kyklos

old and overdone discussion… like many, the Marlene have renounced themselves, there’s no doubt about it… but that shouldn't always be seen as a bad thing… the fact is that it’s true they’ve expanded their audience. I saw them live, and they were extraordinary; furious musicians with a sound impact that left no doubts… really a revelation back then… but now I don’t know… they leave me perplexed, I can hardly listen to their latest albums in full. The fact is they've changed to avoid changing. The latest albums are all the same dreadful refrain repeating… a few tracks here and there are salvageable… but overall they really seem to have exhausted their initial energy. The image I have of the Marlene is of sweating artists on a small stage, under a stunned audience awed by their sonic screams. Now I don’t know… they’ve probably drifted away from my tastes… but they feel like drifting musicians, clinging desperately to the success they've achieved.

@ odradek: yes, the neologism is mine; as a drummer I try to be, I really liked the fact that in this album the guitars are used almost like percussion instruments.

In my opinion, Ian Williams is ten years ahead... in the '90s with Don Caballero, now that everyone is doing math rock, he’s creating a sort of electro-math-rock. Battles are great... I consider them to be avant-garde.

I can't say where math sinks its roots (wikipedia talks about Chavez and Polvo as pioneering bands...groups I’m not familiar with)...but as far as I'm concerned, this album is the very definition of contemporary math.

It's called the Neubauten.org Supporter Project, and in exchange for your contribution, you could receive the deluxe version of the CD (and with an extra fee, also the DVD), which wasn’t available in stores, along with the opportunity to watch the recordings through "regular live webcasts" + free downloads of otherwise unreleased material + an exclusive concert (also via webcast) + special offers on previously released CDs... Additionally, the "fan co-producers" formed a community that stayed in touch with one another. The project seemingly went off without a hitch... I quote kosmogabri when he says it’s quite a bit more interesting than what the Radiohead have done.

@ dallas.mccoy: as a lover of extreme experiences, an insatiable curiosity to discover how far artistic expression can go, their first albums are something exceptional... I prefer them above all else. After that, they softened, but they remain one of the most interesting pages in contemporary music. I have to say one thing... the first studio productions lose so much, they weren’t meant to be recorded... they were pure destructive expression that loses its impact in the digital realm. You see... they've never done anything not worth recommending...

Yes Ole, get that, as an approach it's better... but don't deprive yourself of the pleasure of this brilliant album that for me remains the unattainable of their production.

"interactivity of fan co-producers"???? interesting...any clarification from the reviewer or someone else??

uhm...interesting...

@ Purpulan: Rhythm session or section?!...good question...I'm almost sure it's session, but you made me doubt...anyway, thank you for the compliment on the neologism...but I don't think I said they made similar or identical albums...for me, this is their best product, although the rest is top quality, just like American Don, but it lacks the genius spark of What Burns Never Returns.