What was the last piece of music to totally blow your mind?

[MysteryGuest]

Anyone else noticed the way this thread leans heavily towards either repetition or rhythmic deconstruction? We've got Part and Messiaen in the classical corner, electronic music with seven (!) beats in the bar, a fair bit of so-called drone-rock and post-rock (stupid names both, but you know what I mean...).

Any theories on why, or are we all just trying to be clever?

ADD. ADD in terms of music means a love of repetition, because it relieves the fire of anxiety that usually burns away 24/7 in the ADD mind. "Normal" musical structure comes from the same place where people without ADD socially interact with each other - it's a kind of inbetween place that requires participants to somehow let go but simultaneously focus. If you are blessed with an ADD mind, it's incredibly alienating because there's no way you can join in socially in that way. It's like trying to balance plates on a stick balanced on the end of your nose, while acting all casual. So you develop excellently powerful coping strategies, which usually involve being incredibly funny. Also, if you're unable to connect with people in the "usual" way, you're more likely to require strong stimulation in all areas of cultural life in order to achieve the satisfaction/relief normally experienced by "normal" people in a much milder way. Anxiety-induced anhedonia leads to wanting/needing unusually strong stimulation. This can, and does, have a very strong effect amongst creative sorts, which leads to this unusually intense, vibrant and repetitive music. I always remember when I was studying O level music, the strong aversion I felt to sonata form... that ability to gently but persisently hold something in mind in order to contrast it with something else also held gently but persistently in mind... it was practically physically painful. Hated it. Yet loved music. So - hence, intense repetition with depth of musical insight. To this day "normal" music is like nails down a blackboard to me. Of course, thanks to tablets/smart phones/the internet etc everybody's attention is being systematically ruined, in order to hyperstimulate people so that they can continue to buy things. And precisely because of the cheap thrill of internet-based stimulation, most people who post on the internet are going to have "that" (bare, minimal, intense immediate) effect...

 

[billy_bob]

So you're saying we are just trying to be clever?

Just kidding - I asked for theories and that's certainly a theory. I'm not sure I fully understand it, but then I'm trying to play scrabble on my phone at the same time as reading it...

If it's not just re-stating the obvious, I kind of assumed it was seeing a familiar thing (/instrument/genre/convention) from a new angle. Obviously you're prompting that if you start adding and subtracting beats from the bar or imitating percussion with the human voice or whatever. Maybe with repetition it comes back to that adage about doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result. If a piece of music repeats the same thing often enough it does start to produce a different response in your brain - what's brutally loud becomes hypnotic, what's simple becomes overwhelming, etc - so it is a little bit like going mad.

 

[BassJunkie]

In answer to "the last piece of music that felt utterly different and hit a spot in your head no other music had ever reached, that made you think 'Fuck me, this is good, in a way I didn't know I could feel.'" It's this. I'd never really listened to it before in a 'relaxed' state of mind. I felt like it fit the shape of my brain precisely.

 

[nogojones]

 

[killer b]

In answer to "the last piece of music that felt utterly different and hit a spot in your head no other music had ever reached, that made you think 'Fuck me, this is good, in a way I didn't know I could feel.'" It's this. I'd never really listened to it before in a 'relaxed' state of mind. I felt like it fit the shape of my brain precisely.

oh yeah. this is good.

 

[Cowley]

This is just an incredible piece of music from Floating Points and Theo Parrish with vocals by Fatima. They don't make em like this anymore! It's inspired by an old song from 100% Pure Poison.

They just nailed this song big time, timeless sounding music IMO.

 

[Orang Utan]

Sorry to piss on your chips, but eh?
Timeless? Is timeless a good thing? I don't think so. Amy Winehouse got called timeless.
It sounds big and it's clearly well produced, but mind blowing?
Horses for courses, I suppose, but Floating Points (and, of course Theo Parrish) has done much more interesting things than that. Why did they make that? This is like a descent into banality.

 

[strummerville]

Many versions of this but Donny Hathaway's is pure soul.

 

[Ax^]

recently discovered matt mcginn

 

[dweller]

recently discovered matt mcginn

Love Matt McGinn

 

[Cowley]

Sorry to piss on your chips, but eh?
Timeless? Is timeless a good thing? I don't think so. Amy Winehouse got called timeless.
It sounds big and it's clearly well produced, but mind blowing?
Horses for courses, I suppose, but Floating Points (and, of course Theo Parrish) has done much more interesting things than that. Why did they make that? This is like a descent into banality.

Pissing on my chips? One mans trash is another mans treasure?

