Gloss Drop

Last updated

Gloss Drop
BattlesGlossDrop.jpg
Studio album by
Released6 June 2011 (2011-06-06)
Recorded2010–11,
Machines with Magnets,
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Genre
Length53:50
Label Warp
Battles chronology
Tonto+
(2007)
Gloss Drop
(2011)
Dross Glop
(2012)
Singles from Gloss Drop
  1. "Ice Cream"
    Released: 23 May 2011
  2. "My Machines"
    Released: 15 August 2011

Gloss Drop is the second studio album by American experimental rock band Battles, released on Warp Records in June 2011. [1]

Contents

Most of the album is instrumental, but vocals are provided by various guests performers, including electronic musician Gary Numan [2] and Blonde Redhead's Kazu Makino. [3]

"Ice Cream" was the first single to be released from the album on 23 May 2011, in both digital and 12" vinyl formats. [4] The vinyl was limited to 3000 copies, and was released in three different "flavors," with "strawberry" (pink), "vanilla" (cream), and "chocolate" (brown) colored records. [5] Barcelona-based directorial collective CANADA produced a video for the single. [6] It includes the B-side "Black Sundome" and an instrumental version of "Ice Cream". The second single released was for "My Machines", featuring Gary Numan, which came in digital and vinyl formats with an instrumental version of the song and an album outtake, "A.M. Gestalt".

From February to April 2012, a series of four 12" vinyl EPs were issued, titled Dross Glop (a spoonerism of the title) 1 through 4, featuring remixes of all the songs on Gloss Drop by various artists. A compilation featuring the 11 remixes (plus one not included, "Sundome") was released on 16 April 2012.

Artwork

The album cover is a photo of a sculpture constructed out of Great Stuff, a commercial foam insulator, by guitarist Dave Konopka. [7] Dave: "The artwork is a sculpture that I did, I'm even reluctant to say sculpture... it's a sculpture that I made during the making of the album and essentially it's a big pink blob, of nothing. I wanted to represent a solid document that would be the album, that is a controlled atmosphere and have something that is completely organic that you can't even control the way things are going to happen, and at the end of the day it was more evident that we couldn't control anything other than the way things were going to happen when it came to making this album. So the actual artwork was just this blob... I made this controlled square one that didn't look as good but the organic blob that just fell into place and then congealed and solidified, was the total proper way for us to go for the album." [8]

Writing process

The writing for Gloss Drop was completed from 2010 to 2011. Midway through the process, Tyondai Braxton left the band to pursue his solo career. The band then carried on as a trio and re-wrote the entire album within four months. Drummer John Stanier told BBC Radio: "We were working on this record but nobody was happy with it. Even he [Braxton] wasn't happy with it, it just sounded terrible, it was really bad. Once he left, after the initial shock of 'what are we going to do', all of a sudden it’s like wait, no, now this song sounds awesome because there aren’t these ridiculous, terrible vocals on it now, to be honest." [9]

Dave Konopka on the album's songs

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.4/10 [11]
Metacritic 79/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The A.V. Club B [14]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
Entertainment Weekly B+ [16]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
MSN Music (Expert Witness)A− [19]
NME 8/10 [20]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [21]
Spin 9/10 [22]

Gloss Drop received generally positive reviews from most music critics upon its release. At AnyDecentMusic?, which collates reviews of contemporary music albums, the album received an average score of 7.4 (based on 23 reviews) rated highest by Spin and Clash magazines. [11] Metacritic, another aggregation website, gave it a score of 79 out of 100, indicating 'generally favourable reviews', based on 37 professional reviews. [12]

According to AllMusic, the tracks with guest singers "are Gloss Drops immediate standouts", due to the trio's way of picking singers "that reflect a particular aspect of their sound that they've chosen to express". "Gloss Drop may be more accomplished than the band's debut; even if it's not quite as much of a powerhouse as Mirrored was, it shows that the trio version of Battles is lean, creative, and surprisingly adaptable", reviewer Heather Phares concludes. [13]

