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"Circles". The final album by Mac Miller. January 17th 2020.

Deleted member 2779

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
4,045
This is gorgeous. Listened to it on an early morning walk in the park. Had to sit down at one point and soak it all in 🥺
 
fulltimepanda

fulltimepanda

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,810
Once a day is the So it Goes of this album.

Woods gonna be the drive song.

Still just soaking.


Jon Brion's got a few notes on some of the songs on the Apple Music page

EDITORS' NOTES
​
The first time that Mac Miller and Jon Brion formally met, Miller was already hard at work on what would become 2018's Swimming, an album that Brion would sign on to produce. "He comes in and he plays five or six things," Brion tells Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "There was more hip-hop-leaning stuff, and it was great and funny and personal—the tracks were already pointing someplace interesting. After a couple of those, he goes, 'I've got these other things I'm not sure what to do with.'" Those "other things" were the beginning of Circles, a now posthumous LP that Miller had envisioned as a counterpart to Swimming—one that finds him exploring levels of musicality, melody, and vulnerability he'd only hinted at before. It feels more akin to Harry Nilsson than hip-hop, and the breadth of Brion's CV (Kanye West, Fiona Apple, Janelle Monáe) made him the perfect collaborator. With the support of Miller's family, Brion completed Circles based on conversations the two had shared before Miller's death in September 2018, adding elements of live percussion, strings, and various overdubs. Here, Brion takes us inside the making of some of Circles' key songs and offers insights on what it was like to work so closely with Miller on something so personal.

Circles
"That's what he played me. I added a brush on a cymbal, and a vibraphone. Throughout all of his lyrics, his self-reflection is much more interesting than some other people's. 'Circles' and a few other songs on this record: You hear him acknowledging aspects of himself, either that he doesn't feel capable of changing or things he thinks are questionable. Things you'll hear in the lyrics directly—'I'm this way, and I think other people might not understand how I think, but actually I'm okay with that.' It's so pointed. I was just a hundred percent in from the get-go."

Complicated
"I think that vocal was done, if I recall correctly. He'd play me things in various states, and the whole batch, meaning both albums' worth of songs. He'd play things, and I might just go, 'That's great. All it needs is for the low end to be a little better.' Almost every time I'd make a suggestion like that, he'd go, 'Oh, I'm so glad you said that. I just didn't know how to do it with this type of thing.' Other times, I might listen to something and go, 'I love it. I love what you're saying. I like that vocal. I like the rhythm. In this case, about halfway through, my mind wanders, and I don't want the listener's mind to do that, because what you're saying is great.'"

Good News
"It was him singing over a very minimal track. The lyrics were incredible. It didn't have the chorus. He said, 'I just think you should play a bunch of stuff on it.' I gingerly asked, 'Do you like the chords that are there?' He's like, 'No.' I'm like, 'Okay. Well, I'm going to play, and every time you hear something you like, let me know.' I did with him what I've done with a bunch of directors, which is watch the body language, when somebody's happy or not. He came into the control room, and he was really excited. He started singing over it in the control room, and he sang the chorus. I'm in the middle of the keyboard over top and I look up and go, 'That's great. Go run onto the mic.' After he first did it, he came in and he was still a little unsure, like, 'Yeah, I don't know, maybe that's a different song.' And thank god he lived with it and saw the sense in it. Again, that's not something I created—that's something he was doing. I think I did say to him when he was walking around in front of the speakers and he was singing that, like, 'Look, there's a reason that came to you right now.'

I Can See
"It's not fair to give words to the heaviness of it, but I can tell you that the week I had to listen through stuff was a torture and a delight. Torture because of the loss. And then 'I Can See' would come up and I'd be beyond delighted because I'm like, 'This is good by anybody's standards, in any genre, this human being expressing themselves well.' It would turn back to a torture because you're like, 'Oh my god, you were capable of that. I didn't even get to hear that one yet.' I could sit there and wonder, would I have? Was it something he was nervous about, or because it was already so complete, did he not feel a need? No idea. You can ascribe all sorts of things to his sense of knowing. But people are going to have that experience because he was already self-aware and was unafraid of expressing it. But beyond that lyrical wonder of honesty, the melody just made me cry."

