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18 hours ago, Sasan said:

It's rather strangers seeing me for the first time thinking they know me for years... :huh::D

I can't tell if you're joking haha.  It's more a thing where you instantly get along because you have all the same interests.  I find it strange to think you've never experienced anything like that before!

 

Anyway...  if any of you Europeans are even REMOTELY close to the Dumbsaint/Meniscus/We Lost The Sea tour..... GO.  Drop everything and see that show.  You must.  I can't even put in words how good they were.  Meniscus might have been the best set of the weekend.  That was a revelation, seeing them play. 

 

Also, Pray For Sound's set was utterly awesome.  The power of the new material kind of blew me away; it's just so positive and uplifting, and it translates exceptionally well to the stage. 

 

Spurv was no joke either, and they debuted a new song!  It's a good bit heavier you could say, with a little more attitude, and less of the "pretty" kind of standard post-rock style that is found on Skarntyde.  Their set was Passacaglia, New Song, Gamle Arringer, Hvorfor er Det.  So good. 

Edited by Gumbo72203
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Best show:

Day 1: Lost In Kiev, Terraformer, Spurv

Day 2: Meniscus, We Lost The Sea,  Malämmar

Day 3: Pray For Sound, Mooncake

 

And yes Meniscus was probably the best set of the weekend, but We Lost The Sea was a very  close second for me.

 

I'm even thinking about driving 2h30 (x2)  to see them again next week.

Edited by kentin31
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2 hours ago, kentin31 said:

Best show:

Day 1: Lost In Kiev, Terraformer, Spurv

Day 2: Meniscus, We Lost The Sea,  Malämmar

Day 3: Pray For Sound, Mooncake

 

And yes Meniscus was probably the best set of the weekend, but We Lost The Sea was a very  close second for me.

 

I'm even thinking about driving 2h30 (x2)  to see them again next week.

Lost In Kiev was enjoyable but they just don't excite me.  I'm glad you guys all dig them though.  And YES YES YES to Terraformer!  Their set was incredible.  I was truly blown away by how massive their sound was with just a 3-piece.  If i were you, and that tour was only 2.5 hours away, I would be there in a heartbeat.  I would give anything to hear "Overhang" again, and the entire Departure Songs suite. 

Mooncake was unreal, although plagued by some technical issues with the electric cello.  Their music is so gorgeous and powerful.  Truly a special treat. 

 

The other big discoveries for me were Black Heart Rebellion who mix post-rock with like, Dead Can Dance.  That was very cool.  And then All We Expected who were a band I'd never heard of, but very much enjoyed.  Kind of like Meniscus, with the very thick, heavy post-rock attack with lots of delay. 

 

Also.... Swans.  Swans is.... an experience.  I still don't know what to think about them.  On the one hand, they seem to be mocking music and "regular" bands by playing 45-minute songs that have 3 riffs.  On the other hand, they seem to be totally brilliant in creating something that is so utterly unique.  Michael Gira kind of "conducts" the band in what seems to be open-ended jam sections, bringing the dynamics up and down.  They opened their set with 45 minutes of uninterrupted music which I assumed was just one song, and also featured a 15-minute intro of loops and cymbal washes where he kept his back to the audience the whole time.  But man, some of those riffs were SO punishing. 

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13 hours ago, Gumbo72203 said:

And then All We Expected who were a band I'd never heard of, but very much enjoyed.  Kind of like Meniscus, with the very thick, heavy post-rock attack with lots of delay. 

 

I loved All We Expected as well and instantly bought a shirt. I'm definitly eager to hear their first album on dunk last fall.

 

Man, Swans... They arrived 30 minutes late and played a "45-minute songs that have 3 riffs"! That was too much for me and I went straight to bed.

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On 6/1/2017 at 3:36 AM, kentin31 said:

Man, Swans... They arrived 30 minutes late and played a "45-minute songs that have 3 riffs"! That was too much for me and I went straight to bed.

Swans is still so interesting for me.  Some of those riffs were the most crushing and heavy things I think I'll ever hear in my life.  But that 15-minute noise intro with Michael's back to us, which turned into a 45-minute opening song... that was tough.  I still can't decide if i love them, or hate them.  I'm glad i saw them though, because they are utterly unlike anything else I have ever experienced. 

