Pantha du Prince: This Bliss [Dial]

"Urlichten" is the song playing on my stereo right now. This whole record is fantastic. I think "Walden 2" is my favorite track this week.

You ever have really good creeper bud, where you go around for 20 minutes not realizing what is happening to your head, but then there's this moment of realization where you're like, "Holy shit, I'm really high!" That's what walking around listening to this album on headphones is like. My #1 of 2007.

Jeez his animal collective remix is really tops.

Honestly, there are times where Pantha (not necesarilly the AC remix, just his stuff in general) reminds me why I like music in the first place.

For awhile this was in my Top 5 for the year, though I'm not sure that's still the case; I haven't been calibrating my favorites with any real attention to detail recently. But this is an absolutely gorgeous album for sure.

love love love this album.

It's really lovely but there's something that prevents me from ever wanting to listen all the way through in one sitting. Perhaps its the limitations of the sound palette but there are some amazing melodic touches in there.

Would I like this?

I think so.

I may investigate.

i tried to buy immer 2 a few months ago in a shop and the clerk was like, "look, you can buy this, and it's good, or you can buy this.." there was a sign over it that said "FUCKING MASTERPIECE," so i took his advice.

Why has this one been talked about/covered so much more than Diamond Daze?

vampire techno

like anne rice style vampires

don't believe me?

andy, because this is much better than Diamond Daze.

one of the 3 best albums of the year, imo.

i picked up the animal collective single tonight and does indeed rock. thanks for the tip melht.

wow, it's better than anything on this bliss which is really saying something.

i wasn't feeling the peacebone remix at all at first, but after about ten or so listens, it's startling how much my opinion's changed. i love it. starts off so unassuming, then a slow, ever so subtle progression into a real banger of a track, i wish it would keep going another ten minutes!

anyone know of an online store i could pick up the AC remix 12"?

not sure if Juno is out of stock, but they don't have it :(

arr.. the Domino site.

Still my #1, after some consideration and lots of shuffling around of playlists. I think it's at about 4:08 of the first track that I made up my mind over again.

And who said they can't listen to it all the way through? Rong.

Can't listen all the way thru!?

But... but... but then how do you get to its meisterstück, "Steiner Im Flug"!?

I finally bought it (issues of loyalty to record stores that haven't been able to get it in, as well as delayed release in north america (I think) held me back) and it's pretty much what I'd expect this to be, nothing short of sublime.

I'm dead serious when I say Pantha du Prince reminds me why I like music in the first place. Listening to this, It almost put me back to when I just first started listening to electronic music, and probably back to when I first heard a melody that I just couldn't get over. I got this distinct feeling halfway through the album of being 16 again and first listening to Lawrence (obviously the similarity of the two artists factors in, but Lawrence was one of the first techno/house producers I started listening to, and one of the very first I felt really strongly about)and just being amazed at this new (to me) music which was just so mesmerizing and astonishing. And Pantha du Prince brings that feeling back, and he puts everything since then into context, he provides this amazing feeling of hearing something that feels like it's the first time combined with the familiarity and knowledge that comes with experience.
For me, he is honestly one of those artists that only comes once in every few couple years, if that.

I think this is pretty pleasant.

-- BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, February 26, 2007 6:04 PM (7 months ago) Bookmark Link
Nice and chilly, this is.

-- BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, February 26, 2007 10:35 PM

"Jeez his animal collective remix is really tops.
Honestly, there are times where Pantha (not necesarilly the AC remix, just his stuff in general) reminds me why I like music in the first place."

OTM. This record is killing me right now !

good for this time of year. slips into a cool gray day in a sort of unassuming fashion, and then gradually buoys you up...

see this is the type of shit that condemns me to spending too much time reading about and listening to music - to think that i might have missed THIS.

Two new remixes of his out recently: solomun , and errrm, someone else I can't remember, but of a track called deep tunnels, which has a lot of potential if it sounds like the title suggests. Downloaded the solomun one, haven't listened to it yet, but it sounds like a good remix, more dark and straightforward. Anyone heard the first one I mentioned?

Phew, that being said, I think I should give This Bliss another whirl, and freaking buy Diamond Daze as soon as I can, it too is quite brilliant.

boomkat sample of "deep tunnel" (the original is by 'blunt')(no, i haven't heard of him before either)(lousy name) sounds really nice. i have the solomun remix somewhere, but for some reason it didn't really stick with me, might have to give it a re-listen.

the whole of "deep tunnel" is really nice. also, its predictably pretty, but if can't really get enough melancholy minimal tech with orchestral flourishes (i'm not sure i can) check out his remix of raz ohara and the odd orchestra's "kisses".

was pondering earlier that this bliss might actually be my "album of the year".

