Fantasy Black Channel

Late of the Pier | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Astralwerks
• ASIN: B001L4O500
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,388 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

NME

Fresh, Original & Very Smart. Prepare Yourself: This Band Are The Future.

Product Description

Following massive UK acclaim and extensive overseas touring (including a triumphant US debut at CMJ in NYC), Nottingham's Late Of The Pier are ready to unleash their genre-busting debut album Fantasy Black Channel on the US. At once darkly chaotic and unabashedly pop, Late Of The Pier's music is almost impossible to describe, pushing stylistic boundaries to the edge of no control. Produced by superstar DJ-producer Erol Alkan, Fantasy Black Channel is huge in both scope and ambition, an exuberant rush of glam, psychedelia,nu-wave, dancepunk, metal and madcap sci-fi experimentation. Not every band can throw shards of Zappa, Queen, Eno-era Roxy Music, Prince, Gary Numan, DFA, Bloc Party and The Klaxons into a blender and come out with something as defiantly unique and grandly anthemic. One of the most promising and buzzworthy bands out today, Late Of The Pier have already garnered huge press and web visibility at Blender, Pitchfork, Brooklynvegan, Spin.com, Nylon, AP, Blackbook, Interview, Fader, Bigshot, Flaunt, Filter, Billboard, not to mention the covers of NME, The Fly and Art Rocker. Includes 2 US-only bonus tracks (Very WAV & The Bears Are Coming (Emperor Machine Remix)).

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing album though I'm puzzled by the other reviews, April 11, 2009

By 

C. S. Willey (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fantasy Black Channel (Audio CD)

This is one incredible album and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. First of all, let me say that I'm baffled by the reviewers who get hung up on comparing them to other bands that they've heard other reviewers carelessly name-drop. I love Gary Numan, and have for the last 30 years, but I do not hear an overwhelming Tubeway Army influence. Numan's late 70s sound was robotic, synthetic, and stiff, but in a very good way. Late of the Pier are FAR from stiff, far from being heavily stylized. And the human element in their music is quite strong--the electronic heartbeat is present but never overbearing. That said, I would not consider this release to be an electronic album even though it is filled with all kinds of squiggly synths. LOTP seem to create a delicate mix of electronic synthesizer rock with some excellent, and, often times, unexpected melodies. I can hear some prog-rock influences, definitely some post-punk, and clearly a contemporary electronic influence, but this is not a record of young men trying desperately to ape anyone. This record is extremely frantic, tense, explosive, and very mature for a bunch of 20-somethings. After many listens, I've likened these guys to D.C.'s Trans Am with a nice helping of Bill Nelson's Be-Bop Deluxe (Check out Drastic Plastic all you newbies and you'll see what I mean) with an added dose of the Klaxons. Clearly, the influences do not dominate the songs. This album takes the listener to a number of places and the sounds used conjure up many an image from the 80s, 90s, and beyond. I highly recommend this album.

One last note: I'd recommend that you go to Amazon.com.uk and check out what the Brits think of this album. The American reviews are overwhelmingly negative, but the Brits seem to 'get' these guys. Maybe LOTP are a hard sell in this country for it seems we are obsessed with placing bands in very specific categories and often times overlooking some very progressive talent.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed in the US by a lot of people who know little about the genre, August 24, 2009

By 

K. Worth "CK" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fantasy Black Channel (Audio CD)

I wouldn't say they are particularly genre-defying... they're a flavor of New Rave. It's "a term applied to several types of music that go from fusing elements of new wave / disco / rock to techno / hip-house / breakbeat electro." - [...]

I like it, but sounds like a lot of the reviewers here have no idea what they're getting themselves into. If this is a little too overwhelming at first (it was for me too), check out some less challenging (but nevertheless good) new rave bands like Klaxons, Friendly Fires, Black Kids... you're likely to come around to Late of the Pier- that's definitely how it went for me... this is an album that takes some listens and exploration of similar artists to really appreciate.

For me, "Whitesnake" and "The Enemy Are the Future" sort of throw things off and contribute to the "mish mash" feeling that some other reviewers mention. Besides those, I can leave this album on repeat for a very long time and not get bored.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars synth-rock funk jams, September 6, 2011

By 

Sam Caudill - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fantasy Black Channel (Audio CD)

I first heard Late of the Pier a few weeks ago with their single "The Bears are Coming", an awesome dance-rock jam with arpeggiating synths and wailing guitars. I immediately had to buy the full album online and it does not disappoint. Their funky, sometimes punky, music has a great balance of synths and rock instruments, and the songs are technically badass without trying too hard. I love albums that have a constant flow and are worth listening to as a single organized experience, and this album is definitely one to listen to from start to finish