Electronica - A heavy thread

Posted by: garyi on 19 November 2004

I must apologise I do not have the articulation of Mr Lees, and neither do I have the forum standing to perhaps be a 'leading' voice in this area.

Electronica for me has been a life changing experience. Its what actually made me sit up and buy new stuff, with impunity.

A bit of history on myself:

I used to be in the camp of 'if it hasn't got instruments, its not music.' Choice of music therefore tended to be restricted to last century, especially as I didn't like 'all those crappy modern rip offs'

Where was a young lad to go? Here I was with a 92/90 CD3 and Credos, I liked HIFI, that much I knew, I was also coming on board with Frank Zappa, but I was strangling myself with delusions of what constituted 'Music.'

One day my (Now) wife purchased Big Bud 'Late Night Blues' on vinyl, for reasons we are not entirely sure about. However it went on the shelf (Or 'into the library' as I like to say) and reminded reasonably unheard for the best part of a year.

Then one day dieing to hear the new 102/180 give it some with vinyl I was interested in hearing a brand new piece of vinyl which this was. On it went and 'BAM' there it was, electronica, and I was hooked, here then are some of my all time favourites of all time mate:

Big Bud, Late Night Blues. As a bit of a veteran (!) of electronica now I consider this to be easy listening, and that is exactly what it is, on the 'Good Looking Label' it very much follows the form and function of LTJ Bukem with its laid back drum and bass.

Future Sound of London. Life Forms. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000025FFV/qid=1100893238/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-5643275-1225459
This is an important piece of work in my opinion. I think all that followed never really lived up to this album. Its atmospheric and ‘big’ and will suit those to a long listening session, and it really does deserve to be played right through. Because it’s a two disk thing I have imported it into itunes with no compression and playlisted so that it goes right through!

Plaid: Spokes. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000C8XK7/qid=1100893267/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_10_9/202-5643275-1225459 I love electronica that builds layers upon layers. This is different to say drum and bass or dance where you know there is going to be that inevitable boom boom, layered electronica builds and builds and can be difficult work if you or your hifi are not in the mood. Plaid in general do this in spades, but Spokes is a particularly good album by this lot.

Mas Confusion !K7137 lp. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000075A8C/qid=1100893539/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_8_2/202-5643275-1225459 Well it’s a bit confusing the name of this album! It’s a great record and a great overall package the album art work is second to none. Again this builds layer upon layer of interest, always engaging, and well worth a punt.

Deadly Avenger, Deep Red. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006IQQL/qid=1100893315/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_10_2/202-5643275-1225459 How many times I have tried to promote this album on these boards! This is described as ‘cinematic’ stuff and it is on a big scale. The Avenger takes on orchesteral work to give the guts to this album, and it holds together really well. I know what you are thinking, ‘Oh no not another orcesteral meets D&B album, well no frankly its not that at all. Deadly Avenger as a DJ comes up with significantly different stuff and so far this has been the only work I am interested in.

Plone: For beginners Piano. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000025AMJ/qid=1100893505/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/202-5643275-1225459 This is a superb superb album! There was an album based on a film about Lesbians some years ago, I can’t for the life of me think of the name now, but this is it basically, with cool down beat bass on it a fantastic album.

Quantic, Apricot Morning. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000068OCF/qid=1100893335/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_10_4/202-5643275-1225459 An upbeat happy type of album, very much in the vein of LemonJelly. This is a good album to put on Saturday Morning, if you know what I mean. There later release is not so good, so worth tracking this actual album down.

Lucky Pierre, Hypnogogia. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006G9U8/qid=1100893355/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/202-5643275-1225459 A very laid back down tempo affair, and excellent!

More of Note:

Fila Brazillia: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-5643275-1225459 muchly here but worth delving into, I have all their stuff, experimental and sometimes samey but still good. As to calling it electronica, well strictly speaking its under this genra but some of it boarders into dance.

Red Snapper: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/202-5643275-1225459 Usually excellent stuff but in the same vein as Fila.

Now you know what I like if you too are electronica based please put your suggestions here.
Posted on: 19 November 2004 by kuma
garyi,

It's interesting to note that there is a general negative feeling towards electronica music amongst audiophiles. ( how ironic, this is the only genre probably still released in both CDs and LPs )

Many, indeed, are repetitive but there are few interesting ones.

As a child, I've ODed on classical ( mandatory lisetning ) and still like 70's classic rock for nostalgic reasons. When I got into the electronica few years back, it was an eye opener!

On the contrary to the popular belief, electronica can sound 'GREAT!' in a high-resolution systems.

There seems to be many many subsets under 'electronica' and I am not sure what category these would fall under but here are some of my favorites. Too many to list and I can't remember most of 'em!

• Naked Music: the house of miguel migs, blue six and petalpusher

• Kevin Yost:

•6 degrees records:electronica with world beats /funk influences
dZihan & Kamien, Banco de Gaia,Bob Halroyd (this is getting bit new age ), Karsh kale, zuco 103

• compost records: A touch of jazz/R&B influence
Intuit, Blaze, Beanfield, truby Trio

Kyoto Jazz Massive is still my current fave as well sa Mana acoustic's 'fast floor/Eternal Dream' is still excellent.

p.s. I like Fila and Red Snapper,too. Altho, Fila's recent one sounded very commercial and lost a wonderful sense of humor once they had.
Posted on: 19 November 2004 by garyi
Kuma I am lost on the mana acoustics thing, is that the disk he did up, if so I found the whole thing really bad to the extreme.

