Jump to content

Origin XX


Jobby

Recommended Posts

Didn’t realize the whole thing would be released!

Listening on Amazon Music now. New Born is pretty close to the original so far, drums aren’t as nearly as bad as CE Made me fear they’d be. Overall layering and depth is improved for sure. 

I’m sensing some weird jarring volume changes here and there though. Like what’s going on at 5:26 in New Born? Like someone accidentally twiddled the wrong dial for a moment. 
 

On to Bliss. Nice. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hyper Music new hyper screams and screeches are cool, nice freakout climax! The main vocals in the verses are a bit too clear and separated from the rest now maybe, minor gripe, it’s good. 

I need to give PiB another listen later. Bass sounds louder. 

CE into Microcuts without the siren transition is a bit harsh. Microcuts is massive though. Think I prefer this one now, despite the punch being taken out of the bass. That outro though! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder what they thought revisiting Screenager. Seems like one of their most dated songs to me. I’d have thought they’d have experimented a lot with this one and left a lot on the cutting room floor. But apart from some crackly noises, there isn’t anything new. Sounds good though.

Darkshines: slightly different effect on the bass. Very similar to the original overall.

Feeling Good. I can see why they left out the screechy strings originally. Megaphone section sounds better. 

Whatever they did or didn’t do to the drums in Futurism is what they should have done throughout. Love the sound of the new mix. 
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting someone mentioned reverb on the drums. They sound cleaner to me? Took the reverb out of the cymbals in PiB, which I find quite nice! I actually adore the drum tone on all these remixes. 

THE STRINGS ON SPACE DEMENTIA THO

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really love what they did with the panning on the 'scratchy' part of Futurism's riff, that sounded great switching from one ear to the other.

The much, much more audible 'just to spit it in your face' in Hyper Music is a welcome addition

Raising that wobbly synth(?) in the mix just before the 'hopeless time to roam' part in New Born is a great little detail too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah I miss new Muse release reactions

Even for a record that’s 20 years old

Interested to hear when I get home. Really didn’t like CE but Megalomania and the Micro Cuts preview have been a steady improvement since imo. Mainly interested to hear Hyper Music, the rest of Micro, Space Dementia, Bliss and PIB.

Hate the implication at times that this is how Origin ‘should have’ been, but purely from a perspective of hearing some alt. takes and mixes of my favourite album of all time, it’s obviously still interesting to me. Wouldn’t call any of what I’ve heard so far ‘better’ by any means, like the old live falsetto whimpers during the MC intro, but still cool to hear.

Edited by Jobby
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, projektxtal said:

Hyper Music is SLAMMED 

this good or bad?

7 hours ago, That Little Animal said:

I wonder what they thought revisiting Screenager. Seems like one of their most dated songs to me.

image.png.7f4a64f745b6cf0169c29d09b2d593b5.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Triple post but sue me, first listen thoughts:

New B: nothing really new here, just weaker imo, especially the final falsetto

Bliss: minor improvement maybe? idk very close, this one, letting things breathe a bit more is nice for the chorus

Space D : so I like the idea behind the strings but fuck me what a mess lmao, other than that v nice actually, can’t tell if I like the 3rd verse vocals coming in straight away or not

Space D Outro : because this deserves its own spot - Y E S. No notes, just very good thanks.

Hyper: hahahhahahaha fucking hell, ok the ‘spit it’ line comes through nicely now an I appreciate those last couple of teeny screams at the end but FUCK did they just blow this baby up

PIB: meh, guitar sounds thinner and oddly buried at points

Citizen: you know, no bueno

Micro Cuts: harpsichord is comical imo, the choir/synth effect in the chorus is weaker which is BAD, what the FUCK is that noise during the outro and WHO got rid of the panning riff (appreciate the eerier vocals though)

Screeny G: least changed I feel which is nice, very subtle overall, slightly more prevalent synths and that’s about it - chef kiss

Darkshines: double tracked solos being clearer is a big yum, final feedback/fuzz build-up kicks in harder, overall a net gain but I miss the alien-y synth coming through clearer in all the choruses

Feely G: up there for most improved, strings are very rudimentary and make it fit the record even less but maximum Bond achieved I guess, the reverb on the keyboard comes through really nice, the distortion really kicks but fuck me did Matt-y boy bury that Bb4 lmao

Futurism: yes this is a big gain, massive WOOF on every front, drums couldn’t be more like this why?? yeah the vocal delay does get a bit annoying in general and the panning/trem effects are a bit much at the end for me

Meg: yeah pretty decent, like I say

 

Overall, I’ll be sticking to the OOM remaster for sure. Futurism will become my standard maybe but that’s it, maybe Space Dementia? Outro’s just too good and I could maybe learn to love the chaotic strings. Bliss and Screenager are untouched enough too I guess. Some tracks have nice elements or moments but have too many other aspects I don’t like, or just some too prominent.