I forgot to mention kisses, which I've kind of previewed to mixed feelings, but don't listen to that because it's very much the kind of thing you need to hear from beginning to end.

In my end of the year list which is still in progress, I made a conscious decision to limit it to 1 track per artist, as otherwise it would just be This Bliss! Honestly though, Saturn Strobe (my #1), Florac, and the Peacebone remix are all top 10 for sure.

here's Howard Skempton's utterly sublime "Lento" which Pantha used as the basis for "Saturn Strobe". it was good of him to give Skempton the entire writing credit for the track but a little shameful of him to mis-credit the track to "Robert Skempton" on the sleeve! i sent this to a friend of mine a while back and he messaged me tonight to say that it had just brought him to the verge of tears.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/sol35z

Thanks! I love Saturn Strobe and thought it must be a sample, but I had no idea what.

Blissful mix of soaring techno from Pantha for Sonar 2008 on RBMA Radio. Do yourself a favor and check it out, esp if you've been pining for something similar after his last record.

is there an archive of this or other red bull shows for download anywhere?

i've been asked that question many times. i would love to have all these great mixes as podcasts. to answer your question, no i havent been able to find a means to dl these.

cool--anxious to hear this. just got This Bliss on vinyl--sweet!

must listen to this again as it bored me first time around... is ot more an autumn / winter thing?

where exactly is this mix found?

Good God!

From http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1750&Itemid=26

There's no news like really fucking good news. One of our favourite labels in the world, Hamburg's Dial Records, has revealed its release plans for 2009, prompting at least one member of the FACT editorial team to wet himself.

First up, it looks as though there'll be a new Pantha Du Prince album hitting shelves before the year is out. The last album by Pantha AKA Henrik Weber (pictured above), This Bliss, was one of the albums of 2007, and it's shaping up to be one of the albums of the decade n'all. Details of its follow-up are scarce (i.e. non-existent), but we're reliably informed that it's going to surface "late 2009". It will be preceded in the early part of the year by a new 12" (dial45).

The most imminent Dial release is an EP collection entitled Pyramid Drift, due out on February 2nd. It features post-punk legend Momus along with Christoph de Babalon, Efdemin and Arises. This will be followed by Christian Naujok's debut LP on March 16th, which we're told will "deliver Marimba instrumentals, 12tone r 'n' b, piano pieces and endearing pop songs!"

In late April, Phantom/Ghost return with a new album, Thrown Out of Drama School, and 12" releases from Pigon and John Roberts are in the pipeline too. As if that's not enough, an album is expected from Pawel in the latter part of the year, while Carsten Jost is working on new material and Dial boss/figurehead Lawrence has completed an LP for release on Mule Electronic in late summer.

News comes and news goes, but this is too good of an announcement to help start to the new year

the new 12" is this big ominous riff that dissipates into this noodly melodic thing about 2/3rds of the way though, really great.

I love PdP and Behind The Stars. But it makes it pretty obvious that his template is:

1: Create nice chord progression: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6

2: ----- C1 C2 ------------------ C3 C4 ---- C5 C6 -----

Where - is beats + tweaking

"Pantha du Prince signed to Rough Trade Records. New album Black Noise to be released on Rough Trade on the 8th of Febuary 2010.

Black Noise includes collaborations with Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear of Animal Collective and Tyler Pope of !!! and LCD Soundsystem. Prepared instruments played on location in Swiss by Joachim Schütz, Stephan Abry and Hendrik Weber. "

Intrigued, at the very least. The last single - "Behind The Stars" wasn't that engaging, but given that "This Bliss" still delivers sublime listening (even if xpost kinda sullied the whole thing with pointing out the trick) and is even now frequently listened to, I'm looking forward to the new album.

Dear Pantha,

Please get Panda Bear the fuck off this thing right now.

Yours,

Matt DC

have been loving efdemin's s/t lately

Feeling like I should love "Elements of Light" ... but I don't.

