Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Immersion


In short, I like talking about music.

Today I bought Pendulum’s newest release – ‘Immersion’



Admittedly, it’s not hot-off-the-stamper-new, but that’s okay. I suddenly feel the need to tell you all about electronica.

I had this album on my iPod earlier last year, and then last month the thing reformatted itself, so I lost all my music. I couldn’t replace the album in question because I had sourced the files from my brother, who had probably sourced it from someone else, and so on, and so forth.

I don’t know. I think that there’s a small feeling of satisfaction that I gain when acquiring a particular album, even if I’ve already got a copy of it – since usually the copy wasn’t entirely legit. And then brain sits back and thinks,
“Okay. Awesome. I actually own this one now.”

There’s something special in it, and at the same time there’s no anticipation of the purchase. I’ve already filled my ears with the sound, so why should money be required? It’d be the difference between looking up the spoiler cliffhanger for a season you follow and waiting until you get to it. I’ve done that so many times with Bleach that eventually I resolved to keep off the wiki until I caught up.

I hardly visit the wiki anymore because I caught up and can remember most of the character’s names.

What were we talking about? Ah, music. Again.

The anticipation is greater when you have had as little contact as possible with a new album, but there is the satisfaction of knowing that you have at least legally obtained something.

I think that Pendulum has been a relatively different genre of music for me. Usually I listen to rock, if you wanted to know what I typically listen to. In reality though, my taste behaves closer to sand. It gets most places with minimal effort, like a ninja. I listen to rock, pop, metal, alternative, j-pop, jazz, classical, grunge, punk, indie and electronica: almost everything from Owl City to Flyleaf. I just have a wide range of influences, that’s all.

Anyway. I first discovered Pendulum mid-last year, when I drove home from Bible Study. Triple J was on, and suddenly this song came on with the most amazing electronic riff I think I’ve ever heard. Even though it’s only a very short drive from our place to the house Home Group was at, I stayed in the car, lost in the awesomeness, headbanging to this song. I dashed inside and hopped straight on Tank the Laptop, determined to find out exactly what it was. I had a fragment of the chorus to go on, and after visiting Triple J’s high-play-frequency list, youtube, and a quick conversation with my brother, located the song.

From there, Jack located the rest of the album and I listened to it frequently while working at TAFE. It was good music to lose the type of thinking where you use words. Because then when someone needs you to respond to their query regarding the accessory you think is absolutely not necessary, you don’t have words. They’ve all been drummed out by the awesomeness.

Ranting about the music itself wasn’t actually the main cause for me blogging. It just came as a byproduct.
No, what I actually wanted to talk about was the case.



I haven’t seen a CD case like this since the early 2000’s. The spine is ribbed black plastic, and the jewel case overall actually feels brittle. There’s no other way to describe the fact that this case feels more cheaply manufactured than others I’ve bought. That and the print job on the CD itself looks just a little grainy.



I privately wonder if this legally purchased copy was legally manufactured, and then I remember that this is the twilight era for optical disks. I suppose, as much as I hate to think about it, that finishing cases will deteriorate slightly if everyone is just going to purchase downloads or stream off various sharing websites. I can’t name any since I don’t know what’s still out there. I think Limewire died sometime last year.

Did it?

Doesn’t matter to me. There’s just something….something about being able to physically hold what you’ve purchased. That the music has a physical substance to it. That was the argument of a friend of mine a few years back when iTunes was just starting to sell music online; about why he preferred to purchase the CDs rather than files over the internet.

Four years on, I can’t help but agree with him.

2 comments:

  1. I don't even own an iPod. CDs rule. You don't get the booklet or the cover art with an iTunes download and in the case of Angus and Julia Stone that is a collosal loss as their cover art is amazing.

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  2. I bought Down the Way off iTunes...sometimes you get a 'digital booklet' with the purchase; there was one with this - it's a copy of the booklet and cover art.
    But I will agree with you. CDs are almost infinitely better. (My fave band = almost all of their albums on disc except for the demo/cover album)

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