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Is it me, or is this some kind of immense prank? I kind of like them, but also think I am missing something, a very big in joke that they are taking us all for a ride. Seems that wherever I look online, they will pop up quite quickly.
I like the music, it's pretty mad but bangs along in a good way, but I watched them on Jules Holland (or rather watch a YouTube thing of them on Jules Holland) and I don't really get them live; it's just like watching Mr Noseybonk.
I think technically they are brilliant, and interesting to watch.... for a little while.
Definitely don't think I could watch an hour of it though.
I don't think it's a joke of any kind. Just Avant Garde random shizzle innit.
Seems to be a fair few instrumental bands about at the moment. Not really into it for any prolonged period if I'm honest.
Khruangbin for example.
I like the "no AI would ever come up with using micro-tones" so it's really unique sounding, but like others I can listen to it for a couple of minutes and marvel at the "what the hell is he doing? Where have all those extra frets come from on that guitar" kinda vibe, but after a couple of clips on the Insta - that's enough now, thanks.
I think technically they are brilliant, and interesting to watch.... for a little while.
Definitely don't think I could watch an hour of it though.
This – when I first heard about them, I watched a few YouTubes – it was initially interesting, but didn't really seem to go anywhere, just more variations of the same patterns. I'd had enough after about 15 minutes and I don't think I will revisit them.
However, if they play at a local venue (and ticket prices are okay), I would probably try to get tickets (although I know they sell *very* quickly).
I don't even think they are worthy of me replying to this thread. 😉
I'm all for odd music, and repetitive patterns. And I think a lot of us have children, and so watched Ceebeebies nonsense. As for having fun, I understand that's a thing. I was at a Devo gig the other day, in my energy dome, so do get all three aspects. Yet I can't get past 5 minutes without wondering where they are going with this. For me it doesn't develop into anything and I need enlightenment.
They've blown up online so everyone is using them to harvest clicks. It's not their fault. They deliberately created something really weird and repetitive with seemingly zero commercial appeal but it just happened to go well on TikTok.
I've got tickets to see them in Leeds in October. Not sure if we'll actually make it to the gig.
I immediately dismissed them as hipster ****s, but got really drawn in when I watched it properly. I think once you take on that's it's not contrived (I don't think!), and they are having fun with it, it's much easier to enjoy. It's not the kind of stuff I'll regularly sit down and listen to a whole album, but I would love to see them live - I can imagine the positivity in the room would be immense. I've got a Twickets alert set for their London gig when they are back in the autumn, but don't hold out much hope of getting hold of a ticket.
For me it doesn't develop into anything and I need enlightenment.
I think it's technically very clever, the looping in real time they do is an insane way to carry on, miss the beat even fractionally and you're screwed, (I understand they use click-tracks in ear-pieces under all that make up and costume, although I'm not entirely certain) But as others have said, "Yeah, Ok, so then what?"
kinda gimmicky in a way that seems like its there just to get clicks.
Oddly enough I think they might be doing it because it's fun. People forget doing things for fun is just ok sometimes
👆🏻This.
Pretty normal for something to be technically very impressive but with limited entertainment appeal. I appreciate what they are doing, but don’t love the output. The missus OTOH really appreciates the technical side and the music.
The viral bit will pass but I’m sure they’ll do well out of it in the long run
They are French are they not? Explains a lot ( just listened to them for the first time)
I think they French-Canadian Teej, but yes, explains a lot... 🙂
I think it's technically very clever, the looping in real time they do is an insane way to carry on, miss the beat even fractionally and you're screwed, (I understand they use click-tracks in ear-pieces under all that make up and costume, although I'm not entirely certain)
They’re not alone in this. The first time I saw anyone using a loop pedal was KT Tunstall, when she was supporting Joss Stone at The Fleece in Bristol. I couldn’t work out how she was doing the looping, although she was right in front of me and I could see she was using a pedal/stomp box of some sort. Then she popped up on Later… as a last minute replacement for another artist, and everyone went nuts! That was in 1996!
