kyklos

this is an excerpt from an interview given to ondarock: "How much of your albums is improvisation and how much is written music?"
"To tell the truth, we can consider it all written. You know, many people think it’s all improvisation, but that’s not the case. If you saw us play live, you’d see us perform our songs as 'melodic expressions' that sometimes vary while maintaining the same melody." (http://www.ondarock.it/interviste/battles.htm) And anyway, I get that impression just from listening as well. I believe I know the album in question very well, I like it, and I’ve listened to it to the point of nausea (so to speak), and from what you’ve written, it’s clear you know it too... but I'm sorry, the review bored me a lot... too rational... but it’s just a point of view.

I know very well that I am third, but it's the two that came before it, agaetis byrjun and untitled, that are simply masterpieces. Von doesn't appeal to me much...

Surely a beautiful album...epochal I don't know...but definitely groundbreaking, original, and outside of every musical stereotype.

Beautiful album, also because I have a strong emotional attachment to it, but it can't be defined as the album of maturity. On the contrary... this is the least beautiful album among those they've made... nothing new to the ears, nothing extraordinarily original like the two albums that preceded it. A five for this album is exaggerated. And then... are we at six or seven reviews on Takk??

this was the vote I wanted to cast...sorry!!!

I don't know them. But the review convinced me to give them a listen.

Here, I messed up the grades... damn it... I'm sorry!!!! Now we're good.

Live, they are deadly... and their music (live and otherwise) doesn’t feel at all like an irrational expression; everything is calculated, they've made that clear themselves. And of course, their music comes from post-rock. If we want to be more precise, it comes from math-rock; that's where their roots lie completely... in tracks like Tonto, you can hear Don Caballero very clearly... it's evident. I only agree with you on one point: the tendency towards infantilism. But it's not an expression of the "irrational side" (which you can figure out what that means), it's just the musical result of those who play with instruments. But it's a well-planned and calculated game, meant to entertain and have fun. The battles with this album are 10 years ahead, and regardless of whether it succeeds or not, it's a work that explores almost uncharted musical territories, and as we know... it’s not easy to pave the way... the album deserves a 4 with eyes closed... the review a 2 because, in my opinion, you haven't understood anything about this record, and the intellectualisms you build around it are sterile and inaccurate.

beautiful "Thankless Marriage," but when I listen to "Middle School," I get goosebumps... it's impressive what inner turmoil can be created by some simple and light piano chords adorned with a little carillion and an angelic voice... an apotheosis of minimalism...

interesting proposal!!! I'll take note of it.