i saw these guys live once they sucked
― chaki, Friday, 6 July 2007 02:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Its ok Tant :) Its just I thought "wow how can anyone class VNV as industrial in the first place?" but that said I did kind of get yr point.
hahaha Chaki :D
― Trayce, Friday, 6 July 2007 02:02 (sixteen years ago) link
VNV just remind me of goth clubs in like 2001 with wankers in PVC pants emoting all over the dancefloor to fucking "Darkangel" EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
― Trayce, Friday, 6 July 2007 02:03 (sixteen years ago) link
Though that said, I do like the lyrics:
"I'd only come here seeking peace. I'd only come here seeking me.
It seems I came to leave."
― Trayce, Friday, 6 July 2007 02:04 (sixteen years ago) link
Incidentally, Ned, have you heard of Feeding Fingers? "Fireflies Make Us Sick" is fucking rad post-Cure mope stuff: http://www.justincurfman.com/fireflies.mp3
― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:18 (sixteen years ago) link
I listen.
*does so*
A fairly accurate description.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Rather dry comment there Ned! ;P
― Trayce, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:33 (sixteen years ago) link
my pride, deflated
― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:46 (sixteen years ago) link
I liked the track! I couldn't add anything more to it than what Curtis already said!
I think another key reason I like VNV is that more than any other 'industrial' band of recent years, they celebrate exaltation and hope. (Not a new thing per se at all, obvious forebears like DAF and Nitzer Ebb did as well, but not as consistently and gracefully.)
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Gah theyre not an industrial band!!! I think Covenant and Das Ich and Combichrist and Skinny Puppy and etc might have words to say! *threatening look*
― Trayce, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:51 (sixteen years ago) link
Sorry that said though, I get the exultation thing. Its why I love Apop so much :)
― Trayce, Friday, 6 July 2007 05:53 (sixteen years ago) link
I'd rate the 3 albums I own from them (Praise The Fallen, Empires and Futureperfect) in chronological order. PtF is the more stomping and EBMish. I recall a post in VNV forum from Ronan Harris in which he said he got inspiration for "Empires" from epic trance, Push and the like.
For a favorite song I pick Futureperfect's finale, "Airships". The imagery is so vivid and uplifting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUJ6UMhMguY
― no-nonsense, Friday, 6 July 2007 08:06 (sixteen years ago) link
Well then it's all come full circle, because Mike Dierickx (Push) has always said his biggest influences were EBM and Depeche Mode.
― Siegbran, Friday, 6 July 2007 08:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Why, are Das Ich considered industrial? I always put them firmly in the goth camp, but then again I haven't heard them since '93.
― baaderonixx, Friday, 6 July 2007 09:03 (sixteen years ago) link
Prefer Apop.
― flowersdie, Friday, 6 July 2007 09:26 (sixteen years ago) link
Only thing I know about these guys is my youngest brother (12 years younger) says they're played at Goth Night at the Nectarine Ballroom in Ann Arbor, along with all the same stuff they played at Goth Night when I was going 12 yrs ago (Sisters of Mercy, Front 242, Ministry, etc.)
― MC, Friday, 6 July 2007 12:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Hah - I'm always tempted to go to a goth night to see if they're still playing the stuff I was rocking out to 15 years ago.
― baaderonixx, Friday, 6 July 2007 12:02 (sixteen years ago) link
I was surprised too, but I guess I shouldn't have been. After all 12 yrs ago they were playing 12 year old Bauhaus when I went. Except then I guess they called it Alternative Night.
― MC, Friday, 6 July 2007 12:08 (sixteen years ago) link
A few of my friends tried to get me into VNV Nation for a while, Depeche fan that I am (though I agree with people here that have said they are definitely different bands). There's something about most of VNV's tracks that puts me off though - it's probably supposed to sound singular and driving, but their tracks come off as samey and simplistic to me. Like Trayce, I liked the first few songs I heard, but got bored quickly. I wish they would switch up their style more.
― Vinnie, Friday, 6 July 2007 14:51 (sixteen years ago) link
Um, they do? I have to repeat this again -- while through most of their existence they tended towards the monochromatic, the most recent albums are far more varied in comparison. There is a specific approach they prefer but they are not beholden to it time and again.
I can see how if you've been listening to them for years upon years your impressions may be otherwise, but coming in fresh as I have, I hear a band that has bootstrapped big time in the last couple of years. The timing for me becoming a fan couldn't've been better.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 July 2007 14:55 (sixteen years ago) link
Oh, wow, "The Farthest Star"is making me cry at my desk.
― Tantrum The Cat, Friday, 6 July 2007 16:20 (sixteen years ago) link
It has that impact.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 July 2007 16:23 (sixteen years ago) link
I have to buy this now. Whoah. If I can be an over-earnest fifteen-year-old for a second, I am SO living these lyrics right now.
― Tantrum The Cat, Friday, 6 July 2007 16:32 (sixteen years ago) link
Here's me on VNV. I like their two most recent albums a lot, but that's all I've heard and I don't know shit about electro subgenres. The biggest VNV fan I know is this guy at work whose real job is for some county department and who's a total family man. I've never seen him dress in any goth fashion variants, but who knows what he wears when he goes to shows?
