Surrounded by Silence

Surrounded by Silence

Surrounded by Silence

ASIN: B0007QRAPU

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Surrounded By Silence should have been re-titled Bedroom Producer Gone Wild. What's not to adore about laptop sound alchemist Prefuse 73 (Scott Herren), who, like RJD2 and Diplo, crafts rare soundscapes that Bjork fans, backpack rap dukes and Pluto natives adore. But what happens when such sonic experiments go slightly awry? Unlike Vocal Studies, where there appeared to be some cohesive links between tracks, Prefuse goes a bit collabo crazy here, with over a dozen multi-genre guest vocalists and emcee's, with mixed results. When the unlikely duo of Ghostface and El P jump on "Hideyaface", they sound unfocused over Herrens audio clutter, as does the Masta Killa and GZA fuelled "Just The Thought". Was Surrounded Herren's license to indulge his inner RZA or Def Jux (Aesop Rock and Beans also guest)? Perhaps. But when Herren sticks to what he does best, that is, building brilliant found sound collages, and digitizing any thing he can get his hands on, the results are gorgeous; "Expressing Views Is Obviously Illegal" carries that distinctly Prefuse-esque boom bip, as does "Pagina Dos" with it's seductive banjo playing parts. When he teams his beats up with New York electro indie rock scenesters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza from On!Air!Library! on "Pastel Assasins" or Blonde Redhead's Kazu in "We Go Our Own Way", the tracks breathe much better. An uneven yet stimulating listen.-- Dalton Higgins

Surrounded by Silence,Prefuse 73,Warp Records,Dance Music,Electronic,Experimental Techno,Glitch,IDM,Pop,Underground Rap
Surrounded by Silence
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Absolutely brilliant
  • Not remotely on par with his last 2 albums.
  • miraculous anus butter but beware the barber
  • BE FOREWARNED
  • Igloo Magazine's REVIEW
Surrounded by Silence
Prefuse 73
Manufacturer: Warp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
IDMIDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Experimental RapExperimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop RapPop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Experimental MusicExperimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. One Word Extinguisher
  2. Extinguished: Outtakes
  3. Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives
  4. Security Screenings
  5. Reads the Books E.P.

ASIN: B0007QRAPU
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Tracks:

  1. I've Said All I Need to Say About Them (intro)
  2. Hideyaface featuring Ghostface and EL-P
  3. Bad Memory (interlude one)
  4. Ty Versus Detchibe featuring Tyondai Braxton
  5. Expressing Views is Obviously Illegal
  6. Pastel Assassins featuring Claudia + Alejandra Deheza
  7. Pagina Dos featuring The Books
  8. Silencio Interlude
  9. Now You're Leaving featuring Camu
  10. Gratis (Pedro versus Prefuse)
  11. We Go Our Own Way featuring Kazu (Blonde Redhead)
  12. Mantra Two featuring Tyondai Braxton
  13. Sabbatical With Options featuring Aesop Rock
  14. It's Crowded featuring Claudia Deheza
  15. Just the Thought featuring Masta Killa + GZA
  16. La Correccion Exchange featuring D.J. Nobody
  17. Hideyaface Reprise (Reminder Version)
  18. Morale Crusher featuring Beans
  19. Minutes Away Without You
  20. Rain (Edit Interlude)
  21. And I'm Gone featuring Prefuse (versus Piano Overlord versus Broadcast versus Cafe Tacuba)

Amazon.com

Surrounded By Silence should have been re-titled Bedroom Producer Gone Wild. What's not to adore about laptop sound alchemist Prefuse 73 (Scott Herren), who, like RJD2 and Diplo, crafts rare soundscapes that Bjork fans, backpack rap dukes and Pluto natives adore. But what happens when such sonic experiments go slightly awry? Unlike Vocal Studies, where there appeared to be some cohesive links between tracks, Prefuse goes a bit collabo crazy here, with over a dozen multi-genre guest vocalists and emcee's, with mixed results. When the unlikely duo of Ghostface and El P jump on "Hideyaface", they sound unfocused over Herrens audio clutter, as does the Masta Killa and GZA fuelled "Just The Thought". Was Surrounded Herren's license to indulge his inner RZA or Def Jux (Aesop Rock and Beans also guest)? Perhaps. But when Herren sticks to what he does best, that is, building brilliant found sound collages, and digitizing any thing he can get his hands on, the results are gorgeous; "Expressing Views Is Obviously Illegal" carries that distinctly Prefuse-esque boom bip, as does "Pagina Dos" with it's seductive banjo playing parts. When he teams his beats up with New York electro indie rock scenesters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza from On!Air!Library! on "Pastel Assasins" or Blonde Redhead's Kazu in "We Go Our Own Way", the tracks breathe much better. An uneven yet stimulating listen.-- Dalton Higgins

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant.......2006-10-17

I've owned this album for a long time and listen to it very, very often. I love it. The various songs on this album have changed the way I listen to music. A must-have.

