Raime – Tooth

Just read the comments and i dont get it. I love this album, one of my all time favourites and i really dont feel for Quarter Turn.

very special fake this label. two notes plus darky sleeve - its ok

So, I've had this record for a year now, and I felt now I can really say what I feel about this album knowing it inside out and the motivations behind it. When I first heard the single "Dead Heat" released out of the blue one day, I was on the fence whether I really would like the new album, I was scared and excited. Terrified that I had waited 3 years for something, anything from Raime and it may not blow me away.

The first album they put out was a masterpiece on mood and sound, and every track felt very dark, intense, and diverse. I will say that it is probably one of the most polished meticulously crafted albums I've heard, so my expectations were sky high before I knew any real information about a follow up. Seeing the reaction to Raime's recent releases (Yally counted), I'm hardly surprised by how divided the fanbase became after they dropped "Tooth". It's almost the exact antithesis of the debut, it's synthetic, small sound palette and extremely minimal structure. Sure, Raime have always been minimal, but the new album really pushed them further in that direction.

Now, for my opinion on the album itself? I was kind of disappointed by my expectations, but because they were just that, I felt it was kind of unfair to judge the album just yet. I let it sink in for a long time, I found myself playing it more and more, really enjoying the very big sub-bass lines, and the very percussive and minimal guitar playing. The live drums add a bit more dimension to some of the tracks, and of course there are some very glassy synths to fill things in just a little. The actual sound of the record also makes a lot of sense in the context of who Raime is as Tom and Joe are very much music nerds with a keen ear for sound. They've expressed their love for Dub, Grime, and Albini style Post-Hardcore in interviews and DJ sets, and it totally makes sense that this is how the record would sound. I have no doubt in my mind that the duo worked for years to perfect the formula that they wanted for this album, so I think it's slightly puzzling that a lot of critics of the album feel that it wasn't done with much forethought.

I really do love this album, and I still play it at least once a week or every other week. I can't really explain why I like it so much other than that I really love the actual production of the album and the extremely minimalistic songs. The lack of diversity was definitely something I didn't care for too much, but after awhile that faded away and was certain that "Tooth" was something I really (really) liked. This along with Demdike Stare's "Wonderland" was one of my favorite releases last year, so give that a chance as well if you hadn't heard it!

(~.~)

Finally not bad at all. If listened at proper speed - i tried 45rpm +10 pitch with some pleasure - it could be similar to some Ghostly International downtempo experimentations. I mean: the best ones :) The use of guitar reminds krautrock and it is very cinematic. Simply a soundtrack for a non existing movie; this is the way this release should be intended.

Firstly i should it i am a massive fan of Raime and am actively collecting their records. When i first heard "Tooth" i was disappointed and wasn't exactly sure what had gone so wrong. This was back in June when the record came. Fast forward to December now and i REALLY dig this record. It has a sense of space and of design that is extremely subtle and molded. Raime has always played off of open space, rather than filling in every second of time with excessive sound. It's one of the things i loved most about the early Raime records is that they focused on selective restraint rather than incessant filling in. "Tooth" is a much more sparse record than the amazing debut album was; and as a guitar player the first several times i heard this record i thought the guitar playing was very amateur-like; however now when i hear the guitars i think it sounds more brutal and raw rather than amateur.

I think "Tooth" is a record that isn't easy to understand. I don't think it's instantly appealing or as absorbing as prior Raime records have been; that being said i find myself listening to it ALL the time on my headphones while commuting in and around the city. It has a soundtrack-like feel to it; the sound of an industrial city story. One that can melt into the backdrop of a night walk or the overwhelming lights of a busy intersection. I think "Tooth" is an ugly record that needs time to interact with your mind and ears; but there is a shimmering beauty here that unfolds after repeated listening. Easily my album of the year.

you gotta be kidding me. how is this experimental ? just which part exactly of it is experimental ? how is this industrial? how is this have anything to do with any sort of art ? surely it can't be that bad , - i thought to myself as being such a positive individual. but it is. this wouldn't even suit the mood if you decided to put a rope on your neck. put this on, go sit on the crapper, come back in half an hour - the effect will be the same. truly awful, honestly, this is why i'm starting to hate this so called pretentious post-industrial new wave new age DNA of dub-techno, garage/grime and post-hardcore rock music spliced into sleek and predatory new forms experimental blah blah. nothing new whatsoever, nothing mind-bending horizon curving or predatouriously fierce as d. it's empty, it's blank, it does not carry any idea, its nothing. stop wasting vinyl.there are more people selling it than wanting it.

I am so glad I listened to this before spending money on it. So glad I did not pre-order. It's been a few months so I just tried giving the Mp3's another listen, and I really still can't tell any differences in tracks.

snare-cymbal-di-di-di-di-din-din (repeat ∞ forever)

That's it. The entire album is right there. You get the occasional ambient drone to go along with a couple short screams (which all sound the same) in a few of the tracks. That's the biggest difference, and those few tracks are exactly the same as well.

This album was such a disappointment. Really loved Quarter Turns, but if Raime can't come up with anything better than what they just put out, it just might be time for them to call it quits.

Biggest disappointment of the year. Such a disappointment. Still at least they gave us a fantastic debut LP.

I so wanted to like this album. I tried, but nope. It ain't a patch on Quarter Turns. Biggest disapointment of 2016 so far.

It sure is less a collapse on this new record. They changed the submarine funeral-sound to something more vivid. Really like their choices on this new one.