Customer Reviews

Fantasy Black Channel (Vinyl)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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

It took me a long time to appreciate Fantasy Black Channel, the debut album from the UK group Late of the Pier. The techno opening of "Hot Tent Blues" turned me off until lead singer Sam Eastgate entered nearly a minute in with his crooning, indie voice. Parts of this CD are truly likeable, and I attribute a lot of that to the appealing vocals.

"The Bears Are Coming" starts off with catchy percussion, but loses its momentum in synthesized gimmicks, one of the problem this group exhibits. "Random Firl" is an upbeat electronic track that finds a better integration between instrumentals, melody, and voice. "Mad Dogs of Englishmen" is reminiscent of late Talking Heads; you can almost see dancers jumping straight up and down in a club. "Focker" and "Bathroom Gurgle" are also memorable.

I suggest listening to sample before purchasing since it takes a certain kind of listener -- one attuned to electronic indie rock and the specific sounds of this group -- to like Fantasy Black Channel. I can hear a lot of potential here -- as long as the group manages to tighten their musicality into something more consistently coherent.

Although genius may be a word overused by reviewers in the world of new up and coming bands, this latest release from Late of the Pier holds the word to scrutiny. They've poured out a creative potpourri of sounds collected from what seems to be their older siblings childhood-Gary Numan, Devo, Oingo Boingo, Kraftwork, etc.I discovered them at SXSW and they were the only band that sounded different. Their compositional artisanship is very impressive using odd meters( 7/4, etc) and layers of New Wave and electronica sounds complementing descriptive lyrics of personal experience. The album itself is a myriad of sounds and segues that often flow into each other with an interesting abandon and convection, creating a nice old school flow from one song to another album style. Unlike so many other new young bands, Late of the Pier has worked hard on their sound and are intent on shoving it in your face! Love it-fresh, creative, funky and rocking!

Late of the Pier write production values more than actual songs. I enjoy their diversions and the boldness of their ideas. There are catchy riffs sandwiched with glitchy blurps and many worthwhile influences to identify. Those have been discussed at length so I won't repeat them here.

The only problem with this is much of it is directionless. There isn't much of a discernable MO here. Maybe that isn't that strange for music made by party-happy teenagers but most of Black Fantasy Channel is a series intriguing, unfinished ideas that never wrap into a coherant whole. Instead they are mashed together into a soundtrack for the ADHD-afflicted.

As a result, your first listen is more exciting and eventful than subsequent listens. All the aural twists and turns promise a grand concept that simply never materializes. Late of the Pier's ambition has eclipsed their ability to mold it into something useful.

As for whether these bugs will be ironed out in future releases, it could go either way. The band is very young, adventurous and show the capacity for great curiousity & scope. On the other side, the material is not young at all. Late of the Pier worked on this over two years. I would have expected more organizaton out of that long a process. Still, Muse didn't have all their ducks in a row either with Sunburn either and their songwriting improved markedly with experience and age. Here's hoping. The seed of a great band as surely here just as the seed of a great album were as well. That said, you could fill Wembley Stadium with 'almost-great' British songwriters.

Normally I'm not a huge fan of indie music but there was something to this that actually intrigued me. The songs themselves are short but you are never kept bored. There is always something new around each corner with each track. Whether it's the dance themed tracks like "Space & The Woods" or a more progressive themed track like "The Bears are Coming" it continues to keep the listener entertained. Some of the highlights are listed below in my ratings with stars next to them.

2. Broken - 9.5/10 *
3. Space And The Woods - 10/10 *
4. The Bears Are Coming - 8.5/10
5. Random Firl - 8.5/10
6. Heartbeat - 8.5/10
7. Whitesnake - 8.5/10
8. VW - 9.5/10 *
9. Focker - 9/10
10. The Enemy Are The Future - 8/10
11. Mad Dogs And Englishmen - 9/10
12. Bathroom Gurgle - 8/10
13. Very WAV - 7.5/10
14. The Bears Are Coming (Emperor Machine Remix) - 9.5/10 *

Overall : 87% B

The album is a good but short mix of indie, electronic, and progressive influences. It's an overall good listen if you are into any or all of the genres. It's worth a shot.

