Ant

Advice to Users (of life: work less, earn less, spend less, and do more)

Tantrum - Advice To Users
Reloda - March 11, 2007

The full title of Tantrum’s second album is ‘Advice To Users Of Life: Work Less and Earn Less and Spend Less and Do More’ which sort of sums up where the music’s coming from. Smoke More should also be in the title as its a sonic journey full of fuzzy shards and pretty nuances and seems to have been recorded one-step left of anywhere. Its a bit like the introspective indie band Submarine from the Nineties who released one full studio album of wonderful slow fuzzy guitar gems that seemed to hang in the air waiting for someone to come along and blow them away.

TANTRUM - Advice to users
Perkele , Noizeitalia

Floppy Records è un’etichetta indipendente di Edimburgo dedita a far emergere band più o meno note del panorama locale. Tra le diverse produzione della label (ricordiamo Fake Tan, Boris Boogaloo e Tinkerbell’s Dope Ring) segnaliamo due uscite molto interessanti per qualità della proposta e sonorità abbracciate.

I Tantum nascono nel 1995 e soltanto con questo nuovo disco giungono al traguardo del secondo album. In realtà si tratta di un duo che gravita intorno alle figure di Nikki Grant e Tom Fraser, i quali si dividono tra chitarre, basso, vocals, batteria e samples. “Advice to users” è un insieme di lo fi, noise, shoegaze, indie e acid rock che piace per la sua capacità di alternare bordate elettriche e momenti di placida stasi.

Brani come “White”, “Ywork” e “Chickpea” compongono suggestivi affreschi ambient psych (tempo fa andava di moda dire shoegazing…), nei quali è inevitabile percepire il sapore di My Bloody Valentie e Slowdive. Merito anche della bellissima voce di Nikki, vellutata e ‘soffice’ come richiesto dal genere. “Liftoff” e “Princess” sfoderano invece chitarre, feedback e melodie degne di Motorpsycho e Sonic Youth, mentre “Emergency poncho” si pone al limite del trip hop. Insomma, “Advice to users” è un ascolto soft, il disco ideale per rilassarsi e rifugiarsi nel proprio piccolo spazio vitale, lontani dai logorii moderni. D’altronde l’avviso agli utenti è chiaro: work less, earn less, spend less and do more.

translated by deals:

Floppy Records is an independent Edinburgh label dedicated to emerging bands more or less from the local area. Among the diverse productions the label has produced (which previously included Fake Tan, Boris Boogaloo and Tinkerbell's Dope Ring) we would draw your attention to two outfits which are very interesting both in the quality of their production and their embracing of a unique sound.

1. Tantrum began in 1995, and it is only with this new recording that they have completed their second album. In reality, they consist of a duo revolving around the figures of Nikki Grant & Tom Fraser, whose sound comprises guitar,bass vocals, samples and drums.

'Advice to Users' is a mixture of lo fi, noise, shoegaze, indie and acid rock which likes to alternate between electric and placid states. Pieces such as 'White' 'Ywork' and 'Chickpea' which suggests a fresh ambience and whose tempo carries on in the style of shoegazing. The flavour of their sound inevitably recalls My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive.

Worthy of note is also the attractive voice of Nikki, which is both velvet and soft. 'Liftoff' & 'princess' Contrasting with the guitar, feedback and melody like Motorpsycho & Sonic Youth, while 'Emergeny Poncho' puts them on the verge of trip hop.

In conclusion, 'Advice to Users' is an soft listen (? could be translated in a number of ways - NOT easy listening you'll be pleased to know! But hints at an 'easy to the ear' type of translation)

The ideal disc to relax to and find yourself refuge in a small but vital aural space, a long way from the strains of modern life. On the other hand, this advice to users is clear - work less, earn less spend less and do more.

TANTRUM - Advice to Users
Review by Tim Emswiler (StonerRock.com)

Abandon all preconceptions, ye who enter here, because this ain’t your daddy’s (or, I suspect, your) stoner rock. In fact, it’s not really rock at all. But if you’re the smoking type, this will do ya just fine. The complete album title is Advice to Users of Life: Work Less and Earn Less and Spend Less and Do More, so that alone oughta tell ya that what you’re getting into here is something a little bit different. It’s also good to have sex to (that’s my guess, anyway – I’m saving myself for marriage). This was recorded in Scotland, although there is no indication of where the band is from, or even who is in the band, but I get the impression that one person does most of the work here. More detailed liner notes, please, unless that whole enigmatic thing is part of your deal.

