Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

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immerse
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Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by immerse »

Greetings FSOL'ers,

This is my first post on the board... I've lurked a little bit after a few FSOL web-searches for information/items and, as best I can see, this definitely seems like 'the spot' for FSOL-related discussion.

As touched on in the thread title, I've barely stepped into the FSOL world (i.e. catalogue), with Lifeforms and PNG: Translations being the only FSOL releases I own and listen to. I was given Lifeforms probably 2.5 years ago, by an older musician-friend I've known since childhood, and happened across PNG: Lifeforms in my favourite esoteric bookshop in the second-hand section maybe 6 months later. Despite these being the only two, they've had a profound impact on me and I consider myself a serious fan.

I'll forego the mention of any extensive details but will say I can relate to what Ross has described here. While I enjoy PNG: Translations, it's Lifeforms which is really special to me. It plunges me into another world and sets me off on a journey - one which is hauntingly ecstatic. It's so alive. Alien, yet primal. Electronic and synthetic, yet natural and organic. It's almost sacred to me - I don't just listen to Lifeforms, I experience it. Lifeforms is really a work of art and I'd say that listening to it is the most psychedelic experience I've had (admittedly, I've never had a large-dose, full-blown psychedelic trip).

So... I want to visit these worlds some more. I want to explore the works of this duo whose collaborative works span longer than my life :-/ (just). I hope this doesn't come across as lazy but I was hoping some of you more extensive listeners might offer me some direction so that the next few steps of my FSOL journey are smooth and positive.

I probably don't need to say this, based on my love for Lifeforms, but I really like journey music... Albums that I can become fully immersed in and listen to from start-to-finish. I like exotic, haunting, ecstatic, beautiful sounds, pulsating rhythms and sparse sonic spaces with variation in mood and tempo.. Atmospheric, evocative music which I can really explore.

Which albums would you guys recommend I take on next?
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tryptych
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by tryptych »

For best experience, just go chronologically:

- Lifeforms EP
- Cascade EP
- ISDN
- Dead Cities
- My Kingdom EP
- We Have Explosive EP
- (Amorphous Androgynous stuff, optional. I personally love it and think it's part of the journey. WARNING: can damage mental health.)
- Environments 1-4

And when you're done, there are 7 discs of Archives to shoot you back into the FSOL space.
There's tons of stuff for you to explore. Have a nice trip :P
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Pandemonium »

tryptych got it about right for newcomers :)

I'd add somewhere after Dead Cities:
- The Isness by Amorphous Androgynous
- Environments II

and after all that from the upper post, you can start from the start,
you can find some good chronological guidance here:

http://www.ilovecubus.co.uk/fsolboard/v ... ?f=2&t=156

or my more recent review-efforts here: (I got to 1994 finally, soon there will be Lifeforms review :) )

http://www.ilovecubus.co.uk/fsolboard/v ... ?f=2&t=162
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Ross
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Ross »

If you want stuff more like Lifeforms then your next stops should be the Lifeforms EP and Environments 1, which were both recorded around the same time. They're more compact, but occupy similar stylistic places.

If you're after something on the same vast/epic scale, Environments 2 and 4 are great, but with a more acoustic sound overall. Dead Cities is also fantastic, but very different in sound - from extreme melancholia to rhythmic chaos. Highly recommended if you want a contrast to Lifeforms. ISDN is the halfway point between Lifeforms and Dead Cities, but can be hard to get into.
I would avoid the new Amorphous stuff if Translations left you a little cold. The Archives and the other EPs are worthwhile once you've digested the albums, so I wouldn't worry too much about them yet.
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Dennis »

And not to forget the 'Tales of Ephedrina'-release from their Amorphous Androgynous Alias that I also would count in, it's also from that era and similar stylisticly, but a little more beat-driven at the beginning.

Oh, and welcome on board :)
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by immerse »

Thanks for the responses everyone (and the welcome, Dennis :)). I guess the general consensus is work in chronological order, perhaps with some emphasis on Environments 2 and Dead Cities. Looking at the FSOLDigital website, I can see a few of the mentioned releases available but not all of them. For instance, Lifeforms EP isn't there (but it's on Amazon). I'd prefer to buy directly from the guys (or via their website at least) if I can.

Where would you guys recommend I make the purchase/s?

