Artificial Horizon - a hint at what's to come

[Registered Dude]

This is a conjecture thread. Let's acknowledge this from the start, instead of posting typical WE DONT KNOW SO WHAT'S THE POINT comments

So we often discuss how in U2's discography certain tracks seem to hint at the album that follows.

Drowning Man >> Unforgettable Fire

Trip Through Your Wires >> R&H

God Part II >> Achtung Baby

Hold Me Thrill Me >> Pop

etc.

With the recent talk about the band delving into electronica, Bono talking of songs with "big beats" (speaking of the material from the Rubin sessions), Edge pulling out the digitech whammy pedal again, along with some other trippy guitar effects, the fact that the band seem to be working with Declan Gaffney right now (is he mixing? producing? remixing? we don't know), and to me, the biggest clue, the band's live revamping of Crazy Tonight, I can't help but wonder if Artificial Horizon might hint to the sounds their interested in exploring right now.

if we get an album in late 2010 or 2011, and it is indeed a hybrid of Songs of Ascent, Spidey tunes, and Rubin tunes, it might be the sort of beat driven material they've been teasing us about since the days of POP.

imagine an album produced by Gaffney, that marries great songwriting with dance rhythms. imagine this with vocals: David Holmes Beautiful Day remix

They tried this once, called it POP, and then gave us something else entirely, but perhaps they have a better sense of how to do it now, especially after the Fez sessions, which we know were very rhythm centric.

thoughts?

reflections?

idiotic comments?

 

[The_Edge89]

Was there anything you wanted to say or why did you start a new thread?
I don't get it.

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprise if Artificial Horizon was a hint of what is coming, I've made some statements in another thread about this, I'd love to see yours.
I wouldn't be too surprised if it isn't either of course since the above mentioned statements were based on 100% personal speculation and interpretations with no actual official confirmation.

 

[Registered Dude]

I posted once.. the forum froze.. when it was working again, I had three threads with the same title..

I replied, with a "what happened" and poof, my original post is gone

EDIT: all should be fixed now

 

[Registered Dude]

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprise if Artificial Horizon was a hint of what is coming, I've made some statements in another thread about this, I'd love to see yours.

yes you gave us the info on Edge's pedals if I'm not mistaken..

 

[The_Edge89]

^ Yes, among other things.

I just posted in the other thread that Gaffney has gone back to that London studio to do more mixing yesterday.
Could anyone tell me where to hear "Little Tin Galaxy", the original piece that Gaffney provided to the 360 Tour?
The title sounds like it could be one of the Ultra Violet intros...?

He was given the role of Sound Production Consultant for the U2 360 stadium tour and contributed the original piece “Little Tin Galaxy” to the show as well as setting up and recording live link ups between the the International Space Center and the U2 show.

http://declangaffney.com/

 

[bram]

I find the lack of clarity on what precisely Gaffney is mixing for U2 to be strange. If it's just the DVD, why doesn't he/U2.com specify? Surely they know that people are hungry for new album info and could easily be confused/misled by this. Are they intentionally trying to get people excited over what would otherwise be rather mundane information?

 

[The_Edge89]

In their defense though, when have they ever declared that in the past? It's not like they said "Lillywhite is in the studio mixing Elevation Tour live from Boston" or even that anyone was mixing the record they were working on as far as I know. It was for instance an unofficial webiste, think it was @U2 or U2log (EDIT: Here is a recap from another forum since the U2log archive is not functional), that broke the news that Lillywhite was mixing the first single from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and that it was Vertigo (in June 2004 I think).

Then again, I only became a part of the online community post-Elevation era so I might've missed something.

And are we sure the staff on u2.com are even aware that we have read the Twitter updates from Artillery Studios? They only began tweeting on December 14th, so they aren't that established or well-known I suppose. I just happened to stumble upon it after wanting to find out more about Gaffney when I read an article on the Making of Get On Your Boots with him and Daniel Lanois.

 

[VintagePunk]

Could someone tweet him and ask?

 

[mikal]

an inside source tells me that U2 will never release a new album again, but they are going to continue to record. also, the DVD will come with a code that will grant you access to read an interview with the band about their recording sessions.

 

[bram]

Well, I think if there's been a failure to identify specifics in the past, it was because it was rather obvious what was being mixed--i.e. there weren't any other options. Based on McGuinness's most recent comments, I think it's fair to say that album-making is in the works in some form or another, so there's another distinct possibility at this time. That said, I'd be very surprised if he was working on new album stuff rather than DVD stuff.

 

[mikal]

yeah, if the DVD is being released in early June, i think it's safe to say that it's all completed, packed and ready to ship.

 

[ramblin rose]

They're remixing Breathe into the video.

 

[God Part III]

imagine this with vocals: David Holmes Beautiful Day remix

But it sucks

Artificial Horizon was a huge letdown for me. I'm still hoping for NLOTH part II, I want Kingdom of Your Love to be the direction they're heading for.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

yeah, if the DVD is being released in early June, i think it's safe to say that it's all completed, packed and ready to ship.