^^

the human bell-players aren't as tight as machines + he doesn't get to play with timbre the same way

Had a late night Dial Records shopping spree ... Phantom Ghost, Ursprung and Christian Naujoks albums now in the post.

x-post: maybe. i usually love hearing people hitting bells and usually love pantha du prince but i like the * idea * of it more than the actual result.

The new Lawrence single is making me want a new full-length too. But Elements Of Light is plenty sufficient.

Any thoughts on the new Lawrence album?

I still have to hear it properly but the samples didn't excite me much :(

I wish he'd kept to the sleeves being monochrome plants/old photographs.

I have time for Lawrence definitely, but agree with mmmm on this one, nothing in the samples is making me think about buying it

It is a nice album but the Etoile Du Midi single features the two best tracks from it.

Just repress The Absence of Bliss already!

Lol, I mean Absence of Blight. S/T Lawrence album too!

Succumbed and bought it. On a couple of plays (admittedly, whilst driving so I may have been missing detail) it didn't seem particularly special: like Lawrence but ... less so.

New Efdemin album in March.

A Sunday evening playing of Lawrence's "Lowlights from the past and future" ... beautiful.

Never did hear the Efdemin album ... any good?

Good but not great, not quite as ~emo~ as most of this thread.

In the mood for something "Lawrence-ish". (Recent) Recommendations?

might not be quite what you are looking for but we've all been late for tea once or twice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXlxpiZtfig

and its 2011 but it suddenly popped in there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mci6yWwWuCo

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?2466

http://pitchfork.com/news/63649-pantha-du-prince-returns-with-first-solo-album-in-six-years-shares-the-winter-hymn-video/

Can't believe a) that I'd totally missed a new album and b) that I've lost my copy of "This Bliss". "Black Noise" sounding just right tonight, though.

the lack of chatter on this thread seems to confirm my thoughts that this new album isn't anything special

Yeah, I was interpreting that, too.

I've lost track of Lawrence since he released an album in a non-monochromatic sleeve ... but sometimes I'll find an old track on a compilation that sounds just incredible.

dude constantly gets mentioned along with early Pantha (which is my favorite Pantha), however I can't remember a single track he's ever done. also he's impossible to search for.

Lawrence POX thread?

I'd just start with "The Absence of Blight" and see where that takes you.

I really like Lawrence because of the transcience of his material. There's enough going on in it to hold my attention but whenever I listen to his stuff I struggle to recognise it and so it feels new and fresh to me. I can't imagine him going for the emo-bombast of Pantha Du Prince anyway.

I often find myself thinking how Innervisions took the templates of this stuff from Dial and Kompakt and ran with it to become the darlings of European clubbers and Resident Advisor readers, and yet none of the magic of soft sad techno seems to have rubbed off.

New Pantha du Prince! Album 'Conference of Trees' out March 6.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU_o1QpHTkY

Thanks for posting - I'd have easily missed this.

didn't really vibe on much of this including the first few tracks, but "roots making family" and "the crown territory" in particular hit quite nicely. hoping i come around on the rest with more listens.

I'm kinda like you. Love the sound palette of this and a few tracks really hit the spot ("Silentium Larix" and "Pius in Tacet" for me). Needs more spins for sure.

I think it sounds wonderful, but will def take some time getting familiar with

Feel like the response to Conference of Trees was pretty lukewarm. I keep going back to it for the 3 or 4 tracks that I think are great, but I could probably lose the entire first half and not miss it. Really strange album with really strange sequencing. Very slow to reveal itself. But like I said, I keep going back to it.

I liked the ultra chimey single. I must check it out.

Used to listen to PdP and Lawrence all the time ... and they've just fallen off my radar entirely.

Must remedy.

I tried a few things after Black Noise and none of them worked for me. I guess I'll try Conference of Trees.

It's pretty different!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS_dvjdOaaA

This Bliss isn't available on streaming that I've found, which saddens me.

(I do have a digital copy of it ... somewhere ... but I can't just cue it up on Spotify.)

Yeah it's bizarre. Copyright claims from some cathedral whose bell he sampled?

I'm really enjoying Conference of Trees!

Completely missed Lawrence's Music for Plants:

https://lawrencedial.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-plants-2

Really enjoyed hearing Pantha du Prince on Elizabeth Alker's show:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0012rgj

Was in the mood for a wintery mix so possibly very receptive to it.

Still annoyed This Bliss isn’t on streaming.

came here hoping this was now on spotify

Oh, the sampling of this is apparently why it's not available:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT4arTGagPs

(Possibly old news).