New Nosound album "Allow Yourself" (5.1 FLAC files with Burning Shed preorder)

[DuncanS]

I've been listening to "Allow Yourself" for sometime now, and the first time I heard some of the tracks I was "What!" they were a shock, but I could hear something interesting in it, its an album that grows on you, it does take a few listens. I find the albums that make me do that stay as favourites (like King Crimson's Islands - which is wildly different to In The Court). After the 3rd listen of AY I went and played all the Nosound in chronological order, and you can hear the progression through the albums towards AY. Allow Yourself is very different to earlier albums, but you can detect the Nosound 'musical signature' all the way through. I find it an incredibly emotive and powerful album, with well thought out and composed songs, Nosound/Giancarlo's best album so far IMHO. Its going to be interesting to find out what others think.

 

[GOS]

I want to comment further. I need to come clean....and this is not meant to be disrespectful in anyway. I'm just trying to "set the table" here so we all understand where I'm coming from.

I would not say I am a nosound fan. By that I mean.....if it weren't for QQ, I would never have heard of your band Giancarlo. In central Illinois, your band name is pretty much unknown.

But....I am a surround sound fanatic...I'm also a big fan of finding music in whatever way possible that moves me. So, I purchased a few of your titles...due to the fact they had surround. I own: Lightdark, Scintilla, Teide 2390. I honestly don't play them too much....but I will say I have hundreds, and hundreds of discs in my closet that I own, so that is part of the problem. I am 55 years old....and a fan of straight up rock and roll....but since finding Porcupine Tree, have ventured into a territory I didn't know I loved. From there......I fan out to other bands....

Bottom line, I love great music. I think you guys make great music. I am not in any way worried that you have potentially changed your sound in some way. I made sure to go back and replay some of your titles I own......I like many of the tunes, here and there. Good stuff.

What I think I'm hearing now, is a very much more direct connection to emotion in your vocals. It's quite noticeable....I dig it. Shelter, Don't You Dare and My Drug have just played as I type this. I really do love the emotion...it pulls me in and makes me wonder what the heck is going on here.....so much feeling.

I would say, bottom line, I think this is spectacular. Do I like every single song and every moment of every song? No....but there are some really wonderful, striking moments.

I have noticed that some songs have periods of very loud sequences in the rear channels...and I do find them distracting sometimes.....but I'm guessing you wanted to bring that sound out for a reason.

So, from a non hard core fan, whatsoever....I say.....bravo! Great release...and might be my favorite from you that I own so far.

 

[nosound]

I want to comment further. I need to come clean....and this is not meant to be disrespectful in anyway. I'm just trying to "set the table" here so we all understand where I'm coming from.

I would not say I am a nosound fan. By that I mean.....if it weren't for QQ, I would never have heard of your band Giancarlo. In central Illinois, your band name is pretty much unknown.

But....I am a surround sound fanatic...I'm also a big fan of finding music in whatever way possible that moves me. So, I purchased a few of your titles...due to the fact they had surround. I own: Lightdark, Scintilla, Teide 2390. I honestly don't play them too much....but I will say I have hundreds, and hundreds of discs in my closet that I own, so that is part of the problem. I am 55 years old....and a fan of straight up rock and roll....but since finding Porcupine Tree, have ventured into a territory I didn't know I loved. From there......I fan out to other bands....

Bottom line, I love great music. I think you guys make great music. I am not in any way worried that you have potentially changed your sound in some way. I made sure to go back and replay some of your titles I own......I like many of the tunes, here and there. Good stuff.

What I think I'm hearing now, is a very much more direct connection to emotion in your vocals. It's quite noticeable....I dig it. Shelter, Don't You Dare and My Drug have just played as I type this. I really do love the emotion...it pulls me in and makes me wonder what the heck is going on here.....so much feeling.

I would say, bottom line, I think this is spectacular. Do I like every single song and every moment of every song? No....but there are some really wonderful, striking moments.

I have noticed that some songs have periods of very loud sequences in the rear channels...and I do find them distracting sometimes.....but I'm guessing you wanted to bring that sound out for a reason.

So, from a non hard core fan, whatsoever....I say.....bravo! Great release...and might be my favorite from you that I own so far.

Thanks for this message, this might be the best ‘non fan’ review I read so far!

I keep coming back to this forum and do 5.1 because I know mostly music lovers, in general, like it, and I’m always more proud to be part of this community and in direct contact with some of you (hey Duncan!).

This album is indeed all about being direct, pulling in with raw emotions, and ditching anything not needed for that..so your words are very true to me.

And hey I think I don’t even like every moment of/or every song

I definitely agree this is my best work so far, marks a more mature and free and evolving approach that I worked very hard to reach, and I’m very happy to share it with you guys and bring it forward from now on.

Sorry to read rears are distracting for you..I definitely wanted them to be loud sometimes and ‘wall of sound’ while leaving the focus amd dynamics in front..but is just my approach, sadly (for me at least!) most of the surrounds I hear tend to be very analytical and not so much emotional. So I do my ones the way I feel emotions for me..that is a very non alalytical and torrential/loud disordered way.

I hope the album will grow even more...and as Duncan knows, there might be another surprise in line if you guys will help with itas usual with your support...more on that soon.

And I hope to see some of you guys in Netherlands in December at our gig with my workshop and live mixing in 5.1

 

[nosound]

By the way...this is the new video/single, This Night...maybe some of you are still not convinced..in that case, ask PM for the surround flac of this single if you liked it

 

[GOS]

I hesitate to make these comments as I know all artists don't want to be compared to others....but in a couple of moments, I was thinking......I hear some Tame Impala and then I think I hear some Radiohead.......both of whom I love by the way.....

