Consumer Electronics

[eyestrain]

'beats'

dance beats

underground hardcore dance music

Techno

bass beats

ultra boring, insipid dance music

beats

techno

techno-indie-rap, prog-influenced stuff and a heavy metal album without drums

generic techno

electro

techno beats

So, a real scorcher in the 2010's tradition, eh?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I was referring to Bm that has the less 'evil' vocals and more the genuine malice (niden div 187 / old Bethlehem etc etc..)

It seems that for decade or so, perhaps with increasingly pace, EVERYTHING is referred to be "like black metal". Even if we talk about things so common like "distorted guitar", "fast drumming", "melancholic music".

Saying "black metal vocals" and referring to couple bands that have vocalist that stood out for being untypical and perhaps bands that consciously tried to do something else than "black metal vocals"... ? Or one could perhaps just say CE vocal delivery is pretty damn power electronics - except that he stands out there as well as pretty unique performer ;)

I know Best wants to keep vocals clean. No effects, distortions etc. When lyrics are starting to blur anyways, vocals becoming as much "musical element" as "narration", something that treats it as element of electronic music could be good addition. I'm still curious about whole album. I hope some copies would make it to usual "noise distributors". If its distribution is organized via some indie wholesaler, then it remains to be seen when/if I'd get it.

[Leewar]

It was a quick observation, i just typed down what came into my head as i listened to it.

Perhaps a better description would of been 'Rabid'.

[C601]

Utter shit

[cantle]

well I'd like to hear it- but I wouldn't pay 30 quid for the privilege

[burdizzo]

Thirty quid? Jesus, I was thinking of getting it, but - feck that. Is it limited to 20, or what?

[Cementimental]

Sounds great actually after all! :) The beats are, to my ear, not at all in the vein of 'noise dudes attempt techno' I was moaning about earlier but more in the tradition of old school industrial basic drummachine stuff, and the vocals are really incredible :D

Thirty quid? Jesus, I was thinking of getting it, but - feck that. Is it limited to 20, or what?

It's a studio-recorded limited 500 2xLP + CD release by a 'big name' noise artist, not cheap but not shockingly unexpected really either in this day and age.

[Leewar]

From what ive heard it sounds great, something new and interesting.

Ill take this anyday over the usual pretending to be a serial killer or safe nigger hating content that this 'scene' is full of.

Even more so when it has Black metal vocals.

[HongKongGoolagong]

It's a studio-recorded limited 500 2xLP + CD release by a 'big name' noise artist, not cheap but not shockingly unexpected really either in this day and age.

Denis Blackham mastering certainly doesn't come cheap. There will be extra complaints when people see what the album's running time is - in the tradition of those extremely brief classic Whitehouse releases. I ordered it anyway despite getting a CD-R promo - it's a great, dense and ambitious album which really did take five year's work, I saw all those strands coming together via the blog and live shows - imagine the sleeve as an art print and the lyric booklet as a poetry publication as part of the overall cost.

[Scat-O-Logy]

Utter shit

Judging by that sample I'm afraid I'm gonna to have to agree with you. Shitty sample + crazy price = not getting it. However, in case some more tracks surface and they are better, I'm willing to reconsider.

[ConcreteMascara]

It's a studio-recorded limited 500 2xLP + CD release by a 'big name' noise artist, not cheap but not shockingly unexpected really either in this day and age.

Denis Blackham mastering certainly doesn't come cheap. There will be extra complaints when people see what the album's running time is - in the tradition of those extremely brief classic Whitehouse releases. I ordered it anyway despite getting a CD-R promo - it's a great, dense and ambitious album which really did take five year's work, I saw all those strands coming together via the blog and live shows - imagine the sleeve as an art print and the lyric booklet as a poetry publication as part of the overall cost.

To get a copy in the US straight from the label is $65. That's retarded. The sleeve is not an art print, the booklet is not a poetry publication. They're just the sleeve and booklet. The vast majority of albums on vinyl in all genres come with sleeves and booklets. So fuck that. And the mastering or studio time was expensive? So? Albums shouldn't be priced on the studio or mastering cost, that's absurd.

[HongKongGoolagong]

To get a copy in the US straight from the label is $65. That's retarded.

It will probably end up being listened to more via filesharing - I guess Crowd Pleaser was too.

[Zeno Marx]

ooklet. The vast majority of albums on vinyl in all genres come with sleeves and booklets. So fuck that. And the mastering or studio time was expensive? So? Albums shouldn't be priced on the studio or mastering cost, that's absurd.

I agree, and I felt the same way when reading a comment about tip-on sleeves and not interested in paying $30 because cover cost.  Manufacturing a tip-on sleeve is not an acceptable reason to charge $30, $40, $50 for an LP (especially because Feral Ward can do it and charge $12-15 for a very nice looking album).

[Duncan]

ambitious album which really did take five year's work

I feel oddly drawn to paraphrase Best himself (RE: doing his PhD) in some interview where he says something like '4 years is arguably too long a time in which to complete any project'.

The sample had me laughing out loud. Total absurdity to my mind and ears, but then I've always thought Whitehouse and solo projects were undervalued as articles of British comedy more than anything else.

SO...

I DEFINITELY wont buy it
I MIGHT download it and listen to it once and PROBABLY wont like it
however
I will CERTAINLY still think the world of Consumer Electronics regardless of this album because the fact remains that - duff record or not - Phil Best is an artist who manages to do way more in a single swipe than many do throughout their entire creative output. I think I can allow him an album I'm not into for that reason alone.  Perhaps it is one of those things where I'm glad it exists but I don't want to listen to it.  That said, if the next record sounds shit I'll probably write it off...personally, I've got my fingers crossed that the next thing he does is early Scott Walker style schmaltz but you can't have it all.  I once watched him deep in the throes of getting his nipples sucked against a bin outside a London venue having just finished a pretty heavy set and I think that cemented him as a faultless legend in my heart there and then. Hope for us all etc.

[Andrew McIntosh]

The release is two vinyl albums and a cd, so thirty English pounds seems about right for a package like that. The problem, as always, is vinyl itself. I've ranted about how redundant a format it is before so I wont repeat myself.

By the way, found this in a 1996 interview with Bennett -

"It wouldn't work!", he says of dance and techno-related music forms. "Dance music functions well for people to dance to- but that would only dilute the potency and purity of a sound that aspires to more extreme emotions. Also, dance music dates very, very quickly- I want music to be timeless."

- okay, nearly ten years old, but still good for a smirk.