Graphic Music Minimalism

A place for music thoughts on composition and improv based on the east coast

www.andrewaldenmusic.com
Cover for my New Piece the Dolphy Requiem

Cover for my New Piece the Dolphy Requiem

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thomosexual:

Jonny Greenwood - Electric Counterpoint (written by Steve Reich)

(Sacrum Profanum Festival: Kraków, Poland; 2011)

correction: *my BEST FOOKIN’ friend

You can hear my moans…

hipsterneominimalismclassicsm

the genre name is what i think my music sounds like hipsterneominimalismclassicm maybe a better title would be hipsterneominimalismclassicmimprov 

suck my minimalism love pump

itwascoolandfunny: Justin Vernon has left his cabin and is setting out on the road leading to someplace bigger, away from isolation that desperately clings on him. Facing a daunting challenge to follow up an album that was deemed one of the greatest independent albums of all time will certainly have to play with everyone’s expectations. Many moves could have been taken: a follow up in the same style, a complete retirement from future releases in order to supply more importance to For Emma, Forever Ago (Bon Iver’s first release) or a complete change in musical style and direction. Vernon chooses the latter as he continues to hone in on his exuberant and blissfully intimate inspiration that gives this van Gogh of a musician his soul. There is a world that Justin Vernon lives in, a world found in the corners of many of our own heads, but this is where Vernon lives. It’s consumed in weather, horrifying yet beautiful and you’re alone. This is the quickest summary of Bon Iver’s work. He lets the world dance on his shoulders and then he closes his eyes. He breathes. He opens his eyes and he sings.  The biggest aspect of Bon Iver’s music that distinguished itself was its daunting minimalism. The minimalist approach to the compositions, lyricism, and productions gave them a gratifying weight too heavy to shake off. With this sophomore release, Vernon continues to reveal himself within his work but he’s a different man now. He’s off to achieve a bigger sound and sounder life.  This is a prominent fault seen in many artists that successfully achieve something through a minimal sound and then immediately trying to take off for something bigger and better. After For Emma released, an EP was released featuring B-sides from that album; the tracks were much more experimental, auto-tune was being treated as an instrument and the tracks broke the atmosphere set in For Emma, all revealing Vernon’s flaws as a producer. With this new album, those flaws come out more and weigh the album down as Vernon uses an unusually vast number of instruments to broaden the horizon his music lives for. You certainly feel the inspiration, but many of the tracks come at fault due to poor execution. The guitar is now a haunting, faded electric that comes off more irritating than atmospheric due to the lack of thought that went in the compositions. The usage of a variety of instruments ranging from saxophones to synthesizers come off as horribly forced, only focused on the agenda to create a larger atmosphere while neglecting complimenting the song properly. One of the memorable tracks, Michicant, is a rare case that actually succeeds with this approach that feels like an improvement on what For Emma was all about. Many other tracks including Perth, Hinnom, TX, and the infamous Beth/Rest come off as heavily distasteful in the process. Conclusively, Bon Iver (the album) results as a mismatch of tracks that range from blissful to annoying. Vernon, as a poet, as an artist, as a human being, remains pitch perfect and gives the strong core the album functions on; only sonically does the album devolve on.  This album wasn’t my dad, but a kind-hearted and mysterious lumberjack who looked after me when no one else cared. 

itwascoolandfunny:

Justin Vernon has left his cabin and is setting out on the road leading to someplace bigger, away from isolation that desperately clings on him.

Facing a daunting challenge to follow up an album that was deemed one of the greatest independent albums of all time will certainly have to play with everyone’s expectations. Many moves could have been taken: a follow up in the same style, a complete retirement from future releases in order to supply more importance to For Emma, Forever Ago (Bon Iver’s first release) or a complete change in musical style and direction. Vernon chooses the latter as he continues to hone in on his exuberant and blissfully intimate inspiration that gives this van Gogh of a musician his soul.