Mark Shukla of The Skinny , remarking on how adroitly the band overcame the departure of their former vocalist Tyondai Braxton, argued that "...above and beyond its considerable technical accomplishment, it's Gloss Drop's sense of playful optimism that augurs most auspiciously for this band's future." [23] BBC Music, on the other hand, considers the loss of Braxton too heavy a blow for the band, citing "Ice Cream" as the one that "really shines". [24] Spin called it "a triumphant moment, an experimental outburst both ingenious and accessible". [22] Clash said it was 'sublime', 'startling', 'visually emotive' and 'vividly audacious'. [25]

Amongst the more critical reviews, Dorain Lynsky from The Guardian stated that "there are dry, impenetrable patches, making Gloss Drop an album that ultimately impresses more than it charms." [17] In a similar sentiment, Sam Walby from Drowned in Sound wrote that "There is no question that this is a technically adept, well realised and urgent recording, but what seems to be a lacking is the je ne sais quoi that made Mirrored such a colossal debut album." [26] At BBC Music, Mike Diver opined that "Everything on Gloss Drop is excellently performed – the players are seasoned professionals, and with Battles a going concern since 2002 there was never going to be any sloppiness on show. However, whether this set represents a significant step onwards from Mirrored is questionable. When tracks remain instrumental, attentions can wander, and arguably there’s nothing here with the immediacy of the vocal-free Tras single of 2004. White Electric should raise many a pulse, and opener Africastle does everything the fair-weather Battles fan wants from them: it’s technically assured, tremendously structured, and you can dance to it. But the basic formulas remain much as they were almost a whole decade ago." [27]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Africastle"5:45
2."Ice Cream" (featuring Matias Aguayo)4:37
3."Futura"6:17
4."Inchworm"4:52
5."Wall Street"5:25
6."My Machines" (featuring Gary Numan)3:55
7."Dominican Fade"1:48
8."Sweetie & Shag" (featuring Kazu Makino)3:50
9."Toddler"1:11
10."Rolls Bayce"2:06
11."White Electric"6:14
12."Sundome" (featuring Yamantaka Eye)7:47
13."Afrislow" (MWM edit) (iTunes exclusive bonus track)5:15

Personnel

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Numan</span> English musician (born 1958)

Gary Anthony James Webb, known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two studio albums with the band, he released his debut solo studio album The Pleasure Principle in 1979, topping the UK Albums Chart. His commercial popularity peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits including "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". Numan maintains a cult following. He has sold over 10 million records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cars (song)</span> 1979 single by Gary Numan

"Cars" is the first solo single by English musician Gary Numan. It was released on 24 August 1979 and is from his debut studio album The Pleasure Principle. The song reached the top of the charts in several countries, and is Numan's most successful single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Are "Friends" Electric?</span> 1979 single by Tubeway Army

"Are 'Friends' Electric?" is a 1979 song by the English band Tubeway Army. Taken from their album Replicas, it was released as a single in May 1979 and reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, staying there for four weeks. It was written and produced by Gary Numan, the band's frontman and lead vocalist. It was also the band's last single before breaking up.

<i>Disraeli Gears</i> 1967 studio album by Cream

Disraeli Gears is the second studio album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in November 1967 and reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart., and No. 1 on the Swedish and Finnish charts. The album was also No. 1 for two weeks on the Australian album chart and was listed as the No. 1 album of 1968 by Cash Box in the year-end album chart in the United States. The album features the singles "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine of Your Love", as well as their respective B-sides "Tales of Brave Ulysses" and "SWLABR".

<i>Replicas</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Tubeway Army

Replicas is the second and final studio album by the English new wave band Tubeway Army, released on 4 April 1979 by Beggars Banquet Records. It followed their self-titled debut from the previous year. After this, Tubeway Army frontman Gary Numan would continue to release records under his own name, though the musicians in Tubeway Army would continue to work with him for some time. Replicas was the first album of what Numan later termed the "machine" phase of his career, preceding The Pleasure Principle (1979) and Telekon (1980), a collection linked by common themes of a dystopian science fiction future and transmutation of man/machine, coupled with an androgynous image and a synthetic rock sound.