― dr. phil, Friday, 6 July 2007 16:52 (sixteen years ago) link
That's a very deft way of looking at his work (and you actually know about musical details, always helpful ;-) ).
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 6 July 2007 16:54 (sixteen years ago) link
Ah, somehow I missed that you mentioned their newer material was more varied, Ned. And I haven't really heard anything of theirs after 2002, so that makes sense. BUT I did listen to "Farthest Star" and it doesn't sound that different to me than the older stuff. :P Perhaps they just aren't the band for me.
― Vinnie, Monday, 9 July 2007 19:44 (sixteen years ago) link
No worries.
Meantime this is the first post in what could be an extensive project, actually. I'm pondering the next installment.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 July 2007 19:46 (sixteen years ago) link
vnv is one of those bands that i simply can't not associate with the ex who was obsessed with them. i suspect i would rather enjoy them if there wasn't that immediate reaction.
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 03:44 (sixteen years ago) link
Meantime this is the first post in
You Must Be Logged-In to do That!
― energy flash gordon, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 11:08 (sixteen years ago) link
HAY NED guess what I got (but haven't opened yet) yesterday?
― HI DERE, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 12:11 (sixteen years ago) link
:-)
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 12:38 (sixteen years ago) link
Well I hope Dan opened it. Anyway they're back again next month and yes I have my ticket. And this time I'll be able to sing along to just about everything.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 6 August 2007 04:40 (sixteen years ago) link
They're no Interpol.
― brightscreamer, Monday, 6 August 2007 05:06 (sixteen years ago) link
And for that I am eternally grateful.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 6 August 2007 05:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Me on 'The Farthest Star' at Redcat in LA last night
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 January 2008 04:44 (sixteen years ago) link
I will say that Ned's essay is worth a read, even if the song isn't worth a listen ^_________^
― stephen, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 02:56 (sixteen years ago) link
Astounding!
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 20:46 (sixteen years ago) link
Ned, I caught your "best of the year" article and saw how much you repped for these guys, and subsequently have tried giving them a listen. I don't know, maybe the fact that I never found much appeal in Depeche Mode or industrial stuff explains why I can't seem to latch onto these guys. I actually appreciate the naked lyrical approach, but I find something lacking in the delivery.
So, to somewhat echo stephen's comment above, I wish that I enjoyed their music as much as I do your writing!
― dell, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 21:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Hey, nothing wrong with that! I have my idee fixes as much as anyone else.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 21:11 (sixteen years ago) link
Also, gosh, your photos of food that you've been cooking up have been inspiring me. My lunar new year's resolution is to stop wasting so much money on beer and to start spending that money on produce and cook up good not-soley-subsistence quality food.
― dell, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 21:25 (sixteen years ago) link
When that change takes place, I should host a dinner party and soundtrack it with VNV nation.
― dell, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 21:27 (sixteen years ago) link
Also, gosh, your photos of food that you've been cooking up have been inspiring me.
lol join the club ^
― stephen, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 22:15 (sixteen years ago) link
It's all part of my plan (which in sum is "This isn't that HARD, folks, get in there!")
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 22:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Ned, did you ever check out that Bruderschaft track?
― Tantrum The Cat, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 22:34 (sixteen years ago) link
Awesome, Ned.
Shit, maybe you should audition for the next food network starz competition!!
― dell, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 22:36 (sixteen years ago) link
Don't think I did, regrettably! Is there a page with it on there anywhere?
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 23:46 (sixteen years ago) link
Yep: http://www.last.fm/music/Bruderschaft/_/Forever+%28radio+edit%29?autostart
Lyrics here: http://www.vnvnation.de/texte.php?show=0
― Tantrum The Cat, Tuesday, 29 January 2008 23:54 (sixteen years ago) link
New album Of Faith, Power and Glory comes out shortly and it is a killer. If you're not already convinced I doubt this will change minds but if you've given in like I have they've just refined everything all that much more powerfully. I'm still kinda amazed at how much I've become a complete, total fan.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 11 June 2009 05:35 (fourteen years ago) link
My review of said album. Even if I'm the only one who cares. :-D
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 16 June 2009 01:06 (fourteen years ago) link
I guess it took me six years to finally write this. But it couldn't have come any sooner:
http://nedraggett.tumblr.com/post/64690371439/i-would-recommend-reading-the-piece-first-before
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 21 October 2013 17:17 (ten years ago) link
Girlfriend dragged me to the show tonight in LA. Had a blast.
― errant flynn, Friday, 4 April 2014 06:29 (ten years ago) link
I have a penchant for mid 90's trance, though.
― errant flynn, Friday, 4 April 2014 06:31 (ten years ago) link
Cool! Sadly I had to miss this show -- first time since 2007! -- but I've no doubt they brought it.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 April 2014 12:47 (ten years ago) link
Seriously thinking about doing an all-VNV playlist for first marathon this weekend.
― fuck me, archipelago (Simon H.), Friday, 22 May 2015 15:55 (eight years ago) link