Customer Reviews

Double Figure

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Plaid to me have always come just a little shy of delivering the goods. I don't feel that they have ever really escaped from under the shadow of the Black Dog and the stellar Spanners album. But, being a devoted Warp Records junkie I bought Double Figure even though I wasn't blown away by their other stuff. WOW, it's good. It's definetely the best thing I've ever heard from them. It is light and playful at times, more dense and driving at others. There are surprises to be found at every turn. There are no cringe-inducing moments like there are on Not For Threes. The whole CD feels connected, unified. One of the criticisms of Plaid is that they tend to have too much filler material on their albums. That is not the case here. Even the connecting Tak tracks are interesting and sonically fresh. Plaid occupies a strange kind of middle ground in the Warp lineup. They don't push boundaries as much as Aphex Twin or Autechre, they aren't as musically adventurous and crazy as Squarepusher, nor are they as polished or lush as Boards of Canada. But Plaid's music has a kind of quirky magic to it, an unpredictability that never jolts you or brings you out of the music. They experiment with sound to make beautiful music, never just for the sake of experimenting. They have a sense of humor but it never gets in the way. This is music to get lost in.

There's something about plaid that reminds me of david sylvian. maybe it's the guitar riffs they use, especially on 'ralome' from 'rest proof clockwork' or 'eyen' the opening track on 'double figure', their current release. but i digress, not all their stuff reminds me of david slyvian.

With past releases, plaid smooshed many moods of electronica together on one CD. on 'not for threes' you had tracks with NIN guitar riffs melded with soothing melodies ('extork') next to icelandic vocalist tracks (lilith). on 'rest proof clockwork' you had eerie atmospheric tracks (dead sea) with bubbly, poppy electro tracks (dang spot) next to acid jazz-like grooves (shakbu). but on 'double figure' plaid goes for mellow melancholy pop-like tunes that are weirdly familiar. there's such a wonderful flow to this CD that you don't realize you've listened to 19 tracks (!!!!) 71 minutes later.

'squance' is okay but not a very strong track. those appear later. each track gets stronger and better as the CD progresses.

'assault on precinct zero' is a cover version of the theme music john carpenter wrote for his 1976 film 'assault on precinct 13' (an incredibly intense, mindblowing flick that needs to be seen. if you haven't seen it go out and rent it! NOW!!!). so if you've seen the movie and this track sounds strangely familiar to you, now you know why.

'ooh be do': fuzzy bass beat, creepy synth orchestral melody from the right speaker, surreal electro melody from the left speaker and a lot of randomly scattered chimy keyboardish synth that slowly takes over (really! i'm trying to explain this brilliant track! it has to be heard!). this is one of the many moments of brilliance throughout this CD.

'light rain' god! this track is so gorgeous and my favorite! a beautifully muted xylophone-like melody, a scratchy beat and weird crunchy synth squished together in a jell-o mold only to fade out into a nursery rhymish melody repeated, echoed and layered over itself with weird vocal samples. BEAUTIFUL!!!

'twin home' is a subtly strong track. a repeated rhythm and echoing chimes. the beauty of this track creeps up on you and when it's over you realize how wonderful it was so you repeat it.

'tak 4' is really cool but it's only 59 seconds long so why bother to describe it, just listen to it.

'ti bom' is a really messed up jazzy jungle number. scattered synchopated jungle beats, sax blowing in a distorted way, prominent hi-hats and filtered piano lurch their way through this funky little avant garde modern dance track.

'manyme' is a dreamy laidback close to 'double figure'. beautifully echoing yet incoherent vocals laid over a strumming bassline and weird synths that are like vocals themself. it's like laying in bed as sleep slowy falls over you.

Overall this is by far the best, most mature plaid effort to date. all traces of black dog (which was evident in earlier releases) have been washed away leaving behind 'double figure'. gorgeous production, seamless transistions from track to track and a coherent yet strangely familar feel to the entire CD.

If you're new to plaid, this is where you should start. it's plaid at their pinnacle. hopefully they'll remain in top form for years to come.

From the myriad of contemporary "electronic" musicians, no one understands better than Plaid that there is just no substitute for substance. You won't find the world's wackiest effects or weirdest textures on this album, rather solid compositions with all the rhythmic zeal, harmonic depth and melodic fervour that you could ever hope for. This gives "Double Figure" an almost classical appeal and sets it well apart from it's contemporaries without sounding the least bit old-fashioned - Plaid have taken all the latest ideas from the techno and drum & bass genres and given them fresh appeal inside well conceived and steadily morphing song structures.

