Customer Reviews

Clouddead

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

odd nosdom's production recalls boards of canada at their most sublime, amp and my bloody valentine's drones at their most engaging, and at times a sense of dread worthy of godspeed. but this is not a negative album in the least, why? and dose one seem like theyve just come from the womb and are discovering life for the first time, they spit out words that i'm sure all infants feel and cant speak and the music takes it one step furthur into pure etheral bewilderment. even at their most elegiac and grave the music still carries a profound sense of wonder that always keeps you listening (unlike boards of canada or amp). this album is perfect for spring time, listen to it on your headphones walking to school, daydreaming about cute girls, or what college will be like. this album reminds me that while there is life there is a joy and wonder that will always bewilder me.

This album has a blender solo. If that frightens you, avoid this at all costs. If you are adventerous or jaded, then buy this and listen to it while you flip through The Wire, thinking deep thoughts. Dose one and Why? from the anticon crew spout abstract wordage all over Odd Nosdam's ethereal, textured, narcotic music. The sound on this disc is so adventurous, so daring, that many people are angered by it, and refuse to recognise it as hip-hop. This is not just hip-hop, this is one of the finest hip-hop records ever released. The 12 tracks were all once each a side on some very limited 10" singles. Each track runs about 6 or 7 minutes, and often have a few different sections. It is a very long record, but each piece is well thought out, so it stays interesting. As strange and experimental as Clouddead is, the production is highly melodic, very beautiful. It sounds like they tried to make this very lo-fi and dirty sounding. The production, stream of conciousness lyrics, and the way the songs drift in, out, and into new directions, make these gorgeous songs seem like half-remembered dreams or flashes of a past life. Rad.

Right, start off with Kid A. Take out the the fast bits, the guitary bits and Thom Yorke, so you've got as a base a disconcerting but eerily beautiful background noise. Ok, now you need a copy of Coldcut's Journey by DJ. Use it to add some talk/comedy/film lines/black-funk-ninja stuff. Then get The Beta Band. give them some, erm, strong coffee and ask them to sing repetitive harmonies and random banter in silly voices very very fast once in a while. Then you need an ice cream van tune and an electric drill and add these to the mix at random intervals. liberally apply 'fuzziness'. As soon as something beautiful develops (which is frequently), stop whatever it is you're doing and change tune and tempo immediately. Jettison totally the outmoded concept of 'song'. Its total genius and totally weird. Its million miles away from everyone else - are cLOUDDEAD really one of us? Incredible.

It is extremely difficult to describe this album for you but I will do what I can. The first thing I will tell you is that you should do whatever possible to listen to this album. I don't care if you buy it, steal it, or download it. Just listen to it at least!

I've listened to a lot of music in my time and there are very few albums that compare to this. Speaking mostly of this genre, of course. It reminds me of how I felt the first time I ever heard "Endtroducing" by DJ Shadow. It's even similiar to "Endtroducing" but more experimental. I always wanted to be able to erase that album from my memory to enjoy it all over again. cLOUDDEAD, in a sense, have granted me that wish with this release. To say this is some incredible music is sort of an understatement. It's very atmospheric and spaceous, but at the same time very beat driven. It also happens to have the sweetest sample of "Nights in White Satin" by The Moody Blues. I won't tell you which song. You'll know it when you hear it.

The artists here are from an underground hip hop collective from San Francisco known as anticon. If you dig this release, I would suggest checking out all the other artists from anticon. Although, I think this album is the finest of all those. Just my opinion...

Should appeal to anyone into experimental music and underground hip-hop. Some may not like why? and Doseone's vocal styles, but don't let that stop you. I think it's quite interesting once you hear how it plays with the album.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Since ordering this album ,I have been addicted to Why?, Dose and Odd Nosdam, I could go on forever why this album is brilliant and why it is so advanced compared to the majority of hiphop in existence, but here's what I'm going to do, these guys are incredible, they have plenty of side albums:

Dose One "Slow DEath"
Dose One and Boom Bip "Circle"

Odd Nosdam "Plan 9..."

Why?/Odd Nosdam "Split EP"
REaching Quiet (Why? and Odd Nosdam) "In the shadow of the living room"

Subtle (dose's band)

Themselves (Dose and JEl) "The No music"

these recommendations go out to anyone who thinks hiphop is boring and has nothing interesting going on, one listen to any of these albums will surprise you, peace.

Finally an album from the prog-rap scene gets some decent attention. If you can try to find both of the Greenthink albums from a couple of years ago, they're nice teasers for this one. Amazing album..also get The Fog, Mush Comp, Aesoprock, Sonic Sum and Shapeshifter LP's.

I love this CD. My ex got in the break up a few years ago, and I missed it so much, I had to get it again. My favorite part about this CD is the harmonies, they tickle me ever so gently.

I really enjoyed this record. I actually didn't get hip to the Clouddead till after Ten but I found this on vinyl recently and decided to check it out. I like this much more than Ten. Althought the production is a lot more low-fi it makes for a much more interesting palate of sounds. In a lot of ways this is the signiture Clouddead sound, the muddled beats, the harmonized rhymes, and the psycadelic avante guard excursions (which I realize are off putting to most). However, these singles are excellent rainy-day-sitting-around-the-crib-rolling- trees type music. I usually end my reviews by recommending the record to people who may also be into similar bands but, I cannot think of any band that sounds too much like these guys. So I'll end it simply by saying that I recommend this record if your looking for a hip-hop record that sounds like nothing else.

really trying to pinpoint this albums genre and influences will drive you crazy. they sound like no one and for me, thats the kick. as any one who has done any reading on clouddead knows, this cd is comprised of 6 10" records for a total of 12 songs. each suite features a guest. illogic is on 'apt. a', 'and all you can do is laugh' has dj signify scratching and cutting up vocal samples, 'i promise to never get paint on my glasses' has sole, the wolf brothers add live drums, guitar and organ to 'jimmybreeze', 'cloud dead #5' features cuts from mr. dibbs, and finally, 'bike' features all sorts of weirdness from the bay area animals. the entire record was made with a dr. sample, a radioshack mic, an eight track, and various instruments, etc. this record is one of the best arguments i've heard for the term "less is more". the magazine and website Lifesucksdie has stated that cLOUDDEAD "as close as you can get to a description of what doing whippets sounds like", and thats not a false statement by a long shot. i'd classify this album as hip hop but you're just as likely to find it in the 'indie rock' or 'electronica' bins at the record store. i cant totally recomend this to everyone but I can guarentee that any anticon followers or brave hip hop listeners will get something out of this.

You should thank the holy heavens that you have the opportunity to buy this record.

Don't tell me you're not going to get cLOUDDEAD. What are you going to do with your money, buy a gallon of cookie dough ice cream and get even fatter? Skip the ice cream and purchase this avant-hip hop gem, fatso. Then find a treadmill and listen to this while you lose some damn weight.

Oh, and don't worry about hearing it before you buy. Just trust me.