Of Montreal / Controller Sphere, The
Album: Controller Sphere, The   Collection:General
Artist:Of Montreal   Added:Jun 2011
Label:Sunday Service  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-01-22 Pull Date: 2012-03-25
Week Ending: Mar 4 Feb 26 Feb 19 Feb 12 Feb 5 Jan 29
Airplays: 2 1 1 1 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Feb 20, 2015: A Visit From Drum
Holiday Call
4. Feb 22, 2012: The Fall of Math
Flunkt Sass Vs The Root Flume
2. Mar 01, 2012: Question Air
Holiday Call
5. Feb 18, 2012: Buford J. Sharkley's (Short) Themeless Escapades
Holiday Call
3. Feb 29, 2012: Modern Donkey - Beats
Slave Translator
6. Feb 09, 2012: A Family Affair
Flunkt Sass Vs The Root Flume

Album Review
Ashleigh Wais
Reviewed 2012-01-10
Apparently this is Of Montreal’s experimental album. Outside of the first track though, this album doesn’t deviate too much from the more recent albums they’ve released. There are the classic screams, lust, and lyrics that catch you a bit off guard that we’ve come to expect from Of Montreal, with just a little less pop and a few more instrumental parts. It’s a pretty good album overall, but it wouldn’t be my first pick if I wanted to listen to Of Montreal.

Try: 2, 3, 5
FCC: 4

1. (3:24) Starts out with slightly spastic guitar chirps, almost like broken, yet twinkling stars, followed by a robotic, almost Big-Brother sounding voice that speaks of the breakdown of a society. The rest of the song is mostly noise—particularly static and the screeching sound a microphone makes when it is too close to a speaker. It sort of sounds like an industrial factory is exploding. This is the most experimental song on the EP.
2. *(2:36) In this slower and more psychedelic track, it sounds like Kevin Barnes is singing over a bad acid trip. There are lots of echoing voices in the background, as well as a pretty piano part.
3. *(8:18) Mid tempo, this song has some Of Montreal classic elements, such as high pitched screaming/howling in the background, the slightly twangy guitar and restrained drum part. Around 3 minutes there is a somewhat stereotypical Middle Eastern string piece, but it adds a nice layer on top of the original instrumental part. Around 6 minutes in, you start to feel as if the song is slowly dissolving and spreading out into the atmosphere. The music gets a fuzzier and spacey feel at the end until it finally concludes with a piano solo.
4. (3:32) Dirty and upbeat, Barnes signs about a girl who is “just his party drug” who he met in the strangulation room. There’s a fun instrumental break in the middle, first with strings, then with a piano. It has a similar sexual energy as “Id Engager” from Skeletal Lamping.
5. *(4:13) This song is broken down into three different moods. The first part has a fast guitar and quickly spoken words, starting things off energetically. It almost sounds like Barnes is using his gentle and tender voice. A minute in, the song slows to half the original speed as Barnes sings over a thick layer of noise. The song changes again at two minutes as it looses all of its heaviness, only to get it back a few moments later. At 3:20 the song breaks into more noise, from screaming to a heavy droning sound.

Track Listing
1. Black Lion Massacre   3. Holiday Call
2. Flunkt Sass Vs The Root Flume   4. L'age D'or
  5. Slave Translator