Author Topic: I AM A RESIDENT (Project of the Week for.. awhile)  (Read 1419 times)

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moleshow

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I AM A RESIDENT (Project of the Week for.. awhile)
« on: June 04, 2018, 09:31:10 pm »
this thread is all about IAAR.

what are your thoughts on the concept? the music? are you yourself a Resident? do you think it's ridiculous to even consider that notion that anyone is a Resident?

discuss!
"All our lives we love illusion, neatly caught between confusion and the need to know we are alive."

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ADeadlyFriend

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2018, 01:11:33 pm »
Why shouldn't anyone be a Resident? Don't we all get their mail?
Jokes aside I haven't had a chance to listen to the album but I'm very intrigued by the concept. I was considering submitting a cover of Betty's Body but it never materialized as music isn't really my forte, so I shall be a Resident in my own way.
"We are only equal in the grave and in the dark," said a man whose head was halfway eaten by a shark.

goatie

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2018, 08:34:18 am »
As an album, I AM A RESIDENT! ended up being much better than I had expected.  Here's the thing about tribute albums: they're usually pretty boring.  It seems to me that only one band knows how to cover The Residents well, and that band is, well, The Residents.  Residents covers generally follow one of three patterns: 1) make it heavier/edgier (boring), make it weirder (you're trying too hard and it shows), make it sound like the original (what's the point?).
   
So I was delighted with the submissions that did something very different with the songs.  I've already publicly expressed my love for the OK Glass version of "Moisture," but there were several submissions that seemed to break down the song into basic pieces and then rebuild from there.  They didn't sound like covers, but originals.
   
But even so, a collection of cover songs isn't really exciting.  As originally conceived, I expected that I'd listen to it a couple of times then put it away for a few years before listening again to see if I happened to like it.  But the collaborative aspect really changed things.  This is really a new Residents album with a bunch of new Residents participating... or I guess I could just shorten that to "this is a new Residents album" because who knows and/or cares how many times there's been a change to the roster?  It ceases to sound like a collection of songs and begins to sound like a piece that was always conceived to be this way.  If you told someone the original idea behind this album was to gather a bunch of musicians and have them record parts to be mixed into the suite, they'd probably believe you.

And for any contributor whose track was augmented with actual Residents, that's got to be the thrill of a lifetime.  I can't imagine the pants-wetting joy that comes from the double whammy of "hey, that's me!" quickly followed by "holy amazeballs, that's The Residents PLAYING ALONG WITH ME!"

We also got to see a little bit into how The Residents functions as an idea factory.  The original plan was just to collect about a dozen songs, slap them on a disc, and call it a day.  And after submissions started coming in, everything changed.  We normally only see the finished project, but in this case we got to see it evolving, which is perhaps the closest we'll get to a kind of in the studio documentary.
   
As for my part... since I was managing the submissions side of things, I got to see a lot more of how ideas spring up and course corrections are made in order to reach the final destination (or, in this case, to discover what the final destination is).  I'll be honest: it was frustrating at times when something new came up and I had to scramble to figure out how to implement my part of it.  The Residents are very willing to shift to a new idea, and from a distance that can look unfocused or scatterbrained, but it's actually a very determined drive to produce the best end product.  Given what I now know, I definitely would change some of how it all got handled, but I wouldn't step away from the opportunity to be a part of something so ultimately satisfying.

Meisekimiu

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2018, 11:34:27 pm »
I just listened to I Am A Resident for the first time. HOLY EYEBALLS IT'S AMAZING!

I mean, I was expecting to like it since most of the songs covered in this album I like, but WOW. The remix concept is really what pushes this album from "cool fan compilation, Eyesore 2.0" to the advertised "NEW CONCEPT FROM THE RESIDENTS". It is fantastic. It really is a new Residents album, and it's pretty sweet.

I like the little radio framing device they use to open and close the album. It's cute and makes the album feel like this big event... I'm not sure properly how to explain it. Somehow it makes it feel more like "oh yeah, these people ARE Residents!" Honestly it reminds me of those 1 hour megamixes pop radio stations play on the weekends (... not that I listen to pop music radio...). It's a pretty genius way to frame this album because well... the remix concept really does make this a megamix in a way. I mean it's just one hour of straight Residential chaos and it's awesome.

