Since I Left You
August 23, 2012 9:23 AM   Subscribe

12 Years ago, The Avalanches released the album Since I Left You. The Album, a dreamy mix of samples, turntablism, and live instrumentation was largely considered a masterpiece, appearing numerous "best of" lists. Anticipation of their follow up album has been going strong for over a decade, but in spite of teases, live dates, and mix tapes, nothing has materialized.

Until now. Last night, The Avalanches released a new demo called "Cowboy Overflow of the Heart," featuring a spoken word performance by The Silver Jews' David Berman.
posted by to sir with millipedes (27 comments total) 34 users marked this as a favorite
 
Gah. I refuse to believe that Since I Left You is 12 YEARS OLD because that would make me feel very uncomfortable about my own age. Please revise.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:29 AM on August 23, 2012 [3 favorites]


Thoroughly underwhelmed. I'm all for 'art' and I can understand that with The Avalanches, you should be ready with the unexpected, but just ... no.

This is not their return. Not yet.
posted by mysticreferee at 9:32 AM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


This would be decent as a mid-album respite from a bunch of other sonic goodness ... but all on its own, this is about as much of a jam as the fourth story of a This American Life episode.
posted by grabbingsand at 9:35 AM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


I'm not really familiar with the Silver Jews... does David Berman always sound like he just accidentally killed his own dog?
posted by saladin at 9:43 AM on August 23, 2012


Aren't you forgetting about "Ray of Zdarlight" from 2006?

In 2000, an Avalanches/David Berman collaboration would have seemed too impossibly perfect to be true. Now, eh. A lot of lost promise all around. Though if their album ever does come out . . .
posted by with hidden noise at 9:47 AM on August 23, 2012


I'm fine with the Avalanches not being danceable. These guys doing audio production for a David Berman poem is almost too much. It's like, OH, YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST HAVING AN ORGASM? NO! YOU ARE ACTUALLY ALSO ON THE MOON!

If anybody hears this and gets all wobbly like I do, y'all wanna check out Actual Air, D.C. Berman's book of poetry. He also has a blog, which is nice.
posted by insteadofapricots at 9:49 AM on August 23, 2012 [3 favorites]


I remember asking my dad for the money to buy Since I Left You. CDs were like $16 back then. I put it in the car visor CD holder that held the other 8 CDs I owned at the time.
posted by 2bucksplus at 9:56 AM on August 23, 2012 [2 favorites]


I didn't expect to like it. I was surprised. I am very fond of surrealism.
posted by Goofyy at 9:59 AM on August 23, 2012


I put it in the car visor CD holder that held the other 8 CDs I owned at the time.

Oh man, weird nostalgia moment for car visor cd holders. I always took corners too fast on the way to school and my cds would fly out of the car windows.

One of the fallen was definitely (thankfully a burned copy of) Since I left you.
posted by ghostbikes at 10:22 AM on August 23, 2012


Direct link, BTW; though I'm yawning through the beginning of it right now... was kinda expecting music.
posted by anarch at 10:26 AM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


I am a big fan of David Berman, so this was great hearing him read a rather lovely poem. The music in the background of that track barely registers, but intrigued me enough to look into other stuff by the Avalanches. Which I am enjoying. So thanks for the post.
posted by troubles at 10:36 AM on August 23, 2012


David Berman is a fantastic writer. Actual Air is easily one of my favorite books of contemporary poetry. I actually prefer his written work to his music under the Silver Jews moniker. Nice to see that this exists, but when it first surfaced a few days ago, I knew it wasn't going to really satiate Avalanches fans.
posted by mykescipark at 10:45 AM on August 23, 2012


Metafilter: OH, YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST HAVING AN ORGASM? NO! YOU ARE ACTUALLY ALSO ON THE MOON!
posted by Rangeboy at 10:52 AM on August 23, 2012 [2 favorites]


What does that mean?
posted by pewpew at 11:07 AM on August 23, 2012


I'll stick with Frontier Psychatrist, thanks very much.
posted by buzzkillington at 11:15 AM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


Wow. When I bought this CD, I was married, $11 an hour was literally more money than I could spend, and 9/11 hadn't happened yet.
Happier, simpler times, for a happier simpler Moofoo.
I wonder if I still have that thing.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 11:21 AM on August 23, 2012


I swear I hear the same echo every few years... When the stars align and the greatest group of melbournian musicians regroup and record a record (and then RELEASE said record!) fax me on my yacht! I'm getting too old for these teases.
posted by channey at 12:01 PM on August 23, 2012


The track actually serves as an interesting intro to Sleepy Bedtime Mix For Young Ones, the last "new thing" from The Avalanches. That mix is also sleepy, but goes further, as could be expected from an hour-long mix.

But if neither of these things do it for you, it's really swell of those chaps to offer over a dozen more downloads, even if most are over a decade old now. Totally worth the cost of my email address.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:12 PM on August 23, 2012


with hidden noise: Aren't you forgetting about "Ray of Zdarlight" from 2006?

Along with that "wham vs digitalism bootleg by robbie" (as noted on their mixes page, accessible to people who sign into their website), they made a few mixtapes (splendour in the grass 80's set - robbie & tony dj set @ splendour in the grass festival; and the avalanches yoga mind meld zombie relaxation tape - mixtape by darren)
posted by filthy light thief at 12:22 PM on August 23, 2012 [1 favorite]


That was a nice poem.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:16 PM on August 23, 2012


Ooh, I bet this is going to be as good as Chinese Democracy.
posted by Decani at 1:44 PM on August 23, 2012


I love the name "The Silver Jews." I hope they are all called Goldberg, Goldstein, Goldwhatever etc.
posted by marienbad at 3:03 PM on August 23, 2012


I'm getting back into getting back into David Berman. Thanks for the post!
posted by orme at 3:12 PM on August 23, 2012


I found Since I Left You kind of dull, but El Producto is one of my favourite EPs ever. Legs like machetes!
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 3:42 PM on August 23, 2012


I liked it.

It reminded me of when I used to smoke weed and listen to The Avalanches.
posted by bardic at 4:05 PM on August 23, 2012


filthy light thief, that mix isn't actually the Avalanches. Not bad though.
posted by saul wright at 7:25 PM on August 23, 2012


I love the apostrophe work on the Youtube link.
posted by Literaryhero at 9:36 AM on August 24, 2012


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