Kangding Ray - OR (Raster Noton; 2011)
I hadn’t really given one of Josh’s favorite releases this year the time of day, so Friday night we sat down and rolled through the whole of Kangding Ray’s OR. Also, just for context, I got a pair of Denon AH-D7000s (!) a couple weeks ago, which is what is being referred to when headphones are mentioned.
7:27 PM josh: aight mo fo, you ready to synch? will: yessir josh: ok in ten seconds
“Anthem”
7:28 PM ahhh yea will: frick yea / like that kick josh: he doesn’t waste any time blowing my mind / he comes in so hard on this 7:29 PM will: holy shit / the synth groove / 7:30 PM i like how the kick is just blowing up every couple measures josh: and all the little clicks and shit going on will: yeah its so crisp and supple / 7:31 PM so much space josh: you’re on yr headphones i take it? will: yeah i am obviously josh: so jealous right now will: yeah dude the subs on everything is so crystal clear with these josh: then he double-times that shit / ghostly in the background will: oh shit, the vocal 7:32 PM josh: i love how much space he retains even with everything he’s throwing in there will: yeah the contrast between the drum work and the lulling vocal and synth
“Mojave”
josh: i think ben frost is on this one will: whats he doing? just colab on the beats or is he playing something? josh: that crazy synth sound i think / 7:34 PM those washes will: yeah love all the plopping clicks / oh yeah / sounds like a warped hand clap / 7:35 PM his kick is so sturdy and physical 7:36 PM josh: i love how those washes keep coming in here and there / 7:37 PM oh man, your headphones must be blowing up right now with everything going on
“Odd Sympathy”
josh: oh this one is so awesome too 7:38 PM will: yeah the floaty arpeggio / i like that ominous drone in the background sort of rising and falling / 7:41 PM this is sort of scary sounding / that whispering vocal in the background / sort like if shackleton was less claustrophobic 7:42 PM josh: yeah / wait til you get to the next track dude / choir action / equally scary / but you must wait a minute or so / yeah man, i can’t even imagine what this sounds like on yr headphones / 7:43 PM mine are 50$ and sound like gold with this shit will: its like being in a airplane hanger with sounds just flying everywhere
“Pruitt Igoe”
josh: ok, get ready for this track. so sick 7:44 PM will: i like minimal artists like this that never lock into one groove, but the whole track just keeps morphing josh: yeah, he’s good for that will: oh fuck josh: yup will: yeah i dont know why i slept on this josh: shame on you seriously 7:45 PM will: maybe cuz the album cover is so bland josh: ha ha, and it’s on raster noton / which is known for being very clinical and robotic will: oh shit that smooth little arpeggio josh: yeah he switches shit up so much / 7:46 PM never stays in one spot but still retains a groove / that ghost choir kills me will: i love the distorted bass josh: yeah me too will: some glitchy little textures 7:47 PM josh: yeah, this has been hovering in the top three for will throughout the year / i like it better than any other dancey album from this year except the ol katy b will: i love this percussive little sound at the forefront / bouncing back and forth josh: ok, ben frost is on this next one will: oh dag it ended
“Or”
7:48 PM josh: oh don’t you worry, this one is just as good will: huge already josh: the descending synth / or distorted bass actually will: i gotta say, white and orange is a pretty awful visible representation of what this album is josh: and then you hear ben in the background with his feedback 7:49 PM will: yeah the ufo synths josh: huge finger snap sounds / and that triangle bouncing all over the place! 7:50 PM will: oh whats this melody making its way in on the left / 7:51 PM i love that slithering bass line josh: i know! / and the growls here and there will: everything’s ascending 7:52 PM josh: yes, yes it is / and then it calms back down again / he’s such a tease throughout the album / he has a lot of restraint 7:53 PM will: drums all alone josh: then some nice lil field recordings to send it off
“Mirrors”
josh: more ben frost here 7:54 PM will: yeah i love the evil background synths josh: this track is super scary and nuts will: this track ambient? / no drums, i mean josh: pretty much / it gets into a rhythm will: oh shit this is huge josh: like with the mini pauses will: fuuuuuuck 7:55 PM josh: makes you feel like you’re tripping balls will: oh so colossal / compressed kick / imagine this on like a dance floor / 7:56 PM well, that was amazing josh: zombies / lurching will: thats literally what i was thinking
“Coracoid Process”
will: lot of glitch stuff here and there with the clicks / i always go back to hecq / 7:58 PM that droning machine synth in the background josh: yep 7:59 PM will: he’s teasing the 4/4 beat 8:00 PM josh: yeah, his structures are so interesting / and again, never stays in one spot / and always builds / 8:01 PM he brings all those little chirps and beeps in at different times to keep you guessing 8:02 PM you can tell he took a long, long time to construct this beast / 8:03 PM it’s so different from his last two albums will: i know, so much attention to detail
“En Amaryllis Jour”
josh: so creepy again / ohhh yeah will: oh damn, that bass / my ears are vibrating josh: i bet! / 8:04 PM i love all the little snaps and pops everywhere juxtaposed with the huge bass, washes and kicks will: i know, and that icy synth that keeps coming in / 8:05 PM the bass is so pervasive, yet theres so much stuff around it
“Leavalia Scheme”
8:07 PM will: wtf are those josh: ha ha, no idea will: like robot chants / way in the background josh: in japanese or something 8:08 PM will: sounds like he put a tribal ceremony through a super digital filter or something josh: i love the melodies of the washes / with the bass complimenting them will: i cant enough of the rising synths / 8:09 PM omg, what is happening right now josh: ha ha!!! will: those distant shouts are so scary and awesome / chopstick percussion 8:10 PM josh: yeah the rhythm just doubled in complexity will: dude this is little like that pinch & shackleton colab but way huger josh: yeah i can see that / there’s def a lot of similarity with shackleton will: shackleton’s a little bit more about samples obviously / with more mid-range / 8:11 PM this has that bass/treb juxtaposition down to a science / just sounds like guitar feedback put through a million years of reverb / holy shit 8:12 PM josh: every time i listen to this i cannot get over how fucking awesome it is / i should’ve been more adamant about you getting on this will: i know / asshole josh: i am truly a piece of shit will: haha / that song was amazing
“Monster”
8:13 PM josh: and now a lil something out of the blue will: theres still the glitch robot overtones josh: who knows, could be emika for all we know will: with these vocal samples and buzzing synths / haha / shes been on everything / without us knowing it
“La Belle”
josh: that’s some kind of fucked up trumpet or something, eh? 8:16 PM will: yeah synthesized trumpet / this is beautiful right here josh: i know it . the album is so icy and warm at the same time, you know? will: yeah exactly 8:17 PM josh: slow build / boom will: yeah perfect percussion loop josh: echo of it / in the right channel will: just one-two hit then silence 8:18 PM josh: build build build will: the production is so precise / getting so huge / 8:19 PM oh fuckk josh: that’s right mo fo / that’d be ben frost there will: haha showed up like an evil metal ghost / all the tendrils of feedback
8:21 PM josh: and there you have it my friend. damn near perfect will: yup front to back, just immaculate
—Will Ryan & Josh LaClair // December 10, 2011