I’ve seen other artists use this technique, and the amount of focus needed to keep everything together is way beyond anything I could possibly imagine!At least one major artist has been accused of ‘miming’ to a backing track because he was using a loop pedal, in much the same way they were accused of miming for using wireless systems on instruments and vocals - Kate Bush invented her own wireless microphone before anyone else used such a thing
The use of click-tracks through their in-ear monitors is very common amongst live musicians, the IEM’s aren’t ‘hidden’, the great majority of musicians playing live use them, they’re more effective than floor monitors for fine details of what they’re hearing, just look at their ears!
When they announce a world tour, I hope they clarify which world.
French Canadian I believe
I'm reminded of the Radiohead track Videotape, which uses very difficult to follow syncopation - buit still, nothing like the complexity here
The first time I saw anyone using a loop pedal was KT Tunstall, when she was supporting Joss Stone at The Fleece in Bristol. I couldn’t work out how she was doing the looping, although she was right in front of me and I could see she was using a pedal/stomp box of some sort. Then she popped up on Later…
Yeah, I watched that the other day as it happens. She certainly nudged the door for using loop pedals. Very clever.
It not just the looping, Ed Sheeran has made a lot of money through doing that. The really clever bit of angine is the way he manipulates the controls pf his various pedals with his toes at the same time.plus their music is so complicated that the jeopardy of doing that on a live broadcast is insane, click track and in ears notwithstanding.
the guys behind it have a fairly long history of playing similar weird music / performance art in Quebec. They’ve just struck tiktok gold with the costumes.
it is amazingly technically accomplished but as others say, like some aspects of jazz, it’s not my cup of tea.
I was drawn in by the original KEXP performance by the sheer novelty but their music has quickly become a favourite. I'm generally not that into musical virtuosity for its own sake but they play with such a sense of fun I just find it irresistible.
Both my kids find the videos fascinating but my 5yo asks me to put them on in the car so they're doing something right IMO.
Yeah, I watched that the other day as it happens. She certainly nudged the door for using loop pedals. Very clever.
Absolutely! It all looks dead easy, until you actually watch someone who’s standing right in front of you playing and using one, and my brain starts to itch trying to grasp how they’re playing the guitar, sing, and get the loops in exactly the right place, while layering even more stuff on top!
Practice, lots and lots and lots of practice!
That first time I saw KT use one, it was a classic WTF! moment!
Music that you can follow like this, despite the fact it is doing so much that you aren’t expecting, has to be something special. The performance and look is just a welcome cherry on the cake.
Really don't get why the mad outfits? Musically they are brilliant and interesting, using scales and time signatures other musicians would fail at.
Do they need the outfits? Nope, just puts me off.
^ 😂 ^
Really don't get why the mad outfits? Musically they are brilliant and interesting, using scales and time signatures other musicians would fail at.
Do they need the outfits? Nope, just puts me off.
Think the outfits add to the mystique surrounding them.
I saw a video of them live, and liked the fact that they took their time to tune up in front of a live crowd before they started to play, and the audience were respectful.
Not my own personal musical taste no matter how much Youtube tries to ram them down my throat every time I go down my musical rabbithole on YT with a set of headphones on for an hour. I can see they're good but good in a street performer type of way who I might stand and watch for 20 seconds.
I thought they were funny when I saw the first KEXP video, then I thought I'd listen to the albums to see if it was actually listenable without the humorous visuals, and you know what, I really enjoyed them both. Listened to them all the way to work and back that day, 3 hours ish, and considering the microtone, no lyrics and weird timings, they're suprisingly catchy tunes.
They get a thumbs up from me. We're a couple of weeks behind on Jules, but I'm looking forward to forcing my wife to watch them, can't wait to see her reaction.
Really don't get why the mad outfits? Musically they are brilliant and interesting, using scales and time signatures other musicians would fail at.
Do they need the outfits? Nope, just puts me off.
The story I heard was that they were needed to play the same club twice in a week so they wore disguises for the second show and a few random tunes and they went down better than they expected. No idea if it's true, but I like the idea of it.
