I wanna get drunk I wanna get stoned I wanna give up I wanna go ho-o-o-ome
Chalk Tablet Towers (not all lyrics need to have depth)
I haven’t had a lot of new music on my radar this month, what with the whole moving-back-to-Sydney thing. I’ve been back now for three weeks and have spent the entire time consumed by trying to lock in a home – and being unable to focus on much else. But now that I have a place to move into in two weeks, the excitement of a new life can finally begin. I’ve been waiting over a year for this moment (since I decided I’d move back to Sydney but stuck around to attend two weddings which never happened).
Nevertheless, I’ve put together this month’s dozen tunes. Gorillaz dropped their best album since Plastic Beach with Strange Timez last Friday. It works so much better than I expected, given it’s the first album to be constructed piece-by-piece without an overarching narrative. It even has a couple tracks which sonically hark back to their self titled debut. I’m pumped to see what they do animation-wise with their upcoming tour.
My collection of PC games which still lives at my parents’ home and I can’t bring myself to get rid of them
As I’ve mentioned previously, when I think back to my childhood, two images come to mind – riding my bike around the endless suburban streets of western Sydney, and playing computer games as much as I was allowed. Name a PC game from 1983 to around 1998 and chances are I’ve played it. From Commander Keen to Command and Conquer; Castle Adventure, Descent, Prince of Persia, Scorched Earth, Eye of the Beholder, Lemmings, Supaplex, JetPack, Earthsiege, Alone in the Dark. The list goes on.
But most of all I loved Sierra games. In the 80s and early 90s, Sierra On-Line dominated the PC gaming market. I loved them so much that I had dreams of one day working there. But in the late 90s, as the company deteriorated and eventually closed down, so too my interest in gaming dwindled.
At this time, every other game seemed to be another shooter with little-to-no story nor characters with whom to interact. Funnily enough, one of the last Sierra-published-games I got into was Half Life (which I loved). But mostly all I saw was a sea of sameness and as such I switched my attention to teaching myself 3D animation, website design and coding – all of which revolved around making fan content for my favourite series Space Quest. My goal switched from playing to creating.
Two books (the first two listed above) have been released in the last few months which have given some insight into the history of Sierra On-Line – how it began, how it thrived, and how it spectacularly fell apart. I devoured both books in only a couple of sessions.
At 8 years of age I tried to win over girls as Larry
King’s Quest was always their crown
Police Quest keeping it gritty
Freddy Pharkas Frontier Pharmacist
Space Quest. There’s nothing like it.
The Sierra Adventure is a work of love, written by a fan with the backing of a number of other fans via Kickstarter. It chronicles the company from its early days to its unfortunate end, highlighting the key games, designers and technologies along the way. Sierra’s success was found in its designer-driven approach and its technological boundary-pushing. No great work of art is designed by committee. As a Sierra fan, you always felt like part of a club or family, and got to know the game designers in the same way you would the author of a book. In the early days you could even call the designer to talk to them directly when you got stuck.
Unfortunately this approach was also expensive. An adventure game requires, story, dialogue, and characters. A successful game would sell around 250,000 copies and require a budget of around a quarter of the expected revenue. By the mid-nineties these numbers just weren’t competitive. Shawn Mills says it best:
A cultural change occurred in the early nineties that saw computers become a staple in most homes. They were no longer just for the tech-savvy, and as more and more people began using them throughout the decade, games and software were simplified to reach a broader audience.
More importantly, the technological advancement to 3D would become one of the major downfalls of the point-and-click adventure. While fast-paced, action-oriented games increased in popularity, the more cerebral adventure genre no longer dominated the market.
Shawn Mills, The Sierra Adventure
Sierra pushed the boundaries of what was possible in a PC game by embracing new technology. Soundcards changed everything and enhanced the experience. I still listen to these regularly.
Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings – written by Sierra’s co-founder and CEO for most of the company’s life, Ken Williams – covers similar ground from the perspective of the ultimate insider. It’s far more business-oriented, which becomes fascinating when considering what led to both the successes and failures of the company.
A few highlights:
Sierra made an offer to purchase id Software following the release of Wolfenstein 3D, which failed mostly due to stubbornness. Pride can be a bitch. Imagine the future which might have followed.
