Customer Reviews

Life Is Full Of Possibilites

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first listened to this album, I was slightly disappointed. I didn't revisit it for months. Then I decided to give it another go, and listen to it as a whole album instead of individual tracks. This is when I realized the true genious of DNTEL. The subtleties can be missed if listened to without headphones. This album would make a fantastic soundtrack. I only wonder if Sofia Coppola has heard it yet.

I love this CD. Actually I purchased it one song at a time on iTunes so I haven't finished it yet but I've heard about 3/4 of it. I enjoyed it so much (even from the first random song I heard) that I wanted to stretch it out as much as possible. If I had to describe it I'd called it sweet soft sizzling electonic music that opens your eyes while relaxing your ears. And every once in a while a certain perfection in the music, made me so happy my heart was pounding. I wish there were more artists who are as creative and intelligent as this one.

I've long been a fan of electronic music along the lines of Boards of Canada, Air and Squarepusher. And I've also long been a fan of emo rock like Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco, and Belle and Sebastian. Now mix the two in in a strikingly beautiful album, and you have Dntel's "Life Is Full of Possibilities." I came upon the album about 3 months ago after seeing a reference to "(This is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" in a Death Cab review on Pitchfork. I checked out the album and fell in love. Sometimes the shrill tones in techno can get on my nerves, but the sweeping tones and emotion-driven chirps are nothing short of amazing. Then you layer on some big name vocalists and what results is sheer delight. I highly recommend this album, as well as The Postal Service's "Give Up" album.

Some had labeled this poppy electronica. It's more like pop could be if it had heart and innovation at its core. The most 'poppy' song on the album "(This is) the Dream of Evan and Chan", almost has a Brit-pop feel, but offers much more that that genre ever has! This cd cannot be catagorised.

Every track has its place and never outlives its welcome - all are standouts. Many seem destined to dissolve into glitchy anarchy and a few do, but so they should! The warm swelling synth-pulse beginning of "Anywhere Anyone" almost generates a sense of bliss - the words chill though, just as much as all the others, in their direct starkness.

"Pillowcase" and "Fear of Corners" are almost dark ambient, the latter behind driven, minimalist rhythms.

"Suddenly is Sooner than you think" and "Why I'm so Unhappy" are great tracks to listen to on a stark grey day, 'cos they're not happy tunes. Sorta fits the mould of this dark and yet strangely warm and vibrant cd. I could say so much more about these and the other tracks I haven't mentioned, as they all have so much to say.

This is an amazing album to experience, because it is very much an engaging journey through the dark side of the human psyche. Amazing because its starkness is so uplifting. To many this would just be depressing. Somehow I find it's the opposite and it begs me to play it over and over again. This is musical genius, not often bettered elsewhere in any genre and definitely goes on my desert island list! A must for audiophiles who like music that refuses to be categorised.

If you like the Postal Service, then you should get this and put Postal Service on the far right, back burner. Tamborello has more heirarchy in this album, and Gibbard in Give Up. You can definitely notice the difference between the two albums if you are an audiophile like me. In any case, this is a great album, and if you havent heard the Postal Service yet and are thinking about getting Life Is Full of Possibilities, then DO SO. Dont get Postal Service first or youll ruin it. Trust me. Gibbard and Tamborello make a killer team. Word

With this his only full album release...melancholic electronic composer 'Jimmy Tamborello' sounds consist of multi-tentacled genres. From reflective cut & Paste Electronic indie sounds ("Umbrella"), to the stunning warm synth's coupled with breathy female vocals, to kaleidoscopic effect ("Anywhere Anyone")...and some beautiful instrumental sound collages, with the sentimentality of a slightly scratchy vinyl record ("Pillowcase"), and certainly not forgetting truly heart-tuggingly emotional bristling ambient-ballads ("Why I'm So Unhappy"),and the beautifully touching percussionist compositions ("The Dream of Evan and Chan"). All these astonishing explorations in sound & Genre-fusing are sprinkled with carefully administered subtle layers of scratchy samples, and distortion, in a dynamically melodic way. File this slice of Electronica brilliance next to such celebrated artists as: "Four Tet / Herbert / Nowtist / Boards of Canada".

