David Sylvian - Orpheus

Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté - Debe

Maybe I'm getting old...

THIS IS LOVE

A (HUNDRED) THOUSAND VIOLINS

Nearly two years and 500 posts after the fact, I’ve finally hit 100,000 unique visitors. I consider this to be a landmark, because it is a level of exposure I am satisfied with. Anything less would be not enough, and anything more wouldn't feel right to commemorate.

Bigger Splashes started as a hobby, as a need to 'do something' amidst the tyranny of mid-20s lethargy, but was also something of a causa sui. At the time of its creation in the summer of 2010, I was right in the middle of discovering a goldmine of really special stuff. I was very passionate about my discoveries and wanted to share with others what was affecting (enriching) my life so profoundly. In retrospect, it was nothing short of serendipitous. But like all things special and rare, supply is limited, and I have at long last reached an impasse. Surely there is more out there but as you begin to dig into the more obscure stuff, the quality tends to drop. For every gem, there are 10 turds. For every turd there are 10 really derived albums from admirable mimes which offer nothing of value beyond mere rhetoric. Many of these records in question were made by zealous young people who meant well and wanted to be a part of the scene, who even may have understood what the “scene” embodied, but were ultimately not musicians or artists. There’s a reason a lot of these recordings are unfound and that’s because many of them simply aren’t very good. Because of this, things have slowed down some recently.

A band like Felt is an anomaly. They were talented, ambitious, and most importantly, opposed to the vulgar, oaffish trends of the decade that would ultimately ignore them – and that speaks a lot for their artistic integrity, something missing almost entirely from the world today. In a perfect world, every musician would be as much of a relentless perfectionist as Lawrence or Kevin Shields. Such a world would surely not be facing the artistic recession we are currently in the midst of today. Music may not be dead, but it’s looking awfully moribund. Visit [certain popular music publication/site] and take a look at the front page. You will most likely see a number of record reviews, which, upon listening, you will potentially be saddened by (at least if you are as critical as I). These magazines and sites are largely bullshit. The music they support is bullshit. Plastic, turgid ordure. If anyone would like for me to expand on this, I will be happy to, but I figure if you are reading this, you are here for a reason, and my opinion is shared and understood.

There is still hope, and I am not one to claim that ‘good music’ is dead. There is plenty of 'good' music out there, although much of it has its priorities a little askew. Of course this is opinion, and many would say that the song style I enjoy is archaic, but I genuinely feel that simplicity is not a bad thing, and within a simple framework there is much room for experimentation. Taste and intelligence are important too, of course. There are only a few current musicians who I feel understand this pop philosophy: Ariel Pink, John Maus, Matt Fishbeck, Matt Fanuelle, Julia Holter, Nicolas Currie, as well as some more mainstream indie artists such as Destroyer, Girls, Beach House, Cass McCombs, and a handful of others. Still, they represent a minority of pop-culture dissenters/pop-music savants, and sadly, they are largely alone in their pursuits.

Back on the topic of BS.

Over the years I have come to realize that it’s important not to take one’s endeavors too seriously, but its also hazardous to not take them seriously enough. I’m aware that I’m operating on a cultural fringe with the content here, that my audience is a niche one, and exposure and interest is limited. I am also aware that this is a blog and blogs are cheap because anyone with a computer and working fingers can start one – BUT – the if the soul and spirit are vivacious and the content is crafted with care and dedication, the format is irrelevant. I am an appreciator, an enthusiast. I think it was Eno who said something about non-musicians really listening because it’s all they have, and I feel that’s why I talk about music – because I’m not inclined to making it. I only hope my taste and selectiveness speaks more than my ecstatic and at times even juvenile ramblings ever could.

My final advice to both listeners and creators alike: Be critical and critical and more critical. Criticism is what fuels all progress and without it we could sink into mediocrity and stagnation. But equally as important as criticism is appreciation - and that is where WE come in.

Anyways, that's enough rambling. Here's what you're here for : a mix which I feel embodies the quintessence of BS to celebrate this moment. It's a double disc affair consisting of 150 minutes of hardcore pop on pop action. It took me all day to make and I hope you'll like it.

