Aphex Twin or Karnivool?

[PixelDream]

Yeah the two have absolutely nothing in common. Except for the fact they're both pretty much amazing.

They're programmed at the same time on the Lowlands festival in Holland. Which one should I go to? I really can't make up my mind and I'm letting you decide I guess.

[Jamesman42]

Hmm. Karnivool id imagine are more energetic. Definitely love AT more though and it'd be cool to see how his stuff translates live.

[mizzl]

Yeah the two have absolutely nothing in common. Except for the fact they're both pretty much amazing.

They're programmed at the same time on the Lowlands festival in Holland. Which one should I go to? I really can't make up my mind and I'm letting you decide I guess.

YEAHHH Im going to lowlands aswell. Im gonna see Aphex Twin though definitely

[PixelDream]

Yeah the two have absolutely nothing in common. Except for the fact they're both pretty much amazing.

They're programmed at the same time on the Lowlands festival in Holland. Which one should I go to? I really can't make up my mind and I'm letting you decide I guess.

YEAHHH Im going to lowlands aswell. Im gonna see Aphex Twin though definitely

Cool man, Lowlands is an incredible festival. Haven't skipped a year since I went for the first time (2007).

Yeah he's quite the pioneer. My only thing is that I know all the Karnivool songs way better, and when I got into Sound Awake last year, I couldn't wait to see them live. Now the opportunity arises..

Aphex Twin starts 15 minutes earlier, so I can just go to AT first. If it's really great, then too bad about Karnivool I guess.

[ClairvoyantCat]

I'd definitely go for Aphex Twin.  That's just me, though.  

[Nekov]

Never hear anything from Karnivool. So I'd say Aphex Twin

[Zantera]

Aphex Twin, though I still really like Karnivool.

[zxlkho]

KARNIVOOL!

[mizzl]

Yeah the two have absolutely nothing in common. Except for the fact they're both pretty much amazing.

They're programmed at the same time on the Lowlands festival in Holland. Which one should I go to? I really can't make up my mind and I'm letting you decide I guess.

YEAHHH Im going to lowlands aswell. Im gonna see Aphex Twin though definitely

Cool man, Lowlands is an incredible festival.

This. Amazingly wonderful festival with great atmosphere/mood/activities even though the artists that perform aren't that interesting(except for AT o/c). Now if PT/Radiohead/Anathema would come

[PixelDream]

Yeah the two have absolutely nothing in common. Except for the fact they're both pretty much amazing.

They're programmed at the same time on the Lowlands festival in Holland. Which one should I go to? I really can't make up my mind and I'm letting you decide I guess.

YEAHHH Im going to lowlands aswell. Im gonna see Aphex Twin though definitely

Cool man, Lowlands is an incredible festival.

This. Amazingly wonderful festival with great atmosphere/mood/activities even though the artists that perform aren't that interesting(except for AT o/c). Now if PT/Radiohead/Anathema would come

Exactly this. Lowlands has a weird tendency to go for the 'indie' and 'hip' bands. I've been checking out the programme all day, but this band is the first I encounter who are truly interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5FSF1K1evo

Radiohead they've been trying to do for years, doesn't really work out I guess. And indeed Anathema.. I was at their gig a few months ago and there were like 300 people. They were amazing, way better than most of the indie-electro-folk whatever stuff they're programming. Fleet Foxes sound good though. I'd just wish for some more GOOD guitar bands.. not bands where the guitarists aren't playing their instrument most of the time, and when they do it's not much more than some uninspired chord or riff. Karnivool really seems out of place on the bill, in that aspect.

[zxlkho]

I'd pay so much money to see Anathema again. Their performance was amazing.

[PixelDream]

I'd pay so much money to see Anathema again. Their performance was amazing.

Hell yeah. I'll remember that gig forever.

[zxlkho]

Well we got a bit of a different show than you Europeans. They did an all acoustic performance when they opened for Blackfield.

When it was done I bought all of the merch.

[mizzl]

Yeah the two have absolutely nothing in common. Except for the fact they're both pretty much amazing.

They're programmed at the same time on the Lowlands festival in Holland. Which one should I go to? I really can't make up my mind and I'm letting you decide I guess.

YEAHHH Im going to lowlands aswell. Im gonna see Aphex Twin though definitely

Cool man, Lowlands is an incredible festival.

This. Amazingly wonderful festival with great atmosphere/mood/activities even though the artists that perform aren't that interesting(except for AT o/c). Now if PT/Radiohead/Anathema would come

Exactly this. Lowlands has a weird tendency to go for the 'indie' and 'hip' bands. I've been checking out the programme all day, but this band is the first I encounter who are truly interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5FSF1K1evo

Radiohead they've been trying to do for years, doesn't really work out I guess. And indeed Anathema.. I was at their gig a few months ago and there were like 300 people. They were amazing, way better than most of the indie-electro-folk whatever stuff they're programming. Fleet Foxes sound good though. I'd just wish for some more GOOD guitar bands.. not bands where the guitarists aren't playing their instrument most of the time, and when they do it's not much more than some uninspired chord or riff. Karnivool really seems out of place on the bill, in that aspect.