More than anything, this whole project has given me that extra appreciation for Matt’s vocals though. No one will ever convince me this wasn’t by a mile his best vocal performance on an album. A big reason why it hooked me so much 12 years ago and you ain’t gonna find intensity like it.

Edited by Jobby
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Critics might point out that the waveforms have never been so artificially pumped-up with loudness, compression or distortion as they are now, or argued that the originals were already perfected timeless masterpieces that could have been left untouched... And I suppose they wouldn't be completely wrong on either count. Well I'm not sure if it's just a subjective thing or not but I really feel there's good reason for all of it and that it was done that way intentionally and for a symbolic purpose. So in that case it couldn't have been delivered any better, or come at a better time (anniversary aspect aside, even). This whole lockdown/pandemic crisis has transformed our worlds upside-down and introduced so much uncertainty, turmoil, unpredictability and chaos... It's like whatever we took for granted and were once so comfortable with, was largely stripped away beyond our desire/control, or faded to a backdrop of what it once was... So, I for one could think of nothing better right now than being "punched in the face" so to speak, with a blast from the past of nostalgia by none other than my favourite album of all time played back overdriven and in-your-face at full volume and impact. Hearing these familiar classics from a completely renewed and contemporary sonic perspective is refreshing and inspiring. It reminds me that as much as the world has changed, there is so much we should be grateful for even in the present moment, and that we should not fear change or the future, but embrace its inevitability to create magical new moments to remember ;) Anyways that's my 2c take on things. Apologies for some extraneous sentimentality or any unintentionally conveyed notions of self-mutilation (lol)😄 Loving the new mixes and even more excited for LP9 now than ever =D 

Edited by fragtion
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Jobby said:

Triple post but sue me, first listen thoughts:

New B: nothing really new here, just weaker imo, especially the final falsetto

Bliss: minor improvement maybe? idk very close, this one, letting things breathe a bit more is nice for the chorus

Space D : so I like the idea behind the strings but fuck me what a mess lmao, other than that v nice actually, can’t tell if I like the 3rd verse vocals coming in straight away or not

Space D Outro : because this deserves its own spot - Y E S. No notes, just very good thanks.

Hyper: hahahhahahaha fucking hell, ok the ‘spit it’ line comes through nicely now an I appreciate those last couple of teeny screams at the end but FUCK did they just blow this baby up

PIB: meh, guitar sounds thinner and oddly buried at points

Citizen: you know, no bueno

Micro Cuts: harpsichord is comical imo, the choir/synth effect in the chorus is weaker which is BAD, what the FUCK is that noise during the outro and WHO got rid of the panning riff (appreciate the eerier vocals though)

Screeny G: least changed I feel which is nice, very subtle overall, slightly more prevalent synths and that’s about it - chef kiss

Darkshines: double tracked solos being clearer is a big yum, final feedback/fuzz build-up kicks in harder, overall a net gain but I miss the alien-y synth coming through clearer in all the choruses

Feely G: up there for most improved, strings are very rudimentary and make it fit the record even less but maximum Bond achieved I guess, the reverb on the keyboard comes through really nice, the distortion really kicks but fuck me did Matt-y boy bury that Bb4 lmao

Futurism: yes this is a big gain, massive WOOF on every front, drums couldn’t be more like this why?? yeah the vocal delay does get a bit annoying in general and the panning/trem effects are a bit much at the end for me

Meg: yeah pretty decent, like I say

 

Overall, I’ll be sticking to the OOM remaster for sure. Futurism will become my standard maybe but that’s it, maybe Space Dementia? Outro’s just too good and I could maybe learn to love the chaotic strings. Bliss and Screenager are untouched enough too I guess. Some tracks have nice elements or moments but have too many other aspects I don’t like, or just some too prominent.

More than anything, this whole project has given me that extra appreciation for Matt’s vocals though. No one will ever convince me this wasn’t by a mile his best vocal performance on an album. A big reason why it hooked me so much 12 years ago and you ain’t gonna find intensity like it.

The trashing of the panning in Microcuts! Can’t believe I didn’t catch that, was too focused on the new bits. That’s a shame indeed. 