01) Bitter Springs – Hollywood’s Decision
02) James Kirk – Houston, Texas
03) Even As We Speak - Drown
04) The Orchids – A Kind of Eden
05) The Brilliant Corners – Brian Rix
06) The Chills – Frantic Drift
07) Always – Love and Death in Metroland
08) The Wake – Pale Scepter
09) Blueboy – Cosmopolitan
10) The The – Jealous of Youth
11) St. Christopher – The Stars Belong to Me
12) Momus – Girlish Boy
13) Go-Kart Mozart – We’re Selfish and Lazy and Greedy
14) Fanuelle – Million
15) Strawberry Switchblade – Michael Who Walks by Night
16) Band of Holy Joy - Bride

SIDE B
01) Electronic – Second Nature
02) Cath Carroll – Moves Like You
03) The KLF – Madrugada Eterna (Club Mix)
04) Ryuichi Sakamoto – Risky
05) Friendly Fires – Looks Like Rain
06) The Other Two – Selfish
07) Saint Etienne – Lose That Girl (alternate)
08) Felt – A Wave Crashed on the Rocks
09) Television Personalities – Privilege
10) The House of Love – Love in a Car
11) Comet Gain – Draw a Smile Upon an Egg
12) East Village – Strawberry Window
13) The Apartments – On Every Corner
14) Cleaners From Venus – Living With Victoria Grey
15) Captain Sensible – Glad it’s All Over
16) David J – Hoagy Carmichael Never Went to New Orleans
17) Denim – The Osmonds
18) They Go Boom!! – Someday Soon

DOWNLOAD

Thanks for reading, for emailing, for appreciating.

Love,

Matt

Bigger Splashes

Sudden Sway - Solo Store Detective Man

Robert Walser - The Assistant (1908)

So I have recently read two books from two different time periods which were strikingly similar in subject: Stendhal's The Red and the Black and Robert Walser's The Assistant. Both books revolve around the experiences of young vassals who take on positions in 'aristocratic' houses and focus on their respective integration into the paternal arms of their upper class employers. Neither are particularly interesting reads, and both often frustrating in the characters' passiveness, but that is not to say I did not enjoy reading them. The Red and the Black was the more psychologically complex, but even so, not quite as 'existential' as it was made out to be. Much has been written already about this book, so I'll focus on the latter, which is still relatively unrecognized. I enjoyed The Assistant purely for the poetic, classical descriptions of the Swiss country side - this was it's main appeal to me, admittedly.

The protagonist, Joseph, who is much like a more tamed, prudish, and older Julien Sorel, is quick witted, but lacking ambition. He takes on an apprenticeship with a failing inventor, boarding a sinking ship for the sake of experiencing the sea, and clings to his own obedience and rebellion until the inevitable demise/collapse of his employer's business. Much of the book is a documentation on early 20th century caste psychology, or rather, caste Stockholm syndrome. There is an interesting dichotomy of scolding and caress in the way Joseph's master condescends him, and how this patronizing treatment is accepted and even appreciated; mistaken for familial love. He enjoys being subservient yet also enjoys his bold moments of undermining his employer and his employer's dainty and eloquent and personality-less wife, although he often apologizes immediately for these petty acts of defiance.

Nearly all of this commentary is outdated, yes, but the idea of social imprisonment is still very prominent outside of class echelon and extends to many other facets of our society. If you were to take an optimistic perspective, I also dare say that it serves to remind that despite what our idealistic criticism may debate, there has been some social progress in the last century, even if this 'progress' can be deemed miniscule. The gist of the book is summarized in a moment of realization about his follies and his curious and illogical affection towards his spiritual captors near the end:

"The assistant found it so lovely to be sitting there in that room. This was something that resembled a home. And how often, in former times, he had walked the city's lively and deserted streets, his heart filled with the cold, wicked, crushing sensation of having been abandoned. How old he had been in his youth. How the consciousness of not being at home anywhere had paralyzed him, strangled him from within. How beautiful it was to belong to someone, whether in hatred or impatience, displeasure or devotion, melancholy or love. The human magic that resided in a home like this - how dolefully enchanted Joseph had always been when he saw it reflected in some window that had been left standing open, making it visible down where he was standing on the cold street all alone, tossed from one place to another, without a home. How Easter, Christmas or Pentecost or New Year's came streaming fragrantly down from such windows, and how poor he felt when he thought of how he was allowed to enjoy only the paltry, almost imperceptible reflection of this golden, ancient glory. This beautiful privilege of the upper classes. The kindness in their faces. This peaceful doing, the living, and letting live!"