2 out of 5 stars Not remotely on par with his last 2 albums........2006-01-11

It sounds like he's poorly imitating himself on this one. If you want to hear some excellent slice and dice hip-hop glitch instrumentals go with Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives or One Word Extinguisher.

5 out of 5 stars miraculous anus butter but beware the barber.......2005-12-26

I can barely comment because my ears are bleeding with the glory of this newly picked up CD of the dopest beats I've heard in the past eon. I've been out of new music for quite some time now, sticking to my ol' rack of electro, experimental, underground hip-hop, and barfing noises that i completely, wholly forgot what amazing new music sounds like. It sounds like this.

Mostly instrumentals with bad ass bass, clicks, and pops. Your head bops. Then so does the one sitting atop your neck. Feel your gas. It's so good my mouth waters for you.

This is emotional, digital turntablism at its finest. Conducted was an experiment involving three biphoton interferometry tests in which I was pre-fused with the intentional states of my future self in a galaxy called quartenonia-xr4.3, the last galaxy bordering the external edge of the interdimensional hyperspace manifold. My mouth watered for her gas. Her farts were exceptional, my bleeding eyes extended perpendicular to her vortex. We touched, though there was no part of her continguous with me, and she wasn't even. She wasn't.

I haven't yet returned.

2 out of 5 stars BE FOREWARNED.......2005-12-25

A lot of the people reviewing this album, both on Amazon and elsewhere, don't realize the deceit behind this release. Warp Records and Prefuse 73 try to pass it off as a "new album", but quite a few of the tracks have been previously released. Many of them are remixes Prefuse has done for other artists, simply re-appearing here as "collaborations" with new titles, but are actually completely re-hashed. (He did this at least once on his previous album too). Other tracks here marked as "featuring" someone (such as The Books) are actually just Prefuse raiding the artists' back catalog and sampling it, clearly without any input from the original artist.

To top it off, this album as a whole just isn't that great, and certainly not up to the standard's of Prefuse's previous albums. He tries to cram too many ideas into one song, and it sounds watered down, as if he's on "auto pilot" mode. If you want original, sincere, or challenging music, look elsewhere.

4 out of 5 stars Igloo Magazine's REVIEW.......2005-12-03

Review by: Paul LLoyd at igloomag.com
(04.24.05) With Scott Herren (a.k.a. Prefuse 73) providing the musical backdrop and a whole host of collaborators providing vocal accompaniment, Surrounded By Silence covers a wide range of musical styles from hip-hop, contemporary, R&B, country, funky jazz and orchestral. Amongst the vocalists providing assistance include Ghostface & EL-P, The Books, Kazu from Blonde Redhead, Aesop Rock, Masta Killa, GZA, Claudia & Alejandra Dehaza and more.

What provides the common thread to tie these diverse styles together is Herren's experimental treatment of each musical style represented, cutting it up, reinventing it, adding bassy breaks and samples to completely rewrite musical boundaries. Throwing in hip-hop samples throughout, Surrounded By Silence presents an initially bewildering array of musical styles patched together in a frantic collage of sound. "We Go Our Own Way" featuring Kamu (Blonde Redhead) is particularly memorable for her silky seductive and quite unique vocal delivery along with tense, vaguely ethnic, jazzy breaks. Although representing a completely different genre, "Sabbatical With Options" featuring hip-hop talent Aesop Rock is equally good with Rock's rant about needing to get out of the city set to slick hip-hop beats and an acoustic guitar backing. With "Just the Thought," jabbing breaks and computer game blips sit alongside hip-hop verses from Masta Killa and GZA. On the other end of the scale is "Pastel Assassins" featuring the ethereal vocal talents of Claudia & Alejandra Dehaza providing a dreamy contemporary approach over Herren's low-key jittery backing. Then there is "Pagina Dos" that manages to successfully pull off a fusion of hip-hop, breaks and country banjo. Although very eclectic in influence Surrounded By Silence has a consistent hip-hop theme throughout that provides some cohesion and brings the album together nicely.

