Shpongle Appreciation Thread

KNiVES

KNiVES

KNiVES

Soldato
Joined
4 Jan 2005
Posts
15,003
Shpongle - a duo consisting of Simon Posford and Raja Ram. Some of the best sounds I've ever heard. They have only made three albums and called it a day, but a fourth is in the works after much demand :)

I can't even describe what the music is like. Nothing even comes close to sounding like it. Posford's other works in Hallucinogen and Younger Brother comes relatively close but are still miles off. The vocals in songs like Divine Moments of Truth and Around the World in a Tea Daze are mind bending stuff.

Even have a tattoo of the Shpongle mask on the back of my left shoulder.

Anyone else agree?

600px-Are_You_Shpongled.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shpongle
 
Shpongle are great.

The production values of their music is top notch, coupled with it's complexity leads to a mind-bending listening experience.
 
Sweetloaf said:
Simon Posford is excellent, I love his stuff as Hallucinogen but have yet to hear Sphongle.

Who is Raja Ram?
Click to expand...

Shpongle consists of two guys, the other half is Raja Ram. He provided the vocals and flute instrumentals in the Shpongle songs; there is a lot, and his part is what makes the music so distinctive. Divine Moments of Truth is probably the most famous example, as well as Around the World in a Tea Daze.

If you really like Simon Posford's stuff especially in Hallucinogen, I recommend Younger Brother (Flock of Bleeps) - I just got that the other day. That's a collaboration between Posford and Prometheus.
 
Having listened to a little bit today, I would use the formula:

Banco de Gaia+Leftfield+Medicine Drum/Ozric Tentacles=Not too far off Shpongle :)

Youtube+Shpongle DMT = excellent..if we can say that??
 
Last edited:
Chrisp7 said:
Cant you be a little clearer as to what it sounds like? eg Muse = Queen+Radiohead!
Click to expand...


One of the main draws of Shpongle and Posford's other work is that they sound totally different to everything else.
 
Chrisp7 said:
Cant you be a little clearer as to what it sounds like? eg Muse = Queen+Radiohead!
Click to expand...


Ambient/ Trance: They've done some truely epic tunes. There isn't anyone else like them you could compare them to and they really don't fall into any major category of music so my classification is just the closest I can think of.

I agree with the OP on just how awesome they are. Some of the most chilled, trippy, awesome music I've ever heard. All the albums they've done are ground breaking and the remix album was rather epic too. I can never hear Monster Hit and Dorset Perception enough. Beyond perfect.

I saw them perform at the Glade ferstival last year. I have vague recollections of lots of bubbles, dancing my arse off and an awesome laser show. Blew my mind!
 
As far as the really trippy psy goes, Sphongle are deffo my favs :D

I can't mix that kinda stuff at all though, so I tend to stick to more conventional psy.
 
What's the best album then? I've just heard Tales of the Inexpressible and to be honest I found it a little dull. I like plenty of ambient stuff but just found this album a little uninspiring, is there a better one in your opinion(s)?

KNIVES, I'm guessing, Are You Shpongled is your favovourite judging by your first post?

Have you heard the likes of Banco de Gaia, early Future Sound of London, The Orb (pre Orblivion), Irresistible Force?

Obviously if we all had the same taste, the world would be a dull place :) I'm just wondering if you've heard any of those bands?
 
I used to listen to the Future Sound of London :) Great music. My favourite Shpongle album is actually Nothing Lasts but Nothing is Lost, but if I had to pinpoint a particular song, it would be Around the World in a Tea Daze on the Tales of the Inexpressible album.

If Tales didn't meet your expectations, there is still a chance that the other two might tick your boxes - I think they all sound wildly different. Nothing Lasts has a heavy emphasis on guiters and some hispanic influences, while Shpongled? has the most techno overtones of the three. I think you can find some demos on www.twisted.co.uk - that's Simon Posford's label homepage.
 
Are You Shpongled is a good place to start. It has a nice range of music ranging completely trippy to some nice harder dance tracks.

I think the key to beggining to appreciate a Shpongle album is to give it a listen a couple of times - preferably whilst having a smoke. It needs to be on a decent sound system too as there is so much going on in each track that it is absolutely impossible to listent o it once without missing 90% of the layers that make it really come alive.
 
Well, I gave up the herbal remedies a fair while ago and discovered that if music is really that good, it isn't necessary. Didn't mean that to sound preachy by the way but it's the truth :)

I'll have a listen to Are You.

Some nice info on Eat Static on that Twisted site too, now there is a live act to see :cool:
 
Sweetloaf said:
Well, I gave up the herbal remedies a fair while ago and discovered that if music is really that good, it isn't necessary. Didn't mean that to sound preachy by the way but it's the truth :)

I'll have a listen to Are You.

Some nice info on Eat Static on that Twisted site too, now there is a live act to see :cool:
Click to expand...

I've not done those remedies in a long time either. :) Shpongle certainly still sound great though! It'd be lying if I said anything other than those things definately bring out the music!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom