What are you listening to?

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

England

If the 6N was won by musical output England would never lose it.

Since we had Devo not long ago, something from my favourite UK wonky pop album


Possibly the runner up GOAT in my opinion. Incredibly varied, inventive and often superb.


Probably the GOAT in my opinion. She did 4 consecutive albums of near perfection (from Is This Desire?) and is just about a religious experience live.

 

[Yulia]

That first one has completely won me over after a couple of plays

Vacanze Romane? Yes, beautiful song, especially its' refrain!

 

[Bada-Bing!]

England - probably what most England fans feel when watching them:

 

[The Seeker]

Christian rock from southern California in 1975. Many years ago my tire blew out and the guitar player/singer from this band pulled off the road to ask if I needed help. I didn't have a spare tire at the time, so he drove me to the nearest tire store and then took me back to my car. Nice guy!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

All three singles Arch Enemy have released from their upcoming album have been bangers, so I'm very excited for that

Considering going to see them at the end of the year but it's a dual headline tour with Behemoth, who I'm not particularly keen on, and it costs as much as two regular shows

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Has there ever been two such contrasting music videos posted back to back?

I used to find classical music and selected heavy metal / industrial really aided my concentration when revising in my yoof. Now only a spot of classical remains in my collection and pretty much no metal. But for giggles here are a few of my favourite heavier tracks from the last millennium (all from good albums) that are at the far more radio friendly end of the spectrum but still got my juices flowing.




(dual guitar solos, best album of solos I've ever heard, and I think solos are self indulgent nonsense normally)

 

[Yulia]

Nice tracks. Sounds like someone performs exorcism on those vocalists

Not a fan of such a heavy music but like this track, pretty sexy

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Nice tracks. Sounds like someone performs exorcism on those vocalists

Not a fan of such a heavy music but like this track, pretty sexy

Nice, yeah that's probably my limit these days too. I got into heavier stuff as a schoolfriend who was born on the wrong side of town and was an addict needed to pay off a debt before the brother of another friend of mine kicked his head in again. So I bought 3x Ministry albums off him at face value without having heard any of it so he could help pay off his debt. I found music I liked and he got to keep his teeth for another week. School days eh?

 

[Yulia]

@Bruce_ma gooshvili I could never understand why do people listen to such a music, I must admit. The "heaviest" what I listened as a teenager was Rammstein and I fell in love with the energy of the music, its' melody, words in their songs ("Ich will", "Mutter", "Ohne Dich", "Engel", "Sonne" ),and I pretty liked the humour (songs and clips like "America" and "Pussy"). Didn't like words in "Moskau" though
But I still can't get the magic of "Ministry", "Arch Enemy" and things like that. What do people find in it,I mean..is it because of memories related to it, or because of its' energy,or.. I don't know

 

[TRF_Olyy]

The musicianship, the melodies, the energy, the lyrics - same reason anyone listens to any music, really

I don't understand how people can listen to Drake, find his voice terrible, his lyrics cheesy/cringe, find the music itself really lacking...but understand that millions upon millions like that
Different horses for different courses

 

[Bada-Bing!]

The only Drake song I like is Started from the Bottom, can't say I really listen or like any of his other stuff or am a hip hop fan.

 

[Yulia]

Haven't even heard who Drake is had to google. Definitely not my type of music.
@TRF_Olyy I didn't mean this heavy music is terrible,but was trying to understand why exactly people like it, if something

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Pretty much as Olly describes. Personally I'm a pretty superficial guy when it comes to music. It's a case of what calls to me, and 9 times out of 10 that is simply the music rather than lyrics or artistic merit.

So from the examples I posted. Carcass is all about the musicianship in the riffs and solos (with irrelevant lyrics often of a medical nature).

Entombed - energy and lyrics. Here is another of theirs with some of my favourite lyrics about renouncing or testing authority, conventional wisdom and conformity and seeking mental independence (if that isn't too arty-farty ).

Entombed - Eyemaster Lyrics | SongMeanings

songmeanings.com

These themes probably need a bit of oomph behind them, rather than crooning with a voice tuner. So you get this.


Ministry - experimentation and evolution. They went from a synth focused group to industrial / metal and I find groups (of any type) that evolve mildly fascinating. It is these rare human beings trying to do something that probably hasn't been attempted before. Here is some of their earlier stuff, that is quite different to what I posted above as they started to mix more mechanical / industrial sounds into the synths back in the mid-80s (before my time). Real pioneers.


I've never been into the more thrashy, ultra fast guitar stuff myself but can imagine it being quite impressive live. Generally there are loads of tropes and stereotypes around heavier music that I'm not a big fan off. For a scene that sets out to be non-conformist it is often just as conformist as the next thing. There also wasn't quite enough experimentation with vocals and deviating from the norm in a lot of the stuff I started to hear and so I lost interest within a few years.

But noise and energy in music has been exhilarating since Stravinsky in 1913 (particularly mins 3 to 7)


And even before that power and energy in music could be important when you needed to get a young man's 'blood up' so he'd willingly fight to the death, be it for a just cause or utter folly. I wonder how much this type of stuff helped Scotland to finish second in 'deaths per capita' league table behind the Serbs in World War 1 despite living hundreds of miles away from the front and having no land or family to defend.

