Hypnagogic States (the september EP)

[japanesebaby]

The reason for so many lamers doing the remixing is because their on a major label.

yeah i might even want to bet that the story that robert himself hand-picked the best remixes is just crap. so perhaps these were pretty much the only choices given by the label (=need to sell sell sell sell more more more records...).
in any case the alarming thing is that the cure just happily went for it. anyone with any self-respect would have refused.

by the way, the ONLY good thing i know about MCR is their open taping police. they've filed an official statement via warner and that's something i consider cool. (although i seriously can't understand why anyone would even want to tape MCR hehe - anyway that's irrelevant).
so since these guys are obviously robert's new best friends, how about robert finally filed something similar through universal?

[pussycat]

Here is official information regarding the Hypnagogic State EP from the cure.com website:



HYPNAGOGIC STATES EP
8/8/2008 10:45:48 AM - by CURE:ROBERT

HYPNAGOGIC STATES EP

MEMBERS OF FALL OUT BOY, AFI, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, 30 SECONDS TO MARS AND 65 DAYS OF STATIC REMIX THE CURE FOR 'HYPNAGOGIC STATES' EP

The Cure announce an EP of remixes of the first 4 singles taken from their imminent new album to be released digitally and on CD on the 13th September.

Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance), Pete Wentz & Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Jade Puget (AFI), Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars) and 65 Days Of Static (who supported The Cure on most of their recent 59 date World 4Tour), have exclusively remixed the first 4 singles from the forthcoming studio album for this special EP, entitled 'Hypnagogic States', as follows:

"The Only One" - remixed by Jared Leto (30 Seconds to Mars)

"Freakshow" - remixed by Jade Puget (AFI)

"Sleep When I'm Dead" - remixed by Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) and Julien-K

"The Perfect Boy" - remixed by Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy)

"Exploding Head Syndrome" (all 4 singles) remixed by 65 Days Of Static

All Artist royalties from the EP will benefit The International Red Cross.

The Cure's new studio album, their 13th, is scheduled for release on 13th October via Suretone/Geffen... but what does schedule ever know?!!

"THE PERFECT BOY (MIX 13)", THE 4TH OF FOUR SINGLES RELEASED ON THE 13TH OF EACH MONTH IN THE RUN UP TO TO THE LP, IS OUT 13TH AUGUST.
Like it's predecessors "The Only One (Mix 13)", "Freakshow (Mix 13)" and "Sleep When I'm Dead (Mix 13)", the single will be released digitally and on CD and 7" and will be backed with an exclusive B-side, this time "Without You." None of the B-sides will appear on the album. The singles were produced by Robert Smith and Keith Uddin.

Led as always by lead singer/guitarist Robert Smith, the Cure line-up comprises long-time members bass player Simon Gallup, drummer Jason Cooper and, back in the band for a third time, guitarist Porl Thompson.

Hear a clip of "The Perfect Boy (Mix 13)" at www.thecure.com

Tootles,
Pussycat

[melly]

reading the statements by some people about the remixes and the obvious dislike of the proposed end result, I was thinking... the singles are being released each month, some like them, some don't..personally, I just take them as they come, not disecting them, not worried about the snare drum being too loud etc.etc., just enjoying the new stuff coming our way. I certainly don't compare them to the older music of The Cure. The main album is coming out in October. The remixed EPs are a separate entity aren't they? The main album isn't going to be remixed by anyone, it's The Cure as we know them. After completing their gruelling concerts with mostly good reviews, some saying Robert has never sounded better, the shows going for 3 hours usually, many,many fans attending several shows and just lapping it all up. Why the hysteria over the remixed EPs? Okay, you don't like the remixers. Don't buy them. But to say things like "The Cure is dead" is,in my opinion rather dramatic. Why has Robert chosen those people ro remix the songs? Who knows. But, does it really matter that much when the singles are coming out each month, the Cure album will be here soon, and for most of us, the memories of seeing them live linger, happily in our thoughts. To pronounce The Cure as washed up, finished, gone mad or whatever has been bandied around is a little premature don't you think, just because of remixed songs? Hmmm... I bet those same people will go and see them if they tour again in the next couple of years... stop being so damned emotional over a few songs...enjoy the moment; sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion...and I just gave mine.