 

They were an endurance test, for sure.  But man, what sound.  It totally swallows you whole. 

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On 6/6/2017 at 11:49 AM, Gumbo72203 said:

Swans is still so interesting for me.  Some of those riffs were the most crushing and heavy things I think I'll ever hear in my life.  But that 15-minute noise intro with Michael's back to us, which turned into a 45-minute opening song... that was tough.  I still can't decide if i love them, or hate them.  I'm glad i saw them though, because they are utterly unlike anything else I have ever experienced. 

 

They were an endurance test, for sure.  But man, what sound.  It totally swallows you whole. 

Swans live – at least on their current tour – are a force to be reckoned with, especially for anyone who's not familiar with overly loud or repetitive music.  Not lumping you into that category.  Just an observation on my end.

 

I caught them towards the end of last year, where they kicked off this current world-tour of theirs.  For what it's worth, that show had Swans at their most repetitive (and seemingly "improv") that I've ever seen them.  Normally Gira is honing and performing songs from the upcoming album, on whatever tour they're doing at the time... but considering this is the last tour and iteration of the band, they've just been performing a track or two that aren't going to make the studio cut.  One of those happens to be that 45 minute track you mentioned, which is probably their longest song to date, if I'm not mistaken.  So I'd almost argue that they're not typically that repetitive, because hearing that behemoth of a track for the first time... I found myself pretty exhausted, too.  With that being said, I'd probably encourage you to check out their last album and work backwards from their.  It's "easy" to digest as far as post-rock Swans in concerned, and has a few moments that would be right in place on newer Godspeed tracks like Mladic, in my opinion.

 

Either way.  There's no telling what their next formation may look like... so even if you're not 100% sure how you felt about the performance, at least you got to catch them right at the tail-end of them dissolving this current lineup, which they've had since 2010, give or take.  Pretty cool.

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On 6/8/2017 at 1:00 AM, Derek™ said:

Swans live – at least on their current tour – are a force to be reckoned with, especially for anyone who's not familiar with overly loud or repetitive music.  Not lumping you into that category.  Just an observation on my end.

 

I caught them towards the end of last year, where they kicked off this current world-tour of theirs.  For what it's worth, that show had Swans at their most repetitive (and seemingly "improv") that I've ever seen them.  Normally Gira is honing and performing songs from the upcoming album, on whatever tour they're doing at the time... but considering this is the last tour and iteration of the band, they've just been performing a track or two that aren't going to make the studio cut.  One of those happens to be that 45 minute track you mentioned, which is probably their longest song to date, if I'm not mistaken.  So I'd almost argue that they're not typically that repetitive, because hearing that behemoth of a track for the first time... I found myself pretty exhausted, too.  With that being said, I'd probably encourage you to check out their last album and work backwards from their.  It's "easy" to digest as far as post-rock Swans in concerned, and has a few moments that would be right in place on newer Godspeed tracks like Mladic, in my opinion.

 

Either way.  There's no telling what their next formation may look like... so even if you're not 100% sure how you felt about the performance, at least you got to catch them right at the tail-end of them dissolving this current lineup, which they've had since 2010, give or take.  Pretty cool.

Honestly, I really want to see them again.  Because it was just so......  utterly unlike anything I've ever seen.  I *loved* the fact that they jammed so much, and that Gira conducted the band through so many dynamic shifts.  Also, that opening track appears to be called "The Knot" which I think is on an older album?

 

Also, why are they breaking up?  I read that Dunk was their last festival appearance in Europe or something like that.  I mean, the band SMOKED.  I'll never forget that show.  Ever.  It's kind of a shame because they really were very good.  The drummer is incredible.  But maybe it was just the ridiculous Dunk stage that made them sound extra-incredible. 

It was a marathon set too.... they played for nearly 2.5 hours.  Also, your statement about overly-loud is correct.  I believe I saw the dB meter reading in the 130's for them at the soundboard. 

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12 minutes ago, Gumbo72203 said:

Honestly, I really want to see them again.  Because it was just so......  utterly unlike anything I've ever seen.  I *loved* the fact that they jammed so much, and that Gira conducted the band through so many dynamic shifts.  Also, that opening track appears to be called "The Knot" which I think is on an older album?

