Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 13:29:18 -0600 From: Chris Palacios Subject: Re: darla bliss-outs? >The Darla Bliss Out series is awsome! HIghly recommended for fans of >spaced out drone-pop. HEre's a list of the titles on the series andyes >they're all on CD, and yes you can mail order them from Darla: > >vol.1 - Flowchart "Tenjira" >vol.2 - Windy & Carl "Antarctica" Breathtaking drone. I don't understand why they think it sounds cold, hence the title of the release. I read an interview somewhere where they thought the album sounded cold. Supposedly Antartica is their best. I can't say if it is, since it's the on W&C I own. Slow building and warm- without being quiet. For fans of Seefeel, Dj Spooky, Flying Saucer Attack. >vol.3 - Orange Cake Mix "Silver Lining Underwater" I liked it okay for the first few listens but then after I studied Magnetic Fields-Orange Cake Mix made a bit more sense. The GBV of synth pop? The guy from OCM is incredibly prolific- six releases this year! For fans of Orange Cake Mix, Depeche Mode, New Order, and Mag Fields. >vol.4 - Amp "Perceptions (amazing double CD!!!) Not crazy about AMP-the Kranky release just didn't do it. The Red One. >vol.5 - Fuxa "Venoy" >vol.6 - Tomorrowland "Stereoscopic Soundwaves" Definitley my favorite of the whole Bliss out series. Gorgeous packaging! Another slowbuilding, warm and fuzzy with more electronic textures and some tiny hints of world beat. That doesn't quite describe it- though. Um, if you like Windy and Carl you'll love this. Like I said- a bit more textured. >vol.7 - Mirza "Anadromous" Not my favorite of the previously released- but listenable. I guess I find it to be less of a conisitent listen. What I like about the previously discussed is that you have to listen to the whole thing to really appreciate the experience of the listen. Mirza's songs vary a bit more -as a result I turn it off about three quaters of the way through. Not as satisfying somehow. Another nice package! > >If anybody could give me a descriptive review of the first two >bands/discs I'd really appreciate it! I know you asked for the first two only but just in case you or someone else out there wanted some info. Chris Palacios cpalacios@earthlink.net chris@oldewest.com Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 20:05:10 +0000 From: Andrew Norman Subject: Re: pram / darla bliss-outs? 1 = Flowchart, "Tenjira" 2 = Windy & Carl, "Antarctica" 3 = Orange Cake Mix, "Silver Lining Underwater" 4 = Amp, "Perception" 5 = Fuxa, "Venoy" 6 = Tomorrowland, "Stereoscopic Soundwaves" 7 = Mirza, "Anadromous" Darla have a WWW site at www.darla.com, vols 8 and 9 (Transient Waves and American Analog Set) are due now or in the next couple of weeks. I have a Transient Waves album, again not very impressed by it, fairly dull ambience, pleasant but nothing more. I believe the original plan was for them to be vinyl only, but they have now backtracked and even the Flowchart one is available on CD. There have been all sorts of changed plans - originally they were going to be limited to 12 releases, now I think it's open-ended. The Orange Cake Mix album (13 tracks) had a bonus 7" with the vinyl version only (Durutti Column-style guitar instrumentals on the album, vocals on the single), Fuxa's "Venoy" is perhaps the best thing they have done, about 25 min I think (I have all these on vinyl) with about ten varied instrumentals squeezed into two tracks. 6 and 7 are OK but not all that impressive - I play the Tomorrowland one more than Mirza, which is pretty straightforward distorted guitar jamming a bit like Bardo Pond but not as good. Windy & Carl's is very uncharacteristic minimal ambience and is superb, Amp's is very long (88 min?) and perhaps the best thing I have heard by them, and the Flowchart one's fine too - the last two are the only ones I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend. Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 17:24:56 -0400 From: Claire De Leon! To: IMPURE-L@PIG.CKS.COM Subject: Re: The Bliss Out > I'm considering signing up for a year's subscription (approx $60 for 12 > monthly CDs, wotta deal!) There are about four other releases I haven't > heard so far -- has anyone else heard them? > here's my own review of each BlissOut: V.1-Flowchart-Tenjira. The first and still the longstanding best of the Blissouts...sleepytime music that makes me happy...sweet dreams! V.2-Windy and Carl-Antarctica. Mammoth dronescapes...indeed, the sound of an iceberg trudging across millions of miles for millions of years. Perhaps a bit much, but these three songs will put you in another world... V.3-Orange Cake Mix-Silver Linig Underwater. I was never big on OCM, but this is a one man project that is generally boring guy+acoustic guitar formula. here he gets a bit interesting, adding some cheery bliss to his mix, and less vocals, and more instrumentation. At times sounding a bit new-age-y even...it'll take a bit for this one to grow on me still... V.4-Amp-Perception. Some nice Amp stuff, typically of their later work. This is a two disc set, with two tracks each. First disc, both tracks are very nice. However, second disc, you have yourself thinking "didn't I just listen to this disc?!" Unnecessarily long, with the second disc... V.5-Fuxa-Venoy. From the more recent Fuxa stuff, this is some of my favorite. It is a bit random, but the sounds are