LogFAQs > #976279165

[NOTE: with #34, we enter into a Zone of Mostly Positivity. From here on out I can safely say these are albums I might consider revisiting in the future, albums that probably have more to offer me than not. This album in particular was the cutoff for this tier. Maybe you'll see why?]

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34. Negativland - The World Will Decide
Plunderphonics, Sound Collage, Electronic
2020
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/2/9/AAeDEnAAE3px.jpg

@Place

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3xV0iHUluiiObSz_uCkKMd05u1sdm2YY

1. More Data
2. Dont Dont Get Freaked Out
3. Content

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTWD0j4tec4

The first song, Unlawful Assembly, is an intro of sorts full of vocal clips about, well, unlawfully assembling, complete with screaming and gunshots. Its a big risk to open an album like this will it pay off? Song 2, Content, is marginally more accessible, with more vocal clips about, well, content, replete with squeaky glitchy effects. The vocal clips take the place of singing I wonder where they came from, if theyre public domain media or if they were recorded specifically for this. I like the panoramic content content content in different voices. Its very disorienting in a good way. Very clear themes emerge immediately, most notably the overwhelming ubiquitousness of modern technology, how its everywhere, in every facet of our lives. People on the album have inane conversations with Siri and, maybe, other people, though whether these are conversations between humans or between humans and AI (or even between AI and AI) is up in the air, which is, I suspect, the point.

This is a reeeeally tough album for me to rate. I appreciate what its going for and the points its making and its singular approach to making these points. But I dont enjoy it. It feels like a lot of the songs make similar points about technology and humanity (valid points to be sure); of everything on the list, this might win the least necessary to be a whole album award. Again, I appreciate it, so its staying out of the bottom tierbut yeah.

I will say More Data is pretty cool. The repeated and frantic Help Mes coupled with the falsely soothing robot voices about all of the data and the dissonant backing musicI feel a strong emotional connection to this one. Dont Dont Get Freaked Out likewise lands because of the unique percussion in this case, keys on a keyboard. I also like the meta story of someone talking to their computer. When you first meet somebody / Theyre typically alive LOL. And Open Your Mouth is delightfully weird in a unique way. So hey, maybe I was being uncharitable. Im always happy to be proven wrong like this.

You gave me John Cages Rozart mix for a non-vgm ranking and I gave it top ten. This was an even riskier nomination and sadly this one didnt pan out as well. Certainly one of the more unique nominations though, and for that Im glad to have listened to it.