Difference between revisions of "Artificial Heart"
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For example, consider the symbols for the song [[Still Alive]]: | For example, consider the symbols for the song [[Still Alive]]: | ||
− | * Its Metric A symbol is [[Success]] ("This was a triumph / I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.") | + | * Its Metric A symbol, or primary theme, is [[Success]] ("This was a triumph / I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.") |
− | * Its Metric B symbol is [[Ruin]] (which is the Metric A symbol for [[Dissolve]]) | + | * Its Metric B symbol, or opposite theme, is [[Ruin]] (which is the Metric A symbol for [[Dissolve]]) |
− | * Its Metric C, D, and E symbols are [[Betrayal]], [[Rebirth]], and [[Confidence]] | + | * Its Metric C, D, and E symbols, or secondary themes, are [[Betrayal]], [[Rebirth]], and [[Confidence]] |
==References== | ==References== |
Revision as of 01:20, 17 February 2012
Artificial Heart | ||
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Artist: | Jonathan Coulton | |
Tracks: | 18 | |
Release date: | September 2, 2011 |
Artificial Heart is Jonathan Coulton's eighth studio album, produced by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants. The CD packaging and related merchandise were designed by graphic designer Sam Potts.
History
In 2010, Jonathan Coulton announced that his long hiatus from recording new material was ending. After Coulton opened for They Might Be Giants earlier that year, John Flansburgh suggested working together on Coulton's new material. The collaboration helped push Coulton outside his comfort zone, and he frequently commented on being excited and terrified by the process. As a result, Artificial Heart represents a significant departure from Coulton's earlier albums. Not only is it the first Coulton album to be produced by someone besides Coulton himself, it's the first to be recorded in an "actual studio" (owned by They Might Be Giants' long time producer, Patrick Dillett), and the first to be written for a full band. In addition to the drummer and bassist who frequently appear in Coulton's live shows, Artificial Heart features over a dozen guest musicians and several tracks with guest lead vocals.
Coulton and his collaborators recorded Artificial Heart between September 2010 and June 2011. The album was released in late August 2011, with an official release party on September 2.
Live versions of some tracks debuted as early as July 2010, so there are many concert recordings that predate the official release date. Fans on the JoCo Forums compiled some of the best bootlegs into a project called Artificial Artificial Heart while waiting for the studio version to be released.
Track Listing
- Sticking It To Myself
- Artificial Heart
- Nemeses
- The World Belongs to You
- Today With Your Wife
- Sucker Punch
- Glasses
- Je Suis Rick Springfield
- Alone at Home
- Fraud
- Good Morning Tucson
- Now I Am An Arsonist
- Down Today
- Dissolve
- Nobody Loves You Like Me
- Still Alive
- Want You Gone
- The Stache
Credits
- Jonathan Coulton - Guitar/Vocals/Ukulele/other things
- Chris Anderson - Electric Bass
- Marty Beller - Drums
Production
- Produced by John Flansburgh
- Engineered and mixed by Patrick Dillett
- Assistant engineer Joe Altschuler
- Mastered by UE Nastasi at Sterling Sound
- Tracks 4, 8, 10, 15 and 16 mixed by Ron Allaire
- "Want You Gone" remix by The Elegant Too
Additional musicians
- "Sticking It To Myself" - guitars: Dan Miller; saxophones and horn arrangement: Stan Harrison
- "Artificial Heart" - piano: Dan Miller; handclap crew: Marty Beller, Jonathan Coulton, John Flansburgh
- "Nemeses" - lead vocal: John Roderick
- "The World Belongs to You" - mandolin: Jon Graboff; keyboards: Joe McGinty
- "Today With Your Wife" - piano: Jon Spurney; trombones and horn arrangement: Dan Levine
- "Glasses" - guitars: Dan Miller
- "Je Suis Rick Springfield" - sequencing: John Flansburgh; bass: Hal Cragin; marimba: Mauro Refosco; keyboards: Joe McGinty
- "Alone at Home" - guitars: Smokey Hormel
- "Fraud" - Nylon guitar: Jon Graboff
- "Good Morning Tucson" - keyboards: Jon Spurney; guitar solo: Dan Miller
- "Now I Am An Arsonist" - vocal: Suzanne Vega
- "Down Today" - Fender Rhodes bass: Jon Spurney; percussion programming: John Flansburgh
- "Dissolve" - clavinet: Joe McGinty; bass: Hal Cragin; keyboards: Jon Spurney
- "Still Alive" - theremin: Dorit Chrysler; keyboards/celeste: Joe McGinty; lead vocal: Sara Quin; guitar: Dan Miller
- "The Stache" - electric guitar: Smokey Hormel; keyboards: Jon Spurney
Availability
Artificial Heart CDs were first made available to the public at PAX Prime 2011, but the official release party was September 2, 2011, at a show in Atlanta. Online pre-orders and digital downloads of the album are available from his website as of August 30, 2011, though it temporarily became unavailable at midnight PST on October 5, 2011.
In addition to the album itself, the pre-order page offers several merchandise packages featuring t-shirts, posters, USB keys and other extras. The ordering experience features graphics and copy text to match the album's theme, likely designed by Sam Potts.
Diagnostic Metrics
On the back of the Artificial Heart CD, the track listing also includes Diagnostic Metrics symbols from Tucson Diagnostics. The track listing and diagnostic metrics are:
Track | Title | Metric A | Metric B | Metrics C, D, and E |
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1. | Sticking It To Myself | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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2. | Artificial Heart | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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3. | Nemeses | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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4. | The World Belongs to You | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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5. | Today With Your Wife | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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6. | Sucker Punch | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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7. | Glasses | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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8. | Je Suis Rick Springfield | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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9. | Alone at Home | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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10. | Fraud | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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11. | Good Morning Tucson | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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12. | Now I Am An Arsonist | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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13. | Down Today | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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14. | Dissolve | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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15. | Nobody Loves You Like Me | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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16. | Still Alive | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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17. | Want You Gone | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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18. | The Stache | Error creating thumbnail: File missing
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The titles of the columns of diagnostic metrics are not specified on the CD cover or in the liner notes. The names used above for the Metric columns are arbitrary and only for reference here.
Interpretation of the Diagnostic Metrics
There are 18 symbols in the Diagnostic Metrics and 18 songs on the album. In the track listing, each symbol appears exactly once in the Metric A and Metric B columns.
The relationship between the Metric A and Metric B columns is symmetric. That is, if a song has a Metric A symbol of X and a Metric B symbol of Y, then the song with Metric A symbol of Y has a Metric B symbol of X.
Using the names of the Diagnostic Metrics symbols, one possible interpretation is that Metric A is the primary theme of the song, Metric B is the opposite of the primary theme, and Metrics C, D, and E are secondary themes.
For example, consider the symbols for the song Still Alive:
- Its Metric A symbol, or primary theme, is Success ("This was a triumph / I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.")
- Its Metric B symbol, or opposite theme, is Ruin (which is the Metric A symbol for Dissolve)
- Its Metric C, D, and E symbols, or secondary themes, are Betrayal, Rebirth, and Confidence
References
- Coulton announces the new record on his blog
- Flansburgh leaks the title of the new album in an interview with Music Remedy
- TMBG announces Flansburgh's involvement and many of the guest performers on the TMBG blog
- Coulton teases a "premium superfan pack" version of the album on his blog
Artificial Heart |