Music
Phantogram’s ‘Three’ Both Celebrates and Mourns Life
One of the great things about covering music is that it’s personal, meaning none of us are going to agree on what should and shouldn’t be covered here in Bloody Disgusting.
New York natives Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel make up Phantogram, a band who define their music as dream pop, electronica and trip hop, and have described their sound as “street beat, psych pop” (Wiki). In fact, I fell in love with them after hearing their Nine Inch Nails-esque Eyelid Movies and Voices. I was intrigued by the concept that Reznor had removed the pop element from 80s New Wave, and here Phantogram was putting it back in.
I’m not one for album reviews, but I wanted to share with the world that Phantogram is returning on October 7 with Three. First, because I’m a huge fan and I hope to turn some of you into the same. Second, because we’ve already heard three album singles – “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” , “Cruel World”, and “Run Run Blood” – all of which are pretty much better than everything on their aforementioned albums.
I’ve heard all of Three, which is their most evolved album to date. While it still carries the pop-infused NIN vibe (it’s more subtle this time around, touching many of the undertones from Reznor’s band, including “Hurt”), it’s a mainstream effort that both celebrates and mourns the passing of David Bowie and Prince, as well as Barthel’s sister. It’s as depressing as it is uplifting, if not equally somber as it is energetic. On Three it feels as if Phantogram’s world is ending, only to rise up with so much energy that it’s impossible to not dance.
Here are some more details from the release:
“Three is a triumphant record, but it also bears the mark of personal tragedy. During the recording process, the band suffered a devastating loss when Barthel’s sister (and Carter’s close friend since childhood) Becky passed away of suicide. Work on music stopped immediately, but then as the duo slowly returned to the studio the aftermath of their personal loss (compounded by the deaths of David Bowie and Prince, two of Phantogram’s greatest musical heroes and inspirations) began to reverberate throughout the process, imbuing the album with varied shades of complicated, human emotion that Carter refers to as ‘Finding the beauty within tragedy.’ ”
“It’s about heartbreak, and having to push forward and move on—and how challenging that is,” Barthel states. “It’s made us the people we really are, and it’s a huge part of what this record means to us.”
“The album was recorded over the past year at co-producer Ricky Reed’s Echo Park-based studio. Finding inspiration in unlikely places for a band increasingly heard on commercial alternative and pop radio, Carter found fresh perspective in AfroBeat and ‘60’s R&B when creating the steady beats that form the foundation of the album. Despite the new influences and a strong experimental motivation, Three still unmistakably sounds like Phantogram, with plenty of thick, buzzing beats and snaking melodic lines to sink your teeth into.”
Bobby Prince, the composer who provided the soundtracks to legendary titles such as Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Doom II, has passed away.
Prince’s family confirmed the composer’s death on June 16 late last week at the age of 81. No cause of death was released.
id Software, the company that gave Prince his first job in the industry, paid tribute to the composer, referring to him as a “video game music pioneer.”
Indeed, in addition to providing the soundtracks to id Software’s hits in the FPS genre, Bobby Prince also provided the soundtracks to other id Software classics, such as portions of the scores for Commander Keen series and the forerunner to the modern FPS, Catacomb 3-D. Prince also worked with Apogee Software and 3D Realms, providing the soundtrack for Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, and teaming with Lee Jackson for Rise of the Triad and Duke Nukem 3D.
Bobby Prince’s death comes just after the Library of Congress announced back in May that his soundtrack for Doom would be preserved in the National Recording Registry.
The soundtrack for Doom and its sequel took inspiration from designer John Romero‘s collection of CDs at the studio, which included the likes of Alice in Chains, Pantera, and Metallica. In spite of the limitations composers faced with the sound cards of the era, Prince was able to replicate riffs from songs like “Master of Puppets” and “Painkiller” for tracks like “At Doom’s Gate”, the iconic opening track for Doom‘s first level, E1M1.
For Doom II‘s soundtrack, Prince continued to employ the same tactic, lifting rifts from songs like “Sex Type Thing”, “After All (The Dead)”, “South of Heaven” and more.
In addition to composing, Bobby Prince was also a practicing lawyer, and had pursued a career as an attorney before making his way into the video games industry.
Bobby Prince is survived by his wife Connie, and his sons, Robert Caskin Prince IV and Andrew (Cristy) Prince.
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