The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

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mcbpete
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by mcbpete »

Yaaaaaaaaaaassss - It's finally arrived 20 mins ago :) Just had a quick flick through and oh-my-god it looks amazing ... this is going to keep me occupied for hours. THANK YOU GARY AND BRIAN (and anyone else involved !)
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Dennis »

Some package arrived today - they stored it at the local post store so I won't be able to get it til monday cause of work - @#$$%&!!!!!
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Pandemonium »

DJ Food made a short but SPOT-ON review about the book:

http://www.djfood.org/the-future-sound- ... ok-and-cd/

- this part just confirmed my suspicions...
DJ Food wrote:Reading FSOL‘s scrapbook of their career made me sad rather than nostalgic for the music industry of old. For all its technological advancements, a lot of which the band spearheaded, we’re left with a shadow of the brave new world promised by the online digital revolution. In a week when Solid Steel‘s Vimeo account was terminated without warning over a single copyright claim, a time when an entire radio station’s Soundcloud account disappears, one artist sells more than the entire top 200 combined and independent labels are being told there’s a 14-16 week wait for pressing vinyl, it’s a sobering read.
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by gabo86 »

I have a question for you about the cd coming out with the book:
can you please tell me, for each track, if it is new or where it comes from (even if in an altered/edited version)?
Thank you :)
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Pandemonium »

It's difficult to say Gabo :)
The more I over-analyze them, the more difficult it becomes :)

In our recent talks Brian said he doesn't consider a track/composition NEW if it contains anything old (old meaning pre-2005) no matter how small it is. So everything we hear in the Archive series is either 100% old, or old but enhanced in production, or old but added new elements and re-envisioned, or just using old stems for making totally different tracks.

- Me, personally, I think they're being too honest :) - If they haven't told us explicitly where the 'old' materials have been used, 99.99% of us would never guessed - example - ENV4 / most of A7 & A8 and many more... I mean, so what if they used some old stems, or built upon something from before? It's still a new track right? But, it is what it is, we wait to see the plans of the Future...

Anyway, because you asked - I'm gonna do a quick run through - but my general conclusion is: These are all new tracks made in the last 9 or 10 years.

01. Taken Leave of All Sense [5:59]
- The modern-classical opening says it's a new track, but if you over-analyze it, the heavy bass and the distortions hint that the original inception might've been in the sessions between ISDN and Dead Cities, around 1995. But most elements (if not all) and environments are definitely new. And that ending environment - I'd bet it originates from the new Humanoid sessions! (that album will kick ass hard!)

02. Viewed from Across The Room [2:17] [Piano – Daniel Pemberton]
- First heard a year ago on the Artworks 1 EP. The general conclusion of the hard-core fans is that the 'Viewed from...' series are all new tracks, from various sessions with Pemberton from the last 10 years or so...

03. I Turn to Face The Sun [4:04]
- Also from a year ago, given as bonus download with the E2 vinyl, and later a different cut on Artworks 1 EP. Everyone's favorite, turns out this brilliant tracks used stems from the Glass track - go figure! This is one of those cases where a few stems inspired a totally new track, which should be considered brand new. I mean, sure, you can feel some drum kicks sound like the 90s, but so what? If I use swing cymbals in my 2015 tracks does that mean they aren't new but rooted in the jazz-swing early 1940s?

04. Bring [6:18]
- Another new incredible track heard in edited form only a couple of months ago on the Archived 8 bonus EP. It's like its segues from 2-3 different tracks, most of them in BlackHill Transmitter style, with strings!

05. Triospheres [3:39]
- Amorphous goes on the FSOL side :) ? Heavy guitars, phat beats, glitchy bleeps - sounds like a continuation of the ENV series.

06. Sea + LSD [1:50]
- The title says it all. 'Recorded on location - Troon Ayrshire'. Also from the A8 bonus EP from a couple of months back.

07. Grindatone [3:05]
- AKA τροχός on the A8 bonus EP - hmm... this might be the only track that sounds older and a logical fan could say it's from the early 90s without any doubt :)

08. A Somnambulant Drift [4:40]
- Another lovely ambient that I'd say originates from the last 10 years...

09. Talisman [2:43]
- Hmmm... again, if I over-analyze, this one definitely has stems from the old tracks, but the composition of odd melodies on top of synthi ambients is definitely new.

10. Abandoned Housing Blocks of Prypiat [3:06]
- A web bonus on A7 - I'd actually forgotten how AWESOME this track is - maybe my favorite one on the whole CD. It has that ominous sound of Dead Cities and occasional We Have Explosive feel - but again - heavily enhanced and new-sounding.

11. Falling Upwards Aria [1:17] [Vocals – Alisha Sufit]
- Another new ethereal timeless piece. It's an edit (confirmed), so I imagine how awesome the full version will be!


All in all, I like the CD more than the book :) The CD exceeded my expectations, while the book did not. I expected them to write a few words of their own in there... but I understand, it's a scrapbook...

Leaves place to continue and someday release the interviews I do with Brian :)
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OffLand
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by OffLand »

Should note that Falling Upwards uses original elements recorded from the Falling Down remix they did for Oasis.
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by gabo86 »

Pande, as always, you've been too kind with me :)
You made (maybe uncounsciously) a pande-review for when you'll get to this album (I love your updates).
Anyway I made the wrong question. The actual question was simpler: does this album contain previously released material (on cd, I don't count extras like bonus download). The question is "no", as I read from your "review". So it's a "new" album. So I think I'm going to get this one.

PS I love your reviews, it seems you devoted your life to FSOL, I know it's not like that but it's very nice :)
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by gabo86 »

OffLand wrote:Should note that Falling Upwards uses original elements recorded from the Falling Down remix they did for Oasis.
Very appropriate title, then :D
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Pandemonium »

gabo86 wrote:it seems you devoted your life to FSOL, I know it's not like that but it's very nice :)
:) ... well, I did devote a large chunk of my life to music, FSOL just seem to occupy a large chunk of that large chunk :)

Anyway, in the last year or so I finally decided to get creative and make something - and since I can't make music [ I actually haven't really really tried, but somehow I know I can't - it seems I can only talk about it - what an asshole :) ] ; I decided to make mobile minimal games and use FSOL tracks as soundtrack :) - So we'll see how will that go very very soon :)

- I don't know if I'll ever have time to pick up the 'pande-review' thread, but I hope I will some day...
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Ross
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Pandemonium »

Ross - why the random (awesome) picture ? :)
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Ross
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Ross »

Wasn't sure where else to put it!
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gabo86
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by gabo86 »

Pandemonium wrote: - I don't know if I'll ever have time to pick up the 'pande-review' thread, but I hope I will some day...
You HAVE to pick it up :D seriously, it's my guide to FSOL, and for the latest releases I fell less "guided" because I don't have a Pande-review to refer to...:)
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Pandemonium »

:) I will, someday...

- But if you followed the reviews up until the end of 2008, you shouldn't need more guidance - go on your own :)

- I'm glad people find that thread useful, but I make it just because I like to deconstruct things down to their building blocks (I'm an engineer, so it's kinda my job...)
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Dennis
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Re: The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

Post by Dennis »

Ok finally this arrived. The album's just ace. It's cool how amazingly well the tracks fit together. Love it how "Bring" turned into this epic track that could have easily been featured on E5.

The Book is awesome. Love to read those old reviews. Few things are missing. No mention on MPB & EBS podcasts (maybe copyright issues?) and I think there's no word on the "Teachings..." video, or did I overlooked it? But don't mean to complain, this is incredible stuff.
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