Purpulan

"Psyence Fiction" was, for 10/11, part of the still fertile mind of Dj Ombra (and with all those fantastical breaks and rhythmic changes, it strayed quite a bit from the standards of trip-hop), "War Stories" is listenable but seems to lack anything truly transcendental; even for me, it's a work that I doubt will stand the test of time...

For Festwca: I haven't listened to the latest from Current (I'm not a die-hard fan), so I'd say we should (almost) start from the end and go listen to "Black ships ate the sky" from last year (many consider it their masterpiece, but still, mister T(ibet)'s work should be approached with the necessary precautions, as it can sometimes come off as a bit pretentious).

Mmmm, it’s going to take a long time if we have to reintroduce all the Current 93 publications... and then? I took a look and there’s a shortage of reviews on Psychic TV...

Oops, my apologies, I was quite sleepy when I wrote that!!

Selling refrigerators at the North Pole would make sense if there was electricity...the temperature of a fridge is definitely above zero...you'd be nice and cozy!!!

I certainly don't want to speak ill of this album, but... frankly, I don't understand why there is all this saintly aura surrounding the transalpine artist... let's be honest: highly enjoyable, but nothing new under the sun... not to mention that the quality of the recordings is rather homemade ("Homework" must have left a decade-long mark in France, even though stylistically it is completely different from Alcest's work), the guitars, when they clang, cover all the dynamics without having any particular tonal richness. It can certainly fascinate or seduce, especially since in just under 42 minutes, there's no time to get bored due to a certain repetitiveness of the formula and the moods of the work.

Oh, well, I wonder if things have changed in perspective. Personally, I consider the discography of T.o.D. to be nearly perfect, and in saying this, I obviously include both "Worlds Apart" and "So Divided." Notes: partially excluding the debut album, the Texan combo has never skimped on the arrangements (even though up to "Source, Tags and Codes," the "sonic" aim was of a different nature). That "Worlds Apart" could be perceived as pretentious is understandable (it might be the closest thing to a concept album they have published so far, but their interpretative versatility has never been lacking, so when they address the subject matter, they still manage to come out with the right lightness and boldness). "So Divided" matured from what was originally supposed to be an E.P., and the seemingly 70's approach (and further down) is also borrowed from the choice to cover a derivative band like Guided by Voices (in: "Gold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory"), yet they do it in a very personal way (that is beautifully loaded and pompous: to the perfection of "Wasted State of Mind" and "Sunken Dreams," I would also add the crooked melodies of the pleasantly rhythmic Hammond and piano in "Life" and the faux roots-pretentious R'n'B of "Naked Sun"). On "Witches' Web," there is no misunderstanding; the version is quite different from the demo (which appears as a bonus track in the limited edition, just to avoid confusion). While the artwork is nothing so drastic, it continues along the parodic path of well-known painting styles (the Turner of "Source, Tags and Codes" was followed by the Signorelli of "Worlds Apart," leading to the Klimt of "So Divided"). Lastly, my very personal feeling is that "So Divided" has a certain affinity, in terms of overall understanding, with another transitional album called "The Top," from certain Cure who had not yet been diluted (as if to say: "sorry if we've left the radical triptych behind, but on that 'same old road,' our soles have become worn out!").

It is established that I find the Liars fascinating (like, in the first 10 minutes of each album: "mmmmh... but?!!", after another half hour the conclusion slightly but significantly diverges into a: "mmmmh... well???!!"), and that I haven't listened to this latest one; the review is worthy even just for the synergistic comparison with the opus maxima of Mr. Ruggero Deodato (which also resolves into a constant: "mmmmh... well???!!" with the inevitable conclusion: "but I would definitely go for the wild anthropophagus... roasted!!!").

Small imperfections present: OK Computer is from 1997; moreover, defining Sophia as a more intimate project (in terms of sound approach) compared to God Machine fits, but I wouldn’t say more tormented—rather resigned. "Tales from the Second Storey" (the first full-length by God) is probably one of the most nihilistic works of the nineties, with not even a faint glimmer of hope sneaking into its axioms about the inevitability of individual suffering and loneliness. With Sophia, Proper-Sheppard has expanded the palette of colors and the way to blend them, allowing him to filter a worldview that cannot certainly be described as rose-tinted (even if he seems a bit less desperate lately, perhaps due to the onset of senility!).