nice and more "peppy" than some of their recent stuff. One of the better BlissOut's... V.6-Tomorrowland-Stereoscopic Soundwaves. This is a nice one, though it was released the same time as Mirza, and at first I couldn't tell the two apart, thinking "damn...this stuff is getting old already." But upon second listen of it, it is quite nice indeed. Not as good as the 7" release on Motorway though - that is one high quality piece of work... V.7-Mirza-Anadromous. Again, this one is not as good as their first release, which was a self titled LP they released themselves, which showcased greater song structure, and was all around better. However, this is nice background music, I suppose. Still need to give this and V.6 a few more listens to discern the fine points... V.8-Transient Waves-Wading and Waiting. Haven't received this one yet, but am receiving it on monday. However, judging from their release on Che, it will be a nice piece. That one (s/t CD, I believe) was a series of pulsing guitar drones, more or less, for the length of the album....borderline Bowery Electric, but more droney and no vox. Might post a review of this one Monday... Some other recent Darla releases that aren't categorized as Bliss Outs but might as well be: A.M.P.-Heart and Soul Dissolves. Nice packaging on this one! However, the music doesn't stand up. Probably the least favorite of the Amp stuff lately. My roommate commented that it sounds like the washing machine was shaking violently...pretty dull stuff... American Analogue Set-Late One Sunday. Two songs - first one in typical AAS faire...nice laid back tune perfect for autumn listening. Second song is different than anything they have done - very long experiments along the lines of recent german electronica...nice, but much much too long without much diversity amidst itself...perhaps they should have toyed around a bit more with it.... Not sure what the next blissouts will be, but my votes go to Bowery Electric, and newcomer Technicolor (watch for a release on Fuzzy Box, as well as a song on my upcoming compilation CD!). Also of note, previously expected was a forthcoming blissout from the Lilys, but I heard today that the project was cancelled...very unfortunate! Daniel Date: Mon, 20 Oct 1997 17:20:46 -0700 From: Jens Alfke Reply-To: pure-impure list To: IMPURE-L@PIG.CKS.COM Subject: Re: The Bliss Out From: Claire De Leon! >V.4-Amp-Perception. Some nice Amp stuff, typically of their later work. >This is a two disc set, with two tracks each. First disc, both tracks are >very nice. However, second disc, you have yourself thinking "didn't I just >listen to this disc?!" Unnecessarily long, with the second disc... All four tracks appear to be versions of the same piece (it's hard to call them remixes of anything since the whole thing is such a collage...) I seem to recall that I actually prefer disc 2; the mixes become more complex. And it's cheap (I paid $12) so I'm no complaining about the length. >A.M.P.-Heart and Soul Dissolves. Nice packaging on this one! However, the >music doesn't stand up. Probably the least favorite of the Amp stuff >lately. My roommate commented that it sounds like the washing machine was >shaking violently...pretty dull stuff... Actually I like this one better than "Perception" and have been listening to it a lot. Again, it's multiple versions (2 on vinyl, 3 on CD) of the same thing. Some clanky sounds and bloopy flutterings in the background, plus bass guitar and eerie synths, and some occasional other noises & vocals drifting in and out. The bass and the traces of percussion give this a bit more structure than "Perception", which floats a bit too far out to sea sometimes. I *still* haven't got "Astral Moonbeam Projections". I know I could just order it from Parasol and have it a week later, but I keep hoping I'll see it in a store. Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 12:49:01 -0700 From: Chris Palacios Subject: Darla Records/Bliss Out Update >From the Darla Records Mail Order Catalog Winter/Spring 1998: Shipping Feburary 3, 1998: Color Filter, "Sleep in A Synchrotron" Fuzzy Box, DRL -054-1/2 lp $8.00 cd $10.00 Color Filter is the bliss inducing, drum & bass oriented, electronic pop creation of our man Ryuji in Tokyo. Aki of INCENSE lends her coy and comforting vocal to four tracks. Suddenly, the new-for-'98, Kevin Sheilds school of drum & bass styled pop has come from all corners. It is as unexpected as it is delightful: As heard on Little Darla Volume 8, Sweet Trip, Junior Varsity km, Technicolor, Four Head and now Color Filter, all working individually, have begun to signify the coming of a new sound. It's a natural evolution combining sampling technology, dance beats and lovely pop melodies. This is Color Filter's debut full length. Previously, Color Filter has released a 12" on Black Bean and contributed to the Space Voyage comp, also on Black Bean, the Pop Jingu comp on Sonorama and the Pop Machine comp on Cowly Owl (France). LP limited to 500. Mall Special Education DRL-053-1/2 Fuzzy Box / Darla lp $8.00 cd $10.00 Sean O'Neal of FLOWCHART in his debut as Producer with the Urbtronic entity known as MALL, a south Jersey musical collective fronted by neighborhood 19 year old electronic wiz kids Rob & Mike, and featuring their pals Sean & Erin of FLOWCHART with Philly's fantastic DJ Rod. This is the Sean O'Neal posse in full late night