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The SYFFAL Roundtable Album Review : The Avalanches - Since I Left You
SYFFAL Roundtable Record Reviews
In the year 2000 I worked for a now defunct radio rep firm. The company's business model was old and antiquated, and as technology advanced it became obvious that the company was a sinking ship that was not built for the new millennium. I didn't care. It was my first real job job (no offense to the screen printing supply company I had come from) and I loved it. Not for any career building reasons mind you.
No, I loved this gig because Sales Managers from radio stations we represented would regularly come to the office with swag. The swag would often be useless trash like stress balls, t-shirts, and magnets... but one station in particular, WBRU-FM, would always come into our office toting new albums from artists I'd never heard of, they were my personal bit torrent before I knew about bit torrents.
The Avalanches' Since I Left You was one such album that was gifted to me. It sat at my desk untouched for months. Its packaging was so nondescript and I'd heard nothing about the band. I only visited it until after I left my Caselogic CD booklet on the Metro North and had nothing else to pop into my discman. Somehow this album managed to replace the 18+ discs I lost, all in one grandiose sonic swoop. My lost American Hi-Fi, Goldfinger, RHCP and Deftones were no longer a big deal. Some can argue they never should have been, but 2000 was a dark age for music. Nu-Metal and Boy Bands were dominant forces that led many a music fan to run for the hills.
The Avalanches Since I Left You would replace them easily and dominate my discman's motor for the foreseeable future; future being the key word. In 2000, all anyone could talk about was the future. The date forced that thought on everyone. It was an impossible theme to avoid. The year 2000 was to be the first year of the rest of our lives. We outlasted the Y2K bug and it was time to bask in our successes.
The times needed a soundtrack. While most people were inclined to select Radiohead's Kid A, with its bleak future speak, as the soundtrack for a new millennium I was always driven to offer this wildly different masterpiece, full of 3000+ samples, from a pack of Aussies no one had ever heard of.
Since I Left You managed to welcome me to the future by introducing me to the past. It was a collage of old samples that played seamlessly and felt like a jaunt to another world, a world that was in the foreseeable future. We wouldn't be promised jet packs, but we'd be promised freak show commentaries layered over break beats and flights of fancy that we'd all see in our lifetime. The Avalanches were blazing a new trail as our future frontier psychiatrists. The future was going to a blissed out tripped out world party and we all had our tickets punched.
Almost 12 years later and Since I Left You holds up quite well and acts as my de facto answer to the question "What's the most under-appreciated album of the 2000s?". The band has been rumored to be in the studio finishing off the long delayed follow up... but part of me hopes it never happens. Since I Left You was that one perfect moment.
Avalanches - Dick
Album Rating:
Dick Richardson
What's the best track and why?
Two Hearts in 3/4 Time - This is the song I need for so many moments of my life that include everything but giving a Fuck.
I recommend listening to this record while...
In past Roundtables us SYFFALers have recommended albums for mundane tasks such as doing dishes, driving, etc. THIS HERE IS THE END-ALL OF LAUNDRY-DOIN' ALBUMS, PEOPLE. Some put on Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" to smooch to, I put this one on to hang up my jeans to (always hang dry yours jeans, folks).
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
A good majority of the record could just be an audio replacement for that Will Smith & Jazzy Jeff video "Summertime" with no real repercussions. Go hop on YouTube and try it out if you don't believe me.
Anything else to add?
A lot of the tracks off the record are extremely hit or miss for me. I find myself really digging a few songs in a row and then get struck with some fairly irritating repetitiveness which yanks me out of THE GROOVE(TM) and reminds me I am listening to a turntablist album from 2000.
Avalanches - Tim
Album Rating:
Tim Baker
What's the best track and why?
Tonight May Have Been The Last Night Of My Life, I have always loved the main piano loop, and I love the warp sound that they added to it. It also is one of the darker more emotive tracks on an album kind of filled with D-Lite cast of tracks.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Punching Del in the face.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Del telling me about a great instrumental album that would blow my mind, listening and then playing him 20 that are undoubtly better and him still being really into this one.
Can you tell I am pissed that this just edged out my recommendation in last months poll?
Anything else to add?
It isn't bad, but coming 4 years after Entroducing and 2 years before Dead Ringer, it is sandwiched in between the two quintessential instrumental albums of the era and really doesn't stand up against them. There are some good songs but it is more like a kid with ADD who didn't reach his potential and couldn't self edit.
Avalanches - Del
Album Rating:
Del LeFevre
What's the best track and why?
Frontier Psychiatrist. It is the sonic equivalent of my current obsession, Gif.tv. The countless lifted sounds and odd quotes are threaded together to make up a bizarre ghostly jam that welcomes you to another world of , a world of 20,000 samples.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Duh. clicking through Gif.TV
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Myself in the year 2000 (said in the Conan O'Brien high pitch singing voice) putting down my NOFX and Goldfinger CD's and being floored by this odd and exciting album. It was a game changer.
Anything else to add?
I have to think whoever coined the phrase "the sum is greater than the parts" had The Avalanches in mind and in spirit. Break Beats, Daft Punk electronica, Madonna samples and hooks from De La Soul all somehow meld into one cohesive sounding record. Btw this album locked down the 10th spot for albums of the 2000s list and the best Australian albums of all time list.
Avalanches - Joel
Album Rating:
Joel Frieders
What's the best track and why?
The title track, Since I Left You, is by far the best track on this album. Not only does it contain a groove I could jack off to in public, it is by far the least annoying. If I was a man who sashayed, this would be in my list of 'top sashay tracks to sashay to.
I recommend listening to this record while...
Not paying attention. If you try spending time analyzing this record, you will grow to hate it. It isn't meant to be scrutinized, merely played and enjoyed.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
My 20 year old self saying "THIS IS THE fucking GREATEST!" and then my 31 year old self saying "THIS IS fucking ANNOYING!" and then the two of them sharing porn sites via twitter.
Anything else to add?
I used to love the shit out of this. Since I Left my twenties, I have grown weary and frustrated with its constant repetition in the arena of vocal samples. There's something inherently annoying when you're constantly chopping in a sample that adds nothing to the rhythm, melody or flow of the track. What does it say about the artist when all you can do is repeat three words over and over and over again if someone asks you to try and remember one of their songs? IT SAYS THE shit IS ONE DIMENSIONAL.
Avalanches - Tom
Album Rating:
Tom Dozois
What's the best track and why?
Frontier Psychiatrist: Impeccable integration of random samples from movies and music. Frontier Psychiatrist is like a Girl Talk track, but full of obscure shit. Upon further research, I found one of the main samples was taken from Maurice Jarre’s Overture; a piece scored for the infamous Spaceball’s desert scene. Anything with in 2 degrees of separation from Spaceballs receives my official seal of approval. Yes, even Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Damn you Rick Moranis!
I recommend listening to this record while...
Awakening from a heavy dose of anesthesia.
While I listened to this record, I pictured...
Myself at a swanky bar being served a Grey Goose and Soda... with a twisty lemon peel... by a waitress who walked straight off the set of a Robert Palmer video.
Anything else to add?
Don’t get all snooty and fact check me because I failed to mention that Overture was originally written and scored for Lawrence of Arabia; not Spaceballs. Suck my Schwartz, Spaceballs was a wayyyyyy better film and put the piece to better use.
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