Completed, yes. Packed and ready to ship, no. Disc replication and packaging manufacture would be kicking in about now, 'packed and ready to ship' in a couple of weeks. But yes, anything to do with mixing would have well and truly been done by now, unless there's been some monumental cock up.

 

[Registered Dude]

But it sucks

Artificial Horizon was a huge letdown for me. I'm still hoping for NLOTH part II, I want Kingdom of Your Love to be the direction they're heading for.

there's no reason they can't be one in the same..

ambient sounds, driving rhythms..

 

[Registered Dude]

YouTube - TV on the Radio - Halfway Home

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

This is a conjecture thread.

oh no! Not on Interference

idiotic comments?

i like to count the sheep, but sometimes they count me back..

"if you're not wasted, the day is"

after walking outside on an extremely breezy day, my friend turned to me and yelled "This wind sucks!" i yelled back at him/her, over the din, "actually, it blows".

 

[The_Edge89]

But yes, anything to do with mixing would have well and truly been done by now, unless there's been some monumental cock up.

Oh but there was such a monumental cock up: excluding Breathe, making the loyal hardcore fanbase go apeshit.

 

[nielsgov]

making the loyal hardcore fanbase go apeshit.

This seems to happen quite often.

 

[VintagePunk]

We're an excitable bunch.

 

[Danny Boy]

The David Holmes remix is probably not a hint at what's to come. U2 has already produced two albums since it was initially released and it doesn't seem to have had any influence.

Honestly, I don't think the fan club releases are indicative of anything besides someone at PM scrambling around at the last minute to put whatever recycled crap they can think of on a CD so people will keep coughing up the membership fee every year.

 

[Registered Dude]

I dunno.. Melon gave us a pretty good indication of where their heads were at going into Pop

 

[Niceman]

I think the live performance of the remix of IGCIIDGCT is stronger evidence than the remix album, but they do point the same way....

 

[U2387]

The David Holmes remix is probably not a hint at what's to come. U2 has already produced two albums since it was initially released and it doesn't seem to have had any influence.

Honestly, I don't think the fan club releases are indicative of anything besides someone at PM scrambling around at the last minute to put whatever recycled crap they can think of on a CD so people will keep coughing up the membership fee every year.

I am not overly cynical when it comes to U2, in fact, I defend them far more than criticize them.

However, I will be cynical and agree 100% with this, Danny Boy!

Is there something that is an indication of what's to come? Probably, if history is any indication!

What is it?

Something on NLOTH?

Crazy Remix Live as Niceman suggested?

For my money, I would say NLOTH 2 and Crazy Remix would be the hints.

 

[Niceman]

Crazy Remix Live as Niceman suggested?

For my money, I would say NLOTH 2 and Crazy Remix would be the hints.

I could enjoy that!

 

[U2girl]

So we often discuss how in U2's discography certain tracks seem to hint at the album that follows.

Drowning Man >> Unforgettable Fire

Trip Through Your Wires >> R&H

God Part II >> Achtung Baby

Hold Me Thrill Me >> Pop

etc.

Pride > JT

Staring at the sun > ATYCLB

Walk on > Bomb

One step closer > NLOTH

IMO,
White as snow > Songs of ascent.

 

[The_Edge89]

For my money, I would say NLOTH 2 and Crazy Remix would be the hints.

Let's keep in mind that initially, they rehearsed the Perfecto Remix of Even Better Than The Real Thing before Redanka brought his remix of I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight to Camp Nou - I suppose it was sort of a last minute change. I'm not complaining, baby, I'm glad.
So while it was a bold move to turn a typical U2 sounding single (!) into a dance remix, that may or may not indicate a change of direction.

That being said, it would be awesome to see Even Better Than The Real Thing back in the setlist - Perfecto or not - every once in a while at least.

20th of June: Even Better Than The Real Thing is rehearsed for the only time, in a style like the Perfecto Mix.
...
22nd of June: The remix re-invention of Crazy Tonight is done for the first time.

Source: http://www.u2gigs.com/article472.html

 

[Danny Boy]

White as snow > Songs of ascent.

Now this I can agree with. The biblical origin of "Songs of Ascent" has already been discussed here at length; this is a reference to the Psalms. If they actually go with that title, then I have to think White As Snow and Winter are better indicators of the direction they're going in. The title "Every Breaking Wave" sounds like it should be pretty down-tempo as well.

Oh, and I've always thought:
Night and Day > Achtung Baby
The Ground Beneath Her Feet > All That You Can't Leave Behind

It would be nice if they would drop a track onto a soundtrack somewhere to give us a hint where their minds are. I'm not sure that Winter really counts because it came out of the NLOTH sessions.

 

[Jeef690]

Bono's new interest in rap and the bands talk about using electronic instruments seem like clear signals they are moving in a more electo-pop or beat driven direction. I think the OP is spot on.

 

[BVS]

There's nothing new about Bono's interest in rap, it's been well known since at least the early 90's.