Overall I agree with everything there. Apart from Space Dementia, that one’s just too clipped busy and messy. The barrage of cymbal crashes was already pretty harsh, and now it’s just a long prominent uninterrupted streak of noise at times. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love both albums personally, the original with its young era's touch, and the remixed one with its old recordings and changes which pleasantly bring out the vocals and drum. In the remix album, sound is clearer, that brings a live effect to the songs. As a lyric music and opera listener too, I really love so much the Micro cuts version with the harpsichord 🤩

I think Muse decided to remix OOS because they wanted to go back to the past for their future album and wanted to find their old tunes inspiration. 

Maybe the next album will be more raw with less effects as the OOS Remix and in OOS's style... And maybe Micro cuts with the harpsichord is a test to see the reactions of the fans with this instrument 😁 

Sorry for my English... 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

First listen now:

New Born: Not sure how to feel about this one. The snare is too loud. It does sound cleaner, but it makes it feel emptier to me. Also am I crazy or is the bass slightly out of time?

Bliss: Doesn't sound much different (which they implied already given this was a single), other than Matt's vocals being a bit more at the forefront and it being a bit cleaner. Overall, improved.

Space Dementia: Interesting new touch to the piano intro, sounds a bit more sci-fi. Halfway through now, and holy CRAP the strings are an incredible addition! This mix really captures the feel of a grand, epic space odyssey. Big improvement here, I love it.

Hyper Music: Awesome! Angrier, more hardcore, explosive... love the screaming throughout, and now in the climax too - great addition.

Plug in Baby: Not sounding too different so far (another single), but it was a classic on the original so that's fine.

Citizen Erased: Already commented on this one, but I love this version. I wasn't as bothered by the drums here as I was in New Born for some reason. I do miss the sirens at the end, especially with the lead in to Micro Cuts, but the new strings bring in a whole new colour. I'm torn between preferring the original - which is my favourite song of all time - and the new version... but I might prefer the remix. Might.

Micro Cuts: Did the song start a half beat late? Also, whoa, they weren't kidding when they said there was now harpsichord. Not yet sold on the new vocals throughout the song. The mix sounds a bit uneven at the end, and it's a shame they seem to have cut the panning. Honestly I can't help but think of Halloween/haunted houses with the additions. I prefer the original here.

Screenager: Another one that doesn't sound too different. I love the original and everything I love about it is still here, but cleaner, so overall this is improved for me.

Darkshines: The bass comes through really nicely here. LOVE the change to the guitar after the hook. Definitely prefer this version over the original.

Feeling Good: Love the new strings. The extra fuzz on the bass is great. My only complaint would be that Matt's vocals seem to have been turned down right near the climax and lost. It's a shame, because it's a great scream.

Futurism: Love this. Super clear

Megalomania: Already commented on this one too, but it's fantastic. The intro is so much cleaner, the strings are simply FANTASTIC, and the organ is so much punchier. However, I think the final chord is less powerful than the original, since it sounds like it's just the organ now. The original had other instruments contributing to this huge wall of sound, plus rolling drums adding a bit of flavour, and those are missing. The rest of the song is definitely better though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“Yooou maaake meee SICK” fucking kicks so hard now, gotta say

Forgot to mention that I think I hate that weird stutter/delay effect on the piano at the start though.

Edited by Jobby
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, lew99 said:

I’ve also got that micro cuts just skips in on the iTunes and Spotify versions, hope the vinyl doesn’t do that too 

The YT upload also does it

Imagine if they’ve actually guffed the most iconic transition in their discography this badly, I wouldn’t even be mad :’)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Jobby said:

harpsichord is comical imo, the choir/synth effect in the chorus is weaker which is BAD, what the FUCK is that noise during the outro and WHO got rid of the panning riff (appreciate the eerier vocals though)

Yea the outro noise just sounds like a mistake!!! Panning riff is sourly missed and that harpsichord......

Overall iv'e been quite disappointed with how inconsistent the work on this album is. Feels like they should have taken more time and been more considered on their choices of being loyal to the original and adding layers and evolving rather than omitting things

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok… call me old-fashioned, but to me they sound too sterile, there‘s no warmth, soulless. It sounds unfinished to me. Matt said they wanted to make them sound more modern, well this is the problem I have with most modern (charts)music… it‘s too perfect! I know those are the original recordings, but did they cut out faults or something like that? Cut off edges? 
 

I stick to the original.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...