Keep It Together

[snaapz]

Has anyone compared the audio of the video to the audio of the download? I'm kind of curious whether or not they actually used the tape machine's audio. Not that it really would make a noticeable difference to human ears, but it seems like the kind of thing they might do. Or they just dubbed on the digital version. *shrug*

That's a good question, I thought that too.

You can hear the tape brush against the empty reel when they hit play. Once the music starts I don't know, I think that sound disappears. I doubt we would get this quality from the mic being used, but maybe the mic may stay on and channel 2 has input from the R2R? Or they edited in the audio track after...

[snaapz]

If anything I say this track raises a lot of questions. It's a bit of a bombshell seeing so many negative comments for this track. I think I've left enough comments about the track already. With any luck HTDA will hit us up with another release prior to the EP release, but at this rate I don't blame them for holding off. Not exactly an encore feeling in here.

Spoiler:  I'm interested to see if track 2 from Oblivion is a  follow up to KIT or lead into TLAG... or both. With the soft/warm lead  out I'm guessing TWU is not connected. I think we have a concept album.  That is if this leak is accurate.

This track gives me the impression of someone who is close to enlightenment or deep insight into the meaning and purpose of something, maybe even a fundamentally changed consciousness. Their writing techniques sure don't make it $##$#ing easy to come to a conclusion.

Is "I Can't keep it together" the message or is it what the person telling the story is telling the voice inside her head?

[seasonsinthesky]

That's a good question, I thought that too.

You can hear the tape brush against the empty reel when they hit play. Once the music starts I don't know, I think that sound disappears. I doubt we would get this quality from the mic being used, but maybe the mic may stay on and channel 2 has input from the R2R? Or they edited in the audio track after...

once we get a lossless file/release for "KIT," one could encode it to the same audio encoding used by YouTube, line it up with the music video audio, and invert it. if they cancel, they're the same track. and if not... ! (wouldn't work with the MP3 download, though - has to be bit-for-bit the same.)

[k258]

I applaud your honesty, but I take issue with this:


From a pop perspective, you're totally right. But there's a lot of markets out there. TR's always been good with headphone-candy and there's a lot in here to like that really only comes out on repeat listens. That sort of stuff is what has given NIN staying power, for me. I'm interested to see him experiment with more dubstep (burial, not skrillex) influences of space and subsonics, which this song has all over it.

I agree with you. But the lyrics and the vocals in this song fuck it up.

[k258]

I have a pet peeve about comparisons. I don't think it's fair to judge the validity of an artist's work based on whether or not it reminds you of something else. Even comparing an artist's work to their prior work is dicey. People change. You change. I think you either like something or you don't. And if you don't like it, it doesn't make it inherently bad.

[19ninetynine]

I love the track, I can't wait for the EP and the album to come next year

[seasonsinthesky]

i wonder how many people first heard this song with earbuds or cheap speakers, so they only really heard the beat, the guitar, and vocals.

(i doubt it's a significant source of all the whining, though.)

[dominik]

i wonder how many people first heard this song with earbuds or cheap speakers, so they only really heard the beat, the guitar, and vocals.

(i doubt it's a significant source of all the whining, though.)

What else is there to hear?

[screwdriver]

I have a pet peeve about comparisons. I don't think it's fair to judge the validity of an artist's work based on whether or not it reminds you of something else. Even comparing an artist's work to their prior work is dicey. People change. You change. I think you either like something or you don't. And if you don't like it, it doesn't make it inherently bad.

if we don't compare things to other things, critical discussion is reduced to "this gives me pleasure right now" or "this does not give me pleasure right now." the interesting part isn't the A vs. B, but why A works for you but B does not.

[screwdriver]

What else is there to hear?

the bass is deep as hell, for one. there's a lot of playing with reverberating noise and ambience going on that I only really notice with headphones. its wankery, but some of us enjoy that.

[neorev]

when i first listened to it, it was on my studio monitors to gain a true impression. i enjoy the subtle atmospheric elements of the track and all its details... i love the instrumental... but that's it. people say she has range, but i don't hear that. the vocals feel very one dimensional to me. the only track that i have enjoyed with the vocals was The Space In Between where I felt she actually pushed herself from just singing quiet and sexy all the time.

[dominik]

Yeah it's nice that the song has something that you can only hear with headphones, but I don't think that makes it better. I mean, I like the song but remember how the non-plus-ultra with NIN songs is how the melody evolves and the transition from Verse to Chorus. And you simply can't end a NIN song before the end because you never know what is going to happen (be it either the ending of The Becoming or Me, I'm Nothing for example). That is not the case with this song. I don't even know if it has a chorus because her singing always sounds the same..

[screwdriver]

Yeah it's nice that the song has something that you can only hear with headphones, but I don't think that makes it better. I mean, I like the song but remember how the non-plus-ultra with NIN songs is how the melody evolves and the transition from Verse to Chorus. And you simply can't end a NIN song before the end because you never know what is going to happen (be it either the ending of The Becoming or Me, I'm Nothing for example). That is not the case with this song. I don't even know if it has a chorus because her singing always sounds the same..

good observations about the difference in style - TR's post-With Teeth era hasn't been the strongest on having distinct sections of songs, and this is definitely of the same trend.

I didn't say it was "better" (than what?). personally, I don't think it holds a candle to even my least favorite track from pre-Year Zero era NIN. But you asked what else there was to hear. I enjoy clever uses of sound in my music, just as much as -- and sometimes more than -- a defined pop melody.

