Sababa Shahid It's a sound effect that's probably created with a midi controller and plugins in the studio, but Gus doesn't have enough hands live, so enter Gwil and his roll of tape
+Caio Rolim .....totally agree with you.....only heard of these guys when their song left hand free did well out here in NZ a year or so back......found the studio Taro from that......had no idea what it was about and couldn't really make out the lyrics but just love the whole sound even with my eyes closed......this is beautiful
I saw em live some years back and it was amazing....every song sounded better than the studio versions. I actually have a few short clips posted on my TH-cam at the bottom
Because in case you don't know they were very criticized (well criticized!!!) for having very poor live performances in the beginning, where they were lots of times out of tune, among others mistakes. This was so clear that the criticism rose to a point it was very evident and made them give feedback to their fans, where they promised they were going to put a lot of effort in order to improve their live performances. Right now, and this concert was a good example, the live performances are (or were) very good indeed. I saw them live 3 years ago, some months after that feedback, and the improvements were already very clear!
wait...not only he is using a tape to get that sound, but he is also using the MIDDLE pickup on a Strat?! damn son, dont be so revolutionary all at once...
I like to imagine that you just open your mouth and you have like a tape player in your throat and the song just playing, and the personal is just really confused as to why you’ve started doing this and the don’t have the same music taste as you so they’re just really uncomfortable and confused, that was the image I got when reading this comment
Gwil wasn’t comfortable playing in front of massive crowds apparently, which I totally understand. He still played a huge role in building Alt-J’s sound. Hope he’s doing well.
Only a Tolkien books fan would get this...but I didn't know Sam's dad had tape- only an avid reader of LotR would understand...such is the life of a classical nerd...
Actually the sound with the tape doesn't imitate Sitar. It sounds like a single stringed instrument called "Toombi". It is a very popular sound in the Punjab region of India.
This song is about a war photographer named Robert Capa stepping on a land mine during the Vietnamese war. Interestingly it is D-Days 69th anniversary as I am righting this and Capa was one of the men who risked their lives to capture the event. Love you Capa.
Taro alt-J Indo-china, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road To photo, to record, meat lumps and war They advance as does his chance, oh, oh Very yellow white flash! A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags Burst so high finally Capa lands Mine is a watery pit Painless with immense distance From medic from colleague, friend, enemy, foe, him five yards from his leg From you Taro Oh, oh, oh Do not spray into eyes I have sprayed you into my eyes Three ten Pm Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes All colors and cares glaze to grey Shriveled and stricken to dots The left hand grasps what the body grasps not oh, oh Le photographie est mort Three point one four one five, alive no longer my amour Faded for home May of ‘54 Doors open like arms, my love Painless with a great closeness To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg And with you Taro, oh, oh, oh Taro, oh, oh, oh Do not spray into eyes I have sprayed you into my eyes Hey Taro!
@@johncallmecove762 Capa stepped on an land mine and blew him up in the air and he landed in the crater of the land mine. The crater filled up with surrounding water and his leg landed 5 feet away.
This is so insanely beautiful and mesmerizing to see live. I've listened to this song on repeat so many times, but how incredible is it to hear that the beauty and soul of this song isn't lost during the live performance, as happens with so many songs these days. They're just wonderful musicians.
this is a reason i love alt-j... i've never seen a guitar played that way, and never in a million years thought of using a roll of electrical tape to make such a unique noise that works so well
123puta3 all their songs have a meaning behind them. This one is about the 2 lovers, Taro and Capa, who were photographers and died at the indochina war.
@@machinegurlll oh! For sure man I know yet Thom is a percussionist firts, think about it like this a percussionist may be a drummer but drummers are not percussionists, that's a whole other discipline a whole other level.
Wessel Broekie he was more than the bassist though... he played different instruments on different songs. Sometimes bass, sometimes guitar, sometimes percussion. And it's really hard to say how easy he is to replace without knowing exactly what contributions he made to the song writing.
This song is nothing short of a masterpiece. I've spent the last few hours deep-diving into the lives of war photographers Taro and Capa. The song tells in detail how Capa met his fate in 1954 in the theatre of the First Indochina War, to be reunited with his lover Taro who had died some years before in 1937, also on the front lines, of the Spanish Civil War. It's an incredible story, told by Alt-J in an incredibly captivating and emotive way. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you, Alt-J :)
I shared this song with someone I matched on bumble with, his name was Nirvan. We were talking in a gap of few months but never got the chance to meet. Hoping I could find him and talk to him again someday. Dropping this comment under hopes of him seeing this and reaching out
I’m a retired educator and used to teach GED students (part-time). After my own children exposed me to this song, I incorporated it into a thematic unit for my GED students.... It’s been years, but I still love “Taro” and ALT-J.....
