Lorn, nice electronic beats and soundscapes

G'day,

Going old skool today, with two near-mint LPs I found at the local thrift store for $1:

Vangelis - Spiral -- chock full of analog synthy goodness.

Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene -- classic LP ... this appears to be a French pressing.

--Geoff

Nice scores for a dollar!

G'day,

Nice scores for a dollar!

Well the Oxygene is common enough (well maybe not the French pressing) but I was amazed to find the Spiral LP at all and in such good nick. I remember first hearing at on MMM back in the days when they would play a whole album late at night, and thinking I gotta get it. And now I do :-)

--Geoff

Another fan of Vangelis here, particularly "Antarctica ".

While not a "doof doof" fan, I understand a lot of people are really into it.

I like the old skool style more but my favourites from the 70's / 80's are Larry Fast (Synergy and also with Peter Gabriel /

Nektar), Dave Greenslade, Kitaro, Tangerine Dream, Peter Baumann and Roger Powell.

This features the most amazingly created booklet you'll ever see with a record. It must be over 60 pages long and is filled with some stunning graphics by Patrick Woodroffe. This album gets unfairly canned by many as not being his best work but I have allowed it to weave its magic around this ageing paid of ears.

I like this better than his debut, "Cosmic Furnace"

Kitaro's music is a lot more accessible and can be a bit repetitive, (he's been around for 457 years) but some of his work is really sublime.

Edited March 27, 201114 yr by progladyte

G'day,

Kitaro's music is a lot more accessible and can be a bit repetitive, (he's been around for 457 years) but some of his work is really sublime.

The first Kitaro LP I got was Oasis ... quite good at the time I thought and it's still a personal fave for sentimental reasons but yeah one only needs one Kitaro album since everything else he's done has been cut from the same template.

--Geoff

Not really into electronic music much myself, at least, certainly not the 'doof-doof' dance club sort of stuff. Sometimes though i don't mind listening to some of the more moody stuff, like Tangerine Dream (only have a compilation CD), or Jean Michelle Jarre. I quite like Mike Oldfield's 'Songs Of Distant Earth' as well.

I also have a couple of Afro-Celt Sound System CDs (would you call them electronic?), but I find their music gets very boring very quickly. I've also listened to Robert Miles. Sort of ok for a while, but then just gets very 'doof-doof' and boring. Kraftwerk don't rock my boat either, and I'm a bit undecided about Yello.

Oh well, maybe I'll just go back and listen to 'Switched On Bach'!

Listening to some Planet Boelex tonight after not hearing them for a couple of years. Some of the best down tempo ever and all free from his site. Check out Suunta and the live from the virus festival set.

Checking out more of dubby trancey Pitch Black also, didn't know previously that they are from NZ!

Also recommend some Aes Dana, Memory Shell is a good place to start.

G'day,

Kraftwerk don't rock my boat either, [...]

--Geoff

Dub Tek, Life on Earth, Dubteknology Records

Groovy and dubby, one track (track 4) uses samples from the original BBC tv Hitcker's Guide to the Galaxy to good effect. All in all, nice and smooth. I have enjoyed this album more than expected.

Desert Dwellers, Down Temple Dub: Waves, White Swan Records

There are three in the series, Roots, Fire and Waves. This is by far the best IMHO. This sexy album has ethnic samples woven through some nicely layered beats.

Edited April 1, 201114 yr by Vitruvian

Checking out more of dubby trancey Pitch Black also, didn't know previously that they are from NZ!

yes, they are excellent. haven't checked them out live yet although they have played in Melbourne a fair bit.

Not really into electronic music much myself, at least, certainly not the 'doof-doof' dance club sort of stuff.

kinda like calling all rock music from Elvis to Napalm Death "twang twang" music cos it uses electric guitar.. I call it doof music as well though!

I've also listened to Robert Miles. Sort of ok for a while, but then just gets very 'doof-doof' and boring.

Robert Miles <-> Techno ... Kenny G <-> Jazz (imho).

suggestion: try "Campfire Headphase" by Boards of Canada instead.

kinda like calling all rock music from Elvis to Napalm Death "twang twang" music cos it uses electric guitar.. I call it doof music as well though!.

Lol!

Robert Miles <-> Techno ... Kenny G <-> Jazz (imho).

suggestion: try "Campfire Headphase" by Boards of Canada instead.

Using a jazz segue to electronica, Kruder and Dorfmeister, The K and D Sessions should get a mention.

New album from the UK electronic pioneer that is John Foxx. backed by vintage keyboard/synth collector Benge, thisn is the 1st all analog synth Foxx has done since the face changing " Metamatic" . Mira Aroyo from Ladytron also singsn on one track.

This album is the perfect synthesis of warm retro and cold futurism.

Today, it is:

Sergio Walgood, Chill in Tribe, Ajanavision

A very nicely produced, eclectic album. 98 - 120BPM, mostly around the mid 90's. It traverses a few different styles (Downtempo, Tribal, Dub) and uses a mix of analogue instruments and electronic sound synthesis. Another album I have enjoyed more than expected.

Edited April 2, 201114 yr by Vitruvian

Not really into electronic music much myself, at least, certainly not the 'doof-doof' dance club sort of stuff. Sometimes though i don't mind listening to some of the more moody stuff, like Tangerine Dream (only have a compilation CD), or Jean Michelle Jarre. I quite like Mike Oldfield's 'Songs Of Distant Earth' as well.

