Interesting to see so many folks in the boat of ‘rinsed it then moved on’. I wonder why that is.
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I think in general there’s such a constant stream of very good music - within electronica/ambient etc alone, let alone across other genres - that it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks. We’re spoiled a bit, really. Probably something to be said for imposing limits on your own consumption - I’ve only recently got into streaming music services and while it’s awesome in some respects, I’ve been so trigger happy with the additions that it gets almost counter-productive.
As to why some records stick and some don’t, there’s probably a few reasons: some are slightly style over substance, without lasting appeal; some are played to death upon release, dropped and never really picked up again; some are the victims or short attention spans among listeners, not given the time to settle and grow that maybe they should (I’ve definitely been guilty of this). + probably more I’m not thinking of.
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Really, really liking MSoTT. There’s almost too much going on for it to be considered ambient - there are long hazy passages but much of it refuses to sink into the background. I love those dreamy, understated vocals, particularly early on The Centre where it’s like a soothing undercurrent beneath the chaotic surface. I’m annoyed at 2012 colossalhorse for not giving it a proper chance now.
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Love the vocals at the start of One Perfect Moment, especially the way they start to distort and feedback.
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Yeah I love that. There’s something about that effect, the way they almost become static, that I find weirdly moving in a way I can’t quite describe.
Have spent some more time reconnecting with this and it’s an odd one for me. I like it. I like it a lot, in fact, but I don’t think I will listen to it with any degree of regularity in the future (unlike, say, Burger/Ink, which will likely become a staple ambient techno album for me). I’m not entirely sure why that is - my initial thoughts were that I tend to gravitate towards looping ‘rhythmic’ electronic music, but that’s not really true given how much drone I listen to. And, for that matter, this is full of loops! And something like the opening of ‘One Perfect Moment’ is just sublime and exactly what I love.
I dunno - maybe it’s just something psychological about four 20+ minute tracks?? There’s also more of a feeling of stasis here then in Shenzhou or First Narrows which have more of a feeling of movement? It’s weird - I feel like I have to really commit to each listen here, a bit like Lift Yr Skinny Fists in fact, which (while sonically occupying a very different space) has the same vibe of four 20 minute tracks with multiple movements.
Listening as I type and, oh gosh, the shift around 6 minutes in One Perfect Moment is magical. @jont2001 is spot on with the Tim Hecker reference here.
Yep, I think this is it and probably why I haven’t listened to it more.
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I find that to be a key aspect of what makes an album a constant-go-to for me. This is, whilst undoubtedly great and a work of art, a far more… intrusive work. It is like as upthread said someone like Hecker, or maybe even veering into more closely noise like Talvihorros. I find it commands a focused listen which is fine, and lots of my favourite albums do that.
As someone who listened to this album through a lot of life upheaval, it is a hard one to listen back to. Albums do that to me - they cling onto the mindfulness that I had at that time. I can’t listen to Saturdays = Youth as it is closely linked with the dissolution of my only other major relationship. This album reminds me of upheaval so much that it acts almost as a beacon for those thoughts. That, in fact, makes it near enough a time machine in it’s own right, an apt feeling for what the music and artist are titled.
Anyway, rambly thoughts aside, this is by no means a negative assessment of the choice. In fact, it’s a very positive one. I love getting transported back to those moments when I least expect it.
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Actually really grateful for this reason to revisit MSOTT. It’s like finding myself in a pleasant, near-forgotten old dream. Do agree with the points made ^^ about daunting track lengths etc but sitting down and listening to this thing again has been extremely enjoyable and brought its charms into focus in a way which makes me think I won’t be moving on again quite so readily. Which I guess is the whole point of this. Go team.
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Blood Music: Pentamerous Metamorphosis is also fantastic.
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As a virtual novice to most of this stuff, I extremely grateful for all of the fantastic recommendations (and spin-offs) so far. I’ve found myself really looking forward to late nights working with my headphones on, and can’t wait for another pick tomorrow.
So far I think the Loscil album has been my favourite because of the sense of huge space yet simultaneously lots of intricate detail. The burger / ink record is the closest thing to the sort of electronic music I would normally listen to. MSOTT has certainly been the most challenging as there is so much going on at once and it seems a bit unstructured. Some beautiful passages and little motifs scattered throughout though, got it on atm.
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Glad you’re finding it enjoyable and informative 
Intrigued for tomorrow’s pick.
It’s my turn folks!
They’ve all been so good so far - hopefully my choice is up to scratch!
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Figure I may as well post now as people will be up earlier than me tomorrow.
https://dozz.bandcamp.com/album/k
K is Donato Dozzy’s debut album from 2010.
DD might now be best known as one half of Voices From the Lake - their 2013 S/T LP was very well received and is by now widely acknowledged as being some pretty seminal ambient dub techno.
K falls within the same loose category: for the most part, it’s made up of immersive, submerged minimal ambient techno of the highest order. He’s still yet to top this one IMO.
Enjoy. Would be good if this was new to at least some people but I appreciate a fair few will already be familiar - hopefully it’ll be fun to revisit in that case!
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That Brambles album is amazing! Cheers for the recommend.
I’ll start by saying that I’m not the biggest fan of that really deep nautical techno. I don’t dislike it per se, but yer Porter Ricks, VFTL, Donato Dozzy have never fully landed for me. Or at least that was the case until last September when, lying by a pool in Greece, I stuck Voices From The Lake on my headphones and decided that I was completely wrong and it was one of the best things I’d ever heard.
I’ve not taken that realisation into a reassessment of that really submerged sound, so I’m looking forward to see if Donny D sounds better these days.
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This doesn’t seem to be streaming anywhere.
It’s available to stream on bandcamp, no?
Yeah, but bandcamp doesn’t do offline download without purchase. And I have no audio hardware on my work laptop.
Ahhhh, gotcha.
What the hell kinda laptop do you have???
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