Ableton Forum

What an album.

I don't know man. They've been losing me since Fat of The Land. That was their last great work as far as I'm concerned.

They have really bought into the compression to the point of distortion style of production. That is the in thing though.

It's sad because the songs themselves are actually well done. The problem for me though is after listening to about 2 minutes of it my ears start to feel tired from the constant brickwall limiting. I also understand having to compete with other loud records on the market, but it feels overdone even by todays standards. Just my opinion though.

I have been a die hard Prodigy fan since 1990 but this album is poor! It's pure POWER productions with no real substance. That whole distortion thing is becoming weak and tiresome.

I guess I'm glad it's not just me:)

bth i really like it. It sounds really strong and the production on it is awesome (imo)
Some amazin tracks.
Did a tastey/naughty little VIP bootleg of Omen on the train to a gig i was VJing at last night and the DJ to play it, killed it! lol

From the little I've heard it sounds like their same ideas rehashed and the parts that don't sound like them sounds like Pendulum.

The album isn't out yet..... but I guess you thought fuck them... and their law and just downloaded it illegally.

Anyway the tracks they have released so far are pretty poor. But I've heard them play some amazing new tracks live.

I am of the opinion that every Prodigy album has a few terrible tracks on it. People seem to be taken aback when I say this, but seriously, even the earlier ones had some rubbish tracks on them. I think we just tend to sub-consiously whack it into one big "old school" category where we don't notice the bad parts as much.

chevthewizard wrote:Anyway the tracks they have released so far are pretty poor. But I've heard them play some amazing new tracks live.

+1 I sometimes wonder if some artists and their PR machine are able to step outside themselves and say "that track is not a single" or if they think everything they write is gold.

chevthewizard wrote:The album isn't out yet..... but I guess you thought fuck them... and their law and just downloaded it illegally.

Was driving past the record shop "cool discs" and spotted the sign "prodigy album now in stock".
Shat bricks and bought the dvd version.

Loads of places have got it. Release date is pure fiction.

funky shit wrote:

chevthewizard wrote:The album isn't out yet..... but I guess you thought fuck them... and their law and just downloaded it illegally.

Was driving past the record shop "cool discs" and spotted the sign "prodigy album now in stock".
Shat bricks and bought the dvd version.

how does Reason sound played through your DVD player?

Saw the Prodigy perform live recently at the BoilerRoom gig at this years annual Big Day Out festival here in Oz, Melbourne. I must say it was an electrifying gig however most pre-sequenced legendary dance music is on a huge line array system in amongst a sweaty crowd of 10,000 or so.

The last impressive album to my ears was everything they did prior to getting on to Reason (the Fat of the Land). Wow that was a fatiguing album to listen to ...

Albums like Experience and Music for the Jilted Generation are where my memories of the Prodigy remain - long time prior to everyone slamming the shit out of their mixes so that no dynamic range remains.

Michael Stavrou sums it up well in his "Mixing with your Mind" book: The hand of the listener on the volume control is a much better compressor! If there's dynamic range, the listener will turn up the volume.

Having said the above, the Prodigy set at the BigDayOut was AWESOME but guess which tunes went off the most? Everything from Music from the Jilted Generation and the re-jigs of things from Experience.

I thought it was a little sad to hear parts of their set which sounded like the Prodigy remixing Pendulum.

p.s. Pendulum played the same gig on another stage earlier in the day - wow - talk about rock band! Is that Drum and Bass or Bogan and Bass? Dull, very dull ...

something about it feels a bit wrong

jasefos wrote:Michael Stavrou sums it up well in his "Mixing with your Mind" book: The hand of the listener on the volume control is a much better compressor! If there's dynamic range, the listener will turn up the volume.

It's all well and good saying that in theory, but with portable audio players implementing more and more volume limiting functions, overal volume of a track really does matter. I can't get experience or jilted generation loud enough on my mp3 player. I don't thin dynamics are really as important as everyone makes out with dance music anyway. Sure a lot of stuff is wayy over compressed and flat sounding, but I think there is a happy medium.

The Fat of the Land to my ears is by the far the best produced Prodigy album. Clear crisp and punchy. Brilliant tracks. Also very culturally relevant tracks at the time. Something which to be fair I think they've totally lost since.

Chet, I am in total agreement that Fat of the Land was the last relevant album they produced.

To counter your point about dynamics in dance music however I would say there is a difference between loud and distorted. They crossed that line a long time ago.

That's just my opinion however you ar entitled to your own.