I heard the album at a friend’s house. I’m not familiar with Shpongle’s live performances, so I assume he either got it at a concert, or simply had the leaked one.

1. Electroplasm - 10:13
Very good opening. It reminds me of a mashup between something off of their previous two albums. It’s very electronic, but the Indian influence gives it soul. It’s reminiscent of something from a video game. 8/10.

2. Shpongolese Spoken Here - 6:38
Easily the most non-Shponglish song on the album. Very experimental and electronic. The first half of the song is very annoying in my opinion. Towards the end, it picks up, and is remniscent of something off of Tales From The Inexpressible. 7/10.

3. Nothing Is Something Worth Doing - 6:24
Definitely the second greatest song in the album. Very soulful and beautiful. The little guitar bits and hang drum section(s) were fantastic, as well as the tiny 80’s electro-bit in the end. 10/10.

4. Ineffable Mysteries - 10:26
Very fun and exciting. Indian influence is largely evident in this song, and it’s done so well. It turns into a very catchy Indian-sounding song into typical Shpongolese culture at its finest. 9/10.

5. I Am You - 11:37
Powerful, emotional, and beautiful. It’s like Simon and Raja went into an alternate universe and found a different version of Divine Moments of Truth. I have nothing negative to say about this song. The vocals are great, and the song picks up pace, slowly turning into a Shpongle-tinted trance song reminiscent of something off of their last album. 10/10.

6. Invisible Man In A Fluorescent Suit - 8:54
Something different. It begins with a very beautiful cello arrangement, with no evidence of electronic intervention. It turns into an amazing horn-influenced song. It’s reminiscent of Stamen Of The Shaman, but epic.  Towards the end, it gets real calm, preparing you for the next journey. 10/10.

7. No Turn Un-Stoned - 8:02
A solid song. It has more vocals than any other Shpongle song, and the lyrics were well-written. This song is pretty much a mashup of all of their albums’ styles. It’s kind of messy, but still good. I’m under the impression that this was a leftover from Tales From The Inexpressable or Nothing Lasts. 5/10.

8. Walking Backwards Through The Cosmic Mirror - 8:13
Very powerful. Literallly, of course! The bass and volume is very loud. The song is mysterious, and really helps your mind draw a picture of what Shpongleland must look like. This has to be one of the best Shpongle songs bar none. 10/10.

Overall Opinions:
This is probably the best album Shpongle has released. It sounds so new and refreshing, yet at the same time, I’ve never heard anything like this. The exotic, natural, yet cold and electronic influences give this album so much soul and emotion, which is something rare in modern electronic music. A perfect 10/10.

First :D lol

delete

Don’t fret. The sound quality (IMO) is just as good as the rest, if not, better. The only problems I have is that the album’s very monotonous.

So… everyone’s going to download the leaked version? Wtf… I already pre-ordered my CD. It’s not even out and it’s available on the internet, i don’t get it..?

papomania - 18 October 2009 08:39 PM

So… everyone’s going to download the leaked version? Wtf… I already pre-ordered my CD.

No not everyone. Some of us will wait until the 30th.

It’s not even out and it’s available on the internet, i don’t get it..?

Not much to get really. I suppose some twat thought it would be cool to ruin small labels chances of breaking even with their sales. Mind you I haven’t heard the copy and won’t so I can’t say if it is decent quality or not. Probably not. Most likely VBR switching between 96 and 192 kbps with glitches not made by Simon in places.

delete

well, i suppose this is how internet works today, musicians won’t earn money selling CD albums anymore, they actually make money from gigs.. that’s the business today

pretty sad, but true

Yes very true, it makes non mainstream artists disappear.
To bad there is no way to avoid this. :(

This doesn’t only happen to small label releases…pretty much any album by any artist/group is leaked into the www on average about 2 weeks before its official release…this has been happening for a while…pretty much ever since the advent of the mp3 era…

damn, why would anyone want to listen to a poor quality ripped version of this album when all they have to do is wait a couple more weeks to get the real thing and listen to it in all its glory??

YohanKiwi - 18 October 2009 09:29 PM

damn, why would anyone want to listen to a poor quality ripped version of this album when all they have to do is wait a couple more weeks to get the real thing and listen to it in all its glory??

why wouldn’t anyone want to listen to a poor quality ripped version of this album?
i understand that the lack in quality is very displeasing on the ears…but on the whole it probably sounds very much alike when compared to the finished version…the only kick in the nuts is the fact that twisted is being ripped off by the bastards that have pirated the album into the web prior to its original release…and this will hinder the purchase profits that would otherwise be generated to their full extent…

DumbDuck - 18 October 2009 10:17 PM

why wouldn’t anyone want to listen to a poor quality ripped version of this album?

Bwahahaa! Mp3 quality vs CD quality?
Does that even need to be discussed?   

The bear still patiently waits…

Cloudwalker - 19 October 2009 12:22 AM

DumbDuck - 18 October 2009 10:17 PM

why wouldn’t anyone want to listen to a poor quality ripped version of this album?

Bwahahaa! Mp3 quality vs CD quality?
Does that even need to be discussed?   

The bear still patiently waits…

I am not disputing the fact that cd quality kicks mp3’s ass…no argument there…surely for a loyal fan like you it would be nothing less then a sacrilege to even consider downloading a pirated version off the net…but for the regular joe its nothing more then one more zip file to download and extract into their ipod…

I think it’s time to stop complaining about losing profits due to filesharing. Makes no sense to me. Losing profits compared to what? Those earned if the technology did not exist? So what if there are a million 8 (or 16) bit versions of everything Twisted ever published floating around out there..

I don’t buy the argument that people who dl leaked copies won’t buy the album. Those who download copies might actually find they like it enough to contribute to the artist, through whatever means they can afford. It’s not very capitalistic, it’s not what we’re used to. Like it or not, album profits are now more based on album merit. Instead of the artist saying “here’s my work, and this is the cost to enjoy it,” it is the consumer saying, “I will evaluate a lo-fi (or not) copy, and then decide if and how much of my money it’s worth.

The issue of “lost profits” has nothing to do with die hard fans and everything to do with fence sitters, or “initiates”. (Not too culty sounding, is it? It’s because of these people that filesharing might be an advantage. Potential new fans, and new potential concert goers. I believe a digital copy is not a product or a commodity. It’s information. Advertising the experience of a live Shpongle concert in the privacy of your own underground dungeon. Just me? Ok, anyway, it’s one of the new reasons I’m digging the samples (haven’t dled the album yet- yes, I can actually wait, CW :p. Lots of live drums. Makes you want to be at the show.

Twisted should take a cue from Ott. From his website, ottsonic.com:

If you have downloaded any of my music from filesharing networks, or made copies from friends, and feel you would like to donate something directly to me, you can do so by clicking the “Donate” button below.

There is no minimum or maximum amount so feel free to send me what you think my work deserves.

I would have never heard of Shpongle if it wasn’t for pirated music. Now I own all their albums (and preordered Ineffable Mysteries too). So yeah… it does have its good sides.