricity, Extra Kings
Fucking amazing
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.
The Avalanches: banda sonora de reels de backstage de campañas de moda con chicas muy altas, muy flacas, de pelo lacio y maquilladas con no makeup makeup.