Just in the space of the first two tracks, we go from a fairly fuzzy guitar drone with meaty drums creating a solid foundation, to an ambient, almost Cocteau Twins-y ambient piece that is soft as velvet and wraps you up in ethereal female vocals and echo-y effects. In fact, I would say that every track here could be described as ambient. No guitar rave-ups here – you get samples and fuzz and quietness and prettiness with some infrequent heavyosity, all rather trippy, and, if I may say so, rather un-American sounding, which is to say nothing more than that this stuff tends to go over better in the UK than it does here, perhaps because they never had Southern rock over there.

Another thing that sets this apart from the pack is that every track is available for download in the MP3 format, and, because this was recorded under something called the Creative Commons License, the press release states that “everybody is welcome to distribute, remix and generally mess around with these tracks.” If that isn’t art for art’s sake, I don’t know what is. Get this, smoke it if ya got it, and let the music wash over you. The waves are mostly bathwater-warm (not the same as “lukewarm”– the bathwater thing is meant as praise), with the occasional icy blast to keep you on your toes. One of the more multi-dimensional discs I’ve heard in a good long time.
tantrum - e! katakulliyat

david lynch’in müzikteki karsiligi denebilecek tantrum, 1995’de kurulmasina ragmen ancak iki albüm çikarmis, ziyadesiyle minimal arkadaslar. samplelarla dolu, efekt manyagi sarkilariyla yeraltinda pek sevilirler. ilk albümlerini 4 senede ikinci albümlerini de basladiktan 5 sene sonra çikarabilmisler, her iki albüm de internet üstünden legal olarak dagitiliyor. tantuni gibi güzel grup.
(i think this is turkish, i have no idea what it says - anyone has any ideas please email me. Just been told that the words beautiful and good are in there so thats a start)

Tantrum - two albums - FreeAlbumBlog
Genre: Rock, Psychedelia, Shoegaze, Post-Rock

Tantrum inhabit that shadow area of the rock world where disembodied vocals mix with psychedelic quitar evoking memories of David Lynch films. The result is trance inducing and similar to the sonic dream music of artists like Cocteau Twins and Blonde Redhead.

Tantrum has two albums available online. Maisie’s Friend (1999) is their first and has a slightly more melodic feel to it. “Pill and Dreams” pulses and flows over the ethereal vocals of Nikki Grant. “Scaremonger” is my favorite track with its light lyrics over densely layered guitar and electronics. I also recommend “Skunk”, a delightful exercise in manic energy.

Advice To Users was released in 2006. Tantrum continues the pattern of floating voices over deep layers of sound. “Princess” is especially engaging as its Grant’s voice lulls you into a dream then jolts you awake with high-voltage guitars. “Emergency Poncho” has a Sonic Youth echo to it. Both albums are recommended to those who like their rock music to be spacy and intelligent.

Both albums are available in 128kbps MP3. If you enjoy the music, support the artists by buying their CDs in higher quality sound.

Tantrum - Advice to Users
Skinnymag

It's easy to love the vocals on 'Advice to Users'. I'm not sure what effects are used on them and what other technical wizardry is employed, but they're ghostly, ominous, beautiful and kind of other-worldly. Elsewhere there are equally immaculate electronics and effects on the guitars. Unfortunately though, as Tantrum approach the inevitable distorted 'climax' at the end of every song, they seem to throw out their quality control. Ultimately, all of the detail is lost and the band flounder for an eloquent way to end the song. Operating to some peverse internal formula, each track begins as being amazingly intricate before gradually stripping away the excitement as they progress. That said, there are enough of moments of legend amongst the melee for those haphazard segments to be forgiven, and maybe even embraced.
Tantrum/Lift Off. Sirensounds

This is an MP3 song available to download for free at Floppy Records and is taken from Scottish band Tantrum's long awaited album "Advice To Users". This track is ace, and when I get broadband I will be downloading the whole of the album! They use loads of cool effects on their guitars, kind of grungy. The whole album is free to download, or you can buy it direct from Floppy Records.