As someone who until recently played a lot of live gigs (on guitar) and was very well aware of the difference between what could be done in rehearsal vs what could be done on stage when the nerves / adrenalin kick in, i find them utterly mesmerising. The ability to keep those loops and tones going using his feet whilst playing those notes clean is nuts. Add in the reduced visibility and constraints of the outfits and good lord...
I can imagine they do nothing but practice when not performing.
I must admit my first kneejerk reaction to them was "WTF is this pretentious nonsense?" Then you pay a bit more attention or they hit one of those grooves that just works so well and I was won over.
If nothing else, you have to love to see genuine musical chops (and no doubt years of training and practice that went into them) being rewarded with commercial success in an era of endless lazy AI slop.
I bumped into a chap from Quebec a few months back and got talking music, he was quite adorably proud of them being from there.
I can see they're good but good in a street performer type of way who I might stand and watch for 20 seconds.
Except street performers don’t refret their guitars to get microtones and play such complicated music. And let’s face it, they aren’t the first rock band to wear masks, makeup, etc., or have you all forgotten KISS, Slipknot, etc… 🤔
I think their appearance is part of the appeal, they've taken it to the nth degree. HTF the drummer knows what he's hitting is amazing.
Except street performers don’t refret their guitars to get microtones and play such complicated music.
No idea what that means and music doesn't need to be complicated. Are we meant to appreciate it just because they do something funky with their guitars and make it complicated? A one-man-band playing on a street is playing complicated music.
Complicated doesn't mean good, but it's also perfectly possible to see a musical performance that may not be your 'thing' and still appreciate the sheer hard work and talent that's gone into it.
I'm a (mediocre) bassist and know enough to see the Victor Wooton is incredibly impressive but would I ever sit down and choose to listen to an album of his stuff, very unlikely.
On a side note my 11 year old daughter has just discovered AdP and thinks they're the best thing ever.. which is hilarious.
Disclosure, i like them. Go past the outfits and like Prawny, in the car or as background it really hits a spot for me.
But that doesn’t mean this didn't make me laugh, especially at the end, when their name "Effacement de Latrine" is revealed.
No idea what that means and music doesn't need to be complicated. Are we meant to appreciate it just because they do something funky with their guitars and make it complicated? A one-man-band playing on a street is playing complicated music.
You’re absolutely correct, I have a huge number of albums by singer-songwriters, and acoustic bands, or bands like Big Thief, but I was introduced to King Crimson in 1969, and I’ve been a huge fan of Prog ever since, I got to see KC in 2019, and Beat last month - they’re playing the KC albums from the 1980’s, with Adrian Belew and Tony Levin from that incarnation of KC, along with Steve Vai and Danny Carey, TOOL’s drummer, so I appreciate very complex music, ‘Math Rock’, as it’s sometimes called, but a single guitarist is perfectly capable of playing highly complex music either acoustic or electric; when Steve Vai was approached to join BEAT, he met with Robert Fripp, and Fripp conceded that Vai could simplify some guitar parts, because he couldn’t match what Fripp can play! Extraordinary to watch during solo parts, I can’t conceive how they manage to play such complex passages with only two hands!
Here’s Vai and Belew playing ‘Frame by Frame’, from Discipline - I have no idea how Vai manages to play like that, but that’s what Fripp plays, and Vai had to simplify it!
I've watched this a few times and really quite like it - it's certainly entertaining.
As an experiment I've shown it separately to both of my kids. My eldest (who has what most people would quite a good and diverse taste in popular music) didn't like it. My youngest, who is more musically talented (can sight read, perfect pitch, grade 3 flute and plays cello, chooses R3 over R1 in the car etc) really liked it.
Was introduce to AdP by a friend a couple of weeks ago. I like - quirky, original and I found them very listenable to. They have come out of nowhere and exploded on the scene in a way that would not have been possible pre-TikTok etc, they just wouldn't have had the kind of exposure they have.
My mate has had his eye on them before they became properly known and was most annoyed when they announced a small UK tour which sold out pretty much instantly as a result of their new found fame...