 

Also, why are they breaking up?  I read that Dunk was their last festival appearance in Europe or something like that.  I mean, the band SMOKED.  I'll never forget that show.  Ever.  It's kind of a shame because they really were very good.  The drummer is incredible.  But maybe it was just the ridiculous Dunk stage that made them sound extra-incredible. 

It was a marathon set too.... they played for nearly 2.5 hours.  Also, your statement about overly-loud is correct.  I believe I saw the dB meter reading in the 130's for them at the soundboard. 

The Knot is actually 1 of 3 tracks that are brand new, which they've been fleshing out and performing in live settings.  It's on a live CD release they just recently did, and is - allegedly - the only way you'll be able to hear it since they don't plan on putting it up for streaming or releasing it as an MP3.  Kind of an interesting approach, but, whatever.

 

They're not necessarily breaking up.  Gira's been cryptic with his statements and has only said that this is the end of the road for this iteration of the band.  They could theoretically swap out one or two members and resume with a couple of new faces, if they really wanted to.  I believe that Gira has basically carried the band through their current sound's lifespan and said what he wanted to say with them.  If you were unaware, Swans have been around since the 80s, and they've gone through a lot of genres and style shifts over the years.  After they released a double album in 1996, they considered themselves "done" and dipped off the radar for 14 years before reforming with a new lineup in 2010, and honing a more "post-rock" flare.  In that 14 year hiatus, though, Gira stayed very active writing and collaborating to release music in different projects.  It's in his veins and I wholeheartedly believe he'll be creating it in some capacity until the day he dies.

 

They are doing a few more US shows later this year, once they get back.  You really ought to try to make one of them happen.  Theirs sets do average 2.5 hours, I believe, give or take... and it's usually something like 6-8 songs, haha.  Not for the faint of heart – I've heard their live shows compared to being caught inside a turbine engine and pummeled relentlessly.  It's an appropriate description.

 

For being "just" a "wall of noise" at times, everyone in the band is immensely talented.  That's for sure.  They actually had two percussionists for the longest time, too; it wasn't until a few months ago that the black sheep of the band - Thor Harrison - backed out.  Dude played chimes, brass, gong, xylophone, and basically any oddball instrument alongside their usual setup.  He was a staple to my favorite Swans performances.

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14 hours ago, Derek™ said:

The Knot is actually 1 of 3 tracks that are brand new, which they've been fleshing out and performing in live settings.  It's on a live CD release they just recently did, and is - allegedly - the only way you'll be able to hear it since they don't plan on putting it up for streaming or releasing it as an MP3.  Kind of an interesting approach, but, whatever.

 

They're not necessarily breaking up.  Gira's been cryptic with his statements and has only said that this is the end of the road for this iteration of the band.  They could theoretically swap out one or two members and resume with a couple of new faces, if they really wanted to.  I believe that Gira has basically carried the band through their current sound's lifespan and said what he wanted to say with them.  If you were unaware, Swans have been around since the 80s, and they've gone through a lot of genres and style shifts over the years.  After they released a double album in 1996, they considered themselves "done" and dipped off the radar for 14 years before reforming with a new lineup in 2010, and honing a more "post-rock" flare.  In that 14 year hiatus, though, Gira stayed very active writing and collaborating to release music in different projects.  It's in his veins and I wholeheartedly believe he'll be creating it in some capacity until the day he dies.

 

They are doing a few more US shows later this year, once they get back.  You really ought to try to make one of them happen.  Theirs sets do average 2.5 hours, I believe, give or take... and it's usually something like 6-8 songs, haha.  Not for the faint of heart – I've heard their live shows compared to being caught inside a turbine engine and pummeled relentlessly.  It's an appropriate description.

 

For being "just" a "wall of noise" at times, everyone in the band is immensely talented.  That's for sure.  They actually had two percussionists for the longest time, too; it wasn't until a few months ago that the black sheep of the band - Thor Harrison - backed out.  Dude played chimes, brass, gong, xylophone, and basically any oddball instrument alongside their usual setup.  He was a staple to my favorite Swans performances.

I think I'm going to try to hit one of those NYC shows, because I'm so enthralled by that sound that I need to try to experience it again.  Also, I was just reading up about the breakup.... and apparently Gira DOES NOT wear earplugs!  How in the holy hell is that man not completely deaf by now?  I noticed the other guys wearing them, but he was all over the place and his hair was kind of obstructing the view so I couldn't really tell; I just assumed.  Man, that's some shit. 