That's on Me
"He had come back from Hawaii. I was sideswiped by the song and the feeling of it. He usually said, 'Oh, you should just play everything.' I'm like, 'No, you're already great, I'll play along with that.' Inevitably, he'd finish a take and say, 'Was that all right?' And all I could do is honestly go, 'Yeah, it was great. I'm having a blast.'"

Hands
"He wanted it big and expansive and cinematic, had no idea how he had one keyboard pad implying that. I said, 'Oh, I've got this notion of Dr. Dre-influenced eighth notes like he would have on a piano sample. Instead of it being piano or a piano sample, let's take the influence of that era, but I want to do it on orchestral percussion but a lot of different ones. So it's sort of subtly changing across the thing.' And he was like, 'Just put everything you want on it.' So that's one where I went to town. He was really excited but had no idea how one would even go about that."

Once a Day
"He came over, played two or three things—that was one of them, and it had a little mini piano or something. I couldn't believe the songwriting. I looked forward to his visits so much because every time, there was this new discovery of, 'You're hiding this?' Honestly. I don't know what else he's got undercover, but this thing is fully fleshed out. It's personal. It's heartbreaking. I went through the rigmarole to get him to play it and I did what I thought was the right production decision. I left the room, but I didn't close the door. I didn't leave, not even slightly. I stood in the door, basically a room and a half away from the control room with the door open. And he started playing and the vocal was coming out and I wasn't having to be in the room and he did a pass and I could hear there was something on the keyboard needing adjustment. It needed to be brighter or darker, and I just sort of came running in like, 'Oh, sorry, just one thing.' And I went back out and I stood in the hallway and I listened to a couple of takes. And this is how I can tell you I'm not looking at it with the loss goggles: I bawled my eyes out. Heard it twice in a row. I kind of poked my head around the door and said, 'Oh, I heard a little bit of that. That sounds good. Just do a double of that keyboard just right now while the sound's up. Okay, cool.' Boom. Ran out into the hallway and cried again and dried my eyes out and went back in and sat through the usual 'Was that good? Are you sure you shouldn't just play it?' Maybe it's something the rest of the world wouldn't see and I will be blinded by personal experience, but I don't f**king care. It's what happened. It's what I saw, and I just think it's great and doesn't need any qualifiers, personally. So there."
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AnilP228

AnilP228

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Mar 14, 2018
1,211
I didn't realised this was even a thing. It's going to be a hard listen but I've got it ready for tomorrow's gym session.
 
Kotto

Kotto

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Nov 3, 2017
4,466
Gonna be hard listening to this album. Swimming fucking hurts to listen to without feeling emotional. I already heard one song from this album and I was already in the feels. Nonetheless, I know it will be a good listen and vibe.
 
fulltimepanda

fulltimepanda

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,810
tumblr_pdjdrgBc6I1tcvan1o1_400.gifv


Before I start to think about the future
First, can I please get through a day?
 
earlthecurator

earlthecurator

Member
Nov 1, 2017
438
I was hesitant at first to accept it, but truthfully I think this is Mac's best album. Even if you removed the context of the album's circumstance, the entire feel and concept of Circles is so well recognized. I've always loved Jon Brion's work since Late Registration (the best Kanye album) and I'm really happy he was the guy Mac chose to work with on this project. It's obviously January and Frank Ocean is probably dropping this year, but Circles has already cemented itself as one of my favorite albums ever so it's a top contender for the year.
 
fulltimepanda

fulltimepanda

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,810
Melon chiming in





Given it's been a few days now and the initial... shock of this being Mac's last album is starting to fade, I'm really starting to enjoy this album more and more. It's effortless, just Mac being Mac.
 
AcridMeat

AcridMeat

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,667
Admittedly hadn't listened to him much, but my friend had this album on yesterday and recommended I give it a shot. Listened through tonight and wow, it's real solid.

I think this will probably be revered as the years go by.
 
GJ

GJ

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Oct 25, 2017
9,792
The Netherlands
AcridMeat said:
Admittedly hadn't listened to him much, but my friend had this album on yesterday and recommended I give it a shot. Listened through tonight and wow, it's real solid.