You have sprayed, into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes. I think it means he has sprayed the image of someone into his mind. Idk, alt j lyrics are always up for different interpretations xD
No, Eli, it really is "Do not spray into eyes", it's a disclaimer you get on many aerosol products (at least in the UK). He has turned it in to a lyric. It's what lyricists do :D
Eli Cantwell My take on this lyric is that you always think after reading a label on a spray can "Well, what if I do spray this stuff in to my eyes? What will happen?" He has sprayed a girl in to his eyes by getting to know her and now he's dealing with the side effects (liking/loving her.) :P
I just love how the cameraman shoot the guitar play, then he zoomed in again like "what th frik he using?"
Jauhar S. Muhammad 😂😂😂
Its a roll of tape he uses to make the guitar sound like world instruments.
He taps it directly on the fret to get that tone.
@@GnardogGR Thank you Captain Obvious
@@alexandrepiche5609 very welcome tool bag.
creating an Indian-style sounding riff using a roll of tape and a guitar is quite possibly one of the most genius things ive ever seen
😃👍
Well theyre geniuses so im super pleased, the nerdier the sexier.
Oh so that's how he makes that noise...WITH A TAPE! :O crazy
I swear I thought it was some cool native instrument and then I see this tape,..
Thought it was an indian instrument ahah
I totally figured it was some bad ass eastern instrument,,
Sababa Shahid It's a sound effect that's probably created with a midi controller and plugins in the studio, but Gus doesn't have enough hands live, so enter Gwil and his roll of tape
La Cronx hahahaha same here !!!
The drummer is amazing. Really makes a difference to their sound.
Maria Ch beautiful pace. The drummer is the heartbeat of the band
Maria Ch yeah he is, especially considering he's 80% deaf
what?? really?? wow......
Thom is God
Thom Green FTW
One day I want to be an adhesive tape player
TheWalper LOL
I hope if you do you stick with it (sorry couldn't resist) ..
@@ronnyp6934 love u!!!
@@jessicajae7777 💕
@@ronnyp6934 back at cha 💞💘
Would've never imagined that this song could sound so good live. Brilliant performance.
+Caio Rolim same! i was pretty scared to play a live version of it to not be dissapointed but this is even better!
Duct tape does fix anything =P
+Caio Rolim .....totally agree with you.....only heard of these guys when their song left hand free did well out here in NZ a year or so back......found the studio Taro from that......had no idea what it was about and couldn't really make out the lyrics but just love the whole sound even with my eyes closed......this is beautiful
MrCol916 That eastern sounding part really is transcending! I always picture blooming colors and psychedelic patterns in my head with it x)
Caio Rolim me too, it sounds amazing
How is no one commenting at how amazingly accurate they are live like the cd version
I saw em live some years back and it was amazing....every song sounded better than the studio versions. I actually have a few short clips posted on my TH-cam at the bottom
Straight fact.
Because in case you don't know they were very criticized (well criticized!!!) for having very poor live performances in the beginning, where they were lots of times out of tune, among others mistakes. This was so clear that the criticism rose to a point it was very evident and made them give feedback to their fans, where they promised they were going to put a lot of effort in order to improve their live performances. Right now, and this concert was a good example, the live performances are (or were) very good indeed. I saw them live 3 years ago, some months after that feedback, and the improvements were already very clear!
I like how from 1:21-1:30 the producers are like, "whats that funky sound, wait a minute...is that...tape!? ZOOM IN!!!"
wait...not only he is using a tape to get that sound, but he is also using the MIDDLE pickup on a Strat?! damn son, dont be so revolutionary all at once...
I LOVE the Indian vibe from this song!
same
I know right, I am Indian so it made feel something
There is an exact instrument called Tumbi from Punjab region of India which makes this sound!
Lol I must be so dumb to think It was more of a Celtic sound
When people say "nobody makes good music anymore", I have them listen to this to prove them wrong
are u havin a laff mate????????????
I like to imagine that you just open your mouth and you have like a tape player in your throat and the song just playing, and the personal is just really confused as to why you’ve started doing this and the don’t have the same music taste as you so they’re just really uncomfortable and confused, that was the image I got when reading this comment
5 years ago people said nobody makes good music anymore, unfortunately that is an actual fact now
@@ilantheman you are so very, very wrong. You're not looking hard enough, or in the right places.
