Villalobos* ‎– Fizheuer Zieheuer

The one thing that comes to my mind is: what is the puropse of a 40 minute vinyl? I guess flirting with the ladies standing next to the DJ, or taking a leak? Ricardo Villalobos' way of making music fascinates me every time I hear one of his tracks. When Alcachofa first came out, I was excited like a little boy on Christmas Eve, and headed to the local record shop right away. "Achso" & "What's Wrong My Friends?" is also part of my collection, but with Fizheuer Zieheuer, I'm not quite sure what made me buy his record. It's basically a waste of money. I really want to keep the crowd entertained by presenting different styles of music, instead of boring them with a 22 minute track. If I had to pick one, I'd go for Pt. 1, as in my oppinion, he hasn't totally lost focus there.

The Fizheuer Zieheuer sample is available for listening on the diduseethewords blog if you are interested (just type ricardo villalobos stretch music play on google).
It might sound like a ctrl C/ctrl V track, true.
But Ricardo Villalobos succeeded in stretching the track out (as they say on the diduseethewords blog)by taking his time, letting the rhythm getting in yourself, etc.
He is just decomposing the track in several elements, separating them and mixing them all up then, choosing when each one has to get in the game again, supported by its Minimal beat.
It's like a puzzle. A Minimal way puzzle. That's what electronic is all about.

The track is just flat out too long. Everytime I play this record I keep looking back at the needle thinking "oh my god its only moved a quarter of an inch". Its not intricate or complex...its just stale-ass minimal that gets old after about 3 minutes. I would not recommend that anyone buy this. I sold my copy a couple of weeks after receiving it.

While some hate, lots love it.

Surely the best thing about music is to create such severe opinions, good or bad? As Jeff Mills once said, he doesn't care if people like his music or not, he just wants the opportunity for people to hear it.

In some ways, the magic of this release is that, quite simply, that while this track makes magical moments on the dancefloor (and NOBODY can debate that, it's been happening with this track for months and months), almost every other Villalobos tune is better in a more 'musical' sense... and this STILL rocks the floors and creates a unique vibe.

The sheer balls of this makes even the haters sit up and rethink for a moment, and also allows countless others to discover what the fuss is about - to love or loath. A polarising artist at the best of times, yet proving that he can still make modern electronic masterpieces.

Most people have gotten it wrong about this piece of music. Perhaps they don't understand what Ricardo is trying to do, but I get it...and I am a changed man after possessing it.

This is not a typical release to be placed on the market, and it doesn't have broad appeal across the board. The reason for this is simple. While many a good DJ can cut this track up and play the parts they need to accent any set, I don't believe that was its main purpose.

I look at this amazing journey (cause that is what is....a journey through music) and I am fiercely reminded of what composers of classical music have done for centuries. To me, this is a composers body of work, and one must approach it that way. Sure it doesn't have all the elements of a traditional classical piece, but it has movements, and just like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach, it changes and morphs through all the different movements. Perhaps Ricardo could be considered the first true electronic composers and this would be his first electric symphony. Hopefully more are to come, because music does not always have to have commercial appeal. This is an unbelievable example of what a great musical mind can come up with in this medium.

This is one of the most groundbreaking releases ever in the history of dance music. No one has ever tried anything like this, nor will anyone eclipse it in the near future.

Blehorkestar Bakic - Pobjednicki Cocek (Ricardo Villalobos remix) might be a more accurate title than Fizheuer Zieheuer, but hearing the source material confirms all my original feelings about the track.

FZ is a very simple, very good idea -- efficiently executed to create an unforgettable moment on an unknowing post-7AM dancefloor (cf Villalobos interviews where he's mentioned creating such moments is his key goal when he's DJing). pressing this up for general public consumption surely wasn't his initial plan in April... it's a weapon intended for Villalobos and Luciano DJ sets. once you know what it is, the surprise goes + the effect somewhat fades. it obviously didn't take him very long to make. you could tell that from the off, listening to the simplicity of the sound engineering/beat compared to his other recent releases.

this is still my favourite track of the year -- precisely because of those moments. the look of elation on my friend's face the first time she heard it out (the first time she'd ever heard it, period) was priceless and will stay with me forever.

most importantly, it makes me smile. this track is FUN -- with the critical boutique store response (Other Music, Boomkat, Aquarius + etc) it's easy to forget that -- but remember, this is music for dancing and smiling, not for chin-stroking.

I won't join the rip-off vs genius debate, although there would be much to go on about.
Just, one thing I find quite annoying about this production : not mentionning the origin of the samples used (abused ?) throughout the track.
One could sense it has been taken from some obscure traditional music from god knows where... or reckon Mr Villalobos composed those bits himself and have them performed by some cheap mariachis from his native Chile. Time to place your bet...

Well, this is the first option (obscure traditional...) and, disclosed just for you nerds, here is the reference :
- the band of gypsies : blehorkestar bakija bakic
- the location : vranje, south of serbia
- the title of the track : pobjenicki cocek

How do I know ? I started playing a mix beginning with this track to a friend of mine (not what you would call a minimal techno freak...) and she IDed the sound in approximately 3 seconds. I was a bit doubtful but she picked a 2 cds compilation called 'Road of Gypsies - L'épopée Tzigane', and played track 3 on cd2, which cleared all doubts and confirmed the origin of Fizheuer.

Actually, Villalobos sampled the 20 seconds intro which he uses as the orchestral brass theme coming later in his track, and otherwise loops a simple bar of the main rythmic pattern (horns & snares), enough to fiddle with some AbletonLive parameters throughout the 30ish minutes.

The original lasts 3'48''.
It's a soulful, dramatic, hypnotizing and exciting piece of live music... and I'm not exactly a world-music fan, but here I must admit that the electronic treatment is pretty lame compared to the genuine gypsy rendering.
Debate aside, I'm thankful to Villalobos for opening my ears (ans hopefully some others) to some original material like this.
But next time, some acknowledgment to the obscure folks blowing the horns would be much appreciated...

this is a good tune

Yes, at first (or second, or third) listen it's just a repeating loop-based track. But if you listen to the song 1 minute through, and listen at 30 minutes through, all the subtle differences that build up over time become much more apparent. Which is the genius of this track. Each fragment, each sequence, each loop, each sample, is mixed in and out, shuffled, and left to drift so that the end product is quite a different beast from the sampled horns that open this track. Not to mention that its got an incredibly addictive beat. I'm not a club kid and I don't really attend DJ 'events' but I've heard this is killing it on the dance floor in Berlin. It's certainly a statement track (and/or perhaps a cruel joke) and whether you love it or hate it, Villalobos continues to try and push the boundaries of conventional dance music by utilizing as much time and space as possible. Did I mention those horns are catchy?

Wow so many comments in so little time, this tune must be something of an event...and it is.
This is the most mental piece of dubby house you're likely to hear...37 minutes of ill hypnose, at times touching, at times funny, at times poetic (beautiful latin trumpet motif), at times plain boring. But strangely it works like hell on a dancefloor as i could witness Luciano playing it and burning the floor the other night.
Production-wise, Ricardo has a gift to take the simplest, purest elements and work 'em till sickness. At some point the tune seem to live on a life of its own, like some kind of demon or magical entity.
But fascinating it certainly is. This is extreme dope music, in all senses of the word.