MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/96 Khz + CD

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MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/96 Khz + CD

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When MGMT (pronounced "management") was asked by their record label for a list of their dream producers, with low expectations they sarcastically replied: Prince, Nigel Godrich, Barrack Obama, and "not Sheryl Crow." Columbia returned with Dave Fridmann, the producer extraordinaire best known for his work with Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev. In typical Fridmann fashion, Oracular Spectacular is a glamorous mega-production through and through. Drums are massively distorted and shimmering keyboards are articulately layered as he takes the reigns, leading the duo through his daisy chain of onboard compressors, delay units, and whatever other mysterious studio gizmos and gadgets he uses to get his trademark sound.

Impressively, this pair manages to avoid the derivative influence-worship that bogs down most debut albums. Even "Electric Feel," an obvious pastiche of decade-old Beckisms, somehow redeems itself as a goofy, falsetto-driven slice of white funk. "Kids," meanwhile, heavily relies on the same synth line that has dominated discotheques for years. But the song's catchy refrain and post-collegiate nostalgia infuse it with MGMT's particular character.

With its big knockout blows already delivered, the duo takes the second half of the album to tinker with the template. On numbers like "4th Dimensional Transitional" and "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters," we get the sense that MGMT is stretching its wings a bit, attempting to see what sounds it can get away with. Then it's on to a solid one-two punch to close the record: the space-folk stylings of "The Handshake" followed by the final charge of "Future Reflections."

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MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/96 Khz + CD

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MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/96 Khz + CD

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MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (2007) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/96 Khz + CD

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