@@daraotl5187 I dare you to show me an actual good song made in 2019
I could have sworn that was a sitar or bag pipe. Crazy that it's just a elctrical tape
I think it was a sitar on the album version. He does a great job of emulating though!
TJ Smith nope
Because it's live, it may sound a little different than when it's mixed into the album version. But to me it sounds pretty much the same ;)
TJ Smith It wasn't a sitar, trust me. Sitar sounds nothing like that.
I thought it was definitely an Indian instrument.
HOLY SHIT I DIDNT KNOW HE DID THAT ON HIS GUITAR I THOUGHT IT WAS COMPUTER GENERATED HE HAS EARNED SO MUCH RESPECT FROM ME
I miss the guitarist. He left the band pretty early on but he was a gem.
Gwil wasn’t comfortable playing in front of massive crowds apparently, which I totally understand. He still played a huge role in building Alt-J’s sound. Hope he’s doing well.
i don't think most people realize how amazing this song actually is!
1:22 Amazing what you can do with a roll of gaffer tape.
Someone else, I guess, is going to have to do that something amazing with the roll of tape when I see them live tonight.... *curious*
Raven Shine why? What happened to tape guy?
Only a Tolkien books fan would get this...but I didn't know Sam's dad had tape- only an avid reader of LotR would understand...such is the life of a classical nerd...
Faragnigskni *Insulating tape.
you can do that with a guitar pick if you hold it the other way round :D
Actually the sound with the tape doesn't imitate Sitar. It sounds like a single stringed instrument called "Toombi". It is a very popular sound in the Punjab region of India.
Thanks!
❤
i absolutely love the fact that the crowd waited until the very end to applaud. means so much to the artist.
If you re here in 2021 you re a legend
how about 2024?
I love KEXP they have the best musicians playing live all the time
You said it!
You spelled audiotreelive wrong
Tango Down Haha! They're both good. The audio is always top notch.
He uses a adhesive tape to make that noise interesting
you are awesome
the way you say that he makes it interesting
inspiration,: south Asian Bhangra genre maybe?
+Tanmeet Singh It's all Daler Mehndi. No wonder this is my favourite alt j song.
I've burst into tears when hearing them singing!
This doesn't just sound amazingly good, but the fact that the song actually tells a real story is so creative.
The tape trick absolutely blows my mind. Such an incredible sound.
No one will ever replace Gwil 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
+Candice Grey He's an awesome guy.
+Candice Grey hoping he may come back...
+Princess Bubblegum me too, I just want to see them play live together just one more time
This song is about a war photographer named Robert Capa stepping on a land mine during the Vietnamese war. Interestingly it is D-Days 69th anniversary as I am righting this and Capa was one of the men who risked their lives to capture the event. Love you Capa.
Wasnt about gerda taro death in the 30s?
@@martinurra9512yes, it's about both of them
Taro
alt-J
Indo-china, Capa jumps Jeep, two feet creep up the road
To photo, to record, meat lumps and war
They advance as does his chance, oh, oh
Very yellow white flash!
A violent wrench grips mass, rips light, tears limbs like rags
Burst so high finally Capa lands
Mine is a watery pit
Painless with immense distance
From medic from colleague, friend, enemy, foe, him five yards from his leg
From you Taro
Oh, oh, oh
Do not spray into eyes
I have sprayed you into my eyes
Three ten
Pm Capa pends death, quivers, last rattles, last chokes
All colors and cares glaze to grey
Shriveled and stricken to dots
The left hand grasps what the body grasps not oh, oh
Le photographie est mort
Three point one four one five, alive no longer my amour
Faded for home May of ‘54
Doors open like arms, my love
Painless with a great closeness
To Capa, to Capa Capa dark after nothing, re-united with his leg
And with you Taro, oh, oh, oh
Taro, oh, oh, oh
Do not spray into eyes
I have sprayed you into my eyes
Hey Taro!
Roberto Toledo le photographe est mort*
The French lyric changes meaning according to how it’s written
Could you plz explain what the line ‘mine is a watery pit’ literally means?
@@johncallmecove762 Capa stepped on an land mine and blew him up in the air and he landed in the crater of the land mine. The crater filled up with surrounding water and his leg landed 5 feet away.
@@lovetodie9171 thank you!