This album was my introduction to Late of Pier, and I almost gave up on this album, but I'm glad I didn't. Why I almost gave up? Because the first few spins just sounded rather strange and disjoint.

The best way to describe this album is this: Take 1000 songs, mostly from the 80s, break each song into pieces, toss all the pieces in a hat, shake the hat a few times, and then put your hand in the hat and grab a handful of pieces. Each handful of song pieces is then converted into a loosely coupled song. And voila, you have the album.

The familiar patterns are so many, I would probably list 100+ musicians. For example, parts of track #10 sound as if they belong to a "Japan" album and you could almost swear David Sylvian is singing. The influences of Devo, Falco, Sisters of Mercy, Gary Numan, the Vines, etc, etc, are in different parts of different songs.

In fact, a couple of songs, when you listen to them in traffic, sound as if they are sang in German. Maybe it's the Falco and Kraft Werk influences that fool the mind.

While I don't know how to categorize this album in the grand scheme of things, it certainly is an entertaining and diverse listen.

The progression of wave after wave of electronic mash up albums has been something to see (or rather listen to), with bands like NEW LONDON FIRE taking us backwards and forwards at the same time, or the juggernaut that is DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (can they even be considered Indie anymore?) catapulting sparse electronic riffs to the upper echelons of popularity, it seems even bands like THE KILLERS (and god-help-us even KEANE) have jumped on the 'always room for more' electronica bandwagon. Now, LATE OF THE PIER has jumped into the fray with their album FANTASY BLACK CHANNEL, a very strange amalgamation of influences from OINGO BOINGO to MODEST MOUSE, to THE BEATLES, to discordant video game legacy tracks from games like MEGA MAN for the NES and SNES.

There is the sense that LATE OF THE PIER, actually EXPECT to make it huge; this is an album that could be described as a self-made launching pad full of huge sounds, an impressive display of musical awareness, and high production values. It's not short on aspiration or even technical skill. It is short on heart; that is my real objection to the album. There is nothing here that compels the listener, and once you're over pondering their various influences, the layers of sound become a malaise of songs without hooks.

That said, what the album succeeds at is blending music into a sort of monstrous mass of sound that is on repeated listenings, better than a Frankenstein; perhaps a 'Young Frankenstein.' The kids show some talent, and I honestly hope they are able to refine their various influences into a sound less distracted by it's own self awareness and into a more listenable, cohesive, and satisfactory experience.

2.5/5 Stars. Not the monster album that LATE OF THE PIER hoped for, but worth watching what they come out with in the future.

I have to admit the first run through of "Fantasy Black Channel" I was left thinking....the hell? I wasn't quite sure what to make of Late of the Pier after just one listen. After the second go through of the album I really started to enjoy what was being presented, but the third...I was addicted and don't see "Fantasy Black Channel" leaving my CD player for quite awhile.
I see quite a few reviews posted here comparing their sound to Gary Numan and other early 80's New Wave bands, and I'll go along with that. You can't help but hear the influences of bands like the "Talking Heads", "The Tubes", "The Buggles" and quite a few other 1980's keyboard heavy bands. But what seperates Late of the Pier from just being a nifty little nostalgia band, is that along with "Oingo Boingo", you hear the influences of "The Clash", "Pink Floyd", "Gentle Giant" and "King Crimson" as well. Late of the Pier isn't going to have a hit single sitting on the charts with Britney Spears, and I can guarantee no one is going to sing any tune off of "Fantasy Black Channel" at the next American Idol audition.....and that is a good thing. Sure, the music found on this disk does have a retro feel, but it's something completely different in this day and age.
Chock full of quirky tempo changes, varies layers of keyboard and guitar riffs, lead vocals that at times channel both David Bowie and David Byrne, audio effects layered over top of various tunes, quick 1 or 2 minute instrumentals. This is just a fun disk. Highly recommended for fans of early 80's New Wave, and for fans who are sick of mundane "pop" music and want something a little different.