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REVANGELION is a 21 minute, 7-song long instrumental album produced by Brian Altano and inspired by the classic anime series “Neon Genesis E
Hello! This is WEIRD HEAT a brand new project from Max Scoville and Brian Altano. Starting Monday, February 12th 2018, there will be things here, and in other places around the internet.
Please, be excited.
IGN interview (Brian Altano) with Ben Safdie, Robert Pattinson and Josh Safdie.
#Running time 17:23. Starts from 30:42 to 48:05
“I talked to Robert Pattinson about his awesome new movie "GOOD TIME" which I totally loved!” - Brian Altano tweeted
Day 23: Revangelion - Brian Altano
Album Art by Peter Santa-Maria aka Attack Peter (Instagram)
So, I missed a day, which I feel terrible about. But I’m not going to beat myself up for it. Besides, a 22-day streak is pretty good considering any other project I’ve attempted in a past while, so I’m just going to look on the bright side!
Also, I decided I ought to try and give back to creators who have been an inspiration to me in some way. So, today I won’t be doing a game review (or whatever you call my blurbs). Instead, I’m going to review an album.
Revangelion by Brian Altano (twitter / Instagram)
Links to the album:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5BLMVGrMcrXRqkoYbfLKN3?si=E9xvEVxAQuK-1XwFVdlmDA
Bandcamp: https://brianaltano.bandcamp.com/album/revangelion
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/revangelion/1488246898
YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ofWq2gGp7aU&list=PLMEpSV0C5Xcux9MmVg2i1tRApmpEiAUko
Admittedly, I have no musical background; no music theory or refined taste, the most I can do on an instrument is the first 4 notes of the Independence Day Movie theme song on a piano. However, I do have a ton of time to myself, a Spotify premium account and an aversion to silence. Basically, I am always listening to music or podcasts, and I always make it a point to sit down and listen to a new album in one session and reflect on it.
The Art of an Album
I have a test for what makes a baseline good album for me. If on my first time listening to it, I don’t skip a single track or tune out, it means I liked the album. So often it seems that albums, vocal or instrumental, come out and it seems like a mishmash of tracks with little consistency. I don’t mean that every track must sound “the same”, but they ought to have a style or story from start to end. It’s jarring to hear a couple tracks and get into a trance and then taken out of it by something that doesn’t quite fit in.
I do not have any proof, but I feel that Brian Altano also has an appreciation for an album as a whole and not necessarily it’s individual tracks. I am not going to begin to try and understand any sort of hidden messages or the story that Brian was telling through the album, but I could tell there as a consistent style from track to track. Of course, the album title is based on Evangelion, a show that explores all types of stories and human emotions. It could be that this album was a summation of Brian’s thoughts or feelings (and not opinions, but the emotion associated with the show) on the series in music form. But I’d like to believe it’s different than that. A mixture of however the show imprinted its emotions on him and whatever he was experience in his own life.
Now, if you want my thoughts on individual tracks, I can quickly go over them and what I was feeling. For me, it was like an album for my commute to work. A Cruel Angel’s Thesis begins as the garage door opens and the sun blinds me. Nerv played as I dealt with the unpredictable (and oddly dangerous) inner city traffic, and the track has an almost “ready? Fight!” tone to it. As I get onto the highway and the drive is predictable, I tend to get very introspective. I nod my head to A Crystalline Night Sky and Rei Ayanami feeling a weird mix of nostalgia and questioning my own life. Hedgehog’s Dilemna is to me, the most intriguing one, since the title is something I’ve known about because of my interest in psychology. Finally, Tokyo-3 and Fly Me to the Moon are the cooldown tracks as I get into work. It leaves me feeling hopeful for some reason (even though almost no episode of Evangelion ended with any resemblance of hope).
In Conclusion...
To be honest, it feels a little strange to try and recommend an album based off emotion itself. This album has sounds inspired by Evangelion, but there’s no voice clips or anything that would spoil the show if you haven’t seen it. If anything, it may push you to watch it if you have not seen it already.
If you do listen to the album, please reach out to me and let me know what you think, and of course let Brian know as he is very receptive to critical feedback. I find it particularly interesting to hear what goes through people’s heads as they listen to instrumental albums, as it is emotion based off sounds and not words. But if you want to add a little something to your commute, or something to bop to while working on your own personal project, check out Revangelion.
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If you’re interested in Brian Altano’s work, you can find him at IGN doing shows like Up at Noon (a hilarious comedy variety show covering all sorts of geeky stuff) and Fast Travel (a travel series that covers gaming life in parts of the world often not covered). He’s also part of one of my favourite podcasts of all time, The Comedy Button, a show that I can’t describe other than 4-5 good friends talk about things like horses and fast food. It’s great, trust me.
Ska is like if the second amendment was about horn instruments
Brian Altano
