Since I Left You

by

The Avalanches

Edit

Whatever formula these Australian mixers and sample connossieurs have come up with, for this debut album, seems to be some of the most refreshing sounds heard in a while from the genre of dub/electro/dance/house/mixing. I haven't been this impressed with an album of this kind, since DJ Cam's 'Mad Blunted Jazz' or even possibly the recent release from Pete Rock: 'Petestrumentals'. The Avalanches know how to generate some well-layered production and sample weaving. One of the fun aspects of listening to somewhat sample based records is figuring out the sample sources.

"Since I Left You" starts the album off, with a 70s Pop feel, complete with strings, flute, a nice vocal dub, and that signature background guitar sound from that era. In "Stay Another Season", you will hear some of the music foundation from Madonna's "Holiday", before the sounds progress into a latin tinge, with a horse even joining in the medley. "Radio" serves as the pathway towards dancefloor groove, utilizing a myriad of synth ins and outs and pulsating bounce. It's certainly a House rocker! "Two Hearts In 3/4 Time" is probably the soundscape for 'ladies choice', when the ladies skim the party for a dance partner, who will offer a smooth presence and plenty of eye contact. The Fender Rhodes really make this tune an ultimate in the chill out and connection mood. I love "Avalanche Rock" because in 23 seconds, this songs drills in your head a sample of the beginning verse from Hip Hop MC Raekwon's "Glaciers of Ice". I am glad to see that some other people out there know of the Hip Hop group, Camp Lo. The Avalanches show their appreciation by using snippets from the Lo's "Sparkle", off of their classic first album, for "Close To You" and "Diners Only". I would describe these two songs as being neat breakbeats. "A Different Feeling" certainly creates that exact sentiment, with its ruminations through symphonic modernized disco and a little laughter! Those interstellar loops are also quite catchy. "Electricity" sounds like it takes its mass influence from the vibes of the west coast, and it even has that signature hi to low synth 'whistling' sound. This track could be like the current after-party funk sound for say, George Clinton. "Tonight" gets very alternative jazzy and swirls with a nice tone of Nancy Wilson. "Frontier Psychiatrist" is perfectly describe as a movie put to slightly Hip Hop music. The samples run the gamut, and that horse makes another vocal cameo appearance here. It reminds me of something DJ Vadim did with one of his last albums ('U.S.S.R.-Life From The Other Side'), and it will give the dancing crowd some 'therapy'! "Etoh" is basically a journey to another galaxy, with happy creatures whispering 'etoh'. Have a firm hand on your mixed drink, when this track comes on. "Live At Dominoes" shows the affects and effects of a party in full swing. This track would melt any House club. "Extra Kings" closes out the album by throwing listeners straight into oblivion, and echoing the album's circling mantra: 'Since the day I left you.'

This is the kind of album that you can put on in your place while you are sitting alone or with your roommate or lover, and somehow the phone will start ringing and folks will start knocking on your door, hoping to be a part of this hip party that you have created. At least in theory, that is how it should work!

Definitely get this album. You will be the talk of the town, and it is great to listen to while you are out driving to the club.

with this album, Avalanches has proven that they are masters of found sound. Every song is a mishmash of so many samples that the head starts spinning, but the amazing part is it sounds good. Maybe the one critique of the album I have (which knocked two stars from the rating) is that they seem to have so much sampling material that they are desperate for the listener to hear that they sacrifice the continuity of the songs in order to fit in that extra sample--not that any of the sampling and mixing is in any ways bad--its just that I find myself at a point in the cd where the head starts nodding, and the groove promptly dissolves in a cacophany of sampling, ne'er to return. Of course this ever-changing, active way of sample integration may appeal to people who like their music to be busy, but I've always been of the school that a dance album needs to find a groove, which it allows to live a full life--a chance for a dancer, head-bobber, rhythm lover to meld with the groove and find its expression in the listener--there are numerous superb grooves, magnificent rhythmic manifestations of beat technology here--they just don't stick around long enough for satiation.