effect, smokin' & sampling the sweetest & most fucked up tracks from Sesame Street's Grover Sings The Blues and other vintage children's records to George Carlin's first. There are many found sounds here from our collective subconcious past, which makes Special Education a record we can all relate to. We've all had much of our education from media and the street. And these kids just put it on the record. They create dark & chilly Urban/Electro soundscapes over a foundation of beats and bass. Somewhat like a more cluby Tenjira. Somewhat more like if Disney did The Kids In The Hood, a fun & herbacious animated musical. Here's an excellent soundtrack to your own late night hi-jinks. LP ltd. to 500. Shipping March 17,1998: Junior Varsity km Will Take Care Of You / Bliss Out Vol.10 DRL -056 2xlp$10.00 cd$10.00 Sweet Trip Bliss Out Vol 11 DRl-057 lp $8.00 cd$10.00 Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 16:11:13 -0700 From: Chris Palacios Subject: Re: Sweet Trip Throwing in me two sense; Um, I was soo excited about both Sweet Trip and Junior Varsity releases on Darla. I got em both as a sunscriber to the Bliss Out- and by being on the bliss out roster I assumed they would be brilliant and while Junior Varsity's beats are at times inspired over all it's a pretty dry and uninteresting listen. Sweet Trip seem to have the most potential...given their below mentioned influences namely CT's, Seefeel and Slowdive- but again another boring listen overall. The best tracks off Sweet Trip's (Bliss Out v.11)"halica" is the opener ( titled 'fish')which can also be found on the one of the more recent Lil Darla...compilations. I swear I'm not being bitter and jaded about these guys, I really did have high hopes for them, but I found their 'tricks' to be rather transparent and distracting. Pretty drab. Sweet Trip do redeem themselves with the last track titled 'jelly charm' which sounds like a reworking of the opener. This time the track uses a charmingly poor and naive male vocal and a more downbeat/almost goth(y) sort a feel. It's pretty darn dreamy. Loopy, blissfull, ethereal and dub all at once! My personal favorite track. I'll have to listen to the Junior Varsity once more to give a more in depth review. But overall a little tin(y) on the mix- lacking the head bobbing bass of the dryer electronic acts. Not quite minimal and certainly not drum and bassy since the latter is missing from the mix. Almost new agey. Offhand, I can't recomend them. -Chris On 5/12/98 3:21 PM, mmiron@CLINAXIS.COM at mmiron@CLINAXIS.COM wrote: >I agree. There's one song on there that's obviously "To Here Knows When" at >half the speed. You should check out the Junior Varsity album. It's similar >but a little more inventive. > > >____________________Reply Separator____________________ >Subject: Sweet Trip >Author: pure-impure list >Date: 5/12/98 9:13 AM > >I just picked this up, and it's pretty good. It's mostly sampled and >sequenced with some guitar and buried (I mean like a casket) vocals. If >I had no knowledge of recent musical history, I'd probably think it was >genius, but unfortunately, the compositions are like a what's what of >Seefeel/Disjecta and Slowdive, with a little MBV thrown in. Sweet >Trip's combination of elements deserves some applause, but I can only >like it so much because most of the songs are comprised of parts of >identifiable Seefeel and Slowdive songs. I almost consider it a sonic >pacifier until said bands (or members thereof) come up with new releases >of their own. That's a good thing, I guess. > Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 19:32:36 -0400 From: butterfly mcqueen Subject: Re: Re[2]: Sweet Trip >It's the Darla Bliss Out Series #11 I think. It's called "Helica." oh no, you're thinking of bliss out #13 by Helloween, "Hellica." no, seriously, though, "halica" is the name of the sweet trip album, and i totally recommend it for those who are interested in hearing a more heavy dosage of shoegazing in post-shoe electronic music. definitely brings cocteaus, mbv, slowdive, and a little seefeel to mind. the mood is mostly blissful and sweetly melancholy. i bought the junior varsity bliss out as well, and although i like a few songs on it, i think it's pretty uninspired and boring overall. i was more enthusiastic about it at first, but quickly grew tired to my ears. i think it's way too synthy, and the beats are kinda dry, sounding more liked sequenced drum machine rather than having the nicely human edge of cut-up samples of live drums. i've found that i've gotten tired of a lot of the bliss-outs. the ones that i still play today are: amp, windy and carl, and sweet trip. they're goooood. still-- if you *really* want to hear good music -- make it your damn self. that's what i say. :) Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 17:13:49 -0700 From: ryan cosebom Subject: Re: Re[2]: Sweet Trip i actually had the pleasure of working on the sweet trip album 'halica' for a couple of weeks. i guess what really drew me into them was that i saw them as a hybrid of, like, autechre and the cocteau twins, maybe. roby burgos, the guitar/programmer, is honestly one of the few people standing behind a sampler that i really respect and am inspired by. whether halica is brilliant or not, nevermind. i'm betting that the next album will be amazing. also, apparently, they are releasing a remix ep of 'fish' soon.