| Visions of Bodies Being Burned | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 23, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2020 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 52:34 | |||
| Label | Sub Pop | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Clipping. chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Visions of Bodies Being Burned | ||||
Visions of Bodies Being Burned is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group clipping. It was released on October 23, 2020 through Sub Pop. [4] It received positive reviews from music critics.
Clipping described Visions of Bodies Being Burned in a press release as a "second half of a planned diptych", continuing the horrorcore and industrial stylings of their previous release There Existed an Addiction to Blood . Both albums were recorded during 2015–2020, following their sci-fi themed sophomore album Splendor & Misery , with the band creating too many songs to fit on one release and then dividing them into two parts with the help of their label, Sub Pop. Originally, Clipping intended to release Visions of Bodies Being Burned several months after There Existed an Addiction to Blood, however, the COVID-19 pandemic forced their record label to postpone the album until 2020 Halloween season.
In the time between There Existed an Addiction to Blood and Visions of Bodies Being Burned, Clipping also released the single "Chapter 319", which sampled a DJ Screw song featuring George Floyd as Big Floyd, along with a previously SoundCloud-only track "Knees on the Ground" on Bandcamp and donated all proceeds from the sales to organizations dedicated to racial justice. [5] "Chapter 319" was recorded during the protests after the murder of George Floyd, while "Knees on the Ground" was originally recorded after the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. [5] "Chapter 319" became a meme on TikTok, consisting of teenagers rapping along to a line from the song calling US president Donald Trump a white supremacist and filming their parents' reactions. [6]
The album continues the slasher film themes and abrasive production style of Clipping's previous album, There Existed an Addiction to Blood , essentially serving as its second half. According to the band, the album "contains sixteen more scary stories disguised as rap songs, incorporating as much influence from Ernest Dickerson, Clive Barker, and Shirley Jackson as it does from Three 6 Mafia, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Brotha Lynch Hung". As with other Clipping albums, Daveed Diggs' lyrics avoid first-person narration, primarily describing the events in third person or addressing the listener in second person.
The production on the album is heavy, often bordering on distortion, with influences from both modern industrial, noise, power electronics and 1980s horror movie soundtracks. Describing his disappointment with many concept albums that he encountered being still primarily "guitar-drums-bass", producer Jonathan Snipes stressed that the band aimed to choose timbres and sounds that were meaningful in the context of the songs and referenced concepts described in the lyrics. The band are known for their meticulous approach to sampling and avoidance of using pre-made royalty-free sounds, recording all of the samples and sound effects themselves. On the closer, "Secret Piece", and throughout the album, Clipping also use a number of dawn chorus recordings that Snipes and field recordist Christopher Fleeger made at famous murder sites, [7] one of which was cited as the Black Dahlia murder site, which Snipes woke up before dawn for a week to do field recording at. [8]
The title of the album quotes a line by Scarface from "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" by Geto Boys, sampled in re-recorded form on the album's first single, "Say the Name", which also references the 1992 slasher film Candyman . [9] For the chorus of "Say the Name", which repeats the quote, the band recorded Diggs's voice and pitched it down, since the vocal track of "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" was never available separately. The song was already "old to them", according to the band, by the time they were sequencing their previous album, There Existed an Addiction to Blood, and was meant to be its second single, however, obtaining permission for the sample proved difficult. Since "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" itself contains a sample of "Hung Up on My Baby" by Isaac Hayes, permission had to be obtained from his estate also, even though no part of Hayes's work is in "Say the Name"; yet, as a result, the Isaac Hayes estate owns a larger percent of "Say the Name" than Clipping members or Scarface. [10] According to the band, the extended instrumental coda of the song was inspired by the Nine Inch Nails song "Closer", since early on during the production of the song, the drum sounds reminded them of it. [7]
"'96 Neve Campbell", the album's second single, is centered around a re-imagining of the slasher "final girl" archetype, such as Sidney Prescott portrayed by Neve Campbell in the Scream series, with the first Scream film coming out in 1996, hence the name. In the song, the female leads themselves are portrayed as grotesquely violent and threatening, as performed by rap duo Cam & China, with Diggs both narrating the track and performing the part of the killer, his voice altered to sound as if it were heard over the phone. In an interview with Anthony Fantano, the band revealed that before Diggs wrote the final verse of the song, Hutson had pitched a list of several other possible titles for the song, such as "'78 Jamie Lee Curtis" and "'84 Heather Langenkamp".