 

His statement about volume makes me think about what Jerry Garcia used to say about playing in the 60's and with the Wall of Sound in the 70s....  it's not the end, it's a means.  You want the sound to become a physical medium, because it opens up a whole other paradigm of experience for the band and audience.  It becomes tactile, not just audible.  Really cool dude. 

 

 

 

In other news, did you guys catch the debut track from BLAK's upcoming album today?  This thing is pretty freakin' good.  I'm really digging the drums on this one.

http://arcticdrones.com/exclusives/blak-black-drips-in-the-sky-overwhelming/

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So I saw Barrows last night for $6.  They played with this post-metal group from Albany called Yoma, who mixed Cult of Luna/Oceanic-era Isis grooves with beautiful post rock melodies, really good stuff.  Likely the best $6 I've ever spent on a show!  Barrows are absolutely titanic live.  That was quite an experience.  They played Entrada and Cocoon and it was absolutely massive.  iirc it was only stuff from Obsidian.  They did about 40 minutes, and it was pummeling. 

 

If you have a chance to catch these guys, go see them. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Meniscus vinyl goes live either today or tomorrow.... and according to Wout, there likely won't be copies shipped over to the USA for A Thousand Arms.  Any of you want to go in on a group buy?  I'm going to bump the other thread just to get some more visibility. 

 

@adamha21

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8 hours ago, abovetheearth said:

I'm in some kind of post rock hiatus. I'm trying to think of why and I can't. Maybe the 'gaze genre has exploded some quality gems and I'm just distracted. It's never been this long of a stagnant  bleh feeling. 

I go back and forth sometimes like that.  Even on my way to Dunk, as I was thinking about all the money I'd spent, I had a notion of "Do I really like this music this much?"  Because, for a good while, it was ALL I listened to.  And I think I was starting to get a little burned out...  especially given that I'd been having experiences where I'd go back and listen to Joy Wants Eternity for instance and think "Wow this isn't as transcendent as I first felt...." 

 

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21 hours ago, abovetheearth said:

I'm in some kind of post rock hiatus. I'm trying to think of why and I can't. Maybe the 'gaze genre has exploded some quality gems and I'm just distracted. It's never been this long of a stagnant  bleh feeling. 

 

20 hours ago, wisdom81 said:

What have you been listening to?

Charlie is not the only one who has found the 'gaze mistress quite alluring (and almost as expansive as the postrock), and post' universe having a very select few holding my interest, usually more metallish or harder rock than the classical - leaning bands.

It's not that much of stretch to see how the two genres intersect coming from a post-heavy leaning and going into shoegaze  (guitar-heavy, voices in the back and/or more of an instrument, wall of sound /loud, some catchy hooks/riffage and a bit of a shorter payoff re: song length, etc. Exceptions and clarifications abound but wanted to keep it brief). As one note, if you had told me Nadja was as much shoegaze as drone, I would not have had a clue early on. It was more like listening to postmetal to me at first, long postmetal tracks. Thus my twitter handle @postmetalgaze

I haven't attempted a Venn Diagram, but I know there's a good one to be created.

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So, Ranges has a new album coming out in the Fall called "The Ascensionist" and if you bought the remix cassette (which is fantastic) you got included in the launch of the first track from the new album, "The Lesser Lights".  I'm not sure how to download or share this with you guys yet, because it's only a private track on Bandcamp.  If anyone has a suggestion on how to extract this or share it, that'd be great. 

 

Also new to speak of is an EP from Shy, Low which has one track for listening already, as well as the 2nd track from the upcoming I/O album. 

https://shylowmusic.bandcamp.com/track/dialectics

https://iomusicofficial.bandcamp.com/track/to-everyone-i-could-have-loved-all-the-places-we-could-have-called-home

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5 hours ago, Gumbo72203 said:

Also new to speak of is an EP from Shy, Low which has one track for listening already, as well as the 2nd track from the upcoming I/O album. 

https://shylowmusic.bandcamp.com/track/dialectics

https://iomusicofficial.bandcamp.com/track/to-everyone-i-could-have-loved-all-the-places-we-could-have-called-home

Nice, been waiting for new Shy,Low!

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