Customer Reviews

Beaches & Canyons

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Black Dice is bedtime noise rock. Easily their most subdued release thus far (compared to the Cold Hands EP and the self-titled EP anyway), Beaches & Canyons is downright pretty in some parts, and completely relentless in others. In fact, most of the songs are a set-up. "Seabird" opens with an assortment of random noises before the drums crash in and all is let loose. Most of the other songs work through the same template, and to great effect. It all accumulates to "Big Drop," easily the most chaotic piece on the record, but still strangely laid-back. If anything, Black Dice has gotten stranger, not more accessible, by focusing their relentless sub-hardcore noise rock attack into a potent mix of manipulated found sounds, beats, and general randomness. A tough release to get into, but a rewarding one as well.

With the hype that surrounds currect indie artists such as Bright Eyes, the White Stripes and the Shins, few among the latter (or practically any singed band)demonstrate as much originality and potency in their sound as Black Dice have done with this superb release. Traditional song structure and lyrics are replaced with compositions that shift in dynamics and vocal sounds that bear more resemblance to a wolverine getting anally probed with a hot poker while simultaneously being sprayed in the eyes with scalding urine. You get the idea, I trust. Stakes new territory only hinted at previously as the Brooklyn quartet explores ambient/incidental music, noise, industrial as well psychedlia for a unique listening experience. Highlight track?
"The Dream is Going Down". Buy it even if the preview sound clips aren't provided.

even the other black dice albums aren't like this. this is such a good album. its nature and noise and new age and metal and brilliance.

(I'm posting this here because I accidentally placed my review for Beaches and Canyons under Black Dice's Creature Comforts album. No matter, both are excellente!)

After a few releases of great analog-wrecked noise madness and harsh reality, Black Dice have uncorked something incredibly fresh and welcome.

This is where Morton Subotnick gets to hash it out with Boards of Canada.

Really astonishing record, this. Timeless. And new. One of the 2-3 best things to happen in music this year if not the decade. It's a giant leap ahead of their peers into a new genre. Beaches and Canyons is endlessly more fascinating to listen to than any electroclash triphop drum'n'bass glitch postrock trance jungle techno you've heard. Plus it rocks more and surprises more than anything from those genres I am aware of. Too excellent. Wait no longer.

As highly recommended: Creature Comforts.

Black Dice is bedtime noise rock. Easily their most subdued release thus far (compared to the Cold Hands EP and the self-titled EP anyway), Beaches & Canyons is downright pretty in some parts, and completely relentless in others. In fact, most of the songs are a set-up. "Seabird" opens with an assortment of random noises before the drums crash in and all is let loose. Most of the other songs work through the same template, and to great effect. It all accumulates to "Big Drop," easily the most chaotic piece on the record, but still strangely laid-back. If anything, Black Dice has gotten stranger, not more accessible, by focusing their relentless sub-hardcore noise rock attack into a potent mix of manipulated found sounds, beats, and general randomness. A tough release to get into, but a rewarding one as well.

I cannot say enough about this album. If you are into experimental soundscapes, intriguing noise, tribal chanting, and stellar drumming, you must purchase this album now. This is a classic in any sense of the word. A mind expanding piece of work.

hardcore/spazzcore/grindcore vets Black Dice weave an evocative sonic tapestry on this release, pummeling all of the primal energy and naivete of their early works into an album of ambient drift, psychotic panic, and stoned immaculate compostitions. from the sparkling, high pitched synths on the opening track to the emotional devastion of the last track, Black Dice make their instruments and effect pedals ebb and flow to create one of the best albums in recent memory.

i'm shocked that the otherwise terrible DFA (run by two shameless hacks who get critical praise cannibalizing rock history) released something that is not only this good, but this great.

fans should also check african head charge, godspeed you black emperor, steve reich's early works, remarc, virgin eye blood brothers, and linda perhacs.