There is a world that Justin Vernon lives in, a world found in the corners of many of our own heads, but this is where Vernon lives. It’s consumed in weather, horrifying yet beautiful and you’re alone. This is the quickest summary of Bon Iver’s work. He lets the world dance on his shoulders and then he closes his eyes. He breathes. He opens his eyes and he sings. 

The biggest aspect of Bon Iver’s music that distinguished itself was its daunting minimalism. The minimalist approach to the compositions, lyricism, and productions gave them a gratifying weight too heavy to shake off. With this sophomore release, Vernon continues to reveal himself within his work but he’s a different man now. He’s off to achieve a bigger sound and sounder life. 

This is a prominent fault seen in many artists that successfully achieve something through a minimal sound and then immediately trying to take off for something bigger and better. After For Emma released, an EP was released featuring B-sides from that album; the tracks were much more experimental, auto-tune was being treated as an instrument and the tracks broke the atmosphere set in For Emma, all revealing Vernon’s flaws as a producer. With this new album, those flaws come out more and weigh the album down as Vernon uses an unusually vast number of instruments to broaden the horizon his music lives for. You certainly feel the inspiration, but many of the tracks come at fault due to poor execution. The guitar is now a haunting, faded electric that comes off more irritating than atmospheric due to the lack of thought that went in the compositions. The usage of a variety of instruments ranging from saxophones to synthesizers come off as horribly forced, only focused on the agenda to create a larger atmosphere while neglecting complimenting the song properly. One of the memorable tracks, Michicant, is a rare case that actually succeeds with this approach that feels like an improvement on what For Emma was all about. Many other tracks including Perth, Hinnom, TX, and the infamous Beth/Rest come off as heavily distasteful in the process.

Conclusively, Bon Iver (the album) results as a mismatch of tracks that range from blissful to annoying. Vernon, as a poet, as an artist, as a human being, remains pitch perfect and gives the strong core the album functions on; only sonically does the album devolve on. 

This album wasn’t my dad, but a kind-hearted and mysterious lumberjack who looked after me when no one else cared. 

Drive the Car By Andrew Alden Maybe this is it This dark evening The air smells of Old crusted cigarettes Surely God left this out Of his schematics Maybe we should Take the needle off The 33 Let time decided what’s Where and how Maybe we burned The candles at both ends Because the bags under Our eyes are Worn and leathered Like the calluses’ On our tear soaked hands Maybe we should leave This fucking place Go up to Maine Watch the tide Come in on The frozen rocks Maybe I shouldn’t lie to myself Lola, and come to terms The hymns they are singing Were sang last November Maybe another time We can get high and drunk And walk until we forget where we are Maybe we can drive the car Up to Maine Get gas and coffee Laugh About the shitty irony That is this life Maybe I miss you Lola Because we will be In love For a million years Maybe I’ll just sit home And listen to quiet music Skip stones into the Vast sky above Boston

Drive the Car

By Andrew Alden

Maybe this is it

This dark evening

The air smells of

Old crusted cigarettes

Surely God left this out

Of his schematics

Maybe we should

Take the needle off

The 33

Let time decided what’s

Where and how

Maybe we burned

The candles at both ends

Because the bags under

Our eyes are

Worn and leathered

Like the calluses’

On our tear soaked hands

Maybe we should leave

This fucking place

Go up to Maine

Watch the tide

Come in on

The frozen rocks

Maybe I shouldn’t lie to myself

Lola, and come to terms

The hymns they are singing

Were sang last November

Maybe another time

We can get high and drunk

And walk until we forget

where we are

Maybe we can drive the car

Up to Maine

Get gas and coffee

Laugh

About the shitty irony

That is this life

Maybe I miss you Lola

Because we will be

In love

For a million years

Maybe I’ll just sit home

And listen to quiet music

Skip stones into the

Vast sky above

Boston

Fear is the mind killer cover

Fear is the mind killer cover