And Pandemonium... wow. That's a serious collection! Love the winter hat too 8-) I was after some merchandise (a Lifeforms poster, in particular) recently. The silk screen PNG print looked pretty nice but I ended up buying an unofficial PNG t-shirt of some eBayer because that was the most useful/economical item I could get.
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by tryptych »

It's actually kinda stupid that the Lifeforms EP (also known as Paths) isn't available @ FSOLDigital.. so people end up pirating it. IMO it's some of the best stuff FSOL had ever produced. I hope this sees some kind of re-relase at some point. Some kind of enchanced version maybe? :D
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by immerse »

Yeah I'm surprised they don't have their full archive there; I imagine they receive a fuller portion of the purchase price via their store than other outlets (or if it gets pirated). Is it a licensing thing? Why would they not have things available there?
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Ross »

Virgin still own the rights to their mid 90s material, so the only stuff they can sell is what they can buy physical copies of. It can be difficult to get ahold of old singles.
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Pandemonium »

Most of the material that is important and you can't buy on FSOLDigitl.com - you can purchase on Discogs.com for very little money - Amazon and eBay are always there too, but Discogs is more organized for these stuff.

At this point, you can just buy anything from FSOLDigital.com to support the guys and just download (legal or illegal) everything else. If you want to collect things (as most of us do here) - read the firt sentence again :)

PS - the winter hat is handmade, it's not merch :)
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immerse
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by immerse »

Ross wrote:Virgin still own the rights to their mid 90s material, so the only stuff they can sell is what they can buy physical copies of. It can be difficult to get ahold of old singles.
Hmm. I see. Bugger...
Pandemonium wrote:Most of the material that is important and you can't buy on FSOLDigitl.com - you can purchase on Discogs.com for very little money - Amazon and eBay are always there too, but Discogs is more organized for these stuff.

At this point, you can just buy anything from FSOLDigital.com to support the guys and just download (legal or illegal) everything else. If you want to collect things (as most of us do here) - read the firt sentence again :)

PS - the winter hat is handmade, it's not merch :)
I'm going a bit 'off' buying physical copies because I don't like paying postage and the CD's take up space but yeah there's some cheap copies up for sale on discogs. From a brief glance, discogs doesn't seem to have much by way of digital releases. I'm trying to resist collecting for the sake of it. I've done that with other artists in the past and generally results in me having things I don't want or need (I almost bought a Lifeforms VHS the other day - just because...!). I'll take what you've said into account though.

Regarding support for the guys - do they not receive anything from sales from outside of FSOLDigital?

P.S. That's very cool - handmade FSOL winter hat. :ugeek:
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Pandemonium »

immerse wrote:Regarding support for the guys - do they not receive anything from sales from outside of FSOLDigital?
I don't know, Ross probably knows more about this,
I'd give an educated guess that 70-75% of their income is FSOLDigital.com right now...

Otherwise:
- They receive some ultra-small percentage from the Virgin releases (because who buys brand new copies of Lifeforms or Dead Cities when they can buy them a lot cheaper on Discogs or other physcal second-hand stores).
- They have solid % and good deal with Jumpin' & Pumpin' I guess...
- They receive a fair amount of royalties for music usage on radio/TV all over the world (read: where there is copyright law, so lets say 1/3 of the world) - we've seen/heard their music on Discovery, TV commercials, and all other kind of stuff...
Also, they participate on a few web-sites that sell music for TV usage (exrememusic.com / killertracks.com)
- Also, something from the Platipus/Mojo for the MPB series and remixes...
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by seedy »

first of all YES this is THE place for the diehard fsol fans!
there really is no OTHER place :)


anyhoo...hard for me to say anything but "you just need to get all of it"
i suppose the very first album is the farthest from the typical fsol template so perhaps that would be the last you bother with?


IDK.....to me nothing says FSOL better than these two pure contrasting albums: lifeforms and dead cities.
they are both so unique and paint the most vivid pictures.
lifeforms as you know just so lush and organic sounding.
dead cities is just the opposite - it's rough, hard, cold, dark, it's exactly what the title says.....a dead post apocalyptic concrete jungle.

just two complete masterpieces







welcome to the board - invite fsol friends! ;)
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Ross
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by Ross »

Bearing in mind all royalties first go to paying back advances given to the artist, and albums like Dead Cities didn't chart all that highly, there's always every chance they get no royalties from some sales.
If it's a case of supporting the band financially, buying downloads from FSOLDigital is the best way, as it all goes to them and only the tiniest fraction will be needed to cover the bandwidth that uses up.
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Re: Steppings Stones (Recommended Listening for an Initiate)

Post by RazorJack »

immerse wrote:Which albums would you guys recommend I take on next?
Dead Cities!

FSOL's magnum opus. The rest can come later :mrgreen:

Seriously though, I would suggest something like this: studio albums + EP's in chronological order > Environments > Archives.

These guys released so much stuff, just collect as much as you can but keep listening to what you like the most at first, and then check out the rest.
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