[Ormion]

What's so great about them? They're not bad of course but I can't understand why so many ppl are crazy about them.
They have some wonderful tunes but they overdo with the percussion in some of their tracks and some vocal samples are a bit annoying IMO (Check out Divine Moments Of Truth).
So why do you love them? (if you love them)

[Ov3rdos3]

Ormion, on Feb 17 2005, 04:33 PM, said:

What's so great about them? They're not bad of course but I can't understand why so many ppl are crazy about them.
They have some wonderful tunes but they overdo with the percussion in some of their tracks and some vocal samples are a bit annoying IMO (Check out Divine Moments Of Truth).
So why do you love them? (if you love them)

i have to disagree with you here. sphongle is nothing short of absolute genius. their melodies, production, creativity is second to none. i would say they are the best down-tempo/ambient psychedelic act around. this is simon posford and raja ram your talking about man!! nothing short of a work of art. a completely emmersive psychdedelic experience. in my opinion 10/10. wonderful. the best even.

[Hels]

There is always a bunch of crazy things going on beneath the surface...just listen carefully and you'll be exposed to what is really Sphongle...my first experience with Shpongle, I liked them a lot but only for the obvious musical aspects but then I began searching beneath that and found myself swimming in an ocean of psychedelia!
Haha

[Spindrift]

I find nothing is great about shpongle <-- Flame me now!!

Overproduced and boring.
Some call it perfection, but for me it just sounds dull and pretentious.
The melodies is annoying. Not deep but poppy, but still not really catchy.
Just doesn't do it at all for me.

I almost prefer the many clones like Shulman and Bluetec, but can't really stand those either.

But to be a bit positive I have found some ambient that don't sound like shpongle clones, which I find very enjoyable and alive sounding.
Shlab006, Boards of Canada and Stress Assasin for example.

[Towelie]

i used to like them very much but neither of their albums can take time very well.. they just sound too old and listened too much now.. unlike FSOL in example which sounds still refreshing from early 90's.. also the samples iv spotted has affected this.. just my thought

[Spindrift]

Yeah FSOL is really ambient masters, I love their stuff.

[Gnome]

FSOL are not ambient masters.They are just masters. In ambient,downtempo,trance etc etc etc etc

Anyway i respect Simon but i think Raja Ram is a big asshole.And...i dislike him.
I also have a lot of better music in this style in my playlist.
So no Shpongle for me.

[psytones]

Because Shpongle is fantastic with some nice mushrooms


Works best with Mexicana
(Mexicana Cubensis/psilosybe mexicana ... what is the right term? I'm confused)


btw. Feels like it's a hype not liking Simon Postford, as well as it's a hype to like him

[Spindrift]

Ok, I agree that FSOL are not only ambient masters.
They did their fair share to contribute to dance music as well.
I defy anyone to think of a more influential track than "Stakker - Stakker Humanoid" for acid music.
That was one of the first tracks to be called acid, and consequently had quite a bit on the trance music to appear many years later.

And "Mental Cube - Q" was one of the biggest sunrise hits in the early goa trance scene.

[ritual om]

when u listen to their first album u instantly get the idea if slickness,delicacy and perfection.that's all.their first album has such a detail that it matches perfection like no other in any genre(and classical).

[seraph]

Yeah, it seems that is trendy to dislike them no matter cause the topics about them had over 2000 views. I respect the taste but when first Shpongle came out, everyone were adoring it ! Now, after hundreds of new ambient artists and albums they seem lame ? NAAAAH....They made 2 great albums and third is on its way, so I don't give a f*ck if anyone dislike them, there is no point posting hateful thread isn't it ?

[traveller]

Spindrift you'll never be able to create anything that comes even remotely close to Shpongle in quality, innovativity, composition or well anything really.

[Spindrift]

LOL
You crack me up traveller

We are talking about taste, but you seem to think everyone have to love what you happen to like.
And if they don't you come with some lowly personal attack.
Face it taste is taste.
FSOL and the other ambient I mentioned is a lot better, in my taste.
And if we where discussing FSOL, I would swiftly agree that I could never come close to thier skills because I do envy them.

But Shpongle...
Well, I don't want to create something like shpongle, because I find it to be dull.
It's not the type of quality, composition or innovativity I like, so I'm only pleased if I will never make something that will match in your subjective judgement.

And I don't find ambient easy to compare to dancefloor music.
And I haven't made much ambient at all, only one released track.
Maybe you heard that and think it does not compare.
I'm glad if you don't, because your taste sucks IMO.

[psytones]

traveller, on Feb 17 2005, 06:41 PM, said:

Spindrift you'll never be able to create anything that comes even remotely close to Shpongle in quality, innovativity, composition or well anything really.

That was a strange remark Traveller .. No smiley's .. no feelings. Just a stupid comment.

[traveller]

The man's just trying to boost his ego, for real. I know many people don't like Shpongle and I can accept that no problem but saying something like there's nothing to it is like saying there's nothing to classical music. Which is just very, very silly. And yeah I could create everything The Beatles ever did, but I just find it dull so I'm not doing it, never mind I would become a multi millionair pretty much over night..

[Spindrift]

Get off it.

I did not say "there is nothing to it".

Anyone that don't like the music you like is trying to boost their ego??
Really, you have lost it totally.
Look your own ego.
What you are trying to say is that you taste is right.
Thats the stupidest thing anyone can try to claim.

I said, that I don't like the production, I don't like the melodies.
I can list a bunch of artists I think is amazing, classical, ambient or in pretty much any gernre.
What would my ego gain in particular from not happening to like shpongle.

Ok...I admit...I really really love shpongle.
I'm actually just as patchetically idol fanatic as you that if I just let go of my ego I would toally worship him and just like you not being able to talk about anything else.
I admit!!!

Really traveller, you are pathetic.
Like a little fanatic groupie or someting.
Grow up.

[sherlockalien]

well, I dont think shpongle is so great either.. I mean, first cd was indeed pretty good, second cd I didnt like at all (not to say completely dislike most tracks)...
I heard simon p recently on a party.. he played a few new shpongle stuff... It was quite nice, seems more like the first cd, but I would not go as far as saying: ITS FUCKING AMAZING, GENIOUS, KILLA

I think it is indeed a bit over-hyped, but its not boring and whatever as spindrift said

btw, spindrift, I think shulman and bluetech have nothing AT ALL to do with shpongle (and I am more fond of them than shpongle)...

So overal: Its good, and it creates this nice feeling (as someone in this forum once said: ´shroomy/earthy´ vibe.. which is a very good description of it), but they make mistakes sometimes (second cd has many mistakes), so its good but not exceptional



talking about FSOL, I heard a lot about them but never anything from them.. can anybody give me recomendations on the best cds? (I dont like beatless ambient)

[traveller]

papua new guinea is quite decent tune..

nothing phenomenal.. good nevertheless..