Ken Williams was adamant about games being driven by the singular vision of an individual designer – a belief I strongly agree with for any decent creative endeavour (“if you were to take the two greatest book authors in the world and have them collaborate on a book, the result would not be as strong as their producing two independent books“). When new management took over, they used numbers and spreadsheets to assign people to projects. Original game designers were placed on games for which they had no passion while others were placed in charge of their original creation with little to no understanding of the world which had been created over fifteen years.
Sierra (and Microsoft) benefited from IBM’s fear of government anti-trust laws. IBM wrote into their contracts that each company must make their product available elsewhere. As such, when IBM caught a cold it hit them harder and allowed Sierra to sail off with other manufacturers.
The concept of a game “engine” which could be repurposed for new games without having to be coded from the ground up was pioneered by Sierra’s SCI. It’s what allowed them to push out ten times more titles than their competitors. It was also amusing the see the parallels with my own experience in the VFX industry as creatives would become frustrated with updates under the hood.
It struck me how much the experience of working in the gaming industry at that time lines up with my own experience working in the film industry. Bill Gates is paraphrased in the book: “when you are in a business that depends entirely on having a series of hits, it’s just a matter of time until you fail“.
What other game besides Space Quest III tasks the player with rescuing its own designers from their bosses who whip them as they work
Invariably, in a company that grows the way Sierra grew, innovation gives way to emulation. Whereas Sierra’s management once strove to make it solid, profitable, and yet fun, they now strive to dominate other companies, force annual growth in the double digits, and (Like so many other companies) cut jobs mercilessly to improve the bottom line and thrill the stockholders.
Josh Mandel, echoing a sentiment true of any company
Not All Fairy Tales was written thanks to Ken being trapped indoors during the pandemic. In a similar way, my desire to explore again the possibility of creating my own game has risen with all the time I’ve had stuck indoors this year. I’ve been learning Unreal Engine and making my own digital art again and my mind has exploded with ideas of how one might tackle an adventure game in 2020. I’ll save that for another time.
You got sick from a lolli, lolli, lollipop You feel free when you’re killing me
Tom Fec (aka Tobacco) is a musician whose sound can’t be described by use of comparison to other artists. Instead, I tend to think of a blender in which bubblegum, rainbows, sunshine, lipstick and workout videos are mixed with horror movies, demons, sweat, bodily fluids and acid.
I was familiar with his work as a member of Black Moth Super Rainbow (in particular Dandelion Gum) long before I’d heard of his work as Tobacco. I loved the dreamlike bliss which BMSR captured. Dandelion Gum is 45 minutes of low-fi psychedelic electronic hymns. You could close your eyes and picture yourself laying with the one you love in an open grassy field on a sunny day – a slight breeze carrying the smell of flowers and popcorn – as you held hands and melted into the earth. You melted into each other, and by the end you, your girl, and the field were one and the same.
Well, that’s the imagery I always conjured anyway.
As Tobacco, he takes this aesthetic and adds some crunch. There are blissful moments, but also moments of horror and creepiness. Maniac Meat is Fec’s second album under this moniker, but it was the first I heard (Fucked Up Friends is also worth a listen, and has one of my favourite album covers of all time).
From the first listen I was hooked. It explodes right out of the gate with Constellation Dirtbike Head – a song that begins abruptly as though you’ve already walked in late to a party. Fresh Hex kicks it up a notch with some alliterative imagery and power drums & spiraling synths. From there it goes up, it cools down, you get scared, then a warm synthetic hug grabs you.
Computer corrode connection counting camouflage cash Crystal canary in a coal mine Land a cortex cowboy kaleidoscope Like a concrete cactus cracking in a colosseum
Lyrically, Maniac Meat is more about the imagery that words and sounds create rather than literal interpretation
This is no snoozer. This is an album to get pumped and perhaps a little psychotic. Throw yourself against the wall then lie in a pool of sweat as your mind drifts out of your body. I love it, but it’s certainly not for everyone. I haven’t yet recommended this successfully to anyone. They just don’t understand. But that’s fine – maybe this one feels more special for the fact it’s just for me.
I went on from here to explore a whole world of related acts – more Black Moth, Tobacco, Demon Queen, Malibu Ken. If, like me you’re on board with Maniac Meat, then you’re in for a treat with the rest.
Every time I get an advertisement or a news alert on my phone for something Canadian
I’m a bit later with this month’s playlist. I’ve spent the last month packing, cleaning, stressing, travelling back to Australia, then sleeping and unwinding. I’ve also spent much more time listening to podcasts than music this month, so it’s not my strongest effort for new stuff.