Related sentiments from a modern Joseph/Julien Sorel:

Courtesy GJ

Lil B - I'm Gay (2011)

Let's get the hyperbole out of the way first:

This is the best rap album I have ever heard. It is one of the most powerful and epic and inspirational and sincere and joyous collection of songs I have ever heard.

Now, I'm sure at least a few of you are thinking.....dude who doesn't typically listen to rap music hops on the Based God bandwagon like countless other white dudes who only occasionally dabble in the genre as novelty, but hear me out. Despite that I have only posted a single rap/hip hop song out of the nearly 500 public posts here on BS, I used to be quite an aficionado. I had an entire hard drive full of rap (aka "The Rap Drive") and was known to listen to beats as often as ballads. The reason you don't see a lot of rap mentioned on here, is because a) the aesthetic of this blog isn't really geared towards rap (obviously) and b) since the creation of BS and until the beginning of this year I've been pretty depressed and haven't really been in the mood for hip-hop. That being said, I'm Gay (which is a bold play on semiotics and statement on how silly and archaic the homophobia which often plagues the genre is) is about, yes, happiness. I've been depressed for longer than I can remember, and hearing this album now that I'm finally content is such a truly beautiful experience. It's like the sun has come out for the first time.

Let me tell you why this album is so special. For starters (and this is a big thing for most people who aren't big rap buffs), the production is flawless, god-tier. The samples are exquisitely selected and often unconventional, with a few examples being Slowdive (!!) and a screwed version of Goo Goo Dolls (which might sound frightening but is actually quite nice). The beats and hooks are solid too. Because of the quality of the music, I consider I'm Gay to be a pop album.

The lyrics/flows are organic and come straight from the heart and out the mouth and into the mic. Everything about Lil B is pro- and trans- gessive in the rap world, which is more often than not limited to a code of conduct, restrained to a set of topics, themes, and styles. B breaks down these walls, and while he has the classic 'rap ego,' he is also incredibly humble. He does use plenty of rap vernacular and slang phrases, but often these are used in a way which are both intended to be true and ironic, and this self-awareness is what makes B such a unique artist. He goes against the grain, and that is why he is at home here on Bigger Splashes.

But I'm Gay really shines because it is imbued with such empathy and passion (think Tupac's "Changes" and "Until the End of the World"). Stirring, touching, triggering, etc etc. There are six songs (essentially the latter half of the album), beginning with "Gon be Okay" which gave me chills for about 20 minutes during the time they played. I kept thinking that this bombardment of sensation would subside and the album would take a break by going a softer more subtle route, but the message and immediacy kept on in a manner nothing short of relentless. "I Hate Myself" was the pinnacle of this spiritual bombardment. Its an anthem for anyone who has ever been ostracized and it's one of the most real songs I've ever heard, rap or otherwise.

B is a young legend. He is a slayer of ignorance and close-mindedness and hatred, but most importantly B is a purveyor of love and change. Don't wait a single second - buy this album now.

Has technology caused an oversaturation of art and subsequently 'cheapened' the experience?

Bolded for emphasis. Extrapolate what you will from this.