<i>Obsolete</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Fear Factory

Obsolete is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Fear Factory, released on July 28, 1998, through Roadrunner Records. It was produced by Fear Factory, Greg Reely and Rhys Fulber, the latter of whom wrote, arranged and performed all of the album's keyboard parts, and was the band's first full album to feature bassist Christian Olde Wolbers, who performed on around half of the tracks of the band's previous album Demanufacture (1995).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battles (band)</span> American rock band

Battles is an American experimental rock group, founded in 2002 in New York City by Ian Williams. The current line-up is a duo, composed of guitarist/keyboardist Williams and drummer John Stanier. Former members include composer/vocalist Tyondai Braxton and guitarist/bassist Dave Konopka. The band has released four studio albums to date, with the most recent Juice B Crypts being released in 2019.

<i>I, Assassin</i> 1982 studio album by Gary Numan

I, Assassin is the fourth solo studio album by the English new wave musician Gary Numan, released on 10 September 1982 by Beggars Banquet. It peaked at No. 8 on the UK Album Chart. Three singles were released from the album: "Music for Chameleons", "We Take Mystery " and "White Boys and Heroes", all of which reached the UK Top 20.

<i>Warriors</i> (Gary Numan album) 1983 studio album by Gary Numan

Warriors is the fifth solo studio album by the English new wave musician Gary Numan, released on 16 September 1983 by Beggars Banquet Records, it would be his last studio release on that label.

<i>Machine and Soul</i> 1992 studio album by Gary Numan

Machine + Soul is the eleventh solo studio album by the English musician Gary Numan, released in 1992. It was a low point, released primarily to help pay off debt, and was the last of his efforts to make his music more radio-friendly. His subsequent work went in the much darker and more industrial direction that would revive his career.

<i>Automatic</i> (Sharpe & Numan album) 1989 studio album by Sharpe & Numan

Automatic is a 1989 album released by Sharpe & Numan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice Cream (Battles song)</span> 2011 single by Battles featuring Matias Aguayo

"Ice Cream" is the first and lead single by American experimental rock band, Battles featuring Chilean-German musical artist, Matias Aguayo, off their second studio album, Gloss Drop via Warp Records.

<i>Dross Glop</i> 2012 remix album by Battles

Dross Glop is a remix compilation album by American experimental rock band Battles. It was released on April 16, 2012, and compiles remixes by various artists of Battles' songs from Gloss Drop (2011), eleven of which were originally released over a series of four 12-inch singles. The compilation includes a remix of "Sundome" that was not included on any of the vinyl releases.

<i>Music from Another Dimension!</i> 2012 studio album by Aerosmith

Music from Another Dimension! is the fifteenth and latest studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 6, 2012, by Columbia Records. Their first studio album since 2004's Honkin' on Bobo, as well as the first to feature all-new material since 2001's Just Push Play, its release marks the longest gap between Aerosmith's studio albums. The album was released in a single CD edition, along with a deluxe version. It is the last album in Aerosmith's recording contract with Sony/Columbia Records and was produced by Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Marti Frederiksen. It is also their longest studio album with total track time of nearly 68 minutes.

<i>Glass Swords</i> 2011 studio album by Rustie

Glass Swords is the debut studio album by Scottish producer Russell Whyte under his alias of Rustie, released by Warp in 2011. The album was produced and recorded between 2008 and 2010 by Whyte, partially in his father's home in Glasgow, Scotland and partly in his own home in London, England. The album contains vocal work from Whyte as well as London based producer Nightwave.