This is so insanely beautiful and mesmerizing to see live. I've listened to this song on repeat so many times, but how incredible is it to hear that the beauty and soul of this song isn't lost during the live performance, as happens with so many songs these days. They're just wonderful musicians.
I couldn't agree more. Mind officially blown.
Normal Bands: Use a guitar pick
Alt-j: Use a roll of tape XD
What a great song.
this is a reason i love alt-j... i've never seen a guitar played that way, and never in a million years thought of using a roll of electrical tape to make such a unique noise that works so well
Thats song is so amazin!
Lol, deep lyrics...
123puta3 They aren't bad, man.
123puta3 all their songs have a meaning behind them. This one is about the 2 lovers, Taro and Capa, who were photographers and died at the indochina war.
123puta3 Lol indeed haha
Yes, do you know the story behind the song ? How capa and taro are "reunited after death".. Simply amazing song. Sorry for bad english !
Gluey clue brought me here. KEXP... Triple Door Venue in Seattle, WA... 💙💜
I have two crawfish that live with my turtles. One is named Taro and the other Robert Cappa due to a missing claw.
Do not spray into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes " my friend has been keeping singing this song and omg i love you guys Alt J
As a (former) professional musician this blows my fucking mind. Also I can rarely listen to this song without crying.
❤
Facts
OMG I JUST LOVE LOVE LOVE LOOOOVE THIS SONG!!!!!!❤❤❤❤
A drummer without cymbals... Bliss
holmesway Thats a percussionist babe not a drummer.
wow rocket, you had to do it didn't you?
Even being drums, that's music. You have no rules to make it. Where's it written you do need cymbals if you wanna make that?
@@rockedthecrapout he plays cymbals in all the other songs, his hi hat is always crazy complicated. this one is just a calm song
@@machinegurlll oh! For sure man I know yet Thom is a percussionist firts, think about it like this a percussionist may be a drummer but drummers are not percussionists, that's a whole other discipline a whole other level.
i love how unique his voice sounds, it matches the music
I saw them live yesterday and this song... this goddamn song made me tear up. It was so beautiful and they performed it so well.
Kudos to the director of this performance. He really got each and every instrument very clearly. This is one of the best live videos I've ever seen.
não tem como explicar essa vibe que eu sinto escutando essa música, amo. ❤
Br?
Sim.. sim.
Melhor música
Tbm :) mas quando ele puxa o silver tape:O
My favorite song. Changed my life.
may probably be one of the best songs in the last ten yers.... really...
One of my favorite alt j songs and i just found this! This is beautiful.
somos 2 💌
Can't believe I'm never going to be able to see this song live :( :( PLEASE DON'T GO GWIL!
I need to see them live
might not be as good now, one of them has left :(
Wessel Broekie he was more than the bassist though... he played different instruments on different songs. Sometimes bass, sometimes guitar, sometimes percussion. And it's really hard to say how easy he is to replace without knowing exactly what contributions he made to the song writing.
1687angel Seeing them live in august
Me too! Lowlands 2017, so pumped to see them live!!!
i guess im too late to see them live ?
Best song in years!! Can't get enough of It! Hypnotising!
I don't know why but their song Taro makes me want to Bollywood dance every time!
that guitar hook is very bollywoody(idk another word to describe it)
you mean that indian instrument ? Sitar :D
ahaha bollywoody
Because it sounds like a mandolin
Best song ever.
This song is nothing short of a masterpiece. I've spent the last few hours deep-diving into the lives of war photographers Taro and Capa. The song tells in detail how Capa met his fate in 1954 in the theatre of the First Indochina War, to be reunited with his lover Taro who had died some years before in 1937, also on the front lines, of the Spanish Civil War. It's an incredible story, told by Alt-J in an incredibly captivating and emotive way. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you, Alt-J :)
Their live performances just highlights how incredibly talented these guys are. It's crazy.
This is my favorite song by them. Best commuter stuck in stop and go traffic. I listen to this once a day, minimum. Thank you guys!
These guys just blow me away every time I hear them. True musicians /true talent/I've never heard anything like them and they're amazingly unique 😀
2023, still rockin 😮🤜🏻🤛🏻
So perfect. His voice, the instruments, everything together works so hauntingly well
I shared this song with someone I matched on bumble with, his name was Nirvan. We were talking in a gap of few months but never got the chance to meet. Hoping I could find him and talk to him again someday. Dropping this comment under hopes of him seeing this and reaching out
muy buena canción, en vivo en lollapalooza Chile fue aun mas increíble!!!!
