Search - Plaid :: Spokes

Cold beats, warm melodies

Brian Gallacher | glasgow | 03/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion this album is way superior to double figure. It is more consistant in both quality and sound(with the possible exception of 'Get what you gave').
Even spring is immense from start to finish. It seems a little disjointed at first but the latter half of the song builds some beautifully simple melodies over what seems like a stumbling, clumsy beat.
B Born droid has been criticized for being a little too plucky and synthy, but it really does work.
Marry is an outstanding track, defininately my favourate.
This album can't really be compared to 'not for threes' or 'rest proof clockwork' because the sound is so different. This album seems a bit cold at first, but the melodies are fantastic with beats to match."

More black dog than ken downie

--- | detroit | 08/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this album seems to harken back to ed and andy's old days with the black dog, though with an updated, more polished feel. moreso than previous plaid releases, "spokes" has a continuous sound that flows from each track to another. very different from "double figure" or "not for threes", in which each track stands on its own, some as great singles, others not so memorable ('rakimou' and 'new family' are two of the best songs ever written, imho). but with "spokes", each track is only part of the whole. 'marry' and 'zeal' have their moments, but no track really stands out much more than another. taken as a complete album, however, they are very effective. the differences between each of plaid's albums are so great that it makes it hard for me to compare them at all, each having their strengths. in general, "spokes" has a darker sound, lacking the playfulness of previous plaid work. the melodies are still there, but this time they're more layered and "implied" (if that makes any sense), and it might take a few more listenings to get into this release compared to the earlier albums. but this ability to produce such a variety of moods, while still being plaid, is what gives plaid their longevity and makes them such an influential band.



fans of plaid would also enjoy any of dutch artist kettel's releases ("dreim", "smiling little cow", "ha ha ha look at this", etc.), sadly absent on amazon."

Famliar territory still yields some great results

eightpointagenda | Chicago, IL | 01/24/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a Plaid fan for about two years now. My first entry into their music was Double Figure, around when I first started getting interested in the whole IDM and electronic music thing. Back then, everything sort of blended together and the difference between most IDM artists was almost impossible to tell(except for Autechre or Aphex Twin). These days, my ear is a bit more discerning when it comes to breaking down what seperates the Aphex Twin, LFOs, FSOL, Squarepusher from the newer breeds like Prefuse 73, Chris Clark, Jimmy Edgar and any other listening techno that's surfaced recently. What I'm mainly trying to get at is that back in the day I couldn't tell you why I liked something and trying to put anything thought into why I enjoyed this type of thing was just impossible. Which in turn leads me to believe, that if this album were released any earlier I would have loved it more.



Plaid's sound has been all over the place in their nearly 15 year career. From the early b-droid sound of songs like Uneasy Listening and Scoobs in Columbia, to their hyper programmed, intense days of Not For Threes, finally stripping their sound down to almost electro-pop elements for their Double Figure, Plaid has seemingly always been a group aimed at pushing their sound to the next level. Which is why Spokes is such a standstill. It still contains hyper-evocative melodies and moody electronics. Tough, numble percusion and soundscapes that most people couldn't dream up without a heavy dosage of haulcingens and an ear for solid production. But somehow, Spokes almost feels trite in comparison to their previous work(both Black Dog or otherwise). The territory is too similiar, too famliar to make it anywhere near the best of their work. And its not just Plaid that's been suffering from this. Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, and several others from the glory days of IDM are slowly seeing its harder and harder to push the latest angle when your not sure what that angle is. I constantly keep asking myself, where can music like this go when nearly every texture, sound, bpm and combination of all three has been explored?



But not all is lost. While it sounds like Plaid wrote this on several lazy sundays or maybe on a tour somewhere, there is still some stellar songs to come out of this ten song hit and miss album. I would recommend picking up some of Plaid's earlier material before checking out Spokes. But for new comers to Plaid, I think there is plenty to enjoy here if you've never heard this kind of music. Its still a well produced album, just not their best."