Supposedly SOPHIE had the final track list set before her passing, she was also performing about most the tracks on the album in live shows so these were likely finished (intro, rawwwww, plunging asymptote, reason why, do you wanna be alive?, elegance, Berlin nightmare, one more time, exhilarate and my forever). Thee are definite problems with the mixing of this album (especially when compared to her previous albums), and the ‘SOPHIE spark’ isn’t quite there. But I think the album is pretty close to how SOPHIE envisioned it considering the only difference between the live versions of the tracks is (for the most part) mixing and pacing - tho some arrangements are missing from do you wanna be alive, elegance and one more time. I also think we held SOPHIE to an impossible standard, comparing this album to OOPUI. Even ‘Transnation’ the scrapped follow up album to OOEPIU was ‘safer’ and more pop/house rather than experimental…, and she was moving away from the heavy industrial techno in her live shows. I honestly would have preferred if the album was released in its unfinished state, or - since this posthumous album would be her last - perhaps a compilation album of fan favourite unreleased tracks (which we all listen to on SoundCloud anyways)
Yeah, I agree that they should have released the album as it was without the touch ups at the end. It would have been maybe more honest to what it was supposed to be. I am a huge fan of the heavier live techno. I wish we could have gotten more of that!
Something interesting I found about this album is that the louder I turned the volume, the better the mixing got and only then did it seem to feel like a Sophie album-- It's like the whole thing was balanced and mixed at a really loud volume... Also, in my eyes, I think it is perfectly ok to rate and criticize a posthumous album but something that frustrates me to see is people saying "it is not what she would have wanted" as if they know what she would have wanted more than her own family that took the time to release and finish the album despite grief. Good review! I think you navigated your critique well.
That's interesting about volume, I will definitely try that myself, but yeah, it really was noticeable how quiet the mix was! I totally understand where you are coming from about the assumption about what Sophie would want. We can only really compare to previous works.. even then, we can never truly know! Thank you for the comment btw I really appreciate it!
Bit of a rant, sorry in advance I'm gonna be honest, when I first heard we were getting a new Sophie Album, I was immensely excited, 2024 has been one of the greatest years in music in a very very long time, and getting another album from her was just going to be the cherry on top of the cake,I didn't even seek out interviews or any snippets I just wanted to be surprised by it.But right as the first single released I was very cautious for this album, the song lacked that spark that made Sophie truly one of a kind, and just sounded like something you'd hear in a club produced by an undescript DJ. I was still a bit hopeful because sometimes the singles end up being my least favorite songs in the album and I was hoping that was the case. And then the album released.I've been listening to it and I just don't like it at all, it just sounds so bland and anemic, and it hurts me really badly to say it because I know her family put their heart and soul into this, but I think they should've just left the songs untouched and release them even in their incomplete form .Sophie fans(myself included) would've been ok with it In retrospect this album was always set up for failure ever since its announcement, it was touted by her family as the followup to Oils of Every Pearl's Uninsides, a once in a lifetime perfect 10/10 album. No matter what happened, it was never going to be the same type of album as its predecessor, I just wasn't expecting it to turn out this badly
Hey, feel free to rant anytime! I think it would have been fun to release the unfinished work as more of an insight into what she was working on, way more interesting and open for interpretation
after repeated listens I kinda began to understand the concept her family was going for with capturing being in the studio with SOPHIE showing off some loops she made. But im still struggling with justifying why the songs are mixed as they are. I understand they wanted to capture SOPHIEs massive globular live sound, but the albums execution seriously muddles the tracks and removes her signature punchy sound. Im also fearful for the future of her unreleased classics in the hands of cornballs like Jimmy Edgar and LIZ...
Yeah, I kind of agree with you! I'm always a bit sketchy of releasing music from artists who have passed.. maybe it would have been better just to release them as the demos then we could have had a better sense of where her mind was or what feeling she was going for.
@@L1239-z8l she's always been a weird zionist. and a few months ago she posted something about how Israel's genocidal war crimes are valid and that Israel is the real victim in the Palestine situation. really gross scary stuff imo
For me, the problem is that "Reason Why", "Rawwwww", "Exhilarate" and "My Forever" are some of my favorite tracks by her and I've already listened to them 30530923 times since years. And it's probably the bangers on the album, so it quits some excitement when listening to the whole record. They're also the most finished tracks here and you can see the difference with all of the other tracks on the album. I guess it was how she planned it to be, risky and experimental, and it was so SOPHIE to do that. I know most of the techno tracks are an ode to german club culture and are meant to be minimalist but maybe it was too risky to mix it with the other more elaborated pop songs. It would have been more interesting to have 3 different EP's (pop, techno and alternative) like she did with Product. But I guess she wanted it that way and her brother respected her choice.
only SOPHIE can do SOPHIE.