Yeah the indiehip bands have indeed taken over, where the only difference between one band and the next is the vocalist. And of course you have the electronic artists who are kinda awesome to dance to etc, but still not a lot of quality bands. I will check out White Denim tho, and prolly Fleet Foxes as well. Anathema is pretty viable IMO for LL.

[zxlkho]

Fleet Foxes are there? Shit man, they're awesome.

[Dr. DTVT]

VandenlolPlas 

[black_biff_stadler]

Alls I know by Aphex Twin is Come to Daddy which is pretty awesome but I'd never heard Karnivool till now. Listening to All I Know on youtube right now and I'm liking it a lot. I'd lean toward Karnivool as of now.

[jag66]

"i'm frying vedgetables with cheese, if you please" - Aphex Twin wins 

[Jamesman42]

I wish the milkman would deliver my milk...in the morning


Stone in Focus by AT is a top 10 song ever for me. I could fall asleep to that every night of my life and it would never get old.

[Jirpo]

I've never heard Aphex Twin so I can't say, but I love Karnivool.

[LCArenas]

Karnivool. Definitely Karnivool.

[Gorille85]

I'd definitely go for Aphex Twin.  That's just me, though.  

[Sigz]

Aphex Twin easily.

[Riceball]

Dont listen to these guys, Karnivool for sure. They are a truly brilliant live band.

[PixelDream]

OK so this got a bit out of hand, but I got back from the festival so this thing goes a bit further than wether I chose for Aphex or Karnivool. I'm always so euphoric about the festival when I come back, and kind of depressed that the festival is behind us. As a result I keep talking about it for days with people, and they seem to enjoy hearing about it. So I'm making this quite long post. Whatever. I'm still hungover from three days of constant alcohol. It's crazy, but it's either almost no alcohol at all OR drinking the entire time and waking up with a mix of whiskey and water. I'm sorry, but the latter is just a bit more fun.

The festival was awesome as usual. Bands during daytime, and from 0:00 until 5:00 DJ's everywhere. If by then you still aren't wasted, you can party in the 24/7 tent. The design and features of the festival are amazing, atmosphere is great and everyone was extremely happy. Talking to someone you don't know is not a problem at all. The festival has music, film, theater, comedy, (street)art. As far as eating and drinking goes, it's as diverse as the line up of the festival. You're basically in a utopia for 3 full days.

Anyway, I chose for Karnivool and managed to get some friends with me, in spite of Aphex Twin playing elsewhere. Karnivool blew my mind. They truly master the dynamics live as much as on the albums. Vocals were spot on and as far as the presentation goes, they were just rockin'. They gave so much energy and the crowd really liked it.

My friends liked them as well, despite of them not having heard them before. Two of them were even completely blown away. I thought they were the best 'heavy' band on the festival (there were very little of them). Later I saw a review that rated their performance at the festival 4/10. The reviewer called them a pure Tool-ripoff and suggested Avenged Sevenfold should be the 'heavy' band next time because they are far better. The worst part is, that a lot of people read these reviews and take them seriously. I feel really bad for Karnivool because they really don't deserve to be destroyed by such an idiot.

The other highlight was Trentemoller Live in Concert. Truly transcendent. He's the sole reason I got interested in Techno at all. But with this live band, it was just batshit insanely epic and theatrical. There were hot females as guitarists, playing surf/western riffs, various amazing vocalists and a really good harmonica solo. At one point the entire band left the stage, and Trentemoller played his most beautiful song 'Miss You' alone on some sort of xylophone. Really simple but extremely beautiful in a kind of Sigur Ros way.

I danced on tables in the Vietnamese food tent with lots of people to Dr. Dre's 'The Next Episode' and saw people jumping into giant tanks filled with big plastic balls. Did a workshop ballet. Saw an orchestra play Shostakovich's 10th. Tried out some herbal xtc that's available at the festival. Encouraged drunk people to run into plants or dive into containers just because they enjoyed doing it themselves. I saw strippers in the 'Titty Twister' bar (yeah, they actually got that from 'From Dusk 'til Dawn'. Oh yeah, there's some good music as well.

My top 5 - not much rock 'n roll, but the festival just didn't have that this year:

1. Trentemoller
2. Karnivool
3. Elbow (I didn't see them because I opted for Amon Tobin, but I really like them and I saw some pro shot footage of their show @ Lowlands and it's truly magical. Maybe they would've been my no. 1 if I would've been there.
4. Borgore and Trolley Snatcha. I've never thrashed so hard in my entire life. Dubstep is the shit.
5. Amon Tobin presents ISAM live. An audiovisual sensation. This guy is futuristic.

