Even then, when we do reach our perceived glories, they fade in a moment
January 11, 2016 2:49 PM Subscribe
Writing for Thump, at Vice, Angus Harrison beanplates deconstructs, lengthily, Four Tet's remix of Opus by Eric Prydz. Four Tet previously; Eric Prydz previously, 2.
I was disappointed it had a drop at all. I wanted it to be one long jacob's ladder of escalation that subsumed seamlessly to the initial beat.
posted by lastobelus at 3:34 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by lastobelus at 3:34 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Beautiful. I think Eric Prydz's original "Opus" was pretty bold to begin with -- in a genre where you can almost set your watch to 128BPM, 16 measures of drums for mix-in, 16 bar breakdown, then the drop, he starts the song with quiet arpeggiated chords and the tempo ramps up with no drums for a solid 3 minutes before the drop finally happens.
If he wasn't Eric Prydz and already famous he never would have got away with that.
I think dance music needs to get way more creative and this is two steps in the right direction. Frankly as much as that article talked about "confused clubbers" it looked like they enjoyed it.
Also, that club video reminds me of this one.
posted by mmoncur at 5:27 PM on January 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
If he wasn't Eric Prydz and already famous he never would have got away with that.
I think dance music needs to get way more creative and this is two steps in the right direction. Frankly as much as that article talked about "confused clubbers" it looked like they enjoyed it.
Also, that club video reminds me of this one.
posted by mmoncur at 5:27 PM on January 11, 2016 [3 favorites]
For really, what is our existence but one long build-up to the low-hanging realisation that "the drop" will never come?
posted by scose at 9:12 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by scose at 9:12 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
My friend put on this song during a late-night drive and I so clearly remember the sheer euphoria I felt as the track built and built and built and built. I never wanted the drop to come so I could just stay in *that* (whatever magic it was - I find it so hard to describe) forever. And this is coming from someone who counts cliche Top 40 Calvin Harris-style drops as one of her guiltiest pleasures. Good thing I didn't first hear the remix in public - the swear I let loose when the drop finally came and forced me to snap out of it would have made everyone feel even more awkward.
posted by that silly white dress at 9:17 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by that silly white dress at 9:17 PM on January 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, I think that the central theory of the essay is correct: Four Tet was doing something very clever and very creative with the remix. At the same time though, part of being a DJ is giving the crowd what they want and what they expect. Taking an entire room of gurning party kids and not letting them get off one more time before leaving is... well it's kind of next-level DJ trolling. Dropping that as the penultimate track, I can see--give 'em one final moment to be all hands in the air. Opening a set with that track, absolutely. Closing, I dunno. I can respect the thought behind it (assuming the analysis is anywhere close to what the DJ was thinking) while still thinking it was kind of a jerk move to pull on a bunch of kids at the end of the night.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:29 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:29 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
scose: "For really, what is our existence but one long build-up to the low-hanging realisation that "the drop" will never come?"
Oh, don't worry, everyone drops eventually.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:53 PM on January 11, 2016
Oh, don't worry, everyone drops eventually.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 11:53 PM on January 11, 2016
feckless fecal fear mongering - on the subject of next-level trolling, i saw The Orb play live at the Manchester Academy in 1992 or 1993. The venue was full of hair-waxed, gurning scallies on high quality pills. The Orb played a 90 minute set without one single beat, to a room full of people sweating heavily and jogging on the spot. I was crying with laughter, literally - rolling on the floor.
posted by bifter at 12:54 AM on January 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by bifter at 12:54 AM on January 12, 2016 [4 favorites]
Both tracks are new to me... I'd say I'm more familiar with Four Tet's than Prydz's stuff, but clicking around YouTube reveals that Prydz has been sneaking into my ears via radio play for years, whereas I have to go looking for Four Tet.
These two tracks make a great one-two punch: the Prydz original comes with a clean, crystalline pulse, then Four Tet brings the brooding throb. Since everyone's talking about the drop, I have to say I much prefer the Four Tet version, the way it allows the buildup to boil itself into steam, then simply disappear is... kind of poetic.
Nice write-up by Angus too. Thanks very much for the post, FFFM!
posted by ZipRibbons at 1:55 AM on January 12, 2016
These two tracks make a great one-two punch: the Prydz original comes with a clean, crystalline pulse, then Four Tet brings the brooding throb. Since everyone's talking about the drop, I have to say I much prefer the Four Tet version, the way it allows the buildup to boil itself into steam, then simply disappear is... kind of poetic.
Nice write-up by Angus too. Thanks very much for the post, FFFM!
posted by ZipRibbons at 1:55 AM on January 12, 2016
> The Orb played a 90 minute set without one single beat, to a room full of people sweating heavily and jogging on the spot.
I almost feel like one shouldn't go see The Orb without knowing there's a chance they'd do that.
posted by ardgedee at 4:15 AM on January 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
I almost feel like one shouldn't go see The Orb without knowing there's a chance they'd do that.
posted by ardgedee at 4:15 AM on January 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Waiting for the Godot drop
Also, in a somewhat similar vein is Floating Points - Peroration Six
Builds and builds and then
posted by we are the music makers at 4:21 AM on January 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, in a somewhat similar vein is Floating Points - Peroration Six
Builds and builds and then
posted by we are the music makers at 4:21 AM on January 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
Speaking of no drop, the Prydz version of the track cut out streaming for me right at 3:44--literally two beats into the release.
The Four Tet version is pretty funny.
posted by ropeladder at 5:44 AM on January 12, 2016
The Four Tet version is pretty funny.
posted by ropeladder at 5:44 AM on January 12, 2016
Also, in a somewhat similar vein is Floating Points - Peroration Six
wtf that was like almost sneezing for five minutes
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:32 AM on January 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
wtf that was like almost sneezing for five minutes
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:32 AM on January 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
At the same time though, part of being a DJ is giving the crowd what they want and what they expect. Taking an entire room of gurning party kids and not letting them get off one more time before leaving is... well it's kind of next-level DJ trolling.
It's been 20 years since I spent time in dance clubs, but I think it's fun when expectations are challenged. Even if it's confusing at first.
The crowd might have been confused this time, but if he did the same thing in his set a week later everyone would have absolutely loved it.
posted by mmoncur at 2:47 PM on January 12, 2016
It's been 20 years since I spent time in dance clubs, but I think it's fun when expectations are challenged. Even if it's confusing at first.
The crowd might have been confused this time, but if he did the same thing in his set a week later everyone would have absolutely loved it.
posted by mmoncur at 2:47 PM on January 12, 2016
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