I conclude someone must have started something like this earlier, yet I’m putting this with anticipation that you folks would love to listen to all these beautiful albums and can suggest some to me that I’ve not already listed. I always wanted to make this list, and if by any chance you've some references of yours then please toss them over here.
I'll begin with my collection of some very exclusive and some even hard to find albums that I pompously brag of being the finest so far. I'm into ambient so most of my choices are centric towards this genre. The list can be formulaic for some who already follow the cult of underground electronic music.

25. Donna Summer - The Ultimate Collection
24. Cerrone - Love in C Minor
23. Kraftwerk - The Man Machine
22. Asura - Code Eternity
21. Peter Gabriel - So
20. A New Day - Laya Project Remixed
19. Enigma - MCMXC AD
18. Chicane - Behind the Sun
17. Carbon Based Lifeforms - World of Sleepers
16. Autechre - Amber
15. Paul Oakenfold - Bunkka (Also everything that he has ever made)
14. Buddha Bar - All the volumes
13. Tim Hecker - Radio Amor
12. Aes Dana - Leylines
11. Soundtrack from Russian movie “Stalker”
10. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
09. Autechre - Tri Repetae
08. The Orb - The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld
07. Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain (Actually on the second thought her entire Boxset)
06. The Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
05. Brian Eno - Eno Box (Complete Boxset)
04. Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works (Vol. 1 & 2)
03. Gas (Mat Jarvis) - 0095 (Dont confuse with Wolfgang Voigt)
02. Global Communication - 76:14 (Arguably the best one)
01. Biosphere - Substrata (The only argument to the above)

The list could be longer but these specifically are those which I never let my friends borrow from me. I fear of losing both. The friend and the album.

There are some more that I gravely yearn to purchase, which could edit the list above, but by reason of not being able to find them anywhere in my city I couldn’t get hold of them. And I never trusted plastic money to shop them online. Actually I never owned a credit card (Thanx to one of my earlier odd job in credit card fraud prevention department in Washington Mutual)
And few of those sought after ones are:

1. Kate Bush - This Woman's Work
2. Amon Tobin - Foley Room
3. Martin Walker - The Greenwood
4. Faust - Boxset (Although I own their first one ‘Faust’.)
5. The KLF - Chill Out
…

So guys what’s your favorite electronica album by now?

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SoundCloud


Edited by AuralSerenity (12/10/10 06:16 PM)

Oops there was a horrible mistake I did in jiffy and corrected it now.

Instead of Faust (their first album), I mentioned Faust is last, which obviously I dont own.

Well its been edited now.

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SoundCloud

I highly recommend any of these :

OTT - Hallucinogen in Dub, Skylon and Blumenkraft
Sphongle - Anything they've ever made
Nagual Sound Experiment - Invisible Movements
Amon Tobin - Supermodified
Damon Albarn - Mali Music
Bonobo - Anything he's ever made
DJ Krush - Jaku
Younger Brother - A Flock of Bleeps
Juno Reactor - Labyrinth
Peace Orchestra - Peace Orchestra
Tipper - Surrounded
Flooting Grooves - Upsyde Down
Gotan Project - La Revencha del Tango
Unstable Elements - Technical Illusion

There are others ....

D.

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www.thirdfloormusic.com

Thanx Darc. Many many thanx.



O I do have Ott's collection, and I adore Blumencraft (specially Jack's cheese and bread snack) and I also love Simon Posford, that guy is so cool, I remember once he even took the MIC from interviewer and interviewed himself and Raja Ram on the behalf of interviewer (effects of the joints that he was constantly blowing). And to tell you the truth I was considering putting them in the list till the last moment. Maybe I was a bit cruel towards Blumencraft. But there was something about Shpongle that never clicked me. Maybe the things that Hallucinogen used to serve, like the way 'Space Pussy' and 'LSD' drives you, after that I failed to take Raja Ram's overtly eccentric shamanic influence that was even delivering in his music under other guise like 1200 Micrograms. I understand 1200 Micrograms also sucked because of those duo Rectum(pun intended) and Bansi. Haha. But Simon always had it. He had a simplicity that goes way back to his bootlegged debut Asnesnothine. It was truly a cult back then. I've never heard Younger Brother, which I believe Simon made for his younger brother's break (correct me if I'm wrong), and that jacking never appealed to me. I might be biased though, are they really good?