The third single, "Pain Everyday", recorded in 7/8 time and containing breakbeat influences, describes the experiences of afterlife as painful and features recordings by paranormal investigator and electronic voice phenomenon researcher Michael Esposito. It was the last song recorded for the album, upon insistence from Snipes that the album, like other Clipping releases, contain at least one song that is not in 4/4 time. The unusual time signature, which, according to Hutson, sounded as if the beat was "tripping over itself", coupled with the EVP recordings by Esposito, inspired the band to write a "chase sequence" piece involving ghosts. [7]
Power electronics-influenced "Make Them Dead" initially featured a different set of lyrics by Diggs, yet the band felt they did not fit the production, which led to them discard them with the intention of writing a new beat for them later. According to Diggs, whose lyrical style was inspired by the authoritative approach typical of power electronics, "the politics of it are about [...] if there is a thing that is being hunted in that song, it is right-wing Bible-thumping Trump supporters". [7]
"Body for the Pile" features additional production by noise artist Chris Goudreau as Sickness and has previously been released on the 2016 Adult Swim singles compilation N O I S E. [11]
As with most other Clipping releases, the album closes with a recording of an avant-garde performance piece, in this case, Yoko Ono's 1953 "event score", "Secret Piece", [12] which was published in her 1964 book Grapefruit . [13] The piece consists of text instructions for the performer:
Decide on one note that you want to play. Play it with the following accompaniment:
The woods from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. in summer.
The band, particularly Hutson, were struck by the peculiarity of the wording, since it did not require for the performer to actually be in the woods, only to use an accompaniment. The band then turned to field-recordist Christopher Fleeger, who provided them with gigabytes of his own field recordings that were made in forests around the world, between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., matching the criteria in the piece. [7]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10 [14] |
| Metacritic | 79/100 [15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Clash | 8/10 [17] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10 [18] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10 [19] |
| Pitchfork | 6.0/10 [20] |
| PopMatters | 8/10 [21] |
| Under the Radar | 8.5/10 [22] |
| DIY Magazine | [23] |
Visions of Bodies Being Burned was met with positive critical reception. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79 out of 100, based on 14 reviews. [15] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.7 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [14]
In his DIY Magazine review, Nick Harris called the album "their most distilled output — this is a once-in-a-generation band reaching their peak". [23] Writing for Under the Radar , Caleb Campbell said that "few listening experiences this year are as gripping, visceral, and vivid as Visions of Bodies Being Burned" and called the album "a perfect complement" to its predecessor. [22] Fred Thomas for AllMusic called the album "a particularly threatening chapter of horrorcore that renders even some of the more severe acts that came before almost cartoonish by comparison". [16] Stephen Kearse from Pitchfork was less enthusiastic, claiming that "there's plenty of mood to clipping.'s horrorcore, but no theater, no ham, no cheese." [20]
All tracks are produced by Clipping. [4]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" |
| 2:20 |
| 2. | "Say The Name" |
| 5:00 |
| 3. | "Wytchboard (Interlude)" |
| 0:30 |
| 4. | "'96 Neve Campbell" (featuring Cam & China) |
| 3:21 |
| 5. | "Something Underneath" |
| 2:36 |
| 6. | "Make Them Dead" |
| 4:06 |
| 7. | "She Bad" |
| 3:27 |
| 8. | "Invocation (Interlude)" (with Greg Stuart) |
| 1:13 |
| 9. | "Pain Everyday" (with Michael Esposito) |
| 3:39 |
| 10. | "Check The Lock" |
| 3:37 |
| 11. | "Looking Like Meat" (featuring Ho99o9) |
| 3:30 |
| 12. | "Drove (Interlude)" | 0:52 | |
| 13. | "Eaten Alive" (with Jeff Parker and Ted Byrnes) |
| 5:42 |
| 14. | "Body for the Pile" (with SICKNESS) |
| 4:25 |
| 15. | "Enlacing" |
| 4:43 |
| 16. | "Secret Piece" | Yoko Ono | 3:42 |
| Total length: | 52:34 | ||
Clipping
Additional production
Additional musicians
|
|
The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on March 8, 1994, by Nothing Records in the United States and Island Records in Europe. It is a concept album detailing the self-destruction of a man from the beginning of his misanthropic "downward spiral" to his suicidal breaking point. The album was a commercial success and established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the 1990s music scene, with its sound being widely imitated, and the band receiving media attention and multiple honors.
Jane's Addiction is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1985. The band consists of vocalist Perry Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery. Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from the early 1990s alternative rock movement to gain both mainstream media attention and commercial success in the United States.
Nothing's Shocking is the debut studio album by American rock band Jane's Addiction, released on August 23, 1988 through Warner Bros. Records. Nothing's Shocking was well received by critics and peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200. The single "Jane Says" reached number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks in 1988. Rolling Stone ranked Nothing's Shocking at number 312 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It received a nomination for the 31st Grammy Awards in the category for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental.