I also have a couple of Afro-Celt Sound System CDs (would you call them electronic?), but I find their music gets very boring very quickly. I've also listened to Robert Miles. Sort of ok for a while, but then just gets very 'doof-doof' and boring. Kraftwerk don't rock my boat either, and I'm a bit undecided about Yello.

Oh well, maybe I'll just go back and listen to 'Switched On Bach'!

Hi Em,

I got into A-C.S.S. for a while but thought that they never could quite match their debut album. Robert Miles is kinda MOR for Electronic. If you would prefer your electronic music to be more 'musical' so to speak, I would suggest that you have a listen to Bonobo "Black Sands", Zero 7 "Simple Things", Morcheeba "Big Calm, and Groove Armada "Goodbye Country". All avoid too much repetition or douf-douf. Having said that, you gotta get some douf every now and then, surely.

Using a jazz segue to electronica, Kruder and Dorfmeister, The K and D Sessions should get a mention.

or for more "gateway" stuff older trance/psytrance is nice, as still a lot of reliance on melody rather than timbre and rhthmic changes to drive the music.. though plenty of doof doof there.

what I'm thinking of is yellow album from TIP records, etc:

http://www.discogs.com/Various-Yellow/release/58207

...what a classic

in fact I might just go and stand on top of my speakers and wave my watter bottle around in the air while I listen to this..

or for more "gateway" stuff older trance/psytrance is nice, as still a lot of reliance on melody rather than timbre and rhthmic changes to drive the music.. though plenty of doof doof there.

what I'm thinking of is yellow album from TIP records, etc:

http://www.discogs.com/Various-Yellow/release/58207

...what a classic

in fact I might just go and stand on top of my speakers and wave my watter bottle around in the air while I listen to this..

Agreed, the Yellow album is a classic. I miss the old days of intelligent trance - before 'Terror Trance' hijaked the scene (at least in NSW).

I also think early Infected Mushroom is high quality trance, that is everything before (but not including) 'Vicious Delicious', I guess parts of 'Supervisor' also need to taken with a grain salt, but there are still a couple of standout tracks on that album.

Their chill out tracks (last track on BP, Disc 2 'Converting Vegetarians' and, last track of 'Supervisor') all are also tunes that get some airtime at Casa D'Vitruvian.

Although, for an old skool speaker-standing, bottle-waving frenzy I find it hard to go past Posford's Hallucinogen albums.

Edited April 4, 201114 yr by Vitruvian

G'day,

what I'm thinking of is yellow album from TIP records, etc:

I've got TIP's Blue and Phosphorescent (the cover of which really is phosphorescent) ... great psytrance. Might have to fire up the Squeezebox and give these a whirl tonight.

--Geoff

Sounds From the Ground, The Maze, Waveform Records

The sixth album from from SFTG on Waveform. I would liken to this to a Bluetech-esque sound albeit without the melancholy overtones that infuse the Bluetech aesthetic. Funky downtempo; very electronic; deft production; definitely worth a listen.

FWIW, I also rate Waveform as one of the better and more consistent American electronic labels.

Edited April 4, 201114 yr by Vitruvian

David Parsons

Isn't it great when you not only discover a new artist but also find out that he's been around for yonks and, apparently has never made a bad album.

I've been listening to electronic music for over 35 years now but had never heard of New Zealander David Parsons until recently. See here:

http://www.blacksun.com/biographies/parsons.htm

I'm working through his catalog in more or less in reverse order, although I have ordered Yatra (1990) and Shaman (1998). According to his bio, he is one of the few artists working in electronic music who still 'plays' synths instead of programming them. To my ears, this gives his music a more organic feel (if such a thing is possible with electronic music).

Sound-wise, the albums I've heard show a distinct Berlin school influence, with the subtle use of sequencers. Given his background, it is not surprising that tribal and Indian influences are also prominent. Earlier albums may feature the sitar as well, but I haven't heard them yet. Perhaps someone else has?

Recommended for fans of space music who like something a little deeper as well.

David Parsons

Isn't it great when you not only discover a new artist but also find out that he's been around for yonks and, apparently has never made a bad album.

I've been listening to electronic music for over 35 years now but had never heard of New Zealander David Parsons until recently. See here:

http://www.blacksun.com/biographies/parsons.htm

I'm working through his catalog in more or less in reverse order, although I have ordered Yatra (1990) and Shaman (1998). According to his bio, he is one of the few artists working in electronic music who still 'plays' synths instead of programming them. To my ears, this gives his music a more organic feel (if such a thing is possible with electronic music).

Sound-wise, the albums I've heard show a distinct Berlin school influence, with the subtle use of sequencers. Given his background, it is not surprising that tribal and Indian influences are also prominent. Earlier albums may feature the sitar as well, but I haven't heard them yet. Perhaps someone else has?

Recommended for fans of space music who like something a little deeper as well.

Cool, I will check this one out.

Max Maxwell is another good producer hailing from New Zealand. His album Continuous Play, on Golden Bay Records is ambient trance/ dubby. Well worth a listen.

EDIT: I ended up listening to this today. It really is a fun and funky album.

Edited April 6, 201114 yr by Vitruvian

Burial, Four Tet & Thom Yorke - Ego

Son of The Electric Ghost (SOTEG) aka Bil Bless- 'Directory Dump' (Bless Records). Bit of glitch, bit of IDM, all around excellent artist. Highly recommended.

Also listened to Ott's new album today 'Mir', slightly different direction, but IMO the best album he has made.

Edited April 9, 201114 yr by choprite

This is really really good, nice selection of remixes and his own stuff - breat SQ as well