And Nagual Sound Experiment, Damon Albarn, Bonobo, Peace Orchestra, Tipper, Flooting Grooves, Gotan Project, Unstable Elements - all these are new to me (Wow so many of them). Never knew them. So thanx, I'll try to get as many of them and see what's in it for me.

Amon Tobin? Yes, without a doubt, a very talented guy. I saw Foley room DVD in youtube and that was mind blowing. I anyways was trying real hard to find that in India and doubt if I'll find Supermodified. Is there a Boxset available in London?



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Please guys, contribute your suggestions. We all need good listening sessions. And I dont know about you people but I remain in constant hunt for good reference tracks. So please dont be laid-back and punch in some keys.

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I have no idea what 'Electronica' is, but I guess I must be into at least some of it given the Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd in your list!

What's the definition?

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote AuralSerenity:

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I understand 1200 Micrograms also sucked because of those duo Rectum(pun intended) and Bansi.

---

Haha .. I'm sure Riktam has heard that one before ...

Quote AuralSerenity:

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I've never heard Younger Brother, which I believe Simon made for his younger brother's break (correct me if I'm wrong), and that jacking never appealed to me. I might be biased though, are they really good?

---

Yeah, Flock of Bleeps is a very good album. Younger Brother is essentially a collaboration of Posford and Benji Vaughn ( Prometheus ), not sure what the reference to the name is.

Quote AuralSerenity:

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And Nagual Sound Experiment, Damon Albarn, Bonobo, Peace Orchestra, Tipper, Flooting Grooves, Gotan Project, Unstable Elements - all these are new to me (Wow so many of them). Never knew them. So thanx, I'll try to get as many of them and see what's in it for me.

---

Bear in mind that that's quite an eclectic mix of artists, it's not all one type of music ..

Quote AuralSerenity:

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I anyways was trying real hard to find that in India and doubt if I'll find Supermodified. Is there a Boxset available in London?

---

Supermodified is, as far as I'm concerned, the best Amon Tobin album. I have no idea if you'd find a box set of in London as I don't live in the UK ... You should be able to order anything off the Amon Tobin online shop digitally or via Amazon. I've ordered from them before and they do ship internationally :

http://www.amontobin.com/discography/album/supermodified

D.

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www.thirdfloormusic.com

Quote The Elf:

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I have no idea what 'Electronica' is, but I guess I must be into at least some of it given the Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd in your list!

What's the definition?

---

Welcome, even if its just Pink Floyd and Gabriel that pulled you.



Definition? Aw c'mon Elf, that's more like taking the mikey. Why not check this instead. I know its vague and the idea of covering a limited set into such a vague definition is not fair and in that sense almost all comes under the style and blah blah and blah...
But its not a legal draft that we're filling. Its just a matter of choices.

I could have started the thread with unlimiting the genre and ask for any kind of style, but I didnt want people to mention Bach or Frank Sinatra. Thus language had to be mutilated a little and Pink Floyd had to come under the same umbrella. Rules are very much amendable you see. If you dont think that will make you put your choices then please reconsider and if possible let me know what you like. Even Frank Sinatra will be appreciated by many.

By the way which Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel song would you think to be the best? I like Time and Sledge Hammer respectively.





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Edited by AuralSerenity (13/10/10 08:34 AM)

Quote Darclinc:

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You should be able to order anything off the Amon Tobin online shop digitally or via Amazon.

---

Darc I dont have a credit card. As I said in the first post I never trusted it as I had worked in fraud prevention department for a year and it had a pretty good lasting impression on me. Otherwise I would have never missed rycote shock mount freebies from SOS. But there is a way I can get someone to buy it for me from London so that's why I asked. I think some Londoner might read this, its very likely in SOS.



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O shite! How could it be? Gosh I forgot to list Klaus Schulze in the list, and that was a blunder.

I guess I would have slide the list and make place for Klaus and his entire work, of which I hardly missed to own anything as far as I know, at top 5th position. But alas I cant rectify it anymore.