Supposedly SOPHIE had the final track list set before her passing, she was also performing about most the tracks on the album in live shows so these were likely finished (intro, rawwwww, plunging asymptote, reason why, do you wanna be alive?, elegance, Berlin nightmare, one more time, exhilarate and my forever). Thee are definite problems with the mixing of this album (especially when compared to her previous albums), and the ‘SOPHIE spark’ isn’t quite there. But I think the album is pretty close to how SOPHIE envisioned it considering the only difference between the live versions of the tracks is (for the most part) mixing and pacing - tho some arrangements are missing from do you wanna be alive, elegance and one more time.
I also think we held SOPHIE to an impossible standard, comparing this album to OOPUI. Even ‘Transnation’ the scrapped follow up album to OOEPIU was ‘safer’ and more pop/house rather than experimental…, and she was moving away from the heavy industrial techno in her live shows.
I honestly would have preferred if the album was released in its unfinished state, or - since this posthumous album would be her last - perhaps a compilation album of fan favourite unreleased tracks (which we all listen to on SoundCloud anyways)
Yeah, I agree that they should have released the album as it was without the touch ups at the end. It would have been maybe more honest to what it was supposed to be. I am a huge fan of the heavier live techno. I wish we could have gotten more of that!
Something interesting I found about this album is that the louder I turned the volume, the better the mixing got and only then did it seem to feel like a Sophie album-- It's like the whole thing was balanced and mixed at a really loud volume...
Also, in my eyes, I think it is perfectly ok to rate and criticize a posthumous album but something that frustrates me to see is people saying "it is not what she would have wanted" as if they know what she would have wanted more than her own family that took the time to release and finish the album despite grief.
Good review! I think you navigated your critique well.
That's interesting about volume, I will definitely try that myself, but yeah, it really was noticeable how quiet the mix was!
I totally understand where you are coming from about the assumption about what Sophie would want. We can only really compare to previous works.. even then, we can never truly know!
Thank you for the comment btw I really appreciate it!
Bit of a rant, sorry in advance
I'm gonna be honest, when I first heard we were getting a new Sophie Album, I was immensely excited, 2024 has been one of the greatest years in music in a very very long time, and getting another album from her was just going to be the cherry on top of the cake,I didn't even seek out interviews or any snippets I just wanted to be surprised by it.But right as the first single released I was very cautious for this album, the song lacked that spark that made Sophie truly one of a kind, and just sounded like something you'd hear in a club produced by an undescript DJ. I was still a bit hopeful because sometimes the singles end up being my least favorite songs in the album and I was hoping that was the case. And then the album released.I've been listening to it and I just don't like it at all, it just sounds so bland and anemic, and it hurts me really badly to say it because I know her family put their heart and soul into this, but I think they should've just left the songs untouched and release them even in their incomplete form .Sophie fans(myself included) would've been ok with it
In retrospect this album was always set up for failure ever since its announcement, it was touted by her family as the followup to Oils of Every Pearl's Uninsides, a once in a lifetime perfect 10/10 album. No matter what happened, it was never going to be the same type of album as its predecessor, I just wasn't expecting it to turn out this badly
Hey, feel free to rant anytime!
I think it would have been fun to release the unfinished work as more of an insight into what she was working on, way more interesting and open for interpretation
after repeated listens I kinda began to understand the concept her family was going for with capturing being in the studio with SOPHIE showing off some loops she made. But im still struggling with justifying why the songs are mixed as they are. I understand they wanted to capture SOPHIEs massive globular live sound, but the albums execution seriously muddles the tracks and removes her signature punchy sound. Im also fearful for the future of her unreleased classics in the hands of cornballs like Jimmy Edgar and LIZ...
Yeah, I kind of agree with you! I'm always a bit sketchy of releasing music from artists who have passed.. maybe it would have been better just to release them as the demos then we could have had a better sense of where her mind was or what feeling she was going for.
Ik why jimmy edgar is unlikable but why Liz?
@@L1239-z8l she's always been a weird zionist. and a few months ago she posted something about how Israel's genocidal war crimes are valid and that Israel is the real victim in the Palestine situation. really gross scary stuff imo
Ur my favorite review of this album so far
Well thank you very much! I appreciate the comment
For me, the problem is that "Reason Why", "Rawwwww", "Exhilarate" and "My Forever" are some of my favorite tracks by her and I've already listened to them 30530923 times since years. And it's probably the bangers on the album, so it quits some excitement when listening to the whole record. They're also the most finished tracks here and you can see the difference with all of the other tracks on the album. I guess it was how she planned it to be, risky and experimental, and it was so SOPHIE to do that. I know most of the techno tracks are an ode to german club culture and are meant to be minimalist but maybe it was too risky to mix it with the other more elaborated pop songs. It would have been more interesting to have 3 different EP's (pop, techno and alternative) like she did with Product. But I guess she wanted it that way and her brother respected her choice.
I believe there were a few almost fished tracks and then a load of demos or ideas that they just slapped on to fill out an "album" requirement..
Great review! I also really dug the Hannah diamond track. I agree with all your points. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I appreciate the comment! I think it's probably my favorite song on the album actually.
To me it wasn't even bad, it was just nothing. Completely forgettable and quite a shame.
Yeah, I kind of agree, I don't think I'm going to be listening to again anytime soon!