[japanesebaby]

reading the statements by some people about the remixes and the obvious dislike of the proposed end result, I was thinking... the singles are being released each month, some like them, some don't..personally, I just take them as they come, not disecting them, not worried about the snare drum being too loud etc.etc., just enjoying the new stuff coming our way. I certainly don't compare them to the older music of The Cure. The main album is coming out in October. The remixed EPs are a separate entity aren't they? The main album isn't going to be remixed by anyone, it's The Cure as we know them. After completing their gruelling concerts with mostly good reviews, some saying Robert has never sounded better, the shows going for 3 hours usually, many,many fans attending several shows and just lapping it all up. Why the hysteria over the remixed EPs? Okay, you don't like the remixers. Don't buy them. But to say things like "The Cure is dead" is,in my opinion rather dramatic. Why has Robert chosen those people ro remix the songs? Who knows. But, does it really matter that much when the singles are coming out each month, the Cure album will be here soon, and for most of us, the memories of seeing them live linger, happily in our thoughts. To pronounce The Cure as washed up, finished, gone mad or whatever has been bandied around is a little premature don't you think, just because of remixed songs? Hmmm... I bet those same people will go and see them if they tour again in the next couple of years... stop being so damned emotional over a few songs...enjoy the moment; sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion...and I just gave mine.

don't judge the book by its cover - well that's true of course. i'm not saying i refuse to listen to the remixes, i know i will check them out. but will i buy the EP? no, this time i don't think so.
by the way i loved 'mixed up' so i'm not against some remixes. but if you want to do a remix album in 2008 then please, choose some professional people to do that for you. to me it's as simple as that. but that's just my opinion. 

actually my biggest concern is the utterly horrible sound quality of the recent releases. yes i've said that a dozen times already but i'll say it again, because it is reason enough for simply not being able to think " let's take it as it comes and enjoy that".  seriously, i've been able to listen through 'all kinds of things' two times, i'm not interested to try the third because the song is nothing but noise. you can't even judge whether it's a good song or a bad song, it's so badly damaged.
so if i get "hysterical" of the news about the remix EP it's mostly because i think the same kind of very-likely-to-be-unlistenable  stuff is very well under way now. "stop being so emotional and enjoy the moment"? well i'm sorry but for me there's not very much there to enjoy. i can't force myself. but remember that i didn't force myself to be negative either: i'm not one of those people who've been preaching the cure's demise around the forums for years and years. so far i've always tried to keep up the hope and honestly i had a very strong feeling that things were going to better direction recently. ever since porl got back the band got energized and the live shows earlier this year were indeed a great pleasure, now that i think of it. so i haven't been putting up some websites saying "the cure: R.I.P. & porl sucks!" etc. yet, at some point when you count 2+2+2+.... well, at some point it just adds up to an alarming figure. so actually i'm not bitter and angry, i've just been shocked recently.


one of my biggest concerns now is not the upcoming album but the remaining deluxe remasters i don't expect anything from the upcoming album now, actually. and before you get that all wrong: actually i'm quite convinced that the music will be good but i'm so terminally scared of the production/mastering issues that i don't want to think about it). i can only pray that the next deluxe box coming up in the series won't be remastered by the same monkey that did the recent singles. and to add to the irony, of course the next one in the series has to be 'disintegration'.... huh. well thinking about such things kind of make me emotional, sorry. i do become emotional when i see works of art being mangled and mishandled, sorry but i do.


but perhaps you're right, why stress so much over it. thankfully there's a lot of other music in the world, other than the cure, other artists who still put out good quality releases that actually CAN be enjoyed fully and thoroughly and not while you're grinding your teeth thinking about "christ it's a decent song but how come they made it sound like shit?". and i don't say that because i want to shout out how bitter i am or i wanted to make myself feel better by slapping robert in the face (although i think it might do him so good hehe). i say it because in my opinion it's just the truth at the moment.


ps. i didn't actually say "the cure is dead", i said i might have to start practicing how to say it. there's a difference.
but honestly, it just looks pretty bad. and once again, if people ARE being emotional: doesn't that actually show that we still DO care? if i didn't care i wouldn't bother coming here and saying anything at all.
like said, like everyone else out there i'll have to take it as it comes but to enjoy it - sorry i can't. and if that makes me post my sentiments truthfully instead of just posting the usual "oh great, i can't wait!" - well, perhaps you'll just have to take it as it comes haha
(ok the last line was a joke ).