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Edited by AuralSerenity (13/10/10 08:51 AM)

If you want to listen to some more modern electronica check out:

DNTEL - Life is Full of possibilities
Mum - Go, go smear the poison ivy

Those 2 are currently on repeat for me. Might be a bit far out though, I dunno. Try it :]

You mentioned the second Chicane album "Behind The Sun" but the first one is the one to get I personally think, it used to be quite hard to find but has recently been re-issued..this is before he went completely cheese lol

Chicane-Far From The Maddening Crowd

I'll happily listen to any FSOL. If you can get the singles as they contain many remixes (paths as they call them) of the original. The archive coillections also contain many gems.

Otherwise Autechre's first two albums; Amber and Incunabula.
Speedy J - Ginger
AFX - Analogue bubblebath EP (any of them!)
Aphex Twin - SAW 1 and 2
Kraftwerk - Man Machine, TEE, Radio Activity and most of the other contempory albums to that period.
Biosphere - All his work, but Substrata and Dropsonde are probably the best two.
Black Dog Productions - Bytes.

Edit - Also Max Richter - Blue Notebooks. Mostly orchestral, but it mixes some electronica in on some tracks and is a very good album.

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Edited by Richie Royale (13/10/10 11:02 AM)

Bach
Frank Sinatra

Quote Jumpeyspyder:

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Walter Carlos - Switched on Bach

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Fixed

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Quote chew_rocket:

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DNTEL - Life is Full of possibilities
Mum - Go, go smear the poison ivy

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Very interesting. I just checked their tracks in youtube after your recommendation and frankly I'm completely blown. Very experimental. Many many thanx.



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Quote vinyl_junkie:

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Chicane-Far From The Maddening Crowd

---

I have that album vinyl. But why do you think that second album is cheesy? He had Halcyon in the second one. And that one track is quite sufficient to make it in the list, I think. Though after the second album Chicane truly went cheesy.

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Quote Richie Royale:

---

Otherwise Autechre's first two albums; Amber and Incunabula.
Speedy J - Ginger
AFX - Analogue bubblebath EP (any of them!)
Aphex Twin - SAW 1 and 2
Kraftwerk - Man Machine, TEE, Radio Activity and most of the other contempory albums to that period.
Biosphere - All his work, but Substrata and Dropsonde are probably the best two.
Black Dog Productions - Bytes.

Edit - Also Max Richter - Blue Notebooks. Mostly orchestral, but it mixes some electronica in on some tracks and is a very good album.

---

Thanx Rich. You are as usual rich.

It took me a century to decide not to put entire Autechre collection in the list. I am a proud owner of the set. But Amber and Tri-Reptae were actually those that I would keep on top if questioned, and I questioned myself then.

Aphex Twin changed very fast in their style. Too fast to go along with time. Even faster than Metallica. And that change of style kept on pulling me off his ever-changing appearance. I would say Saw set was good but not quite what I expected out of his signature experimentation with noises and more dronish themes. If anything else than I will put Surfing On Sine Waves up there.

Kraftwerk and Biosphere? Yes all of it. Without any doubt. These were actually the peak in echelons of their style. But unfortunately I dont own all of their stuff in original CD's, thus the limitation.

Apart from these whatever you mentioned, I havent heard yet and would luv to try asap.

Thanx my dear friend.


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Edited by AuralSerenity (13/10/10 11:44 AM)

Quote Jumpeyspyder:

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Bach
Frank Sinatra

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Ah Hahaha.

As a matter of fact a very good post. Maybe the most funny aspect of this thread.



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Edited by AuralSerenity (13/10/10 11:42 AM)

Quote AuralSerenity:

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Aw c'mon Elf, that's more like taking the mikey.

---

Honestly, no joking, I have no idea! I'm clueless at genres. It's all rock'n'roll to me!

