Max Tundra
Parallax Error Beheads You
Play Parallax Error Beheads You
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AMG Review of Parallax Error Beheads You
K. Ross Hoffman
All Music GuideMax Tundra's painstakingly constructed, impossibly intricate 2008 follow-up to his 2002 opus Mastered by Guy at the Exchange, Parallax Error Beheads You is the sound of those six intervening years whizzing by in just over 40 minutes. A giddy rush of convoluted melodies, hyper-precise sonic detail, and dazzling Day-Glo unpredictability, combining the meticulous luster of a big-budget pop production and the infectious idiosyncrasy of a chintzy vintage home recording (sequenced, like all of Tundra's work, on an antiquated Commodore Amiga computer), it's initially overwhelming and not a little bit disorienting, occasionally creating the sensation that one's head is about to explode. Given time, though, this emerges as easily the most infectious, engaging, and approachable of Tundra's albums so far, generally shoehorning his manic creativity into reasonable approximations of conventional pop song structures, framed around abundant, quirky hooks and appealingly restrained pop-soul vocals. As though to reassure hesitant listeners, the album opens on a particularly gentle note, with a simple, cheery harpsichord ushering in the breezy lilt of "Gum Chimes," before it unleashes two of Tundra's most buoyant pop confections to date: the herky-jerky "Will Get Fooled Again," whose fractured arcade-game bleeps and rock guitars (!) underscore typically absurd lyrics concerning a series of unorthodox Internet dating adventures ("I found a girl on Google image search/She was in the background of a picture of a church"), and the even more exuberant "Which Song," which almost sounds like it could be a massive radio hit, in spite of its gleefully unhinged musical accompaniment. Things get even stranger later on -- with "Orphaned"'s barrage of madcap micro-sampling (like Akufen on Adderall); the jittery lo-fi candy-thrash of "Nord Lead Three"; and the largely instrumental closer, "Until We Die," stretching out somewhat indulgently into a fragmented synth-prog epic -- but the vibe always remains persistently, even perversely, tuneful. Mannered English eccentricity never sounded so deliriously thrilling.
Max Tundra – Parallax Error Beheads You – Album Review
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Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You - Album Review A parallax error is a discrepancy between what you see and what is really there, due to the line of view. This conflict between reality and subjectivity epitomises Max Tundra's current album, "Parallax Error Beheads You", as you are plunged into a fantastical world of lo-fi blips, [...]
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Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
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Tom Whyman enjoys the sophomore effort by Mr. Max Tundra, wondering whether he's matured like a fine wine since his previous release.
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New Max Tundra Video - "Will Get Fooled Again"
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Max Tundra's "Which Song" offered a promising first taste for his forthcoming third album Parallax Error Beheads You, the first proper collection since 2002's Mastered By Guy At The Exchange. Max isn't wasting much time getting us further acquainted with Parallax, already offering up a video for a Woof Wan Bu-directed video for the Who-inverted "Will Get Fooled Again." The song's an uptempo new...
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Live: Max Tundra November dates in the US
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It's been nearly a year since the obsessive British arranger known as Max Tundra put out his third perfect pop electro record Parallax Error Beheads You (via Domino). And while there's no true sign as to when the wait will...
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Max Tundra – Parallax Error Beheads You – Album Review
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Artist:
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Album:
Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You - Album Review A parallax error is a discrepancy between what you see and what is really there, due to the line of view. This conflict between reality and subjectivity epitomises Max Tundra's current album, "Parallax Error Beheads You", as you are plunged into a fantastical world of lo-fi blips, [...]
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Tuesday's Recommended Release
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Ahhh it's the last week of summer! Kids are heading back to school, folks are ending their vacations, things are returning to the normal ebb and flow of the cooler months, and most importantly this is the last weakened release week for quite some time! Yeah there's not too many records to spotlight this year so I guess I will turn my intentions to an old favorite that aren't exactly releasing t...
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Short Takes
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For all the great songs and albums that have dotted the career of the most famous Irishmen since St. Patrick, there have also been a lot of down moments where the band just wasn't at there best. You had the release of Pop which a lot people though signaled then end of U2, you've had various singles over the years that sank faster then Irish soda bread, and of course you've had some moments wher...
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Love Monochromatic Brilliance!
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Please tell me why I like this video... am I losing it? Ok, no need to answer that, are there others heading down this path out there??
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Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
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Tom Whyman enjoys the sophomore effort by Mr. Max Tundra, wondering whether he's matured like a fine wine since his previous release.
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Questionable Corner: Max Tundra
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On Tuesday I recommended that you all check out the first record in six years from electro-pop wizard Max Tundra. Today I get a chance to share an e-mail interview I had the chance to do with the artist behind the moniker, Ben Jacobs. I was really excited to be asking him some questions, so hopefully you guys will be excited to read some of them and make sure you check out the new record Parallax
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 "Parallax Error Beheads You")