Benjamin Bardou makes impressive abstract video art
I’ve added a few more new release songs this month than the last couple. I’m desperately hungry for new music, but struggling to find much. Here’s some newie’s getting me by, along with a couple of classics. Not For All The Love In The World is an all-time work of art, as is the explosion at 1:23 on Desiree.
In the middle of a dream I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings I’ve done all the dumb things
I’ve been drawing (pun intended) inspiration from the work of Katie Scott this month
What a month. What a week. It feels more and more like this pandemic has been the catalyst for a lot of people to awaken from their slumber. Living in this part of the world, on the border with USA it’s especially apparent. Many people, already struggling to get by, have been cooped up inside for weeks on end, lost their jobs and left to fend for themselves.
Anyway, here’s my playlist. It’s June and it’s still cold and grey in Vancouver. I can’t wait to leave this place. That Devs soundtrack is so mysterious and cool (great show too, albeit with poor acting). Some old classics, some new releases, and an old release from an artist new to me.
I-I love the colorful clothes she wears And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair I hear the sound of a gentle word On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air
Hesitant as I am to include any collections or greatest hits compilations in my list of key albums, I’m willing to make an exception for The Beach Boys. Somehow, my go-to album for a group from the 1960s, who I’ve listened to my whole life, was released in 2018. And I love it so much that I rarely venture back to the older recordings.
My parents used to always have music playing in the house. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give a child, and if I ever have a child of my own I’ll be doing the same.
My mum’s tastes were aligned along The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cliff Richard, Buddy Holly and 70s rock. Dad was into The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds (magnificent), ELO, Johnny Cash, Gregorian chants, Enya and that random whale-noise-music which oddly never set the top 40 charts on fire. Mum’s music was an education, but I didn’t come to appreciate it until I was older. But as a kid, dad’s tastes caught my ears and I latched onto them (except maybe the whale moans). The biggest of these was The Beach Boys and Paul Simon.
That first moment of Good Vibrations where Carl Wilson utters that first syllable ‘I’ could be my favourite one-second of recorded music. Somehow in that moment the whole essence of the song is captured.
On this version, it gets the foreplay it deserves.
The Royal Philharmonic version is essentially a greatest hits, but it brilliantly adds an extra layer of depth and stereo re-balancing without losing the charm of the original recording – the incredible harmonies and melodies. It also has the effect of evening out the sound so that all of the songs fit together.
I’ve long had this idea that I’d have been right at home growing up in 1960s California, much of that fed by a romanticised vision created by the music of the time – sunshine, beaches, burgers, cars, girls and love. Thankfully I can transport myself to that place at any time by slapping on this masterpiece.
Also, Good Vibrations may well be my favourite song of all time.
In these demon days, It’s so cold inside So hard for a good soul to survive You can’t even trust the air you breathe Because mother earth wants us all to leave
The album cover played upon The Beatles’ Let It Be, but became iconic in its own right
If there ever were a music group entirely catered toward my interests and tastes, it would have to be Gorillaz.
Illustration? Tick. 2D Animation? Tick. CG animation? Damon Albarn vocals? Guest collaborations? Rock, electronic, soul, rap, country, dub? Songs that switch gears half way through? Deep songs, fun songs, nonsensical songs? It’s like someone had studied what I was into and crafted it just for me. What’s more, it was served up as a fresh, subversive package of fictional band members, with a story to go along with it borrowing heavily from horror movies; intertwining zombie primates and Mesopotamian gods. I thought it was genius.
I couldn’t get enough. I was 18, I had my own money for the first time. I bought the music, the vinyl figures, the art book – and since I was on board before they exploded, some of those purchases have gained in value more than most investments I’ve made. I loved it, and that has only grown.
But this post isn’t about the group. It’s about their best album, Demon Days. Unlike my last two key album posts, I was already a huge fan prior to DD’s release. I’d had their self-titled debut on loop for the 5 years in between. There was nothing like it, and it spoke to me.
In my opinion, a great album isn’t just a collection of songs shoved together. It’s a collection of songs which sit together well thematically and musically as a cohesive piece. Gorillaz albums (save perhaps Humanz) have all done this. Demon Days opens and closes like a story and there isn’t a dull moment between.
This shit is B-E-A-UUTIFUL
The album follows some of the themes set out by their self-titled debut – the shallowness of celebrity culture and the manufactured music industry of the late 90’s, set to the backdrop of horror movies. But Demon Days extends on this with environmental themes (which Plastic Beach would take further) and how the world post-9/11 was going to shit. War, famine, garbage, greed, insecurity – Demon Days.