The whole remix thing adds another layer to the thing as well. Because all the covers blend together and "The Real Residents?" add new textures (AND LYRICS!) on top of them, this really feels like "Our Finest Flowers 2". Which is pretty sweet! Honestly? I kind of like this more as a "Residents play The Residents" album compared to Our Finest Flowers. Maybe because we live in the future where computer synthesized music sounds better and we have even more Rz material to choose from. Maybe it's because the songs are longer and mixed together so they have time to flow between vastly more songs AND the songs get to live on their own for a bit instead of just being squashed together into one single song. Maybe because that cute radio thing and the "I Am A Resident theme" at the end made it more special. I don't know but I love it.

I'm honestly surprised that they thought of this project back in 2013. I mean, at this point I'm used to knowing that Residents albums take years to develop from just the basic idea, but wow... unlike whatever the "Blues Album" is going to be called, this one kind of just laid hidden for quite a while until they actually unveiled the pledgemusic campaign. It's weird that this Residents album was originally imagined up right when I became a "proper" Residents fan... and it just came out and I'm just now listening to it. Crazy!

I lack the musical talent to have properly contributed to the project... and even if I did, I had no money while the pledgemusic campaign was running. So do I consider myself to be a Resident? Maybe. Just maybe.
レジデンツはほとんど日本人だけど、誰も知らない。

moleshow

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2018, 10:14:27 am »
wooo!! interesting comparisons. i should probably listen to it, i guess. whered you hear that they've had the idea since 2013? thats absolutely NUTS and id totally believe it!
"All our lives we love illusion, neatly caught between confusion and the need to know we are alive."

goatie

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2018, 02:05:52 pm »
2013 is from the liner notes, excerpted here:

Quote
The year was 2013. The Residents were sitting in a bar ... when somebody said, ... "we need to do something different... completely different."  ...  the original idea ...  was opening up the concept of The Residents to their fans, inviting them to submit their own versions of the group's original songs. The best of these fan interpretations would then become an album called I AM A RESIDENT! And that was okay - simple and straightforward.

So to be completely clear, it was just the idea of doing a straight compilation that's from 2013.  The remix thing came in during the PledgeMusic campaign, so it's crazy super impressive that they changed gears so quickly.  I first heard about this project in mid-2016, when we were working on the website redesign (trivia: that's why the "? ? ? ? ?" button on the front page brought up song lyrics having to do with identity and being a part of something - it was always intended to become I AM A RESIDENT).  But there was no hint of remix back then.  If that had been the plan all along, they also kept it from me, which is awesome and a testament to how far they'll go to keep a secret.  But I'm more impressed with the quick pivot, so I'll believe the story as presented.  Also, believing the story as presented is just better overall, because the purpose of a constructed narrative is to bring excitement and interest to something that is otherwise boring.

Meisekimiu

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #6 on: August 28, 2018, 11:20:32 am »
i should probably listen to it, i guess.
You are actually required by law to listen to this album if you are a Rz fan.

I should mention a few more things I forgot to write in my post. I was really surprised that this was a new Residents album. I was kind of just glossing this one over, partly because the fan concept meant this wasn't the "Real Residents?", and partly because Intruders the "next studio album" was coming out pretty soon. I mean, I preordered Intruders a couple of days before I Am A Resident came out, and this time I decided to buy the CD and the vinyl because it's a "real album". The day I Am A Resident arrived I didn't even really think to myself, "I'm going to listen to a new Residents album today", because deep down I didn't consider it a new album at the time.

After I listened to it I realized how special this album really was. It really hit me with these complicated emotions I've felt in Residents projects before, but never mixed together like this. I've listened to Eyesore a few times, and overall I like a lot of the covers in that compilation. But for every cover there is a bit of respect I feel for what they do with it. I think every song in Eyesore is different enough from the source to come with a "huh... so that's how The Residents have impacted you?" kind of appreciation.

Our Finest Flowers mixes concepts in an interesting way. Connections between Residents works that didn't exist before are explored in a way that's like crossing your senses together. Hearing familiar melodies and lyrics flow into other familiar melodies and lyrics was a true joy... and shock as well. (Note: I should mention that when I first listened to Our Finest Flowers I was probably only familiar with about 20% of the source material)

The latest Residents live shows have radically transformed the existing sounds of The Residents' previous (and in some cases, present and future as well) works. I mean, I guess the old Residents live shows have too, but these more modern shows transform the source material much more than just adapting the song to what a live band can practically produce. The exciting thing about hearing one of these new performances for the first time is that at the start of every song it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what song they're playing. The melody seems so familiar... and when you finally realize what song they're playing it's so exciting. OMG! They're playing this song, I've only listened to it hundreds of times, and it only took me a minute to figure it out!