[FernandoDante]

when i first listened to it, it was on my studio monitors to gain a true impression. i enjoy the subtle atmospheric elements of the track and all its details... i love the instrumental... but that's it. people say she has range, but i don't hear that. the vocals feel very one dimensional to me. the only track that i have enjoyed with the vocals was The Space In Between where I felt she actually pushed herself from just singing quiet and sexy all the time.

They used some sort of effect on her voice for The Spaces In Between. Someone accused her of autotune, and she said it was something else.

But yeah, no range so far.

[seasonsinthesky]

HTDA haven't really been writing music that requires much different from her. it might make sense to criticize her perceived vocal range if the songs were exploding everywhere and she wasn't backing that with emotion, but that isn't the case. the music is dark and sensual, and Q's voice matches very well (and when it gets upbeat, she matches that well too - see "Fur Lined"). TR hasn't exactly been singing with any "range" on his participatory tracks either. it's a pretty non-sensical over-criticism to say the vocals are flat or whatever — it isn't just the vocals giving whatever impression you have, it's the totality, because the approach is uniform on every HTDA song so far (i.e. slow, dark song = slow, nearly whispered vocals).

[eversonpoe]

They used some sort of effect on her voice for The Spaces In Between. Someone accused her of autotune, and she said it was something else.

But yeah, no range so far.

they used a very specific type of reverb with an extended decay time on very small sections of her vocals, which makes it sound as if certain notes are being artificially held (auto-tune achieves a similar goal through different means). i've experimented with it in my own music and it's interesting, but it's really not that groundbreaking. i can understand why people mistake it for auto-tune (i did, at first), but upon comparison and understanding, you can tell the difference.

[Deepvoid]

Putting aside the NIN fanboy in me. This song is good but it's nothing spectacular. By now, I have lowered my expectations for both the EP and album. I think it will be decent but will not produce gems like .. let's say Massive Attack, Portishead have produced in the past.

I think by now, we all figured out that Mariqueen's vocals are limited. That doesn't help.
Just my 2 cents ..

[gorast]

I think by now, we all figured out that Mariqueen's vocals are limited. That doesn't help.

No, I don't think we have. At all.

Out of the eight songs HTDA has released so far, Fur Lined is the only one that deviates from the norm in a noticeable way, and her voice changed to accomodate that. I haven't listened to her other work, but if we're judging solely on HTDA's output, then it's pretty damn hard to say Mariqueen's vocals are limited when all the songs fucking sound the same.

[spahn]

seems like i'm one of the few that actually enjoys Q's voice. she definitely doesn't have the vocal range of a young mariah carey, but this music doesnt really call for that either.

*did i just make a mariah carey reference!?! :|

[R-Dot-Yung]

Who is Mariqueen climbing on top off that she's afraid of?

[Deepvoid]

No, I don't think we have. At all.

Out of the eight songs HTDA has released so far, Fur Lined is the only one that deviates from the norm in a noticeable way, and her voice changed to accomodate that. I haven't listened to her other work, but if we're judging solely on HTDA's output, then it's pretty damn hard to say Mariqueen's vocals are limited when all the songs fucking sound the same.

Have you asked yourself why does she always sound the same?

Look maybe I'm harsh here but she hasn't proved me wrong. If she comes out with a song that demonstrates otherwise, I'll gladly retract myself.

[seasonsinthesky]

Have you asked yourself why does she always sound the same?

have you asked yourself why you are expecting to hear Q sing differently when most of the songs musically have the exact same approach?

they say the mark of insanity is expecting different results from the same actions, y'know.

[fillow]

I don't get all the spoiler tags in HTDA threads. Are we now hiding fucking song titles? Fo realz?

[FernandoDante]

I don't get all the spoiler tags in HTDA threads. Are we now hiding fucking song titles? Fo realz?

I think it's pretty overzealous too.

[screwdriver]

I think it's pretty overzealous too.

I'm looking forward to the antiquiet editorial about it. and yes, its pretty silly, but its simple enough to get around and helps preserve the experience for some people, if thats a thing. no harm there.

just listened to the track again for the first time in a few days. I quite dig it. wish it was a bit more structurally interesting, but that's just not really TR's bag anymore. sonically, it really hits Fragile-esque zones, which I obviously dig.

[Deepvoid]

have you asked yourself why you are expecting to hear Q sing differently when most of the songs musically have the exact same approach?

I'm not expecting her to sing differently because I don't think she can.

Anyways, vocals aside, track is still not the greatest thing.

[seasonsinthesky]

wish it was a bit more structurally interesting, but that's just not really TR's bag anymore.

this was my first thought as well. on first listen, hearing it open with the drum loop repeating four times before other stuff comes in was a bit disappointing — a strong part of the reason why i think the older NIN albums were so captivating was the creative use of arranging. a song like "Eraser" or even "We're in This Together" wouldn't be those songs without their specific, less-(or non-)linear arrangements. in fact, as TDS goes on, the arrangements become more and more fucked up, something that contributes to its listenability and lessens the fatigue of an hour of music.

evidently, though, if it's a been a year they've sat on this material and it still opens with four drum loop cycles, this is something they aren't much concerned with anymore. the focus now is on textures, new, more analog-synth-ish ways of making sound, and making things that evolve over time rather than creating bombastic and circuitous maps.

[gorast]

Have you asked yourself why does she always sound the same?

Look maybe I'm harsh here but she hasn't proved me wrong. If she comes out with a song that demonstrates otherwise, I'll gladly retract myself.

You're going around in circles. 7 of HTDA's 8 tracks sound exactly the same. They're good songs, but they're the same songs with different instruments at different tempos. And one's a cover.

She sings more expressively on Fur Lined because the song is different from the rest. What about my statement aren't you getting, bro?

[bobbie solo]

oh shit you got just bro'd. now what son?

[somethingelse]

..........