Gloss Drop
(2011, Warp Records) USA, NY.
New album for Battles, after Tyondai Braxton leaves the band.D*mn, it’s precisely his voice that turns Battles from an interesting band to a cult band in my mind.
Let’s start with the amazing Ice Cream‘s videoclip : http://www.vimeo.com/24380624 : With a superbe featuring with Matias Aguayo, who released “Ay Ay Ay” last year ( A Jako’s discovery).
I like a lot the other featurings with Kazu Makino from Blonde Redhead (Sweetie And Shag) and the one with Yamantaka Eye from the amazing Boredoms (Sundome).
The song with Gary Numan, My Machines, is interesting.
I only keep n my top 5 two instrumentals songs which really bring new sounscapes : Rolls Bayce, which is a slow and terrific build-up and Wall Street which reminds me of the songs I loved on “Mirrored” (great part at 4:08).
I saw them live in Paris with Tyondai, at l’Elysée Montmartre, before it burned, and It was a great moment.
To conclude, “Gloss Drop” is still a great record, from which I prefer the songs with vocals. I hope they will multiply these featurings in a future release.
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COUP DE COEUR : MY TOP 5
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| 1. Ice Cream (Feat. Matias Aguayo) |
| 2. Sweetie And Shag (Feat. Kazu Makino) |
| 3. Rolls Bayce |
| 4. Sundome (Feat. Yamantaka Eye) |
| 5. Wall Street |
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Mirrored
(2007, Warp Records) USA, NY.
I discovered Battles with that album, during my usual Warp Records surveillance.
I first saw their two great vidéoclips for Atlas : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpGp-22t0lU and Tonto : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLAN29W-4w .
What a surprize : Before I didn’t know band with rock/elecro/loops and weird vocals like that.
Tyondai Braxton did a great work with his pitched or vocoded vocals which are a big plus in Battles music, added to the great music of their first eps.
It turns their music into something you can listen to all day long.
My favorite song is Leyendecker with a sick sound for the couple drum/bass and terrific vocals layers.
Then comes Rainbow (instrumental) and its great part at 3:03. Bravo.
I love TIJ which is a great build-up with a good work with the breathing noises at the beginning and a great vocal riff, which remains in head for a long time.
Ddiamond is a song with a really interesting rhythmic pattern and surprizing vocals experimentations.
This album is an absolute Must-Have.
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COUP DE COEUR : MY TOP 5
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|
| 1. Leyendecker |
| 2. Rainbow |
| 3. TIJ |
| 4. Ddiamond |
| 5. Atlas |
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EP C/ B EP
(2006, Warp Records) USA, NY.
This is the compilation of their 2 Eps after “Tras”.
You’ll still find instrumental music but much more fine and produced (like in Ipt2).
SZ2 starts slowly but I really like the variation at 5:44.
I like the way the sounds evolve in Hi / Lo and its part at 2:08.
Dance seems to be an evolved Fantasy.
A very good Ep.
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COUP DE COEUR : MY TOP 5
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|
| 1. Ipt2 |
| 2. SZ2 |
| 3. Hi / Lo |
| 4. Dance |
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TRAS
(2004, Cold Sweat Records) USA, NY.
First Ep for Battles, the rock/electro/eperimental/loops badn from Warp Records.
That band is the combination of members from other huge bands (Helmet, Don Caballero…) For more information, have a look to their wikipedia page.
With Tras, you’ll see the very beginnings of the band with an instrumental music and some very interesting soundscapes.
Fantasy is a weird song in between beatbox, loops et electro.
They’ll combine these elements in their future releases.
An interesting Ep.