That aside, here's what I can see in my studio reference list that's been accumulating for the past few years (as opposed to, but not always in conflict with, my 'listening for pleasure' list):
Air - Moon Safari
America - Highway
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Blackmore's Night - Under a Violet Moon
David Lee Roth - Eat 'em and Smile
Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me
Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
Jethro Tull - Songs From the Wood
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhillow
Keep of Kalessin - Kolossus
Led Zeppelin - 4
Marillion - Clutching at Straws
Mike Oldfield - Light and Shade
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
Nickleback - All the Right Reasons
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Pat Benatar - Best Shots
Queensryche - Empire
Peter Gabriel - 4
Porcupine Tree - in Absentia
Prodigy - The Fat of the Land
Seventh Key - The Raging Fire
The Carpenters - Gold
The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium
The Tubes - Remote Control
Roger Glover - The Butterfly Ball
Rush - Moving Pictures
Slamer - Nowhere Land
Steeleye Span - A Parcel of Rogues
Take That - Beautiful World
Taylor Swift - Fearless
Whitesnake - 1987
Yes - 90125
Yes - Going for the One

My favourite Gabriel and Floyd tracks? That would be 'San Jacinto' and 'Keep Talking'.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Aphex Twin - "I care because you do" is also a favourite of mine. If you can handle the harder stuff, the Classics compilation is good.

Eno/Byrne - "My life in a bush of ghosts" doesn't quite qualify for electronica, but is certainly influential in that genre and a very good album.

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

n no particular order...

- Early Tangerine Dream ('Phaedra' in particular)
- Isao Tomita (complete works up to 'Bermuda Triangle')
- Early Vangelis ('China' in particular)
- Switched On Bach
- Ian Boddy
- Arc (Ian Boddy and Mark Shreeve)
- Morton Subotnik ('Silver Apples Of The Moon / The Wild Bull')
- Louis and Bebe Barron (soundtrack from 'Forbidden Planet')
- Eno ('On Land')
- Jean-Michel Jarre
- Larry Fast/ Synergy

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Website / Music Lab Machines / Blog

Quote AuralSerenity:

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Quote vinyl_junkie:

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Chicane-Far From The Maddening Crowd

---

I have that album vinyl. But why do you think that second album is cheesy? He had Halcyon in the second one. And that one track is quite sufficient to make it in the list, I think. Though after the second album Chicane truly went cheesy.

---

Sorry that's what I meant, just came out wrong lol Agree after the second album it was down hill.

Also not sure if it was mentioned, Sasha&Digweed-Northern Exposure vol 1 cd 1

I'll also add
Brian Eno-Apollo atmospheres & soundtracks
Washed Out-Life Of Leisure

Can't think of much else right now lol Perhaps some early stuff on Platypus records

Wot no Ryuichi Sakamoto ...?

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Veni, Vidi, Aesculi
(I came, I saw, I conkered)

In terms of Electronica, I cannot say Pink Floyd, Genesis et cetera are anywhere near electronica, but I do love them both. I would consider them both progressive rock.

For Electronica, I would consider this trip hop, IDM, ambient or anything using predominantly samples and loops, even if made themselves, such as Bonobo later releases.

Favourite albums for me would be


Four Tet - Rounds

Amon Tobin - Bricolage

Aim - Cold Water Music

DJ Shadow - ENDtroducing

Elsiane - Hybrid

Helios - Eingya

UNKLE - Psyence Fiction

All very worth checking out. I must admit I haven't listened to much 'electronica' recently, been too heavily involved with rock and its millions of sub-genres.

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-W

Quote Wlouch:

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For Electronica, I would consider this trip hop, IDM, ambient or anything using predominantly samples and loops

---

Hmmmm ... we may be at cross purposes then...

Much like people use the hijacked term 'R&B' today for vile, autotuned, rappy nursery rhymes (compared with the original 'R&B' dating back to the 1940s) so 'electronica' doesn't now really encompass electronic music that doesn't have a sample or loop in sight (such as Berlin Electronica of the 70s, etc.).

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Website / Music Lab Machines / Blog

Yeah fair enough, never heard Electronica described as anything other than the artists I have just mentioned.

