I have read for the first time in connection with the advent of the MP3 format (ie downloads) negative about the phenomenon "Loudness War", but it now affects (and possibly for longer than you might think) actually more audio file formats and, indeed, those on physical media. *
Now the album Making Mirrors - I would like to go through the titles individually in sequence, in which something is noticed and this note in each case short (hereto I would like to make the recommendation to review the mentioned shortcomings time for themselves while listening to):
01 Volume too low (barely audible on the volume level at which the remaining items are still good to hear)
02 volume in contrast to Title 01 downright brüllig and unbalanced / jump at 1:28
03 in my opinion, well-produced: balanced volume ratio of instrumentation and vocals - is great also as the voice of the New Zealand singer Kimbra passes into Gotyes (against Minute 3:00)
04 backing vocals mixed too loud
05 backing vocals too loud mixed ("Mother") / too loud superimposed too many instruments, so it (digital clipping ??) from 4:50 comes to overlays and veritable strumming
Overdriven 06 Intro, brüllig sounding brass
07 -
08 distorted vocals, which are, however, a matter of taste - Gotye himself speaks of these "sci-fi vocals", thereby conveys here but rather the feeling of an unfortunate production
09 voices volume is not optimal (even here one could speak of a matter of taste)
10 in my opinion perfectly produced and mixed (by Andy Stewart)
11 -
12 -
Conclusion: Francois Tetaz (mix & production) and William Bowden (Mastering) have done my impression simply a bad job - and I quote at this point by another Amazon reviewer, because I find the description of the phenomenon "Loudness War" wonderfully descriptive:
"It may sound in many places too brüllig that override crackles clear it is tiring to hear. You get the urge to put everything back quieter, although you want to hear it out loud like." J.Lippmann (s Tindersticks -. The Something Rain)
Is exactly the case unfortunately on GOTYEs Making Mirrors. Although Gotye speaks of his passion for "WALL-OF-SOUND", so to get to closer listening more to the association with the "WAR OF SOUND". The artistic content, the exaggerated and inadequate production anyway done no favors here and prevent (at least for me) any further rapprochement.
*For more information:
[Dynamicrange.de/de/de/wie-ist-der-loudness-war-entstanden]
