electronica stuff

[Guest Patrokles]

Tim Hecker is vastly over-rated in my opinion. He epitomises the criticism leveled at ambient music that it's just someone leaving a microphone by a fridge.

[looneytoon 0]

I'm not a fan of all his stuff. His last album was vastly overrated. His debut, however, is stunning.

[Park Life 71]

I like what I've heard of electronic music but I am utterly clueless about it. Please use this thread to influence me.

Some good starting points are Orbital (just about any album really but Snivilisation or In Sides might be a good starting point also the 'Green' album - untitled but with a green cover aka 'Orbital I' which has the tunes 'Belfast' and 'Chime' which are two of the best electronic tunes of all-time imo); Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works '85-'92; Mixmaster Morris aka Irresistible Force - It's Tomorrow Already which is nice and chilled; Derrick May's Innovator compilation is quality an an introduction to 'proper' Detroit Techno; for crossover appeal I'd recommend the aforementioned Air, especially Moon Safari along with Nightmares On Wax (especially 'Car Boot Soul' and 'Smokers Delight') plus Portishead and Massive Attack ('Blue Lines' in particular); the Artificial Intelligence compilations are a good intro to the WARP techno label. There's loads of other stuff I could recommend too if you like any of that lot.

 

Has anybody checked out the new Paul (or was it Phil?) Hartnoll album btw? He's one half of the now defunct Orbital? I've just bought it and I'm just getting into it. Quite 'soundtrack' like.

 

Edit: Underworld as well - Dubnobasswithmyheadman and Second Toughest In The Infants

 

Good post...you've mentioned two of the very, very best in In Sides and Dubnobasswithmyheadman. These two albums would probably be in my top 5, electronic or otherwise, of all time.

 

10 more essential electronic purchases IMO would be:

 

1. 'Tri Repetae' | Autechre

2. '76:14' | Global Communication

3. 'Substrata' | Biosphere

4. 'Music Has The Right To Children' or 'Geogaddi' | Boards Of Canada

5. 'Ascend' | Manual

6. 'Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do It Again' | Tim Hecker

7. 'Kesto (234.48:4)' | Pan Sonic

8. 'Afro Finger & Gel' | Mu

9. 'Lifeforms' | The Future Sound Of London

10. 'Momentum' | Monolake

 

 

One of the greatest albums of its kind ever made imo.

[Guest Patrokles]

I was 20 minutes into a post about recommendations and then there was a power cut. Now I'm too demoralised to do it. p.s. anyone reading this thread wouldn't think electronic music existed before 1994!

[looneytoon 0]

That's because almost all of the greatest electronic music came out in the 90s. Sure, we could sit here and wank on about the Silver Apples and Stockhausen endlessly, but what would be the point when their output today sounds a)dated and b)shit?

[Guest Patrokles]

That's because almost all of the greatest electronic music came out in the 90s. Sure, we could sit here and wank on about the Silver Apples and Stockhausen endlessly, but what would be the point when their output today sounds a)dated and b)shit?

 

Ash Ra Tempel's New Age of Earth? Eno's good stuff? Cluster? Harmonia? Yellow Magic Orchestra? Aforementioned Kraftwerk? Holger Czukay's Persian Love? etc.

[Guest alex]

I was 20 minutes into a post about recommendations and then there was a power cut. Now I'm too demoralised to do it. p.s. anyone reading this thread wouldn't think electronic music existed before 1994!

Warp's best period was 91-93 though

[looneytoon 0]

That's because almost all of the greatest electronic music came out in the 90s. Sure, we could sit here and wank on about the Silver Apples and Stockhausen endlessly, but what would be the point when their output today sounds a)dated and b)shit?

 

Ash Ra Tempel's New Age of Earth? Eno's good stuff? Cluster? Harmonia? Yellow Magic Orchestra? Aforementioned Kraftwerk? Holger Czukay's Persian Love? etc.

 

All mentioned, other than Eno and Harmonia's De Luxe, sound dated and sterile. Sure, they were key in developing electronic music but put on one of their albums today and there's very little in the way of mood, atmosphere, production or instrumentation that stands out. Especially with the likes of Yellow Magic Orchestra....how this group is as lauded as it is completely mystifies me.

 

And if you'd mentioned Klaus Schulze or some of Neu!'s stuff instead of Cluster, I might have forgiven you. Quite possibly the worst Kraut band of the early 70s. And it was Ashra, not Ash Ra Tempel, that recorded said album, of which I do appreciate the zen-like arrangements in Sunrain, but that's about it. Now if you'd mentioned Manuel Göttsching's solo stuff, you might have had a point.

 

The fact is electronic music has come a long, long way since the 70s and those artists just don't hold up these days. You just have to listen to something like Kesto to realise that. I'm not saying there wasn't anything good pre-1990s, just that the majority of great stuff has come out relatively recently. Plus, I'm pretty sure the thread starter wanted electronica recommendations, so post- 1st wave Detroit techno seems to make more sense.

[tinofbeans 91]

Warp's best period was 91-93 though

one mans opinion....

 

however patrokles is right. some of eno's stuff was genius, some less so. YMO (and ryuchi sakamoto in particular) were great at what they did. tangerine dream came out with some brilliant stuff, and some less popular stuff as well. we could even go back to wendy/walter/ whatever it is carlos and the switched on bach series of albums. ...

 

have to say the golden age of electronic music (IMHO) was 1989-94. it is still however very good of course but there were so many very good albums from that time that i still have and listen to.

 

oh and FSOL lifeforms is in my top 10 all time favourites. i'd go as far as saying its a masterpiece.