One Hot Minute is the sixth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 12, 1995, by Warner Bros. Records. The worldwide success of the band's previous album Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) caused guitarist John Frusciante to become uncomfortable with their popularity, eventually quitting mid-tour in 1992. Following a series of short-term replacements, the band hired guitarist Dave Navarro in 1993; it was his only studio album with the band. Recording for the album took place at the Sound Factory in Hollywood from June 1994 to February 1995. It marked the second collaboration between the band and producer Rick Rubin.
Horrorcore, also called horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from certain hardcore hip hop and gangsta rap artists, such as the Geto Boys and Three 6 Mafia, which began to incorporate supernatural, occult, and psychological horror themes into their lyrics. Unlike most hardcore hip hop and gangsta rap artists, horrorcore artists often push the violent content and imagery in their lyrics beyond the realm of realistic urban violence, to the point where the violent lyrics become gruesome, ghoulish, unsettling, inspired by slasher films or splatter films. While exaggerated violence and the supernatural are common in horrorcore, the genre also frequently presents more realistic yet still disturbing portrayals of mental illness and drug abuse. Some horrorcore artists eschew supernatural themes or exaggerated violence in favor of more subtle and dark psychological horror imagery and lyrics.
Saves the Day is an American rock band formed in 1997 in Princeton, New Jersey. The band currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera.
Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After over a decade of absence, the band reformed in 2017. They announced their sixth album, XVIII, would be released via their new label home at Rise Records.
Late Registration is the second studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions held at studios in Hollywood and New York City, in collaboration with Jon Brion. The album features guest appearances from Adam Levine, Jamie Foxx, Common, Brandy, Jay-Z, and Nas, among others.
"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, Another Level (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996 by Interscope, the song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in Iceland and New Zealand. It ended "Macarena"'s 14-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number nine. "No Diggity" was the final number-one single of Cash Box magazine. The track sold 1.6 million copies in 1996 and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It uses samples from Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands". The music video for the song was directed by Hype Williams.
"Sound and Vision" is a song by the English musician David Bowie. It was released in January 1977 by RCA Records on side one of his 11th studio album Low. RCA later chose it as the first single from the album. Co-produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, the song was recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France, in September 1976, and completed at Hansa Studios in West Berlin in October and November. The song began as a simple G major chord progression that Bowie gave to the backing musicians, writing and recording his vocals afterward. It features backing vocals from Brian Eno and Visconti's then-wife Mary Hopkin.
"The Real Thing" is the debut single by Australian singer Russell Morris, released in 1969. Written by Johnny Young and produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum, it was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic. It also achieved success in the United States, reaching the top of the charts in Chicago, Houston, and New York City.
Say Anything is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band was formed in 2000 by Max Bemis and his friends, and within two years, they had self-released two EPs and a full-length album.
Burn Halo is an American hard rock band originating from Orange County, California and Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was formed by James Hart, lead singer of Orange County metalcore band Eighteen Visions although he left in 2016 and rejoined Eighteen Visions in 2017.
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA, is an American rapper, record producer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is the de facto leader of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, having produced most albums for the group and its respective members. He is a cousin of two other original Wu-Tang Clan members: GZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for side projects. After forming the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA was a founding member of the horrorcore group Gravediggaz, since 1992, where he went by the name The RZArector.
Clipping is an American experimental hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group consists of rapper Daveed Diggs and producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes.
Daveed Daniele Diggs is an American actor, rapper, and singer-songwriter. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping, and in 2015, he originated the dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the musical Hamilton, for which he won a 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. Along with the main cast of Hamilton, he was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in the same year.
The Hamilton Mixtape is a 2016 mixtape album featuring assorted songs from the 2015 Broadway musical Hamilton performed by various artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Wiz Khalifa, Nas, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Dessa, Miguel, Chance the Rapper, Nate Ruess, K’naan, Aloe Blacc, and the Roots. It was widely well received by critics.
"4th Dimension" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, from their eponymous debut studio album (2018). The song features a guest appearance from Louis Prima, who was credited as a featured artist due to his work being sampled. It was produced by West, with additional production from Mike Dean and Noah Goldstein. The producers co-wrote the song with Kid Cudi and Prima, with the latter of the two receiving credit as a result of it sampling music by him. A hip hop song, it samples Prima's "What Will Santa Claus Say " and Shirley Ann Lee's "Someday". Lyrically, the song features Kids See Ghosts presenting their thoughts to stop themselves from becoming worried.
There Existed an Addiction to Blood is the third studio album by American hip hop group clipping. It was released on October 18, 2019 through Sub Pop. It received mostly positive reviews from music critics.
We Will Always Love You is the third studio album from Australian electronic group The Avalanches, released on 11 December 2020 through Modular Recordings.