[melly]

yeah JB, the last line may have been a joke... putting a "haha" at the end of it does not make it funny, but I really don't give a sh*t about your perceived one upmanship. You do this right through the forum, not just giving your opinion, but it comes across as "I am SO right and you all are so wrong". Sorry, but I,personally have had a gutful of you thrusting your views down our throats. I am sick of the negativity which has pervaded this forum.
And, for those who do not know ( not many do) I am closely related to Robert, and take umbridge at suggestions he has "gone mad" that "maybe" the Cure are dead etc.etc. Its a few fu**ing songs for gods sake.
You are a very lucky woman JB if the way these songs are produced upset you so. Just shows you don't have a hell of a lot to worry about.
And with that final tirade, I will bid you all farewell. Had enough.
Melly.

[nausearockpig]

Time for a crucifiction...
I'm sorry but can someone explain to me why these new songs are "mixed terribly" or why they "sound so bad"? How are they supposed to sound? I listen to them on a daily basis on my phone [WAV > mp3 > nokia 6300 w/2GB card > ipod earplugs [plebian, I know!!]] and I reckon they sound OK?? The actual songwriting and song quality is another story, whether they are good or bad songs is a matter of opinion...
Maybe I'm a retard, but I'm not sure what I'm missing or what's wrong.. 

As one of our esteemed ex-politicians once said "Please explain?"

[japanesebaby]

yeah JB, the last line may have been a joke... putting a "haha" at the end of it does not make it funny, but I really don't give a sh*t about your perceived one upmanship. You do this right through the forum, not just giving your opinion, but it comes across as "I am SO right and you all are so wrong". Sorry, but I,personally have had a gutful of you thrusting your views down our throats. I am sick of the negativity which has pervaded this forum.
And, for those who do not know ( not many do) I am closely related to Robert, and take umbridge at suggestions he has "gone mad" that "maybe" the Cure are dead etc.etc. Its a few fu**ing songs for gods sake.
You are a very lucky woman JB if the way these songs are produced upset you so. Just shows you don't have a hell of a lot to worry about.
And with that final tirade, I will bid you all farewell. Had enough.
Melly.

huh wait a second. with all do respect, i don't think i ever wrote "you're wrong now here's how it is". iwrite here just like everyone else and all i can do is to write my honest opinion. if my opinion is different from yours, so what? i don't take ANY of it personally so i don't know why you should either. see? yes, one thing i admit: i often do reply to people who  have posted something that is different that what i would say. why do i do that? because i try to engage people into conversation, honestly. i don't write because i want to "correct" someone's opinion on something. look at it this way. what would be the point if people only replied to those posts that are similar to their views? what we would have then would be a series of "ia agree!" "i agree too!" "me too!" kind of threads. what would be the point of that, seriously? i see the forums as a place for exchanging views and opinions and it's actually more fruitful when people have different views. if people have to take things so personally that every disagreeing response is a kind of attack to someone's opinions, then sorry i don't understand why. you (or anyone else either) are free to disagree with me and i don't take it personally. why should i?
this is all about discussion, changing of ideas and opinions.... who said it was about right and wrong - other than you, actually?

there's a difference in being/getting emotional about some subject under discussion (here: the EPs, the recent releases) and getting emotional about other people's opinions about them.
i think i've tried to focus on the first one, at least that has been my intention.


surely, there's been a lot of negatively tinted talk due to this news. but i've read the same from other boards too, starting from craig at COF, so i wouldn't say it's just something that goes on here.

all i can say is that i'm sorry that i managed to make you so upset (i had no idea of that, honestly) but i also don't really understand why you ended up feeling like that. really.