Tantrum Advice to Users
Beard Summer 2005, Issue 4.

'Four years in the making, its dreamy layers of phased vocals, treated guitars and featherlight drums inevitably lead to My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins comparisons, but this band hold their own.'

Tantrum Advice to Users
is this music, issue 15, june 2005
'Liftoff' is included on the cover cd.

For the hard-up reader, if there is one album we can whole heartedly recommend this issue, it's this one. Not least because (for those equipped with an internet connection) it's free. Downloadable mp3s of the 7 tracks on this long-awaited album are available at www.floppyrecords.co.uk. Which is remarkable for many reasons, none least that this album has been eleven years in the making (mainly 2001-4, we're told). But aren't mp3s ten-a-penny you ask? Yes, but from the count-in of 'Liftoff' through to the seismic closing of 'Chickpea', Tantrum make a mighty noise which is hard to ignore. In short, a collection of pulsating guitar effects, delicate tunes and occasional scattered samples. OK, very little music is is truly original but Tantrum take a bunch of disparate influences and merge them together with exciting results. When the disembodied female vocals kick in the easy reference is Cocteau Twins, until drowned in swathes of sound, just for the the track to be brought back from the brink with a delicate guitar line. The sound could be Belle and Sebastian returning home after an Explosions in the Sky gig, or the Wedding Present's secret shoegazing project - all the unlikely images conjured up when immersed in this bright and vibrant collection of sounds. At a tenner this would be to value, so this is double welcome. 5/5.
the jockrock blog...

Most impressive was a CD from Tantrum - again, a band I've heard before, but their Advice to Users album - actually a freely downloadable collection of mp3s at www.floppyrecords.co.uk - came in a muslin bag - hand-stitched, with a faux-leather label. I had to cut it open to get at the delightful mess of Cocteaus/Spacemen 3/MBV sounds within. Already Stewart Smith of fine award-winning zine Beard has also noticed Tantrum rise through the pile of CDs on his desk, so their ploy must be working.
However, the plan may be doomed to failure. Most journalists aren't allowed scissors...

I'm still a sucker for loud noisy guitars. Tantrum, from Scotland, have two releases on Floppy Records. Some samples from Advice To Users: Liftoff, Emergency Poncho. I particularly liked Emergency Poncho, that's exactly what the weather is like here on Vancouver Island at this time of year. Some lovely dreamy sounds from the earlier release, Maisie's Friend: Pills and Dreams, Filmsong part 2. Earhead Blog

tantrum were formed in 1995 and recorded the album 'maisie's friend' that summer. The album was released on cassette in november 1995 and on cd in 1999 after re-mastering it. Work begun on the second album in the autumn of 1995 but it took four years to build a working studio. After recording FAKE TAN's first album 'Snippets' in 1999 and 2000 tantrum started work again on the second album in 2001: 'Advice to users' released in 2005.

tantrum are Nikki Grant and Tom Fraser on guitars, bass, vocals, drums, samples and produce the music.

Musically its sort of hot rock ambient lofi guitar music, sometimes with vocals, sometimes not, with quite a lot of other recorded sounds from tv, radio, out the window and stuff. The sound is guitars, basses, drums (sampled and programed), vocals, and lots of effects.

Recording Advice to Users

all the songs were recorded on 4 track and then computer many times between 1995 and 2005.

Equipment List

Recording
- Fostex X-30 4-track
- Computer - p200, then a P2, 1.4ghz, recording mainly with Samplitude originally (only one i could get to record in mono and playback in mono at the same time - the p200 couldn't cope with any more than that - nor my soundcard, not full duplex). We couldn't ever really get Cubase to work and anyway, were not interested in Midi. All tracks are recorded live and cleaned up in soundforge ( with some reverb sometimes ), and then mixed in ACID 2.

Instruments
- Hopf (?) Troupadour guitar (b)
- Westone thunder 1 bass (b) / Odyssey bass
- Shure 58 Microphone
- many many drum samples sliced and diced from friends drums and elsewhere

Effects
- Yamaha DD1 digital delay pedal
- Sans-amp pedal
- Cry-baby wah pedal
- Korg stereo chorus pedal
- Sovtek small stone phaser pedal
- George Dennis Tremolo/Volume