Trentemoller live at the Lowlands Festival. It's an excerpt and it's a really straightforward piece of the show. But it just rocks, doesn't it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW1R2OkLOMI&feature=related

Another part of the show, his song 'Vamp'. Stoner-Techno?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_njnvKn2Pd8&feature=related

Bottom line

Go to this festival, it's awesome.

And now I'm done, thanks DTF.

[zxlkho]

My friends liked them as well, despite of them not having heard them before. Two of them were even completely blown away. I thought they were the best 'heavy' band on the festival (there were very little of them). Later I saw a review that rated their performance at the festival 4/10. The reviewer called them a pure Tool-ripoff and suggested Avenged Sevenfold should be the 'heavy' band next time because they are far better. The worst part is, that a lot of people read these reviews and take them seriously. I feel really bad for Karnivool because they really don't deserve to be destroyed by such an idiot.

What the fuck man? Is this review online? I really want to read it...

[j]

WTF I have NO IDEA where the Tool comparisons come from.  I hear that repeated all the time about various bands, including Karnivool, and I can only assume that the "reviewers" have never heard the band they are reviewing.

-J

[zxlkho]

I definitely think they're influenced by Tool, but they certainly have a very unique and original sound...

[PixelDream]

Here it is: https://lowlands.vpro.nl/2011/item/C5793AC58A6BC5089E9F3386C2F27F73.html

It's in Dutch. But whatever man, they rated Arctic Monkeys a 9/10.

[zxlkho]

What the hell? I'll run it through a translator and see if that works.

[Riceball]

I've gotta say, Karnivool are one of the most unique bands I've heard; I don't hear any Tool influence at all. Their sound is purely their own.

Period, really.

[zxlkho]

Translation from Google:

Karnivool stabbing remains in Tool epigonism
Streamlined machine does not rise above themselves

-
Karnivool is sometimes called the Australian Tool. They are still touring on their 2009 released album in Sound Awake . In December, they made ​​their Dutch debut at the Amsterdam Melkweg. Lowlands to 2011 are the closing act in the India tent. CONCERT Karnivool, Lowlands India, Sunday, August 21, 2011 MUSIC Indeed, what does seem very much like Karnivool Tool. They add only a modest dose of prog-rock and math to it. In the first issue has been diving on a xylophone. Later one keeps them under control, that is, within the limits of the idiom Tool. PLUS Karnivool is technically a streamlined machine. They are excellent musicians and the songs roll off perfectly. So the good news.


MIN
Really at all our thoughts go out to the prototype tool. The little prog rock touches to crave more. That's where the band it stands. But no, it all stays neatly inside the lines, and also uniform. Thus the action of the half-full tent Karnivool a long journey. CONCLUSION This type of acts should be in a festival to rise above itself. With an epic song that no one will ever forget, with a sing-along that the whole place gets flat, a ballad goosebumps on my part. And it does not hurt if you have some theatrical antics and special effects in your home. But none of that in the Karnivool: the songs rumble on and is visually static. If they had a heavy rock band for next year look for the Alpha, then I'd rather see an Avenged Sevenfold, a few months ago, impressed Pinkpop. NUMBER: 4

[PixelDream]

I've gotta say, Karnivool are one of the most unique bands I've heard; I don't hear any Tool influence at all. Their sound is purely their own.

Period, really.

Agreed. Lead vocals are a bit more poppy, the tracks are more song-oriented, the general tempo is higher, there's two guitars, and all in all - despite of the 'songs' - maybe even more technical than Tool. The reviewer just uses Tool to discredit Karnivool because he heard they were called the 'Australian Tool'. This reviewer should be discredited. Why does everything have to be indie these days?

[zxlkho]

Well I don't know if his review implied that it should be more 'indie.' He did suggest having Avenged Sevenfold next year.

[Riceball]

I'll agree with the by-line, in that they are epicly good at their art but don't go all wanky-woo like alot of other bands with similar chops. Their newest track - which was demoed at their last show I went to in Perth earlier this year (I think it's called the Rundown) is very proggy by comparison to Sound Awake and is a bit less mechanical too.

I suppose, in the reviewer's defence, they did take four years to write their follow up to Themata. They spent, from what I've heard around the traps, 3.5 of those years demo-ing, shopping, editing and tweaking tracks after writing them within a few weeks of entering the studio; which IMO gives that really mechanical, methodical sound to the album. 4/10 though? Please.

EDIT: I've said it before and I'll say it until his voice blows out: Ian Kenny is one of the greatest vocalists going around right now, if you like his voice check out Birds of Tokyo (another awesome product of the Perth music scene, he's front man for them too).