The guitar thing is s cool. Sounds like a sitar kind of though.
the most amazing part starts at 3:30 love you Alt-J
One of the most beautiful songs ever made!
волшебно
KEXP... what would I do without you. Thank you : )
Still sad that Gwil left...
I hope he returns one day, since nobody will ever be able to replace him!
I’m a retired educator and used to teach GED students (part-time). After my own children exposed me to this song, I incorporated it into a thematic unit for my GED students.... It’s been years, but I still love “Taro” and ALT-J.....
The song is deep referencing Gerda Taro and Robert Capa who were wartime lovers.
The song has incredible imagery and an incredible backstory.
I just love the fact that people world wide know the Indian vibe/instrument/touch to the song...
Adoro essa música. Muito bom
This and Dissolve always make me wanna cry, I cant understand why, but I love the feeling
Me molesta que algunas bandas sin talento sean tan conocidas y esta banda que lo tiene todo no lo sea. La melodía te hace flotar, me encanta.
+Δlτ-j muchas conocen a alt j, pero no va a ser lo mismo sin gwil
cam ha relaxer is so good
I wish I could add a like to this everyday. Song will always give me chills
Que canción tan hermosa.
No words what I feel when I 'm listening to you! 😍💙👍
Eu amo demais essa musica meu deuss
Never hears this live before and it is one of the best musical creations I haver ever listened to.
this is what goes through gwills mind: I know! Mabey if I tap the strings with a roll of tape it will sound cool! God was he right
+Daniel Kinsella not tape.
+anarchyonline0 What does he use then?
+james newman It is tape. Electric tape.
there are somebody that knows a style or a music that is sooooo soft like the start of this music, before 36 seconds. It' soooooooooooooooo cozy
Matheus azevedo ambient? You might like some songs on the album Valtari by Sigur Rós
yeah it remmenbers a lot Sigur Ros. I will try that.
I get so emotional I swear lmao
Love this song. Poland loves u!
blonde Jonny Greenwood
I thought i was the only one thinking so. . haha..
Not in the band anymore :(
Conor Hegarty yeah dude. i was sad too when i heard that gwin was leaving the band.
Conor Hegarty Such a bummer!!!!!
Same thinking haha XD
Thanks for ignition of melodic interest in music.. When i was young... I am 64 now.... Thanks
Gluey Chrome Tuner !
Yep
:))
where do we go from here though there are no links
@@1917blake asking myself the same question
@@igormocko7625 i’m stumped thus far
2019 n i'm still listening to this.. you guy one of kind!
I just discovered this song yesterday! Amazing!
THEY SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ALBUM OMG
I swear to god this is one of my all time favourite bands. This performance is just sick
this is so rich and beautiful 😭
I NEED TO GO TO THEIR CONCERT!
my favourite performance... still miss Gwil
I like Alt-J because his recorded songs sound the same on stage,too...that's something rare nowadays!
do not spray into eyes i have sprayed u into my eyes...
You have sprayed, into eyes, I have sprayed you into my eyes. I think it means he has sprayed the image of someone into his mind. Idk, alt j lyrics are always up for different interpretations xD
No, Eli, it really is "Do not spray into eyes", it's a disclaimer you get on many aerosol products (at least in the UK). He has turned it in to a lyric. It's what lyricists do :D
+Rob Fraser yeah I just listened to it again and I can hear it now
Eli Cantwell My take on this lyric is that you always think after reading a label on a spray can "Well, what if I do spray this stuff in to my eyes? What will happen?"
He has sprayed a girl in to his eyes by getting to know her and now he's dealing with the side effects (liking/loving her.) :P
I have sprayed into eyes you have sprayed into, and those eyes I have sprayed into you have also sprayed...
Couldn't love this song more.. HAY TARO!!!!
Macaulay Culkin on lead guitar.
Nick Falletta Well not really
Andy Warhol
Chris Pratt singing
I’ve been listening this song for almost like 10years… it’s magic❤
melhor live deles com certeza
how do you even write such complex and beautiful lyrics like this? fr i am in tears
Hermoso homenaje a Taro y Capa
I did not expect this to sound this good live, really talented guys.
Gee, i hope they got it on TAPE!
thankyou kirin my friend for introduce me this song on2019.. miss ya buddy
Oh how I wish "Capa" and "Taro" were here.
Search them.
i drift away to another place and space when i hear this.. this is what you call intelligent music. Deep meaning and sweet music