A diverse sonic collage based on an experimental hip-hop theme that remains an interesting experiment in the fusion of vastly different musical genres. By no means a novelty album or exploitation of bootleg mix culture but an original exploration in sound manipulation that withstands multiple listens. Surrounded By Silence is out now on Warp.
Surrounded By Silence
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Surrounded By Silence

    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Dance & DJDance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
    RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B0007INYYO
    Release Date: 2005-03-08

    Album Description

    Japanese pressing adds the bonus track ''Traveljournal''. Features guest artists such as GZA, Ghostface, Aesop Rock, Masta Killa, Beans , Broadcast & Cafe Tacuba. Warp. 2005.
    Surrounded by Silence
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Absolutely brilliant
    • Not remotely on par with his last 2 albums.
    • miraculous anus butter but beware the barber
    • BE FOREWARNED
    • Igloo Magazine's REVIEW
    Surrounded by Silence
    Prefuse 73
    Manufacturer: Warp Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    IDMIDM | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
    Experimental RapExperimental Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
    Pop RapPop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
    Experimental MusicExperimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. One Word Extinguisher
    2. Extinguished: Outtakes
    3. Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives
    4. Security Screenings
    5. Reads the Books E.P.

    ASIN: B0007QRAPK
    Release Date: 2005-03-22

    Tracks:

    1. I've Said All I Need to Say About Them Intro - Prefuse 73,
    2. Hide Ya Face - El-P, , , Ghostface Killah, Prefuse 73,
    3. Bad Memory Interlude One - Prefuse 73,
    4. TV Versus Detchibe - Tyondai Braxton, Prefuse 73,
    5. Expressing Views Is Obviously Illegal - Prefuse 73,
    6. Pastel Assassins - Alley Deheza, Claudia Deheza, Prefuse 73,
    7. Pagina Dos - The Books, Prefuse 73,
    8. Silence Interlude - Prefuse 73,
    9. Now You're Leaving - Camutao, Prefuse 73,
    10. Gratis - Pedro, Pedro, Prefuse 73,
    11. We Got Our Own Way - Kazu, Prefuse 73,
    12. Mantra - Tyondai Braxton, Prefuse 73,
    13. Sabbatical With Options - Aesop Rock, Prefuse 73,
    14. It's Crowded - Claudia Deheza, Prefuse 73,
    15. Just the Thought - Masta Killa, Prefuse 73,
    16. Correcion Exchange - DJ Nobody, Prefuse 73,
    17. Hide Ya Face [Reminder Version] - Prefuse 73,
    18. Morale Crusher - Beans, Prefuse 73,
    19. Minutes Away Without You - Prefuse 73,
    20. Rain Edit Interlude - Prefuse 73,
    21. And I'm Gone - Broadcast, Cafacuba, Piano Overlord, Prefuse 73,

    Amazon.com

    Surrounded By Silence should have been re-titled Bedroom Producer Gone Wild. What's not to adore about laptop sound alchemist Prefuse 73 (Scott Herren), who, like RJD2 and Diplo, crafts rare soundscapes that Bjork fans, backpack rap dukes and Pluto natives adore. But what happens when such sonic experiments go slightly awry? Unlike Vocal Studies, where there appeared to be some cohesive links between tracks, Prefuse goes a bit collabo crazy here, with over a dozen multi-genre guest vocalists and emcee's, with mixed results. When the unlikely duo of Ghostface and El P jump on "Hideyaface", they sound unfocused over Herrens audio clutter, as does the Masta Killa and GZA fuelled "Just The Thought". Was Surrounded Herren's license to indulge his inner RZA or Def Jux (Aesop Rock and Beans also guest)? Perhaps. But when Herren sticks to what he does best, that is, building brilliant found sound collages, and digitizing any thing he can get his hands on, the results are gorgeous; "Expressing Views Is Obviously Illegal" carries that distinctly Prefuse-esque boom bip, as does "Pagina Dos" with it's seductive banjo playing parts. When he teams his beats up with New York electro indie rock scenesters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza from On!Air!Library! on "Pastel Assasins" or Blonde Redhead's Kazu in "We Go Our Own Way", the tracks breathe much better. An uneven yet stimulating listen.-- Dalton Higgins

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant.......2006-10-17

    I've owned this album for a long time and listen to it very, very often. I love it. The various songs on this album have changed the way I listen to music. A must-have.