Of course Timeless music is a good thing. To be able to produce a piece of music that is relevant now, was relevant 10 years ago and is relevant in 10 years time is not an easy thing to do. Producing a piece of music that sounds good "today", but sounds dated in a few years time is an easy thing to do.

IMO, yeah the song is mind blowing, it's extremely well produced and for me is head and shoulders above a lot of music coming out these days regardless of the genre. The production, the arrangement, it's just so well put together.

I agree both Floating Points and Theo have done more interesting/progressive sounding productions but for me this is just a classic piece of music that will stand the test of time.

 

[Orang Utan]

Fair dos, but for me timeless = characterless and bland

 

[Cowley]

Fair dos, but for me timeless = characterless and bland

Fair enough and I do kind of understand where you are coming from, well kind of. I understand the bland part but not the characterless part.

That Floating Points/Theo/Fatima song isn't mind blowing in the sense that they are breaking down boundaries and creating something totally new/fresh, it's mind blowing for me in the sense that it's such a well put together piece of music, it sounds like it was recorded and mixed in a really high end studio on top class vintage gear like a SSL board. But importantly, recorded and mixed properly.

The Musicianship is pretty much flawless too. You would be hard pressed to find a better sounding current Soul/Jazz song, but each to their own I suppose.

I don't think this is either Floating Points or Theo's best production, I think some of their "House" productions over the years have been incredible, stuff like "People's Potential" for Floating Points or Theo Parrish's "Parallel Dimensions" LP.

 

[ska invita]

Fair dos, but for me timeless = characterless and bland

for me timeless is something of its time but its so good that it doesnt date badly whilst other music of its time does
lots of hendrix is timeless - not sure you can call Amy Winehouse timeless, but to be fair there might be the odd tune of hers thats gone into the Timeless Pop Song Book

 

[Orang Utan]

for me timeless is something of its time but its so good that it doesnt date badly whilst other music of its time does
lots of hendrix is timeless - not sure you call Amy Winehouse timeless, but to be fair there might be the odd tune of hers thats gone into the Timeless Pop Song Book

What I mean by timeless is that it could as easily have been made in the 60s as the 00s. I don't think that is a good thing!
Hendrix isn't timeless - it's totally 60s!

 

[ska invita]

Hendrix isn't timeless - it's totally 60s!

eaxctly, but thats what i mean - its of its time but also transcends its time and plays on into infinity - no music is timeless in the sense that its not rooted to a time and place shirley

 

[PricelessTrifle]

 

[Cpatain Rbubish]

 

[gabi]

My commute is so short now, five mins walk, that I rarely listen to music like I did. Used to be on the Vic line in London where I listened to new shit.

But I think the last was Jamie XX remixing Gil Scott Heron. The old and the new working in perfect harmony.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Some amazing selections on this thread

I always find having favourites or feeling gushy about stuff, and in this case, music quite hard. I like so much, so many different genres too that everytime i've seen this thread ove the last weeks or whatever I have retreated to simply listening to other people's selections...but today...been listening to tunes all afternoon and although it's a popular choice I will say Theo Parrish, as an artist...the truth is that I haven't heard anything from him I don't like and quite simply get lost in his music in a good way...

This came on just now and I will never tire of it.

 

[keybored]

Darude - Sandstorm

 

[Geri]

On Christmas Day a couple of years ago I heard Elin Manahan Thomas singing Dido's Lament from the opera Dido and Aeneas. It was amazing.

 

[Cpatain Rbubish]

Not new but it's been a long time since I listened to it...



I think the whole album is appropriate tonight.

 

[Johnny Vodka]

Listening to 'In Rainbows' again in the car the other day. I can never get over how gorgeous Weird Fishes and Reckoner are.

 

[Cpatain Rbubish]

Tonight is one of indecision. I'm torn between The Cure (kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss me) and Cardiacs )A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window)

not new and so probably the wrong thread but they both blow my mind.

 

[tommers]

Tonight is one of indecision. I'm torn between The Cure (kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss me) and Cardiacs )A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window)

not new and so probably the wrong thread but they both blow my mind.

I listened to that cure album again recently and it is very very good. The intro to the first song is amazing.

 

[Cpatain Rbubish]

I listened to that cure album again recently and it is very very good. The intro to the first song is amazing.

Their best I think. The Cure won this evening but now I'm onto The Head On The Door.

E2A I'm including this on the thread as it's re-blowing my mind

 

[Cpatain Rbubish]

 

[hipipol]

 

[Epona]

I like lots of different types of music, but the one that affects me like a kick in the gut is Mozart's Requiem.