I think this will probably be revered as the years go by.
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You should check out his album 'Swimming', which is pretty much CD1 of a double album with Circles. It's a bit more hiphop than Circles is, but it's just as good.

 

Deleted member 11976

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Oct 27, 2017
7,585
I only really knew Mac during the KIDS and Best Day Ever eras, mainly because I got so busy in university and couldn't keep up with mixtapes anymore, but this album is so damn good. I've also been going through his back catalogue and he really did grow a lot as an artist in so many ways since. What a loss. RIP.
 
Catvoca

Catvoca

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,182
Circles and Swimming are now my 2 favourite Mac albums. It only makes his passing more tragic when you hear how his music just kept getting better and better.
 
Jogi

Jogi

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Jul 4, 2018
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Been playing this daily since the release. Seems to get better and better. Every time I listen to his music it really, really makes me want to write as well. His growth, especially lyrically, has been insane.
 
P-MAC

P-MAC

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Nov 15, 2017
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Catvoca said:
Circles and Swimming are now my 2 favourite Mac albums. It only makes his passing more tragic when you hear how his music just kept getting better and better.
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Sorry for double post but yeah - it's fucking unbelievable to go through his entire catalogue, appreciate the multi-stage growth, and then realise he was only 26 when he died. We literally saw a fraction of what he would (should) have created. This was still the start of the journey.
 
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Icolin

Icolin

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,235
Midgar
whole album is great but good news is the song i needed in my life right now.

P-MAC said:
Was about to post this until I saw you had. Must watch for anyone into Mac and the album.
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jon brion is a gem, i've loved so much of his work throughout his career (eternal sunshine, punch drunk love, late registration, magnolia, fiona apple etc)
 
curiouscharles

curiouscharles

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,959
Been listening to this on repeat since release.

Just hits me harder and harder the more I listen.

The first line of the opening track makes me break down and cry now... really shows where Mac's head was at before he took his own life.

Scares me because I empathize with him so closely.

<3
 
fulltimepanda

fulltimepanda

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Oct 28, 2017
5,810
I really like the fact that Jon decided to include Everybody on this, even though it's a cover. It's something special.
 
HiLife

HiLife

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
39,664
Still on repeat.

"there's water in the flowers, let's grow"

is the motto for 2020. Let's go.
 

Deleted member 2779

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
4,045
Album's reached the stage where I get too sad if I listen to it so I can't have it playing too often haha. Blue World's opening sample leaves me teary eyed for some reason without even evoking a specific person or memory (at the conscious level at least).
 
Catvoca

Catvoca

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,182
Still listening every day. His voice on the opening track really gets me


And I don't have a name, I don't have a name, no
Who am I to blame? Who am I to blame though?
And I cannot be changed, I cannot be changed, no
Trust me, I've tried
I just end up right at the start of the line
Drawin' circles

giphy.gif
 
Jogi

Jogi

Prophet of Regret
Member
Jul 4, 2018
5,452
After listening to Cricles so much, I've jumped back into swimming. So many great songs. Lyrics just ring so true. Literally all of 2009, but these two sections specifically:

Isn't it funny? We can make a lot of money. Buy a lot of things just to feel a lot of ugly

Mhmm, I'd rather have me peace of mind than war
See me and you, we ain't that different
I struck the fuck out and then I came back swingin'
Take my time to finish, mind my business
A life ain't a life 'til you live it
 
Indelible

Indelible

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Oct 27, 2017
13,673
Canada
Finally got around to this album and it has really impressed me, every track is great and the sound is so diverse. Really sad we won't get to see which direction he would've taken his music in but at least he left us with his best album.
 
Icolin

Icolin

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Oct 25, 2017
13,235
Midgar
www.rollingstone.com

Two New Mac Miller Songs Set for 'Circles' Deluxe Edition

Two previously unreleased Mac Miller songs will appear on the upcoming deluxe edition of his posthumous album, 'Circles.'
www.rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com

A deluxe edition of Mac Miller's posthumous album, Circles, will be released this month with two new songs, "Right and "Floating."

The Circles deluxe edition will first be released on CD on March 6th, before arriving on streaming services March 20th. A vinyl edition will arrive on April 17th.
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