I've had Bill VanLoo's "Live @ Leopold Bros. 10/2001" self issued CD(r)
around for some time and I've been enjoying it for as long. I noticed it on
Lance's impossibly long 'stuff I've been spinning' list a short while back,
so I dug it up and put it closer to the top of my own rotation pile. I ran
into Bill at the Hefty gig in Detroit last night; I reminded myself that I
meant to post something about this CD to the list a long time ago and had
never gotten around to it. I'm getting around to it.
This CD plays for me like some of my personal 'favorite' kinds of IDM
shows...a good sound palette which draws on the usual sonic suspects in
terms of the kinds of sound (blips, snaps, tones) which compose the genre -
but Bill goes for a softer texture on this, giving the overall feel one
which is closer to the spectrum of IDM which features a good deal of
ambient overlap. It starts off with his City Centre 7", "Tones for Sarah"-
a melodic, light affair. He then moves into slower, plodding and heavier (
& relatively darker) territory with the 2nd track, developing a bit more of
a mechanical feel - but moves from there onwards into different places.
This CD retains a sense of softness and melody which prevails through its
length. It reminds me a little of the very nice live L'usine show I heard a
while back, except Bill's stuff is warmer, less sterile, softer and, well,
more ambient in overall flavor. None of it is drone and it is rarely
without beats, but it just has that feel of atmosphere and development
which brings to (my) mind the hybridization of IDM and Ambient of which I'm
quite fond. Lest I give the impression that the disc is somehow lightweight
or floaty - it isn't. It develops from the light introductory piece with
sufficient machinery to make it into IDM rotation with ease. Additionally,
it retains the feel of a live show in the way it moves and develops,
managing to capture the feel OF a show with that - something many studio
recordings don't do. I've never been quite able to isolate and articulate
the way live IDM seems to transcend itself as a recorded style, but it
does. And I think this record shows forth some of that. Good show, Bill.
More please.
jeff
ps
I got mine via Bill, but I know Record Time has
'em.
http://www.recordtime.com/
Best bet is to call if it isn't listed.
PJ might have them as well.
If all else fails I suppose Bill himself may have some ideas about
where you can get it and I think he lurks on IDM still.
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