BUt I will keep a look out for what yo mention, although I think we might be delving more into mix music, where by jazz or popular is mixed down with phat beats, I have some good stuff regarding that as well.

The stuff I have recced here is more from the source as such.

I listened to 'Dicks' at a friends and forgot to take it home with me, doh! But yes I know where you are coming from
Posted on: 19 November 2004 by Steve2701
From someone who grew through his teenage years with the early (& best?) Tangerine Dream, and happens to think it still sounds amazing through Naim... try :- just about all electronica stuff.. Synth music direct Some amazing analogue synth from Redshift or want to be bang up to date with all electronica worldwide? try electronic shadows.
Posted on: 19 November 2004 by sideshowbob
Try some Throbbing Gristle. 2nd Annual Report is a good place to start.

-- Ian
Posted on: 19 November 2004 by kuma
garyi,

No you are not lost on the Mana disc. I like it a lot.

You're probably right in that we are not on the same page as you've listed Plaid and Future Sound of London which I wasn't too keen on.

But since you've listed Filla and Res Snapper, there might be something you'd like.

Just like hi-fi, there are no rhyme or reasons why people lissten to what they listen as 'good'.
Posted on: 28 November 2004 by ModelCitizen
garyi, thanks very much for these pointers. I'll download the albums you've recommended (a couple of which I am already familiar with) and then buy the ones I like on CD (such is my method).

Although I am attracted to a very wide spread of musical genres (rock, acoustic, ethnic, classical, new wave, experimental, pychedilic/progressive rock) I have a particular fondness for electronic music (starting with Tangerine Dream). I count myself lucky to have found a very rich new(ish) vein with something that might very loosely be categorised as psy-ambient. This genre has taken electronica to a new level for me. Some of the best sounding and involving music on my Naim kit. Ambient is definitely the wrong term though as this has nothing at all to do with New Age (not my cup of tea at all) and can be quite violent at times. It's got bite and much is definitely edgy. It's almost always inventive, imaginative, original, precise and certainly comes nowhere near the doodling of many electronic artists I know.
If you get a chance check some of these out:

Ultimae Label (www.ultimae.com), either on label or distributed by:

Fahrenheit Project Part 2 (there are 4 parts so far but 2 is definitely the best) - a superbly mixed compilation of some of the best bands in this genre.
Carbon Based Lifeforms - Hydroponic Gardens
Entheogenic - Entheogenic

Other related stuff (Google to find it):

Entheogenic - Entheogenic
Solar Quest - Orgship
Digital Mystery Tour - Digital Mystery Tour

Someone I've discovered quite recently (last three months) is Maitreya (Council of Nine Records - www.councilofnine.co.uk). I think the second album (Telluric Waves) is cool (check out the bass on the first track) but I just cannot listen to the first album (Return to the Mothership) without listenting all the way through and being taken to places I could not have even imagined existed. Especially brilliant if you are "in the right frame of mind". I can't praise this album highly enough. However, it is "ambient", there are no beats at all (as is a lot of the more extreme stuff i like).

Biosphere's Sunstrata is my favourite electronic album of all time (at the moment!). Subtle, strange, unnerving, almost perfect in execution, original, surprising. However, I am not impressed by any other Biosphere albums.

Simon Posford from Twisted Records (www.twisted.co.uk) produces under loads of names. I don't really like the full on stuff but the more esoteric stuff is great, especially Infinity Project.
Try to listen to Raja Ram's (Simon's partner in Shpongle.. and the flute player from 70's group Quintessence!) compilation Spaceships of the Imagination on the Tip World label (www.tipworld.com). Also Mystical Experiences by Infinity Project (a must, in mho).

I guess you know the Peter Namlook's Fax label (www.2350.org). I spent ages trying to find decent records on this label (via downloading) and, although they've released loads of stuff could only find a few, but what I did find is very decent.

Fires of Ork 1 - Pete Namlook and Geir Jenssen (i.e Biosphere)
Fires of Ork 2 - Pete Namlook and Geir Jenssen

Also

Pete Namlook & Klaus Schulze - The Dark Side of the Moog IX
Dreamfish - Pete Namlook & Mixmaster Morris

Other artists I like of this type (but definitely getting wierder) are Ishq, Gas (Pop and Konigsforst), Angel Tears, Christian Høy Knudsen's Hav (Council of Nine Records againn and one of my faves)....

I think it's probably about time I stopped now and got on with cooking the dinner. If you'd like to swop some ideas (and have broadband etc) message me.

No time for spell checking, I can smell burning...
Posted on: 18 December 2004 by AndyFelin
This thread has wetted my appetite to try something newish and a bit different. Although I'm not totally unfamiliar with this music as I have two dance music DJ sons - Neil and David Soul - but I've never really LISTENED to it, if you see what I mean.

Anyway I'm going to buy some classic stuff from Black Dog, Autechre, Orbital and Boards of Canada.

Watch this space...

Thanks guys.
Andy

[This message was edited by AndyFelin on Sat 18 December 2004 at 21:51.]
Posted on: 20 December 2004 by Jono 13
old gold for this thread must be Caberet Voltaire and D.A.F.

both great, CV were supported by Throbbing Gristle at the Lyceum in the Strand, London late 1981'ish, i know i was there having my ears blown off!!!!

D.A.F. more challanging as all their work is in german, but worth the effort.

Jono