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-W

I certainly enjoy much of what’s already been listed here, including FSOL, Black Dog, Goldfrapp, Pink Floyd (of course!), Imogen Heap, and the majority of The Elf’s latest list

However, if your definition of electronica encompasses ambient (as I believe it should) then here are a few more I can heartily recommend off the top of my head:

AES Dana and Carbon Based Lifeforms on the French Ultimae label, where you’ll find LOADS of other good stuff: www.ultimae.com

ISHQ, who runs his own label from here: www.ishq.org

Jon Hopkins: www.jonhopkins.co.uk

And our own Tom Green (tomafd on the SOS Forums) - his Life Before Land is an ambient classic: www.anotherfineday.co.uk


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Quote AuralSerenity:

---

There are some more that I gravely yearn to purchase, which could edit the list above, but by reason of not being able to find them anywhere in my city I couldn’t get hold of them. And I never trusted plastic money to shop them online.

And few of those sought after ones are:


3. Martin Walker - The Greenwood

---

Hah - thanks for the compliment AS

Send me a PM and I'm sure we can work out a solution that doesn't involve credit cards

(EDIT - AS - just spotted you have Leylines by AES Dana - one of my all-time favourite albums )


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Quote hollowsun:

---

Quote Wlouch:

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For Electronica, I would consider this trip hop, IDM, ambient or anything using predominantly samples and loops

---

Hmmmm ... we may be at cross purposes then...

Much like people use the hijacked term 'R&B' today for vile, autotuned, rappy nursery rhymes (compared with the original 'R&B' dating back to the 1940s) so 'electronica' doesn't now really encompass electronic music that doesn't have a sample or loop in sight (such as Berlin Electronica of the 70s, etc.).

---

I even PLAYED at a couple of 'Electronica' festivals!

I was once billed as 'ambient'. When I began the opening song in 5/4 with thumping drums, bass pedals and wailing Moog lead I imagined someone running out to the billboard with a marker pen!

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

To me Electronica is electronic music that isn't usually dance orientated, but I guess it is a very broad genre. DJ Shadow or Aim are definitely not what I would describe as electronica; I would call it Hip Hop or Trip Hop, although the latter term is not one I tend to use, I prefer downbeat.

I mention dance music as lots of electronic music - house, techno, drum and bass, has fairly well defined genres, whereas electronica tends to be stuff that is designed to be listened to rather than danced to. Ambient is a genre, but I think it suitably falls into electronica generally, even though some of it is not made by electronic means (synths).

It's all music at the end of the day!

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale

Ohoho!


What the... So many beautiful replies. I'm high.



People, all of you lovely people, if you were in front of me I would have hugged all of you so bad. A bear hug maybe.



Mods or Admin, I have a request, please make this lovely thread a sticky one.





By the way, keep shooting guys.



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Edited by AuralSerenity (13/10/10 02:28 PM)

Thanx Elf, and million thanx for making this mount everest that I cant wait to climb.

Only thing that took me off my shorts was Black Sabbath. I dont like Ozzy even a wee bit. Sorry if that plucks some feelings, but I was only honest. Else you were right that for you its all Rock 'n Roll. Its obvious through the list.

What blew me in your list was ' Prodigy - The Fat of the Land ', I think that could have been there in the list that I made but couldnt find anyone who could be kicked out from that list. So what, I'll expand it gradually.

There are so many that I havent yet known.

Love you Elf.




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Quote hollowsun:

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- Early Tangerine Dream ('Phaedra' in particular)

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Thanx for all Hollowsun. But this one was excellent, and so as Eno - 'On Land'. No compromises friend.

Others I'll check soon. I might be going completely nuts in coming days.



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Tangerine Dream-Stratosphere

My personal fave..as sampled by DJ Shadow on his first album

As I said earlier Eno means no compromises. I read all his stuff and have his boxset. Many disagree but this guy was a personification of pure perfection since Roxy Music.

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Quote Dave B:

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Wot no Ryuichi Sakamoto ...?

---

O yes dear. We didnt miss him. Guys like him are inevitable. Problem was I had to put only those that I own in original CD format. No MP3 rips. Its hard to find him in India. But in case you insist I would vote for 'Chasm'. That was unique in comparison to all that's been mentioned till now. By anyone.



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Quote Wlouch:

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In terms of Electronica, I cannot say Pink Floyd, Genesis et cetera are anywhere near electronica, but I do love them both. I would consider them both progressive rock.