    2 out of 5 stars Not remotely on par with his last 2 albums........2006-01-11

    It sounds like he's poorly imitating himself on this one. If you want to hear some excellent slice and dice hip-hop glitch instrumentals go with Vocal Studies & Uprock Narratives or One Word Extinguisher.

    5 out of 5 stars miraculous anus butter but beware the barber.......2005-12-26

    I can barely comment because my ears are bleeding with the glory of this newly picked up CD of the dopest beats I've heard in the past eon. I've been out of new music for quite some time now, sticking to my ol' rack of electro, experimental, underground hip-hop, and barfing noises that i completely, wholly forgot what amazing new music sounds like. It sounds like this.

    Mostly instrumentals with bad ass bass, clicks, and pops. Your head bops. Then so does the one sitting atop your neck. Feel your gas. It's so good my mouth waters for you.

    This is emotional, digital turntablism at its finest. Conducted was an experiment involving three biphoton interferometry tests in which I was pre-fused with the intentional states of my future self in a galaxy called quartenonia-xr4.3, the last galaxy bordering the external edge of the interdimensional hyperspace manifold. My mouth watered for her gas. Her farts were exceptional, my bleeding eyes extended perpendicular to her vortex. We touched, though there was no part of her continguous with me, and she wasn't even. She wasn't.

    I haven't yet returned.

    2 out of 5 stars BE FOREWARNED.......2005-12-25

    A lot of the people reviewing this album, both on Amazon and elsewhere, don't realize the deceit behind this release. Warp Records and Prefuse 73 try to pass it off as a "new album", but quite a few of the tracks have been previously released. Many of them are remixes Prefuse has done for other artists, simply re-appearing here as "collaborations" with new titles, but are actually completely re-hashed. (He did this at least once on his previous album too). Other tracks here marked as "featuring" someone (such as The Books) are actually just Prefuse raiding the artists' back catalog and sampling it, clearly without any input from the original artist.

    To top it off, this album as a whole just isn't that great, and certainly not up to the standard's of Prefuse's previous albums. He tries to cram too many ideas into one song, and it sounds watered down, as if he's on "auto pilot" mode. If you want original, sincere, or challenging music, look elsewhere.

    4 out of 5 stars Igloo Magazine's REVIEW.......2005-12-03

    Review by: Paul LLoyd at igloomag.com
    (04.24.05) With Scott Herren (a.k.a. Prefuse 73) providing the musical backdrop and a whole host of collaborators providing vocal accompaniment, Surrounded By Silence covers a wide range of musical styles from hip-hop, contemporary, R&B, country, funky jazz and orchestral. Amongst the vocalists providing assistance include Ghostface & EL-P, The Books, Kazu from Blonde Redhead, Aesop Rock, Masta Killa, GZA, Claudia & Alejandra Dehaza and more.

    What provides the common thread to tie these diverse styles together is Herren's experimental treatment of each musical style represented, cutting it up, reinventing it, adding bassy breaks and samples to completely rewrite musical boundaries. Throwing in hip-hop samples throughout, Surrounded By Silence presents an initially bewildering array of musical styles patched together in a frantic collage of sound. "We Go Our Own Way" featuring Kamu (Blonde Redhead) is particularly memorable for her silky seductive and quite unique vocal delivery along with tense, vaguely ethnic, jazzy breaks. Although representing a completely different genre, "Sabbatical With Options" featuring hip-hop talent Aesop Rock is equally good with Rock's rant about needing to get out of the city set to slick hip-hop beats and an acoustic guitar backing. With "Just the Thought," jabbing breaks and computer game blips sit alongside hip-hop verses from Masta Killa and GZA. On the other end of the scale is "Pastel Assassins" featuring the ethereal vocal talents of Claudia & Alejandra Dehaza providing a dreamy contemporary approach over Herren's low-key jittery backing. Then there is "Pagina Dos" that manages to successfully pull off a fusion of hip-hop, breaks and country banjo. Although very eclectic in influence Surrounded By Silence has a consistent hip-hop theme throughout that provides some cohesion and brings the album together nicely.

    A diverse sonic collage based on an experimental hip-hop theme that remains an interesting experiment in the fusion of vastly different musical genres. By no means a novelty album or exploitation of bootleg mix culture but an original exploration in sound manipulation that withstands multiple listens. Surrounded By Silence is out now on Warp.

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