<i>Virgo</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Virgo

Virgo is the eponymous debut studio album by American house music duo Virgo Four, released in 1989 on Radical Records in the United Kingdom. It compiles two 12" EPs released in the United States on Trax Records, Do You Know Who You Are? by Virgo Four and Ride by M.E.. Both were pseudonyms of Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders, two art students and childhood friends from Chicago. The album was first reissued in 2010 on Rush Hour Recordings.

<i>Savage (Songs from a Broken World)</i> 2017 studio album by Gary Numan

Savage (Songs from a Broken World) is the eighteenth solo studio album by English musician Gary Numan, released on 15 September 2017 by BMG and The End. The album was first announced to be a part of a fan-backed Pledge Music Campaign on 12 November 2015. On 9 November 2018, a followup EP titled The Fallen was released. The EP features similar artwork to Savage, and it was intended to complement the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Stop (Gary Numan song)</span> 1986 single by Gary Numan

"I Can't Stop" is a song by English musician Gary Numan, which was released in 1986 as the second single from his eighth studio album Strange Charm. It was written by Numan, and produced by Numan and the Waveteam. "I Can't Stop" reached No. 27 in the UK and remained on the charts for four weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like a Refugee (I Won't Cry)</span> 1994 single by Numan & Dadadang

"Like a Refugee (I Won't Cry)" is a song by English singer and musician Gary Numan, which was released in 1994 as a non-album single under the name "Numan & Dadadang". It was written by Hugh Nicholson, and produced by Hugh and David Nicholson. "Like a Refugee (I Won't Cry)" reached No. 78 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice Cream Dream</span> 1992 single by MC Lyte

"Ice Cream Dream" is a song by American rapper MC Lyte in 1992. The song was used to promote the 1992 motion picture Mo' Money. It was written by Lyte with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, famous primarily for their work with Janet Jackson, and released as single from the soundtrack album of the movie on October 27, 1992, through Jam & Lewis's label Perspective Records.

References

  1. "Warp / Records / Releases / Battles / Gloss Drop". Warp Records. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  2. Savage, Mark. "Battles: Gloss Drop". BBC 6 Music. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
  3. "Battles Announce "Gloss Drop"". Under The Radar. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  4. "Warp / Records / Battles / Releases / Ice Cream". Warp Records. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  5. "Ltd. Edition Ice Cream 12"s in 3 Flavors". Bttls.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  6. "Canada and Battles discover Ice Cream". Partizan. 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  7. "A Visual History of Battles (The Band)". Pitchfork . April 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Battles Gloss Drop part 2 video". NME. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  9. Battles BBC radio interview 11/1/15. YouTube . Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Battles 'Gloss Drop' track by track video". NME. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Gloss Drop by Battles reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Reviews for Gloss Drop by Battles". Metacritic . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  13. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Gloss Drop – Battles". AllMusic . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  14. Herzog, Kenny (7 June 2011). "Battles: Gloss Drop". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  15. Kot, Greg (6 June 2011). "Album review: Battles, 'Gloss Drop'". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  16. Anderson, Kyle (8 June 2011). "Gloss Drop review – Battles". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  17. 1 2 Lynskey, Dorian (2 June 2011). "Battles: Gloss Drop – review". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  18. Keane, Brian (3 June 2011). "Battles". The Irish Times . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  19. Christgau, Robert (7 June 2011). "Battles/Archie Bronson Outfit". MSN Music . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  20. Pattison, Louis (1 June 2011). "Album Review: Battles – 'Gloss Drop'". NME . Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  21. Harvell, Jess (7 June 2011). "Battles: Gloss Drop". Pitchfork . Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  22. 1 2 Anderson, Stacey (7 June 2011). "Battles, 'Gloss Drop' (Warp)". Spin . Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  23. "The Skinny review".
  24. "BBC review".
  25. "Clash Magazine review". 3 June 2011.
  26. "Album Review: Battles - Glass Drop / Release / Releases / Drowned in Sound". Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  27. "BBC - Music - Review of Battles - Gloss Drop" . Retrieved 22 October 2019.