:(


ps. and yes actually i DO have a hell of a lot to worry about in my life. but i don't know what that has got to do with this: because this is a cure forum i write here about the cure, ok?

[japanesebaby]

ps. melly, i wanted to send you a pm but it looks like you've blocked your inbox(?) so that i cannot send it.
could you please give me this opportunity, please?

[japanesebaby]

I'm sorry but can someone explain to me why these new songs are "mixed terribly" or why they "sound so bad"?

well i kind of feel like i wouldn't post this (or any other opinion of mine) anymore but since you're asked and since i actually am willing to explain this to anyone who wants to learn (because this is about undeniable facts, not just my personal opinion, NB.).
if someone doesn't want to learn, then that's fine with me too. anyway:

mastering and mixing are different things. the one i've been talking about as the reason for making these releases sound bad is because of remastering issues.
perhaps watch this first:

http://homedir-b.libsyn.com/podcasts/cdba2b727c88127e0dc27bec68568c62/489ec1ce/psn/images/Loudness_War.mov

then have a look at the two screenshots attached.
the first one's "healthy sound" from times when the cure was produced well, with love and care.
the second one's from 'all kinds of things'. i think you should see how the latter one has been damaged. see how part of the dynamic range (look at the edges and imagine how the peaks there should be like, like they are in the "healthy" image) has been cut off already in the studio? the 2008 image looks just like one big block of constant volume.
the 2008 singles have been very heavily compressed and hammered to the maximum volume by aggressive mastering. this makes the music sound LOUD but it also causes heavy distortion. if you want to listen to "healthy" music loud, you just use your volume knob and turn it up. but if it's already been turned up to the max in the remastering phase, there's nothing you can do anymore: the dynamic range is gone and it's distorted. this means even the quieter parts of the recording sound LOUD, the loud parts are LOUD and distorted. there's no dynamics left in the music and it sounds flat and tiresome.
this is why the new releases sound a lot worse than the cure used to.

further reading:
http://turnmeup.org/

& many links provided there.



by the way, this is how mastering processed damaged the music. mixing is different. :!:
actually these singles wouldn't sound that bad if we could have versions that were properly mastered. the sound would be healthy and not something that hammers ad hurts your ears with maximum volume from beginning to the end.


i'll shut up for now and everyone can think what they think and enjoy what they can. i don't need anyone to agree with me, i don't mind if people do or don't do. i don't agree with accusations that i've been pushing my opinion down to other people's throat - you just don't have to care about my opinion if you don't agree with it. it's that simple. i never started my posts with a "ok here's the truth and the one and only truth!".
but please note that this mastering stuff is not "just an opinion" but something very real. just google up a bit and you'll notice there're a lot of people worried about it. so it's very real, whether we liked it or not.
anyway i've explained the reasons behind my trouble (and many other people's too) to enjoy this new stuff, nothing more.
peace. or whatever. 

[lostflower4]

Time for a crucifiction...
I'm sorry but can someone explain to me why these new songs are "mixed terribly" or why they "sound so bad"? How are they supposed to sound? I listen to them on a daily basis on my phone [WAV > mp3 > nokia 6300 w/2GB card > ipod earplugs [plebian, I know!!]] and I reckon they sound OK??

Well, that probably explains it. Stock iPod headphones are so muddy they hide pretty much every detail in the sound (good and bad).

But all this new stuff just sounds plain awful. It's all so shrill, and if Robert's voice could be any louder, I don't think you could hear anything else.

It just sounds like really low-budget, amateur production. Something I would never expect from this band in a million years.

Everyone can flame me all they want for saying this, but I know good sound when I hear it - and this ain't it!

[nausearockpig]

Well, that probably explains it. Stock iPod headphones are so muddy they hide pretty much every detail in the sound (good and bad).

But all this new stuff just sounds plain awful. It's all so shrill, and if Robert's voice could be any louder, I don't think you could hear anything else.

It just sounds like really low-budget, amateur production. Something I would never expect from this band in a million years.