"Levels of dissonance in music had been steadily rising since the last years of the nineteenth century, when Liszt wrote his keyless bagatelle and Satie wrote down the the six-note Rosicrucian chords of Le Fils des etoiles. Strauss, of course, indulged discord in Salome. Max Reger, a composer versed in the contrapuntal science of Bach, caused Schoenberg-like scandals in 1904 with music that meandered close to atonal. In Russia, the composer-pianist Alexander Scriabin, who was under the influence of Theosophist spiritualism, devised a harmonic language that vibrated around a “mystic chord” of six notes; his unfinished magnum opus Mysterium, slated for a premire at the foot of the Himalayas, was to have brought about nothing less than the annihilation of the universe, whence men and women would emerge as astral souls, relieved of sexual difference and other bodily limitations."
- Alex Ross, The Rest Is Noise, p.63.

Jobriath - I'maman

MIX - Spring Sprang Sprung

Special thanks to all who contribute to the BS facebook group. It's turning into a nice little community. Feel free to join.

01) Déficit Des Années Antérieures - Baltique
02) Michael Karoli & Polly Eltes - One Thing (Or the Other)
03) Dinosaur - Kiss Me Again (Vocal Mix)
04) A Popular History of Signs - Justice Not Vengeance
05) Blue Clocks Green - Hemingway
06) Claire Hamill - Afternoon in a Wheatfield
07) My Bloody Valentine - Drive it All Over Me
08) ????? - Secret Track
09) Julia Holter - Moni Mon Amie
10) ????? - Secret Track II
11) Rafael Brom - Dance for Padre Pio

DOWNLOAD

Heavenly - Our Love is Heavenly

The Go-Betweens - Your Turn My Turn

The Bats - Boogie Man

Thanks James!

Pel Mel - No Word From China

Thanks to Ben White for knowing more about obscure post punk than anyone else I know in the world.

Pet Shop Boys - Domino Dancing (12 inch)

Julia Holter - Ekstasis (2012)

My first ever visit to LA, I saw Julia Holter play in a tiny room at 1830, a studio/art house off sunset, with maybe a dozen people in attendance (apparently the roof was the place to be even though her set rivaled Ariel and Gary Wilson's). It was hot and cramped and there was mood lighting and I swooned and fell in love.

Ekstasis, which is quite different from Ms. Holter's previous and more experimental, less-synthetic release, Tragedy, (which, in my book, solidified her as a 'real' artist and not just a typical lo-fi band-waggoner like some of her associates) is like Joanna Newsom's elegance meets Kate Bush's exotica meets The Space Lady's stylings. "In The Same Room" sounds a lot like it was made using John Maus' synths and keyboards. "Boy in the Moon" is an ambient trip you will want to take over and over. "Goddess Eyes II," technically a remix, is the heavenly pop hit here, an epic, soaring piece that resides in the ethersphere and is appropiately followed by the slow, sweet, & sentimental "Moni Mon Ami" which is oh so dreamy. The whole album is dreamy, but that song particular - lovely. My writing is getting sloppy and uncreative. I should go back to bed. This is a good album for kissing. Good for many things. Yes. Get.

Rating: 8.5/10

Drugs for Drunks - Faiairr

I've been super busy and in a loop the past week. It's a good loop but a loop nonetheless. Is this 'witch-house?' 'Ambien-core?' I can't keep up with the nu-genres the kids have these days, but this sounds and looks good on sleep-deprived ears.

Patrick deWitt - Ablutions (2009)

Such a fantastic and funny little book. Densely laughable and brilliant, not just a paragraph here or there, but rather almost every sentence is great. Its humor is of the darkest, most dejected, depraved, loathsome variety. I finished this in two days, and its characters and scenarios made it severely entertaining. Proceed to amazon and buy.



"Your luck is buckling. Someone gives you a handful of pills that you eat along with your nightly whiskey and as the narcotics take effect a love grows in your heart and you wonder if this isn't how saints feel. But you are drinking more and more and the feeling is hidden in ugly clouds and by night's end you are unable to speak and you walk to the gas station to purchase aspirin. You are slurring and the Arab man behind the bulletproof glass does not like you. Now he is standing over you and shaking you awake: You have fallen asleep in the gas station bathroom, though you do not know why you entered or how long you have been there. You return to your car and find a note on the windshield: "Where did you go?" The note is not signed and the love in your heart is gone. It feels as though it was never there at all."

Frank O'Hara & Norman Bluhm - Poem-paintings