Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx Metatronic - new compilation

OK, that tracklisting is enough to change my opinion on said compilation, at least it offers something new, ie the live album.

Personally I'm not bothered about the videos.

Hmm. Only interested in the extended Underpass and early Burning Car.

So, this is Metatronic, and there's a Metadelic one later this year, right? Hmm..
[resurrects "Retirement" rumour)

Or I suppose LifeGrab,Inc could just bump him off and replace him with another clone?

Eh? Oh, the CD...

I just hope this compilation lark doesn't delay the release of new material.

so the other one will have "romantic/psychedelic" tracks... is there any chance "running in traffic" would fit on the other comp, i don't know if it would fit the description since i've never even heard the track, but would be nice to have it on a record.

I can't get a lot of enthusiasm for this release. Extended Underpass maybe but by just how much??

It will be interesting to listen to Live in Sydney but I assume John performed more than 8 tracks.

The one I do want to hear is the early version of Burning Car.

Am I being ripped off with another compilation CD???. Being the ardent fan I am, I will still no doubt purchase it.

Peter :rolleyes:

I think it's a good value for money package especially for somebody who hasn't already got the majority of his work, or as a souvenir from the Australian tour.

I'm only bothered about the live album, and it's far from a priority, which is why I'm more eager to have new material.

Don't know if you know but "Running in Traffic " is available to download from the Townsend site, a snip at £0.79.

Having confined the Virgin Vaults 80’s video to distant memory and recently posted and joked here about ‘moving pictures from the dark old days of video tape’ it’s the DVD part of the Metatronic set that most intrigues me, whether or not these new visual’s will really add to the art of the songs. Have they all been specially commissioned for this release, or similar to the digital and analogue moments that are cut and pasted into a Karborn style? What has Johns input been on these, and wouldn’t it be great to finally have a Foxx-approved cracking image worth seeing in your mind when walking along the street and singing ”He’s a liquid” in your head.

I’m just not bothered about live tracks, so with CD2 although I’m always interested in hearing what the bonus and re-mixers tracks sound like, I’m surprised to see so few remixed tracks by other participants here, what, no Benge, no Daley? I thought they might have taken a hand on the reins, (and on that subject perhaps Mr Guthrie could be persuaded to remix Enter The Angel II or In Mysterious Ways for Metadelic and imbue these with some of his dream-pop magic). With Metatronic I was expecting to have either a first disc with all original songs (as is the case) together with a second disc of all (the others) remixes, or, for just the main disc only to be comprised of original tracks interspersed throughout with the new mixes.

I agree that at £10.99 it’s a really great deal for a 3 disc set, and particularly as Alex says, if you are new to Johns work, like live recordings or tour versions. The track-listing is a good selection of old and older, (and just where is the mysterious Night Suit?), but I had hoped to see at least one new song included on this release. It’s a nice track progression, with areas of quieter reflection being provided by some of the more downtempo tracks spread out amidst the high drama of the other tracks.

Looking at the set as a whole, and taking into consideration the announcement of the Metadelic companion set-piece - (presumably put together in a similar style), Metatronic is an attractive showcase of John’s music, and I was momentarily quite excited when I read about the forthcoming Metadelic, though strangely this was much more so than I felt when I finally got to read the revealed contents of Metatronic. Perhaps I had a fleeting hope of something much more intriguing on the horizon.

I can’t dispute the general logic of this release if its intention is to tie in with the event of this year, 30 years of John’s distinctive style and the build-up to the Roundhouse gig. As a marketing product its mainstream enough to sell well, with its classic and more recent tracks, new live versions and a couple of rarities available for the completist, and there’s easy appeal for the more recent fan. But now that I know what Metatronic (and presumably Metadelic) is all about, with disc 1 a compilation, and most of disc 2 in essence the same in another form, to be honest I only feel mildly enthusiastic about it.

I find CD1 a disappointment, and CD’s 2 and 3 are okay as an extra where there’s bound to be something you were not expecting to get, which you may enjoy, or hopefully not dislike too much, but with CD1 do I really need to have another disc that merely compiles John’s tracks for me, Glimmer did that only two years ago, albeit this is a more electro defined compilation, but I can do this sort of thing anytime for myself in the itunes library, and I look to John to do what I cant do.

Okay, I stand accused of sounding like a wet Monday now, (actually it’s a very wet Friday outside as I type this ), and I don’t intend to undervalue the work of the great crew that is Team Foxx, especially when it comes to their unfailing skill in keeping interest high and providing us with so much good material and fan fodder over recent years, but with such a fantastically titled album like ‘Metatronic’, just saying the word is great, and as for Metadelic, mmm… but was this was a good opportunity to mark this occasion for the discerning Foxxophile and a rare artist like John with something, erm’, just a little bit more different from the norm, unless of course I’m missing the point here and a collected electro retrospective of material is enough of the great man to satisfy the hungry appetites out there.

Look, I know I shouldn’t complain, (its all banter really), John brought out enough new work last year, perhaps I’m just being greedy in saying that Metatronic is too familiar a dish for me, and I’m being like a Hollywood Oliver Twist on this one in harping on, “can I have some more please”. John’s almost certain to bring out something new this year, and when it arrives that really will be what its all about, and what better way to celebrate, 30 years and still going strong

Core memory has pretty much said exactly what I feel, albeit in a far more eloquent way than I could. At the time of the release of Glimmer I questioned why the need for yet more "repurposing" when there was already a perfectly good introductory "Best of John Foxx" in the form of Modern Art. Once again I find myself thinking the same thing.

Ideally I would have liked Metatronic to be a compilation of new versions of old tracks, some remixed by others, some reworked by John (and Louis) themselves. Maybe something similar to what Sparks did with their Plagiarism album a few years ago.

Presumably most of John & Louis's output is saved as Reason or Cubase files so it shouldn't be difficult to recall and rework them rather than just reissue them to fans who already have at least one copy of the parent albums. It's not like they would have to re-record whole songs from scratch.

As it stands I find myself once again seeing a new John Foxx album as a non-essential purchase, which is sad seeing as up till 2008 I would automatically buy anything with John's name on and rarely be disappointed.