---

Wlouch, my dear friend, no time to explain myself, so I'll be blunt. I disagree to your above statement. Any music in its totality is so vast that genre definition progressively fail to encompass it, thats how new artists innovate and subgenres evolve. Many consider Pink Floyd to be psychedelic rock and some even say they have many a times in past been into classical rock. Determining ones style is required to establish the signature of the band, and Pink Floyd went many a times into the realms of noise and experimental electronica. Time changed that band so drastically and so many times that it was once the opinion of Waters that Division Bell sucked. To which I smilingly disagree. Many who know the history of the band will decipher my smile for that expression of Roger waters. I was a stern cult follower of this mammoth occurrence (Pink Floyd) in the history of mankind that I never failed to understand why this band went beautifully berserk into the noisy experimental electronica while Live at Pompeii dawned.

Quote Wlouch:

---

Four Tet - Rounds

Amon Tobin - Bricolage

Aim - Cold Water Music

DJ Shadow - ENDtroducing

Elsiane - Hybrid

Helios - Eingya

UNKLE - Psyence Fiction

---

Millions of thanx Wlouch. Although DJ's dont enchant me but some handpicked beauties above can for sure put me unto trance for days.

Luv ya

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Quote AuralSerenity:

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Love you Elf.

---

But will you love me tomorrow?

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote Martin Walker:

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Hah - thanks for the compliment AS

Send me a PM and I'm sure we can work out a solution that doesn't involve credit cards

(EDIT - AS - just spotted you have Leylines by AES Dana - one of my all-time favourite albums )


Martin

---

Finally Martin.

Martin, it’s been quite a long time that we've known each other and still you seem to know so little about me. The compliment that you are referring to is, my dear friend, actually a true expression of what I felt the first time I got curious and clicked on Yewtreemagic link and found out about your work, and listened to the demos. Martin I am more introvert than it seems. I feel you are badly underrated. You need to market your music more so it’s less underground and set limited to a certain cult, and here I'm considering all the praises that all those magazines have put across for your work. Though I like originality more than popularity. What I would seriously like to do, if get the chance is that I would luv to collaborate with you in future. But considering my condition and acumen in music I guess it’s a rarity that may take a lifetime. And lifetime is a time that’s too short for anyone. My entire urgency towards things, everything in life actually, has a meaning that I hope doesn’t frustrate people whom I’ve known in this lifetime. And through my perplexing linguistics I sense the mystics of pleasure that I derive with a childlike slyness and quite enjoy the bliss. And I sincerely hope no one ever comprehend this.

Well, I got a bit driven there, and now will straight away go to shoot a PM before you change your mind.

*Edit* - By the way It wasnt just The Greenwood only that hooked me up. All those four albums were grand.

Thank you, Martin, for all the support.
And thank you everyone else to make this thread a lovely conversation.




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Edited by AuralSerenity (13/10/10 04:13 PM)

Quote The Elf:

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But will you love me tomorrow?

---

Why; Is it Thursday tomorrow?

Well in that case -

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Quote Richie Royale:

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To me Electronica is electronic music that isn't usually dance orientated, but I guess it is a very broad genre. DJ Shadow or Aim are definitely not what I would describe as electronica; I would call it Hip Hop or Trip Hop, although the latter term is not one I tend to use, I prefer downbeat.

I mention dance music as lots of electronic music - house, techno, drum and bass, has fairly well defined genres, whereas electronica tends to be stuff that is designed to be listened to rather than danced to. Ambient is a genre, but I think it suitably falls into electronica generally, even though some of it is not made by electronic means (synths).

It's all music at the end of the day!

---

I feel bad that I failed to notice this earlier. Rich, you are richer than I previously commented and thought. 100% agree with you on your view. Electronic music is infact a shape changing evolving genre. To be frank its so variable that its not a genre by the definition of the word 'genre'.

Like world music should more accurately be termed as folk music, but as folk music would make it sound more like a proper noun they devised the term world folk music, and later just world music. Similarly electronic music is more of a fancy term in reality, and accurate definition of any particular electronic shall reside in the designation of the subgenre that goes down the hierarchy as if their is no limit.

