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BT (Binary Universe) vs. Jon Hopkins (pg. 2)
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| s3nate |
| quote: | Originally posted by Spirit5
Ulrich Schnauss |
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| movingincircles |
| quote: | Originally posted by kush paintings
After discovering Jon Hopkins a few months ago and exploring his music since, and having listened to Binary Universe many times, I am beginning to doubt the true "genius" behind BT's latest release. If you haven't heard Jon Hopkin's Contact Note (2004), go to iTunes or Amazon and check it out. What you will discover after listening is a striking similiarity, in some regards, to Binary Universe, most notably the stutter effect.
While Contact Note is not nearly as well mastered as Binary Universe, especially considering the 5.1 mastering, the sound which BT seemed to be going for, the twisting of melodies and, as mentioned, the use of the stutter effect as an integral instrument are all apparent on Contact Note, which was released two years prior to Binary Universe. BT's song construction is for more creative and less straightforward than Hopkins, but as one could imagine this innovation has its positives and negatives. I suppose one can say the genius of Hopkin's songs is the very fact that he does not allow himself to stray too far as BT does in his songs, which are either hit or miss in that aspect.
I bring this up, because I am curious as to what others, who have heard both in depth, think. Do you see the clear influence Contact Note probably had on BT, and does this somewhat detract from the hype of "genius" that Binary Universe seems to be upheld by, or do you see it differently than I? |
pointless thread
what if BT has never heard of Jon Hopkins
after listening to contact note, it sounds nothing like TBU
stutter edits? well I dont know when Jon started using the effect, but emotional technology came out before contact note.
and look at one of the track names of jon hopkins "sleepwalker"
hmmmmmm "somnambulist" anyone? |
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| Prototrance |
| quote: | Originally posted by WirelessEyes
BT is recognized as the innovater of the Stutter edit.
More importantly, This Binary Universe is seven short films which he compsoed the music to, that is non-existant with Jon Hopkins. BT tied the golden ration to the visuals and audio, which is truley ground breaking.
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Do you mean the golden ratio - i.e. 1:618???
If so, how did he go about doing this???? I've got TBU and done a little bit of reading around it but hadn't come across this.
Will check out this John Hopkins bloke, but in terms of the stutter edit I can remember hearing it on the movement in still life album that was out well before 2004. |
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| WirelessEyes |
BT discuss' in depth in this hour, hi-def interview about the math behind TBU. check it out
http://stage6.divx.com/BT |
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| PETRAN |
Hey, chill-out guys BT has done nothing new and innovative. Yes he maybe pushed the boundaries from the technical side of things but musically he hasn't discovered anything new, nor has he played something mind-blowing which was never heard before. Because BT, (which was always a mainstream EDM producer-at least in the recent years, IMO a mediocre to bad one) suddenly discovered IDM, ambient and the experimental side of electronica doesn't make him a god right? There were many many artists who played much more innovative IDM in the past and to bring some examples here are some usual suspects:
Bola (everything is mind-blowing here)
Autechre ( Incanabula, Amber, Tri Repetae++)
Aphex Twin (Richard D.James album,I care because you do, the two Selected Ambient Works)
Future Sound of London (Lifeforms, Dead Cities)
William Orbit (Strange Cargo trilogy)
Air Liquide
Telefon Tel Aviv
Global Communications
Orbital (listen to Snivilization and In Sides to find Obital in all their huge experimental glory)
Amon Tobin
Pete Namlook
Helios
Arovane
Space-time Continuum
Boards of Canada
m-Ziq
Casino vs Japan
DNTEL...
And if you want to consider "ambient" more postrock-influenced, dark things then we also have
Windy & Carl
Sigur Ros
Labradford
Stars of the Lid
Lull
Tristeza
Mum
The Album Leaf
and even more mainstream trip-hop stuff like Massive Attack, Archive, Portishead, Hooverphonic and even Bjork (anyone heard "Vespertine"?You will be surprised how much more experimental is then BT's album, at least if you consider the fact that is much older.Strangely enough it fuses glitch with beautifull soundtrack-like orchestral themes) have succesfully fused electronica with orchestral passages and stuff and don't forget Hybrid's albums all these years...
So, what BT has done in this new album is nothing new or mind-blowing or innovative. Its just a good IDM/Ambient/Electronica album which is there with many other similar albums. Nothing more, nothing less. |
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| Lunar Phase 7 |
Frankly didn't care much for TBU, it was good for what it was, but thats about it. Maybe I don't understand it because I havn't given it due time or whatever, but I really havn't found my self wanting to play this after i played it through once.
Contrast to his other works, to which i played to death. |
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| sandstorm03 |
| Jon Hopkins invented music |
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| kush paintings |
Thanks for that.
Petran, thanks for the list. It actually made me think of Telefon Tel Aviv and how crisp their music always sounds, which was a point that I was making about Binary Universe as one of its strongest aspects. |
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| [mart] |
| quote: | Originally posted by movingincircles
and look at one of the track names of jon hopkins "sleepwalker"
hmmmmmm "somnambulist" anyone? |
What? |
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| Kakoroto |
I was beginning to think I was the only one who listened to Jon Hopkins here. Ive been listening to him for a little over a year now, and is IMO the best ambient/down-tempo artist to date( even greater than Schnauss) based upon Hopkins two albums (Opalescent and Contact Note). BTW if you haven't heard his Opalescent album yet, then your missing his true form. It IS better than Contact Note. BT's new album is technically brilliant(I own it)and have listened to it many times, but overall I still think Hopkins has him in the long run.
BTW, Opalescent was created in 1999 and released in 2000/2001, and it still blows 99% of its genres competition right out of the water. |
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| [mart] |
| Jon Hopkins has a new album coming out this year, by the way. :gsmile: |
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| Kakoroto |
| Yea, just read that on his website. Can't wait. |
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