One of their best, if not their best. And one of the best of the genre -- atmospheric, smart, dreamy, melodic, interesting, and just enough quirkiness and oddity to keep you listening. Fans of Tosca, K & D, non-thump ambient rejoice.

the warm synth washes and softly chiming bells of "zamimi" really move me-- i think there is a certain type of idm that evokes nostalgia for imaginary places, and plaid, along with arovane and boards of canada, do this better than just about anybody. "tak 3" and "assault on precinct zero" are similarly melancholy.

the rest of the tracks are more uneven. "silversum"'s glitchy autechre styled beats never really coalesce into an engaging song, while the overclocked drums and relentless digitized blurts of "zala" are kind of annoying. the melody of "new family" crosses the line from playful to cheesy, to deletrious effect. on the other hand, tracks like "twin home" and "tak 5" have a nicely understated menace. and the use of carribean style steel drums throughout the album is rad; it's an organic sound that melds nicely with electronic wizardry, much like the harpischord in arovane's "tides". people who think electronic music is cold, mechanical or emotionally distant would be hard-pressed to claim this after hearing plaid.

to sum up: if you like two lone swordsmen, or the atmospherics of the other artists mentioned above, then you'll probably like "double figure" as well. whether or not it ranks with the best of black dog is a tougher call to make-- but it's nice to support the living and not just ghosts.

Plaid is my favorite band out there and every other CD of theirs that I've bought hasd gotten a 5-star rating. This album is almost there. Somebody else on here said that "the first four songs alone are worth the price of the album" and I agree. In particular, 'Eyen' is an amazing track. I love how Plaid incorporates real instruments into their music, and the guitar in this song is great. The song has so many different emotions going on -- as Plaid's music usually does -- and it builds in a very smooth and energetic way. 'Zamami' is a very nice tune, too -- very jazzy and mellow, very relaxing. My other two faves are 'New Family' and the final track. 'New Family' is rather simple in its construction -- almost poppy -- but the melodies are just so sad and heartbreaking; the final track uses vocals in a great way, and is a perfect finish to the album. So, overall, there is a lot of great stuff. However, the 'Tak' tracks really get to me. They start out interesting, with nice melodies and beats, but then they end after a minute. What's the deal? I just don't like it when a band puts such blatant filler material in there. Plaid is amazing, and Double Figure is a very good album, but I would start with "Not For Threes" or "Rest Proof Clockwork" first.

If it's almost perfect why did I give it 5 stars? Well, it deserves 4 and 3/4 so I just rounded it up. Anyhow, the is plaid's most fully realized album, and not much could make it better. It kicks off with Eyen, which starts a hypnotic trance that carries you through a with Squance, Assult and Zanami. Then it abruptly changes pace with Silversum, just to keep you on your toes. The middle of the album is more akin to spooky IDM with numbers like New Family and Light Rain, this is also where the strange little Tak tracks start, serving to segway you into songs that would otherwise flow difficultly together. The end of the album is probably the best part, mainly because of Ti Bom. It's jazzy and reminicint of rainy Tokyo alleyways, it will enchant you and make you think the album couldn't get any better until you hear Mayme. Most of the time a vocal melody is horribly encorporated into electronic music, sounding like it's been slapped into the song. (Exceptions to this being artfully used samples like BoC does...) Not only does a vocal melody drive Mayme, it works. The song is a mellow closing masterpiece, one that soothes the soul after such a long ride (over 70 mins). Simply, this is an almost perfect album, and anyone who likes IDM is going to love this.

From start to finish, Plaid's 'Double Figure' is a solid album with a classic ambience. A thouroughly enjoyable experience, I reccomend it to anyone with complex taste, for a good listen.

Warning; Album contains a good dose of slightly fruity sounding "classic" synth, interspersed with solid grooves and amazingly crisp sonic textures.

To compare Plaid to Aphex Twin and other Warp artists is a bit unfair since they have a sound all their own. I've owned this disc for a long while and it still sounds fresh today (which I can't say for many of my other cd's in my collection). Just really peaceful electronic music throughout, ideal for driving in the car or a rainy day stuck indoors. The standout tracks as far as I'm concerned are Assault on Precinct Zero, New Family and Porn Coconut Co. Wholeheartedly recommended! And if you like this check out anything by Boards of Canada. Peace, love and unity =)

This album has to be one of the most profound and beautiful creations I have ever heard. every note in every song seems to be so well thought out, assembled with an intricate and ever-changing style like only plaid can do. If you are a fan of Aphex Twin, you will seriousely doubt the quality of Richard D. James' work after listening to this album all of the way thru. It seems to get better and better every time I listen to it. For the small price of one cd, it is definitely worth the risk, even if you don't believe me.