Ever since give up came out I've been tracking Jimmy's catalouge in reverse, and so far this is my favorite. Personally, I love glitchy techno more than anything and between this and the latest Prefuse 73 album my roommates just about ready to shoot me. It would be unfair though to say that this album is for glitch nuts. It appeals to fans of Autechre and Postal Service alike. This is immediately infectious upon the first listen and reveals level after level of melody and percussion on each subsequent spin. Believe me, this is not your average obtuse IDM album.

jimmy is also one of the stars of FIGURINE. be sure to check out their cd as well. dntel cd is one of the best cds of the 2002 easily.

Jimmy Tamborello's ability with electronics is wonderful, like Autechre and Mum and touches of Massive Attack are hinted at. What sets him apart from the legends is his fresh sound and an underlying embracing of pop textures. "Umbrella" is a pretty little ditty with Beachwood Sparks singer Chris Gunst dropping in a few lines with slight shifts in tempo. "Anywhere/Anyone" strikes out as one of the albums best tracks with the dark eno-esque rising yet depressingly low waves that crash below poet Mia Doi Todd's tear welling voice as she confesses "How Can I love you if you don't love you self". It's devastating and thats the only word for it. Dntel finds it's most Autechre-like track within "Fear of Corners". The moody slithering tempo that's interrupted by floating drum machines is a fine reminder of how good electronica music can get on its own terms, even without vocals. "Why I'm So Unhappy" stakes its claim as the 2nd stand out of Life is Full of Possibilities. That Dog's bassist Rachel Haden's vocals are miraculously complimentary to the eerie, barely pop skit skats that Tamborello sets up as some kind of musical version of the board game Mousetrap. It's alive with musical surprises and doesn't let your attention dwindle. While "Fireworks" finds itself mutating Daft Punks dancefloor sound, Tamborello finds his masterpiece in "(This is) The Dream of Evan and Jaron". The staticy beats layered with what sounds like a bass flatlining and what wind on another universe sounds like wraps Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard's melancholic voice. You'll feel a clench of your heart as Gibbard yells "I won't let go" and the release doesn't come till his last pattering plead of a telephone "ringing off" as static covers the grave he has nestled into. This is what electronica music can do and it's a wonderous pleasure watching such a young man do these things. And the simple fact that this happened with one man, one machine and some vocals, is a testament to music's power.

Not that that's a bad thing. This is a lovely disc full of sad, mournful musical soundscapes with, at times, profoundly touching lyrics. However if you like your electronica percussion driven, as I do, then this is not the disc for you. Only four tracks on here a fully percussive.

'umbrella', the opening track is lovely and sad with softly rolling drumbeats and vocals buried underneath the sonic washes of synthesizer.

'anywhere, anyone', although lacking in beats, has sad lyrics: "How can I love you if you don't love yourself?" further buried under the sonic washes that began with 'umbrella'.

'fear of corners' borrows a page from autechre with stuttering beats frantically trying find some sort of rhythmic pattern. It's a promising track but it goes nowhere.

track eight,'fireworks' (which was accidentally omitted from the track listing on this page), is the standout here. Pumping percussion, synth effects and lovely melodies.

And track nine, '(this is) the dream of evan and chan' sounds as if DNTEL pulled a track straight from radiohead release.

Overall, 'life is full of possibilities' sounds like radiohead meets mira calix which, as I mentioned before, isn't a bad thing. I gave this three stars only because it isn't exactly my cup of tea as far as elctronica is concerned. Also, for those interested, I've discovered that DNTEL has two previous releases: 'something always goes wrong' and 'early works for me if it works for you'.