And musically it plays like a mixtape of everything I love. There’s Beach Boys inspired melodies and big orchestral arrangements on Don’t Get Lost In Heaven and the title track. O Green World opens with a basic drum machine set to an odd time signature and opens up to guitar-driven lo-fi vocals. Feel Good Inc had one if the best basslines ever recorded. There’s a short punk track which opens up to a straight-up nonsensical electronic dance song which slap you across the face before the triptych finale (starting with a story from Dennis Hopper).
Also, Every Planet We Reach Is Dead is one of my favourite song titles of all time, mostly due to how subversive it is. The song’s title suggests that every new place humanity reaches is not already dead but rather doomed to be; we are destined to kill all that we touch.
Kids haven’t harmonised like this since Pink Floyd’s The Wall
I’ve been lucky enough to see Gorillaz live twice – In Sydney on the Plastic Beach tour and in Los Angeles at the Demon Dayz LA festival when they were touring The Now Now. The latter show may well be my favourite gig of all time.
While we’re at it, here’s my ranking of their remaining albums:
I prayed heaven today Would bring its hammer down on me And pound you out of my head I can’t think with you in there
Marcel Dzama provides the artwork – which matches the music perfectly
Beck is easily my most played artist. I attribute this both to the enormous volume of work he has output, as well as the musical variety across all of that work. It spans genre and fidelity. It can be traditional or experimental.
In addition to this he’s very much an album-centred artist. I rarely feel like listening to only one song – if I’m in the mood for Beck then it’s an entire album I’m after, in order, as intended. And there’s enough flavours to suit a variety of moods. So the play count adds up quickly.
This didn’t really begin until 2005 when I was 22 and he released Guero. Prior to this, I was familiar with a handful of singles I’d heard on Triple J over the years. I guess I liked them but I’d never looked into who sang them. I might not have even realised all those songs were by the same artist. But Guero grabbed my attention. Is it my favourite Beck album? Well, I can’t say I have a favourite to be honest. I have two or three groups I lump them into. Guero is in the top group, but it makes my key albums list because it opened me ears to his world.
Guero explodes right out of the gate with the punch in the face named E-Pro, which samples the drum loop from Beastie Boys So What’cha Want and adds a crunchy guitar riff (and a whole bunch of na na na’s). It moves on to the bizarre and fun Cali-Mexican-slang-dense Que Onda Guero and the musically bright, but lyrically dark Girl.
Shynola video? I’m sold. Unfortunately this shoot also broke Beck’s back and ruined his very energetic live shows for the next 5 years
It doesn’t let up at any point. The entire work has a very distinct flavour, but every song maintains it’s own place in the mix. It’s like a delicious burrito. It all works together, but you can taste the guacamole, the tomato, and the coriander within.
Some favourite moments:
Black Tambourine will get me drumming my steering wheel or keyboard every time
Earthquake Weather is a hot desert breeze on my face that almost makes me wonder if I’m synesthetic
Broken Drum is 100% feels
Go It Alone is a GROOVE. A top-notch “fuck you, I’m walking away from this explosion” tune
Send A Message To Her has one of the most blissful bridges I’ve ever heard
Motion Theory directed this awesome MAD Magazine foldout inspired video
I was also a huge fan of everything that came along with the album. It had great music videos (still a thing in 2005). It had more remixes than album tracks (including some brilliant 8-Bit mixes by Paza and Guerolito, an entire album worth). It also introduced me to Marcel Dzama’s art.
Remixes worthy to stand beside the originals. This slowed down BoC mix of Broken Drum adds an extra level of emotion
If I ever had to recommend a good place to start to get into Beck, it would be Guero. It sits right at the middle of his career, and depending on your tastes, you can use it to branch off to his other work:
Like E-Pro and Rental Car or the intricate layered production work of The Dust Brothers? Give Odelay a spin
How about if you like the album overall but wouldn’t mind more synths and experimental stuff? The Information is for you
Do you love Missing? Try Mutations
Is Broken Drum your flavour? Sea Change or Morning Phase might float your boat depending on whether you’re heartbroken or hungover respectively
Keen for more Hell Yes, with some Prince-inspired sexx rhymes on top? Midnite Vultures is for you my friend
I could go on, but it would only waste time that could be spent listening…