Sorry if that isn't what you want to hear Giancarlo......just my ears.

 

[nosound]

I hesitate to make these comments as I know all artists don't want to be compared to others....but in a couple of moments, I was thinking......I hear some Tame Impala and then I think I hear some Radiohead.......both of whom I love by the way.....

Sorry if that isn't what you want to hear Giancarlo......just my ears.

Actually I don't mind too much when they come from people comparing to artists in an objective way....what often annoys me is for example people coming from Prog forcing a comparison only with such a small pond of all the music in the world...considering I love bands like Tame Impala and Radiohead and I really never liked prog apart from one album from King Crimson and maybe two from Genesis..that's annoying :-D

Otherwise is all fine, as I said those two bands I do really like them

 

[GOS]

Is there a poll for this? Maybe not......
It's growing on me the more I listen. I would vote an 8.......only thing holding me back from a 9 is the overall fidelity. That said, the "rough" sound is what they were looking for in some of the passages...I know that. Anyway....

Content = 10 (I love the way it sounds and I love the songs and the drama)
Surround mix = 8
Fidelity = 8

Sorry, didn't do the math...does that average to 8? lmao

 

[nosound]

Is there a poll for this? Maybe not......
It's growing on me the more I listen. I would vote an 8.......only thing holding me back from a 9 is the overall fidelity. That said, the "rough" sound is what they were looking for in some of the passages...I know that. Anyway....

Content = 10 (I love the way it sounds and I love the songs and the drama)
Surround mix = 8
Fidelity = 8

Sorry, didn't do the math...does that average to 8? lmao

Would be great to have a poll indeed...considering that is also a free download with every purchase, would be great!

I think the average is probably 8.something, but doesn’t matter..as for the rough sound, I like to call them ‘true analog’ sounds without washing the sounds or over producing them. Is just a question of taste...I notice that many of the prog stuff I’m trying to get Nosound away from sound very ‘perfect’ and almost fake to my ears now, and too washed out in walls of sounds and effects, while the big modern productions I love (Radiohead, The National, Bowie) go exactly the opposite...reading some interviews with Tony Visconti (arguable one of the biggest producers of good rock music) he said that this is one of the secret of the best productions..less production and more real/good sounds from the start And I discovered he’s terribly right to my ears

That said, is absolutely subjective so thank you for your great votes, and yes I hope there will be a poll, not sure how itnworks though

 

[Robert van Diggele]

Is there a poll for this? Maybe not......
It's growing on me the more I listen. I would vote an 8.......only thing holding me back from a 9 is the overall fidelity. That said, the "rough" sound is what they were looking for in some of the passages...I know that. Anyway....

Content = 10 (I love the way it sounds and I love the songs and the drama)
Surround mix = 8
Fidelity = 8

Sorry, didn't do the math...does that average to 8? lmao

8.66666 so that would be a 9

 

[nosound]

8.66666 so that would be a 9

Ahahah fair enough!

Getting first reviews is quite clear that if Scintilla got really polarised reviews, AY got them even more polarised...basically most of the prog/metalprog hard core *zines don't get it at all, as they only notice that they miss what they expect from a prog/metalprog album (guitars, polished/fake production, long/elaborated/wanking instrumental sections, boombastic moments) and there's none here because is not a prog/metalprog album.

The others instead, including new people we never reached before, absolutely love it and underline more and more the emotional content and the variety of it, that means they can get to the essence of an album (I would not mind someone saying that they didn't like it for its essence and not for its non-prog form).

So...back to poll...I suppose some moderator can do it

 

[Robert van Diggele]

@rtbluray is the man for hi rez polls.

 

[rtbluray]

@rtbluray is the man for hi rez polls.

It's done.

 

[nosound]

Cheers everyone!

So let me know what you think about this....

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/index.php?threads/nosound-allow-yourself-flac.25470/

 

[DuncanS]

Has everybody who bought "Allow Yourself" from Burning Shed been able to download and use the 5.1 FLAC? If not PM me.

 

[colsky]

I'm listening to the 5.1 flac now for the first time. First impressions - nice music (yes, a bit different for them, but you can still tell its Nosound, vocals a bit rawer than usual for them in places). Very good surround mix. I'm enjoying it

 

[Which_One_Is_Pink]

I was finally able to download the "Allow Yourself" files from Burning Shed (took about 20 tries over a couple of weeks before I finally got a completed download. Network issues, so it said) and was finally able correct a problem I had playing files from my laptop) and was finally able to listen to the 5.1 I already listened to the CD a couple of times so I knew I liked the music. I will need to give the 5.1 some further listens before I judge that aspect, but I will say that it sounded pretty good on 1st listen, different but good .

 

[DuncanS]

Is anybody going to get to the Crosslands Festival in the Netherlands - 29th December I think. Giancarlo has posted this, https://www.facebook.com/nosoundnet/ (I'm not on Farcebook just used the Windows Snip tool!)

 

[user 1679]

Well, looks as if there will another one to add to my "looking forward to 5.1 releases for 2019" list!

 

[DuncanS]

Well, looks as if there will another one to add to my "looking forward to 5.1 releases for 2019" list!

The last time I talked to Giancarlo he wasn't sure he would have a 5.1 mix of the solo album , but musically I do like what I have heard so far.

 

[nosound]

The last time I talked to Giancarlo he wasn't sure he would have a 5.1 mix of the solo album , but musically I do like what I have heard so far.

Actually I might be able to do the same I did with the last Nosound, providing surround for all purchases from our store The price of the CD alone is anyway what you would pay for a download FLAC surround...and you get the cd...or like some did, they purchased the CD only to have the download of surround and 'donated' the CD to us to sell at gigs..very nice gesture...and they got postage refund obviously