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BT (Binary Universe) vs. Jon Hopkins (pg. 5)
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| couch-potato |
I think that the purpose of TBU was to not be defined by a specific genre. Really, I view it more as a work of art rather than a IDM/Electronic/Classical whatever the album people would like to label it as. The fact that he made movies to go along with the musical pieces attests to that. And yes, I view the films as more than standard music videos. They seem more like something you would see at an independent film festival.
For the making of art that I like, I salute BT. |
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| SYSTEM-J |
| quote: | Originally posted by sljiva
BT was definitely not the first one who did more epic/trancier prog. house, however since he was releasing on a big label and since he released an album (early 90's prog. house artists rarely decided to release an album), you could say he was the main figure in converting prog. house to prog. trance. |
Progressive house was often a little bit trancey, but that was only as a result of it borrowing from many other genres. If BT wasn't the first to make more epic progressive, who was? Embracing The Sunshine came out in 1994, at the same time as other records that could be called the pioneering records in that area: Blue Amazon's Four Seasons/The Runner and Sasha's Higher Ground. You could say Fade were there as well, but nobody I've heard did it before BT. What's more, while Sasha and Fade were not that prolific, BT did dozens of remixes and released an entire album of material in a single year. Only Blue Amazon and then Quivver came close to his output in shaping the stylistic direction of mid-90s prog.
| quote: | | And stop already with the IDM nonsense; TBU is not an IDM record. |
It's as easy to call it IDM as it is to call it anything else, since it's a genreless record. Besides, "IDM" is a term that places no constraints on syntactic genre definition so I don't see any problem with calling TBU an IDM album. |
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| Dj_Es-Dva |
Why hasn't underworld or leftfield been mentioned? I've always read and thought Leftfield especially were pionners of Prog House. Underworld were making mad shi+ in 93, dubnobasswithmyheadman (also made in a year omg no wai!) and the Steppin Razor mix of 'Song Of Life' is phenomenal.
Not being from the IDM angle, i just do not like TBU, not especially due to the music which i personally find dull but overly, because BT pisses me off :stongue:
To me its that simple, other then 'Fibonnaci Sequence' which is pretty great and usually i've found a track BT fans dislike.
edit: oh before, i get quoted for saying without reason why he pisses me off. i read an interview with him after TBU, the general feel i got from it was that he spent just a few days on each track and that he's only quite a tool. :) |
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| sljiva |
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
If BT wasn't the first to make more epic progressive, who was? |
You're concentrating too much on the big names. Not only BT, Blue Amazon and Fade made prog. house in that period. For example Limbo already released 30 records prior to 1994, and couple of them contained this heavy, sonically dense, atmospheric, sometimes acidic, ethnic sampled trancey sound that was more similar to later prog. trance than earlier prog. house. First that comes to mind is Ready For Dead - Ready For Dead, and especially Deep Piece - Torwart (Backroom Mix). But as I already said, that were one or two time projects, and prolific BT definitely had more influence on later development of that sound.
| quote: | | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J It's as easy to call it IDM as it is to call it anything else, since it's a genreless record. Besides, "IDM" is a term that places no constraints on syntactic genre definition so I don't see any problem with calling TBU an IDM album. |
Yeah, IDM is quite undefined term, but that doesn't mean anything can be lumped under it. TBU is an ambient/modern classical album (somebody already mentioned it was conceived as a lullaby work) with some characteristic IDM effects thrown in here and there to break down the monotony that would eventually occur. The same thing is with Nathan Fake's Drowning In A Sea Of Love, which also uses some IDM elements, but is not an IDM record. |
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| MrJiveBoJingles |
| It seems like most people either think BT is awesome or just a pretentious and uninspired hack. Not much middle ground in opinion... |
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| PETRAN |
| quote: | Originally posted by sljiva
You're concentrating too much on the big names. Not only BT, Blue Amazon and Fade made prog. house in that period. For example Limbo already released 30 records prior to 1994, and couple of them contained this heavy, sonically dense, atmospheric, sometimes acidic, ethnic sampled trancey sound that was more similar to later prog. trance than earlier prog. house. First that comes to mind is Ready For Dead - Ready For Dead, and especially Deep Piece - Torwart (Backroom Mix). But as I already said, that were one or two time projects, and prolific BT definitely had more influence on later development of that sound. |
+1 to that ,Limbo exactly. And i can't see whats the big deal with that "mid-90s" prog, i mean it sounds like a natural development of previous prog and trance (like a polished, cooler and bigger even "nerdier" version of previous efforts actually) i can't see whats so "innovative" about it. Wow, it has some random pianos thrown-in...like nobody had pianos in the early-mid-90s...
| quote: |
Yeah, IDM is quite undefined term, but that doesn't mean anything can be lumped under it. TBU is an ambient/modern classical album (somebody already mentioned it was conceived as a lullaby work) with some characteristic IDM effects thrown in here and there to break down the monotony that would eventually occur. The same thing is with Nathan Fake's Drowning In A Sea Of Love, which also uses some IDM elements, but is not an IDM record. |
I completely disagree here. BT "modern classical"? So what, BT sounds like Max Richter, Johann Johansson and Olafur Arnalds? Or maybe Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Adams? This album had one, maybe two, orchestral segments and these are the most (stupid) ermmm simplistic orchestral developments you are ever going to hear :stongue:
I think its ok to label TBU as an IDM album, i can't see the problem with that. Its just not the best IDM out there :p |
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| couch-potato |
| Considering all the thoughtful debating going on over TBU I'd say BT did something right here. |
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| nrjizer |
| quote: | Originally posted by Spirit5
Ulrich Schnauss |
Also Shpongle, Vince Watson. |
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| RapidFire |
| quote: | Originally posted by PETRAN
I completely disagree here. BT "modern classical"? So what, BT sounds like Max Richter, Johann Johansson and Olafur Arnalds? Or maybe Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Adams? |
you just gotta drop names in every post you make don't you? yeah we get it you listen to 'eclectic' artists :rolleyes: |
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| SYSTEM-J |
| quote: | Originally posted by sljiva
You're concentrating too much on the big names. Not only BT, Blue Amazon and Fade made prog. house in that period. For example Limbo already released 30 records prior to 1994, and couple of them contained this heavy, sonically dense, atmospheric, sometimes acidic, ethnic sampled trancey sound that was more similar to later prog. trance than earlier prog. house. First that comes to mind is Ready For Dead - Ready For Dead, and especially Deep Piece - Torwart (Backroom Mix). But as I already said, that were one or two time projects, and prolific BT definitely had more influence on later development of that sound. |
I've heard a lot of the Limbo back catalogue and I think you're pushing it a bit here. I'm not claiming these guys did something utterly without precedent, which seems to be the criterion BT has to meet to vaguely satisfy any of his critics in this thread. Ready For Dead and similar tracks are identifiable as relatives of the mid-90s sound, but BT and BA certainly added a huge amount more. |
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| PETRAN |
| quote: | Originally posted by RapidFire
you just gotta drop names in every post you make don't you? yeah we get it you listen to 'eclectic' artists :rolleyes: |
Sometimes i listen to Tiesto |
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| RapidFire |
| quote: | Originally posted by PETRAN
Sometimes i listen to Tiesto |
:p |
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