Everyone can flame me all they want for saying this, but I know good sound when I hear it - and this ain't it!

maybe I'm just going deaf and anything sounds good to these blasted out old ears ;-)
@lf4 - Do you have any suggestions for good in-ear headphones around the $70.00 mark. that's an AUS or US dollar BTW!!! much of a muchness nowadays...

@JB - thanks for that, I'll have a bit of a dig around..

[KingOfSomeIsland]

I dont think poor mastering is a good reason to totally discount the new songs, Its a legitimate gripe but if you dont like the songs themselves thats fine. Bad/good mastering can only go so far. Good songs are gonna be good whether they're on wax cylinders or gold cd's.

That said I like the new songs, and I am looking forward to the remix ep if only out of morbid curiosity as to what the Fallout Boy mix of the Perfect Boy will sound like. The 65daysofstatic thing seems interesting and the other 3 seem fine so long as Gerard Way doesnt try to sing over SWID. That would just be blasphameous. I mean I actually like MCR but the Cure should just be the Cure...

[Bloodflower]

I feel genuine pity for the people who can't enjoy these new songs. I think they sound lovely, and it's really sad that others can't bring themselves to enjoy them. You're really missing out, if you can't appreciate songs like The Only One, The Perfect Boy, Without You, and Down Under.

It all sounds great to me -- I don't know what you're listening to that gives you a headache, but if it's doing that, Christ, turn the thing down. Maybe the dynamic range has been reduced to an extent that hinders your enjoyment, but if your problem with the songs is that they're too loud, just turn them down. I can't imagine someone who has the songs on the lowest possible setting [short of off] could find them too loud.

Again, I'm sorry for each of you who can't enjoy the Cure's new music. I think it's lovely and that you're missing out.

This, by the way, is PRECISELY the reason I've resisted delving into audiophilia -- buying headphones that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, getting into SACD, and making meticulous notes about tape generation. It ruins the whole experience of music, really. You become more concerned with graphs and analyses than the music itself. And I think that's really sad.

I've got 27 minutes and 47 seconds of wonderful new Cure music to enjoy. I hope you come around someday and hear what I do.

[lostflower4]

This, by the way, is PRECISELY the reason I've resisted delving into audiophilia -- buying headphones that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, getting into SACD, and making meticulous notes about tape generation. It ruins the whole experience of music, really. You become more concerned with graphs and analyses than the music itself. And I think that's really sad.

I've got 27 minutes and 47 seconds of wonderful new Cure music to enjoy. I hope you come around someday and hear what I do.

I've never intentionally delved into audiophilia either. I just happened to be blessed (cursed?) with a sensitive pair of ears. And I don't need some super expensive equipment to know when something sounds like crap.

I've always suspected that only a small percentage of the population has really sensitive hearing, and these are often the people that get into music/music production, etc.

Well, whoever produced this 2008 Cure stuff sounds must have not been one of these people, so that's why it's embarrassing.

There is all kinds of crappy pop/rap from this year that sounds superior than the new Cure stuff, which just adds to the embarrassment. And there are lots of audience recordings of the recent tour that are better to listen to than the studio stuff.

This is all pretty ridiculous, when you think about it. That's all I've been trying to say.

As you seem to be insinuating, I'm not trying to be negative or snobby on purpose. I'm just bringing up a very real problem, that you apparently can't hear. But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Hmmmm... I'm starting to get the feeling I've already said most of this before.

Maybe we could create a new rule for this forum:  "Only positive opinions of the band and their music may be posted. Members who do otherwise will have their posts removed and be subject to termination."

Then it can be a happy-happy utopia for everyone to revel in the new stuff, including The Only One (the greatest piece of lyrical poetry that Robert Smith has ever written!)

[Bloodflower]

Maybe we could create a new rule for this forum:  "Only positive opinions of the band and their music may be posted. Members who do otherwise will have their posts removed and be subject to termination."

Then it can be a happy-happy utopia for everyone to revel in the new stuff, including The Only One (the greatest piece of lyrical poetry that Robert Smith has ever written!)

Yes, Caley. That's exactly what I want.

Well-spotted.