Ambient to Psybient to Illbient makes hell lot of difference to the aficionados. But as you said, Rich, it's all music at the end of the day, genre should only be referred to present an idea and not the whole meaning to the music. For many years, when I too was suffering from this syndrome of genre identification, I used to get stuck when it came to distinguish one from its other close relative. Guys, there is actually no event horizon lying in the borders of musical style, and many a times you'll be involuntarily pulled into many other various styles in the same song. To clear these opinions I would recommend more listening sessions and purposeful observation of the musicality in the various styles.

By the way, Rich, I fear of being called a hypocrite 'cause I prefer to call it downtempo instead of downbeat. Hahaha.



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Good post!! Lots of stuff for me to check out!

Radiohead - Kid A
Benge - 20 Systems <= Synth bible in CD form
Coil - Black Antlers
Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts <= this is fantastic!!
Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Blindoldfreak - 1
John Frusciante - A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence
How To Destroy Angels - How To Destroy Angels(Trent Reznor, Mariqueen Maandig, Atticus Ross)
Daniel Johns & Paul Mac - I Can't Believe It's Not Rock
Death In Vegas - The Contino Sessions
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - White Luna
Portishead - Third
Thom Yorke - The Eraser

The above is all music that is largely electronic based and I listen to on a regular basis.

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my music

Lost connection and double posted!

Edited by francobidanco (13/10/10 08:55 PM)

Amen to Richie Royale and the previous post by Aural Serenity. Electronica can mean a lot of different things to different people, and to me it's like this:

Shamen - Boss Drum, En-Tact, Arbor Bona Arbor Mala
DMX Krew - Any release
Dam Funk - Any release
Jimmy Edgar - XXX
Gosub - Watchers From The Black Universe
Cylob - Any release
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
Dopplereffekt - Infophysix
Kraftwerk - Tour De France
Comtron - Follow The Money
Datassette - Datassette LP
Ullrich Schnauss - Goodbye
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Erland Oye - Unrest
Spirit Catcher - Any release you can find
Kris Jupiter - Jupiter/Micropacer
Deejay Punk-Roc - Spoiling It For Everyone Else
Les Rythmes Digitales - Darkdancer
Orbital - Green Album
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Chris Clark - Empty The Bones Of You
Burial - Burial
Mount Kimbie - Crooks and Lovers
James Blake - Klavierwerke EP

Also totally worth mentioning are the artists that have come from a more traditional hiphop background but are going waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay leftfield with their music. You might hear the genre called "Wonky Beats" or "Wonk" or "Beat Scene" or some other stupid name but it's essentially electronica with a staunchly hiphop outlook on arrangement and production style. There are loads right now but the two that stick out for me are:

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles, Cosmogramma (I didnt like that but lots of people did, worth checking)
Bullion - Young Heartache EP

Some classics, some future classics, but all "electronica" to me.

I could write for days so I'll stop.

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www.loadedaudio.com - Audio Mastering and home of the Mix Fix
www.audioslap.com - Audio News, Reviews and Interviews

Quote AuralSerenity:

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Quote chew_rocket:

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DNTEL - Life is Full of possibilities
Mum - Go, go smear the poison ivy

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Very interesting. I just checked their tracks in youtube after your recommendation and frankly I'm completely blown. Very experimental. Many many thanx.

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Your very welcome!

you might also like:
B.Fleischmann
Lali Puna
Matmos

I see no-one's recommended Blackout Crew.

Is there an aversion to a banging donk here?

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Website / Music Lab Machines / Blog

Nice to see some names of some excellent artists on this thread. I was going to recomend some of the usual suspects:

Apex Twin - come to daddy ep, ventolin, i care because you do, etc
Richard D James - Richard D James album
Aurtechure - inculabula
Amon Tobin - Bricolage, Permutation and Supermodified are great examples of his work
DJ Krush - It has to be his early stuff tho though to fall into this catagory.

others:
Funki Porcini - Hed Phone sex, and "Love Pussycats and Carwrecks"( the 1st track on this album is a real listener)
Plastikman - Artifakts and Musik are very good and fairly similar while "Consumed" is fantastically foreboding
Sqaurepusher - Selection 16
Luke Vibert/Wagon Christ - Might be a little Hip Hoppy but littered with some nice electonica

ooohhh and can we count:- The Smokers Delight?? - their self named second album and next album "Car boot Soul".

