Of course @Joe . Added. Anyone else fancy the second batch?
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I’d have another crack at it if no one else is up for it. Assuming my first round passes muster.
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Sending mine in by tomorrow!
Super, thanks. Look forward to hearing the music!
Right - here’s the first one. That worked a treat : )
I’ll send the link out now to those that fancy the next lot.
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Great work all round chaps. Nice reviews.
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Look Ma, I’m on Test Pressing!
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I definitely need to write more next time.
*sends self to the back of the class…
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Good work everyone. That was ace reading. Short and sweet from Howler. No messing haha.
Although the Paramida release left me cold, even the youandewan mix and I like his stuff in main. I wouldn’t be a very good reviewer.
Actually what do you write if you think something is shite? Or do you just pretend you like it or never listened to it? I remember RA once giving Omar S a disappointingly average score of 3/5 when they used to rate records (how dare they) and him then making a fuck you resident advisor EP or something along those lines. They ran away with their tails between their legs and decided not to rate music anymore. The pussies.
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Well funny you should say that as that came up in this first batch. I guess with Test Pressing the goal was never to write about stuff we don’t like so we always avoided that. The goal with TP is kind of like would I buy it and if not I’m not going to tell you to buy it (if that makes sense). I think its something we always try and push. Thats why its been super refreshing to get others opinions on things and reading them I think they’re honest. ; )
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Great reviews guys 
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I was not a fan of the Heels & Souls reissues on the A side and I tried to write that in a way that didn’t make me sound too much like a prick. Helps that they are reissues so it’s easier to criticize. The Paramida stuff didn’t make me nuts either but I tried to put myself in the mindset of listening to that stuff on a dancefloor. Out of all the tracks, I’d probably add one of Jex’s tracks and maybe B1 on the Heels & Souls to my rotation, as a DJ the rest I can do without. Only thing I can’t do is write something nice about something i really didn’t like…
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i don’t mind going negative in direct feedback and did so often, back when i was called upon to provide it. i think it’s useful, especially when you can be like “this sounds was too loud” or “i’m tired of this sample” or “your drums sound mushy”, etc.
but if i’m writing for a broad audience - and don’t like the music - i generally just describe it and try to determine who it’s made for. if it’s not for me (and it’s often not, i don’t think i’ve tried to be a “peak hour” guy since the 1900’s) i do my best to illustrate what’s going on with it so the folks who like that sort of thing can read into what i’m saying and see if it’s worth a listen. i’m not really about yucking on anyone else’s yum, nowadays.
many years ago, i learned the ultimate backhanded compliment and i find myself using variations of it frequently: “it’s good for what it is”.
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If we’re going full disclosure here, then I’m not sure any of them would make me want to spend my hard earned, tbh. The Paramida stuff is so far removed from what I play, I actually had to pitch it down to 120 on the first listen. That said, I tried to put myself into the mindset of a 20 year old who is bang into this stuff and write objectively and, the more I listened, the more it began to make sense. The H&S stuff is more up my street and, as @MGG said, as it’s just a re-issue, you can be a little more critical if necessary. The one I really struggled with was the Jex release. I just found it really formulaic and dated. It frustrated me, probably because I know he is capable of much higher quality work. I really couldn’t find much to say, as you can tell in my review.
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Horses for courses I guess. I still buy too many tunes I will probably never play out - and genuinely liked all of them. The one I struggled with slightly more than the others was the Paramida release - largely because I felt the tracks were far too rooted in 90s prog-house. Loved the jex release and thought H&S had cleverly found something overlooked.
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Would it be possible to put snippets of the music next to the reviews?
Or links to each? e.g. in a record shop or Bandcamp.
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I really liked them, and an exercise in bringing the forum natter to the forefront.
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My tuppence worth: I think they would work better as shorter, more conversational reviews. Say if 3 people are reviewing a release, 1 could start off with a paragraph or 2 to which the others then add to/agree/disagree
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The conversation would be hard to do i imagine but i agree that it could be structured around the releases rather than the reviewers.
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But then some people have just written nice long pieces that are better when sat together and wouldn’t make as sense when separated.
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