Scottish Piper War Heroes - Historic UK

A tale of two very brave Scottish pipers, Piper Daniel Laidlaw VC and Piper Bill Millin...

www.historic-uk.com

At the risk of mild sexism I'd say energy, noise and some of the lyrical themes in heavier music are more targeted to men and the distinct hormonal influences and cultural priorities they experience. A lot of men desperately need an alternative to a life of skinny jeans, moisturiser and pining after lassies. Some can also need a healthy outlet for the testosterone etc that I consider as almost polluting our bodies (see crime rates and suicide rates)! But I'm getting into real beard stroking territory there again.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Any electronic/techno fans?

Genuinely think it's the best music to see live. I've enjoyed acts I didn't know going in and have only ever thought my absolute favourite acts have bettered them for the most part. (Springsteen, Lamar, kneecap)

 

[Yulia]

Any electronic/techno fans?

I'm not an expert (and not sure what exactly you mean), but I adore Depeche mode,Daft punk, Carpenter brut,Kavinsky and almost any synthwave/retrowave.

Sometimes can turn on the whole soundtrack for Tron during the working day and it helps to concentrate

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL10BBAAAFC8626119

Or Carpenter brut:







less known Sierra:



https://youtu.be/o6If838vovg

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kZCvcjjD0inEj-XslwjLUfq-V_LrAyDvw

Also, like to listen synthwave/retrowave covers and remixes, like that one for example, a cover on my favourite Soviet rock-group's song, pretty good:

https://youtu.be/9RtN7A26MOE

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'm not an expert (and not sure what exactly you mean), but I adore Depeche mode,Daft punk, Carpenter brut, and almost any synthwave/retrowave.

Sometimes can turn on the whole soundtrack for Tron during the working day and it helps to concentrate

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL10BBAAAFC8626119

Or Carpenter brut:







less known Sierra:



https://youtu.be/o6If838vovg

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kZCvcjjD0inEj-XslwjLUfq-V_LrAyDvw

Also, like to listen synthwave/retrowave covers and remixes, like that one for example, a cover on my favourite Soviet rock-group's song, pretty good:

https://youtu.be/9RtN7A26MOE

Yeah definitely in the ballpark. Daft Punk are really the Gods of the electronic genre. French touch has grown massively because of them and the blaze are my current faves and are very synth-y. (although they haven't released anything new in years)

https://youtu.be/uGEDSGCUkXk

Kazy Lambist is another. kind of verging on electropop also, but has a great sound. Trinix, french group again, are worth checking out if you like the more relaxed sound.

https://youtu.be/P2CNiKgb8Ec

More into the techno side of things (and my understanding of the difference isn't great but techno tends to be heavier/more industrial) I love Fatima Yamiha, missed him twice on account of covid so dying to get the chance to see him. Very chill sound but also one you really get into live.

https://youtu.be/ExxN2Kzr4vQ

And then more on the traditional side of things it's hard to beat a proper fat boy slim show. He still does heavy shows and I've seen him at smaller more underground venues in a similar style to this, it's incredible.

https://youtu.be/ShB_HI6F1f4

I actually haven't heard of Carpenter Brut or Sierra, will give those a listen tomorrow. I struggle with Depeche Mode, I like Personal Jesus but it's not too similar to most of their stuff I find.

 

[Yulia]

@Le Frére Alpha listening to your list, I like it, especially the Blaze and Fatima Yamaha. Yes, I can hear you like more "relaxing" stuff, my list is more "dark" and tense.

Daft Punk are really the Gods of the electronic genre

I agree!

More into the techno side of things (and my understanding of the difference isn't great but techno tends to be heavier/more industrial)

Yeah, I also "swim" in nuances, but understand the difference exactly like you)) I prefer electronic though, I'd say, in general

I struggle with Depeche Mode, I like Personal Jesus but it's not too similar to most of their stuff I find.

That's a pity if you can't like them, they are incredible.. started to listen to them many-many years ago when I didn't really speak English and couldn't even understand their songs,fell in love with the music first and only after it, started to translate their texts. If you have a possibility to visit their concert one day, I strongly recommend you! The atmosphere is absolutely magic! I've been to their concert in Warsaw a couple of years ago, still can't forget the energy I felt.
My favourite songs are Suffer well, Alone, Shake the disease, Precious, Everything counts, Home, Stripped, No more, Revolution,Cover me..damn, almost everything, actually but it's not really close to Personal Jesus, you're right , but try to listen those songs




And, of course, the most famous Enjoy the silence, I love Shinoda's remix and this clip
https://youtu.be/ofrB6OCSsgk

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Genres that aren't so much my taste (I grew up a musical snob and trying to change my ways!). I liked quite a bit of what you both out there. I can still throw out a fair few of my own favourites which broadly come under electronica I guess.

The first three acts are the only electronic acts I own albums by:

Edinburgh's finest (should have included these in the 6N music post) - very relaxing




Japan's finest, Sakamoto and company.




The only Depeche Mode song I own (again, I like the sentiment & lyrics)

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

And some soundtrack electronicish highlights:

More from Japan (my favourite anime for audio and visuals)


Another top Japanese OST from another great anime


Picked this over Kavinsky from the Drive soundtrack

 

[Welsh Exile]

New Nas album was decent. Doubt there's many hip hop heads in here though.

**** all that trance rubbish. This takes me back