So, all of those emotions are combined in this album. Every new cover introduced tends to confuse me for a few seconds while I figure out what they're actually playing, then I feel joy and excitement when I realize what it is. Then I think "wow, this is an interesting interpretation of the original song. GOOD COVER!". Then it flows into another song and I think "WOW this is a connection I've never made before!". And it keeps on going until the end.

Of course, there are some special moments in this album that fit outside of this emotional loop. The endings of most of the tracks of the album are quite special, the ending of the "Lingering Illusions" in particular messed me up a great deal. Also the ending to the album as a whole is just... silly, beautiful, triumphant, and... well... special! The last bit of the actual "megamix" as I described it earlier is also just... wow. As I was hearing the final moments of all these weird covers it blended into one last cover. It sounded familiar to me... what was this a cover of? And where had I heard this cover before? Then it hit me and I suddenly was overwhelmed by memories. Once that final song bit fades out, all that's left is something else and there is no more to say.

レジデンツはほとんど日本人だけど、誰も知らない。

goatie

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #7 on: August 28, 2018, 01:36:04 pm »
The album also plays really well in a large space.  I had only heard it in headphones, but last night they played it in Rough Trade Records during Homer's signing, and it took on new levels.

JoshBrown

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2018, 11:58:02 pm »
I felt the album was too midi-heavy and similar to the most current Residents' projects. I listened to many of the songs on the site and my favorite one didn't make it. :-(

zebehnn

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2018, 11:53:53 am »
there werent too much midi involved here ??
maybe one or two artists

i love it all

Mandaliet

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #10 on: September 03, 2018, 03:41:26 pm »
This project has been the most enjoyable music experience I've had in a long time. Listening to everyone's submissions was lots of fun and gave me new appreciation for songs I'd listened to many times. Then when they released the mash-up, I was blown away. Somehow they took a great thing and multiplied its greatness by 100. It's too bad this has such limited appeal; I kind of doubt it would be as enjoyable to people who aren't already familiar with most of the songs. I want to force my friends to listen to it and ask them what they think, but that's probably a bad idea.

A while ago someone put all the songs into a YouTube video. It's 11 and a half hours long! Recently I listened to the whole thing (it only took me a week) and noted down when each song started, so if you go look at the comments you can find that and quickly jump to different tracks.


(Apparently I can't just do a text link with a video.)

Mandaliet

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #11 on: September 03, 2018, 05:34:17 pm »
In other YouTube news, I just discovered that the entire album (including the 24 covers that were on the second CD) has been uploaded there: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxaBWbCyTVFvF_7WeklUN57ZzkLrZpkqh

Agrimorfee

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2018, 12:19:55 pm »


A while ago someone put all the songs into a YouTube video. It's 11 and a half hours long! Recently I listened to the whole thing (it only took me a week) and noted down when each song started, so if you go look at the comments you can find that and quickly jump to different tracks.


(Apparently I can't just do a text link with a video.)

Thanks!

Here is my entire video performance of "Hello Skinny" as heard in 'Hello Duck Stab'!
« Last Edit: September 05, 2018, 12:21:33 pm by Agrimorfee »

Meisekimiu

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2018, 05:38:04 pm »
It's too bad this has such limited appeal; I kind of doubt it would be as enjoyable to people who aren't already familiar with most of the songs. I want to force my friends to listen to it and ask them what they think, but that's probably a bad idea.

SAME! I think it's such a neat album with tons of great moments and when compared to a lot of Rz albums it's pretty "easy listening" in the sense that you don't need to read a booklet alongside it or anything like that, and so in my head that equals "much more accessible". I know deep down that my friends will probably find it too weird to be pleasant, though, so I spare them the trouble of having to listen to it.
レジデンツはほとんど日本人だけど、誰も知らない。

sittingsinsensesane

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2018, 11:35:08 am »
listened to this thing for the first time in the car, liked it a lot. as i am “unfamiliar” with most of our catalogue it wasn’t as big an experience to me as it was others, but i plan to go back and listen once i’ve stuck my fingers in the entire catalogue, and get the pages of it stuck to my hands before i listen once again to “i am a resident” great work team

zebehnn

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Re: I AM A RESIDENT (Project of the Week for.. awhile)
« Reply #15 on: November 09, 2018, 06:36:16 pm »
proud to be a part of it

i saved all 197 songs too on the page
frequently listents to the ones not on cd 2,lp or only snippets of from cd 1
let pray for i am a resient too (2cd+lp)

love LP and 2CD :)