Ishmael wrote:You claim a prior familiarity with Williams and Stainer, so I honestly don't understand why someone would look for any kind of warmth or humanity from this music, when it's never been there before. It is mechanical prog/math rock based on loops.
Whether calculated or not, the 'vocals' serve to draw in listeners, on a superficial, video game level, who otherwise probably wouldn't be into their cold, mechanical music. Atlas is probably a lot of people's "jam" right now, so mission accomplished.
Well, if the vocals have succeeded in drawing in listeners and Battles are now, as z00york claimed, NME material, then I think that's fantastic. I love the idea of young kids listening to Battles, and it makes sense as it's fun and loud with a lot of energy. Signing to Warp was a really clever move, and I can't think of a more suitable label for the band. As you say, mission accomplished.
I've listened to Williams and Stanier since 'Lucky Father Brown' and 'Strap It On' respectively, and although there might be a brutality to aspects of it I never really thought of it as mechanical or cold. I do remember a review of 'Meantime' which said that it was 'music to hammer stakes into the ground to' or something, but I haven't listened to Helmet in years. Don Caballero I always thought had a lot more depth and range than they were ever given credit for however. As for 'Mirrored', it only seems mechanical in that it's relentlessly upbeat quality is like a forced smile, not real somehow.