Edited July 1, 2007 by canofbeans

[Guest Patrokles]

That's because almost all of the greatest electronic music came out in the 90s. Sure, we could sit here and wank on about the Silver Apples and Stockhausen endlessly, but what would be the point when their output today sounds a)dated and b)shit?

 

Ash Ra Tempel's New Age of Earth? Eno's good stuff? Cluster? Harmonia? Yellow Magic Orchestra? Aforementioned Kraftwerk? Holger Czukay's Persian Love? etc.

 

All mentioned, other than Eno and Harmonia's De Luxe, sound dated and sterile. Sure, they were key in developing electronic music but put on one of their albums today and there's very little in the way of mood, atmosphere, production or instrumentation that stands out. Especially with the likes of Yellow Magic Orchestra....how this group is as lauded as it is completely mystifies me.

 

And if you'd mentioned Klaus Schulze or some of Neu!'s stuff instead of Cluster, I might have forgiven you. Quite possibly the worst Kraut band of the early 70s. And it was Ashra, not Ash Ra Tempel, that recorded said album, of which I do appreciate the zen-like arrangements in Sunrain, but that's about it. Now if you'd mentioned Manuel Göttsching's solo stuff, you might have had a point.

 

The fact is electronic music has come a long, long way since the 70s and those artists just don't hold up these days. You just have to listen to something like Kesto to realise that. I'm not saying there wasn't anything good pre-1990s, just that the majority of great stuff has come out relatively recently. Plus, I'm pretty sure the thread starter wanted electronica recommendations, so post- 1st wave Detroit techno seems to make more sense.

 

I assure you that your forgiveness or regard means very very little to me, especially when you became so anal about the distinction between Gottsching, Ashra and Ash Ra Tempel, which we all know are one and the same. Proof of which- if needed- can be found with the Private Tapes.

 

I'm not going to get into an argument about opinions, though, especially not with someone who assumes the tone that you just did.

[Fred 0]

I'd like to hoy AGF in to the equation. If you like Autechre and their ilk it has that sort of feeling to me. Her 'explode' album with Delay is mint. He's canny handy too. Oh The Dolls which is their collaboration with Craig Armstrong is interesting too. He might interest some people with his second album 'as if to nothing' his first is a bit orchestral

 

Various productions

Berg sans nipple

Bohren und der club of gore

Efterklang

Balsamfielber

Stars of the lid

 

Clint Mansell's sound tracks to Pi and Requiem for a dream are cracking.

Edited July 1, 2007 by Fred

[Happy Face 29]

I like what I've heard of electronic music but I am utterly clueless about it. Please use this thread to influence me.

I think Alex is your man.

 

 

 

 

Sorry Pat.

 

But I get the impression anyone who's sold more than 42 albums is immediateley unacceptable for you.

 

[Park Life 71]

I like what I've heard of electronic music but I am utterly clueless about it. Please use this thread to influence me.

I think Alex is your man.

 

 

 

 

Sorry Pat.

 

But I get the impression anyone who's sold more than 42 albums is immediateley unacceptable for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harsh.....

[Happy Face 29]

Sorry. I take it Back. Pat's opinions of music are always considered and intelligent. Always recommends a lot of stuff I for one haven't heard of. Please don't take it as a dig mate. Just that you have a far wider range of influences. As I admitted in this thread earlier, my knowledge is limited at best.

[Park Life 71]

Warp's best period was 91-93 though

one mans opinion....

 

however patrokles is right. some of eno's stuff was genius, some less so. YMO (and ryuchi sakamoto in particular) were great at what they did. tangerine dream came out with some brilliant stuff, and some less popular stuff as well. we could even go back to wendy/walter/ whatever it is carlos and the switched on bach series of albums. ...

 

have to say the golden age of electronic music (IMHO) was 1989-94. it is still however very good of course but there were so many very good albums from that time that i still have and listen to.

 

oh and FSOL lifeforms is in my top 10 all time favourites. i'd go as far as saying its a masterpiece.

 

Utterly so. A miasma and unfolding canvass of triggered sequencing and rogue ambience. © Parky

[Guest alex]

Their Amorphous Androgynous stuff is mint too like. Both the first (electronic) album and the two hippy, trippy, progressive, post-rock albums that have come out in the last few years.

[Park Life 71]

Their Amorphous Androgynous stuff is mint too like. Both the first (electronic) album and the two hippy, trippy, progressive, post-rock albums that have come out in the last few years.

 

 

....that reminds me we haven't mentioned 'The Orb'..

[Guest alex]

Their Amorphous Androgynous stuff is mint too like. Both the first (electronic) album and the two hippy, trippy, progressive, post-rock albums that have come out in the last few years.

 

 

....that reminds me we haven't mentioned 'The Orb'..

I was listening to them just last night as well (Adventure Beyond The Ultraworld). That's what drink and drugs does to your memory kids.

[@yourservice 67]

Erasure?

[Guest alex]

Erasure?

Joking apart that just reminded me of Depeche Mode. Love 'Violater' and '101' in particular.

[Happy Face 29]

I also like Amon Tobin.

 

And have KLF been mentioned?

[Guest alex]

I also like Amon Tobin.

 

And have KLF been mentioned?

Chill Out is pure class. Good shout.

[Park Life 71]

I also like Amon Tobin.

 

And have KLF been mentioned?

Chill Out is pure class. Good shout.

 

 

*parky starts scrolling his itunes*

 

3 am (Blue Danube orbital) 7:39 The KLF Ultra Rare Trax Ambient 60 4 15/10/2006 19:52 128 kbps

Edited July 1, 2007 by Parky

[tinofbeans 91]

meat beat manifesto... not all of their stuff but they've had a few good bits and a few bad....

[Bombadil 0]

I don't often listen to electronica, but I have a few albums by Der Dritte Raum and I enjoy them.