Which is Worse
by Problems That Fix Themselves
codykru
codykru
super interesting genre hopping album - gotta give it to 8:62 for throwing blending two emotions coherently together like that
Favorite track: 8:62.
Robert F. Dally
Tommy Stangroom
Stagger
Philip Ourso
Conor Perreault
richardmagnelli
Stephen Matejka
pulan
mark
michael rebok
Nate Hopkins
idiot_vehicle
J. S. Scharenbroch
all_knee
Aiden Beilken
bogey
Audrey
Brendan Landis
sam
Michael Pinson
Marc Masters
Mr. November
Justin Snow
Mr Tum
cinchel
Karen Janas
Sean Congdon
stanimosity
Brian Gunderson
Ben Miller
Gregory Cluck
Ryan Romero
Husky Sombrero
Janna
NotShelbie
shuttr.slap
FriendClubRob
Joshua Lemaire
WrP
johnny
Matt Worm
sevven09
Chris Diehn
Tracy Presence
Jeff Frederick
JP28
David Gilburd
Joe Davis
Jarsh Sparringa
talk midway
Derek Arnold
wexxy
Ryan Archer
laserpants
c4 the eXplosIVe
williamcard
gunkldunk
Chris Cowdrey
Cam Allen
masses
Eric Sinclair
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Record/Vinyl + Digital Album'Which is Worse' on 150 gram 12" black vinyl
Includes Digital Download Card, 11x17 Poster and 2 Vinyl Stickers
Edition of 300
Includes unlimited streaming of Which is Worse via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.ships out within 4 days$12 USD or more
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Streaming + DownloadIncludes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Purchasable with gift card
$7 USD or more
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Limited Edition Cassette
Cassette + Digital Album5th anniversary reissue
First time on cassette!
Includes unlimited streaming of Which is Worse via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Sold Out
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Cassette & Vinyl Bundle
Cassette + Digital Album12" 150 gram black vinyl + 5th anniversary cassette reissue
Includes unlimited streaming of Which is Worse via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Sold Out
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Problems That Fix Themselves cassette & vinyl bundle
In honor of the 1980 Records release of 'Besides', the companion cassette to Problems That Fix Themselves' 2014 album 'Which is Worse', we're bundling the two together for a discounted price.
Bundle Includes:
'Besides' C24
'Which is Worse' 12" LP
Both releases come with download cards
Includes unlimited streaming of Which is Worse via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.Sold Out
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1. |
Which is Worse
04:46
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2. |
Maximum Occupancy
04:39
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3. |
Black Elvis
05:41
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4. |
Sunday Song
03:07
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5. |
8:62
02:53
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6. |
Elsie Mary
05:48
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7. |
Slowburn
07:48
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about
"Problems That Fix Themselves’ third proper album, Which Is Worse, will wrap the head of any listener in swaddling blankets. The majority of the seven pieces which comprise this latest offering from the Chicago duo (long-time contributor Alex Borozan is now officially the other half of founder Josh Tabbia’s electronic vision) display a marked emphasis on melody and structure, with only the closing track “Slowburn” containing the freeform assault on the senses with which Problems have pummeled audiences throughout the Midwest the past few years.
The sound bite sampling and mechanized beats that propelled the magnificent assortment of sounds on the last Problems’ release, 2010’s Seconds, have all but vanished in favor of melodic passages which move as naturally as the river flows. Seconds was far from cold and clamorous, abundant in warmth and melody, but much of it was buried under shards of experimentation that appeared to be taking place while the tape was rolling. That is the key difference on Which Is Worse: the experimentation seems to have taken place largely in the composing process, with the textural sounds arranged into the colorful, radiating pieces, giving the album a more refined sound, while still exciting and bold nonetheless.
The titular cut acts as the opening credits, with a Baldwin Discoverer table top organ cycling through a series of sustained chords against a gentle wash of white noise thunderstorm. “Maximum Occupancy” crawls across the speakers through a wormhole into “Black Elvis,” which explodes in a majestic myriad of incandescent phosphorescence, in shades of Tangerine Dream and Harmonia. The production is stunningly crisp, with a cohesion unprecedented in Problems’ catalogue. The sole vocal performance on the album appears on “Sunday Song,” a tender tune which unites contributing member Victoria Blade’s saccharine, distorted vocals with a melodious synth line, bringing side one to a sweet-tempered close.
Side two opener “8:62” features the drill and bass drum patterns often employed by Aphex Twin and Squarepusher back in the day. A diced-up air organ supplies the main melody while cherubic flourishes distantly circle overhead. “Elsie Mary” paints a serene, understated landscape that is not unlike those explored by early pioneering electronic artists in Europe that Brian Eno sought out. The aforementioned “Slowburn” finishes off the album in an abrasive, terrifying menace of sonance that is absent from the six tracks which precede it.
Perhaps the only perceivable shortcoming of Which Is Worse is the brevity of the album, clocking in at around 35 minutes. Maybe Problems ascribe to the old vaudevillian adage, “Always leave them wanting more.” Regardless, with not a wasted note to be found, the album is comforting sonic bliss that benefits from repeated listens and can be done so ad infinitum at such a short running time. Chalk up another one for Problems That Fix Themselves."
-Peter Cook, Already Dead Tapes, 2014
The sound bite sampling and mechanized beats that propelled the magnificent assortment of sounds on the last Problems’ release, 2010’s Seconds, have all but vanished in favor of melodic passages which move as naturally as the river flows. Seconds was far from cold and clamorous, abundant in warmth and melody, but much of it was buried under shards of experimentation that appeared to be taking place while the tape was rolling. That is the key difference on Which Is Worse: the experimentation seems to have taken place largely in the composing process, with the textural sounds arranged into the colorful, radiating pieces, giving the album a more refined sound, while still exciting and bold nonetheless.
The titular cut acts as the opening credits, with a Baldwin Discoverer table top organ cycling through a series of sustained chords against a gentle wash of white noise thunderstorm. “Maximum Occupancy” crawls across the speakers through a wormhole into “Black Elvis,” which explodes in a majestic myriad of incandescent phosphorescence, in shades of Tangerine Dream and Harmonia. The production is stunningly crisp, with a cohesion unprecedented in Problems’ catalogue. The sole vocal performance on the album appears on “Sunday Song,” a tender tune which unites contributing member Victoria Blade’s saccharine, distorted vocals with a melodious synth line, bringing side one to a sweet-tempered close.
Side two opener “8:62” features the drill and bass drum patterns often employed by Aphex Twin and Squarepusher back in the day. A diced-up air organ supplies the main melody while cherubic flourishes distantly circle overhead. “Elsie Mary” paints a serene, understated landscape that is not unlike those explored by early pioneering electronic artists in Europe that Brian Eno sought out. The aforementioned “Slowburn” finishes off the album in an abrasive, terrifying menace of sonance that is absent from the six tracks which precede it.
Perhaps the only perceivable shortcoming of Which Is Worse is the brevity of the album, clocking in at around 35 minutes. Maybe Problems ascribe to the old vaudevillian adage, “Always leave them wanting more.” Regardless, with not a wasted note to be found, the album is comforting sonic bliss that benefits from repeated listens and can be done so ad infinitum at such a short running time. Chalk up another one for Problems That Fix Themselves."
-Peter Cook, Already Dead Tapes, 2014
credits
released November 11, 2014
license
all rights reserved
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about
Already Dead Tapes and Records Los Angeles, California
All genre record label focused on small edition cassette, vinyl, and VHS releases.
Est. 2009
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Apr 2023 -
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Jan 2023
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