Very nostalgic thread this

Dan

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Two interesting facts about me: 1)My Knob is the length of two Argos pens 2)I'm banned from Argos

I think electronica is anything that goes beep where the beep is made by something electronic and you're meant to listen to the beep more than dance to the beep but you can do that too if you like. The beep may even be a sample but it's still essentially a beep. Well it's many beeps played 44.1 thousand times a second, for example. Anyway I digress. In electronica these beeps are more typically arranged in the studio or sequenced by other electronics that don't go beep. Instead they tell the beeps when to beep. Sometimes the beeps are played live by humans but it's uncommon. Some bands, such as Pink Floyd, use elements that we might describe as electronica but as this isn't their primary aesthetic so I wouldn't call them electronica per se.

Which brings us on to rock which is a form of music that generally doesn't beep. It has more of a sort of roaring and stamping sound.

I like both and heartily recommend Avant Hard by Add N To X which Q magazine described as the greatest rock album ever without any guitars on it. It's got synths instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avant_Hard

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Original artwork and unique devices inspired by vintage technology http://www.thisisobsolete.com

Edited by jellyjim (14/10/10 12:14 AM)

* my penultimate line should have read:

ooohhh can we count Nightmares on Wax?? - Smokers Delight and Car Boot Soul are very cool albums.

Damn the post edit time

Dan

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Two interesting facts about me: 1)My Knob is the length of two Argos pens 2)I'm banned from Argos

Quote Spiked Lunch:

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Nine Inch Nails

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Quote francobidanco:

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Amen to Richie Royale and the previous post by Aural Serenity. Electronica can mean a lot of different things to different people

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Quote francobidanco:

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Shamen - Boss Drum, En-Tact, Arbor Bona Arbor Mala
DMX Krew - Any release
Dam Funk - Any release
Jimmy Edgar - XXX
Gosub - Watchers From The Black Universe
Cylob - Any release
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
Dopplereffekt - Infophysix
Kraftwerk - Tour De France
Comtron - Follow The Money
Datassette - Datassette LP
Ullrich Schnauss - Goodbye
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Erland Oye - Unrest
Spirit Catcher - Any release you can find
Kris Jupiter - Jupiter/Micropacer
Deejay Punk-Roc - Spoiling It For Everyone Else
Les Rythmes Digitales - Darkdancer
Orbital - Green Album
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Chris Clark - Empty The Bones Of You
Burial - Burial
Mount Kimbie - Crooks and Lovers
James Blake - Klavierwerke EP

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Quote francobidanco:

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I could write for days so I'll stop.

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Aww, just give us a few days to go through all this that's listed and then please, please do come back with more.



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Boy they are so offbeat, how did you ever managed to find them all?

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Quote Dan Bo:

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Nice to see some names of some excellent artists on this thread. I was going to recomend some of the usual suspects:

Apex Twin - come to daddy ep, ventolin, i care because you do, etc
Richard D James - Richard D James album
Aurtechure - inculabula
Amon Tobin - Bricolage, Permutation and Supermodified are great examples of his work
DJ Krush - It has to be his early stuff tho though to fall into this catagory.

others:
Funki Porcini - Hed Phone sex, and "Love Pussycats and Carwrecks"( the 1st track on this album is a real listener)
Plastikman - Artifakts and Musik are very good and fairly similar while "Consumed" is fantastically foreboding
Sqaurepusher - Selection 16
Luke Vibert/Wagon Christ - Might be a little Hip Hoppy but littered with some nice electonica

ooohhh and can we count:- The Smokers Delight?? - their self named second album and next album "Car boot Soul".

Very nostalgic thread this

Dan

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Dan Bo, I dont know about others but I am absolutely delighted to be in your company. I know how it impacts on all of us to realize that how mysteriously we missed upon Plastikman, Funki Porcini and Squarepusher till now. Luv you for bringing them on.

and

Jazz has been more of my wife's indulgence, but when it comes to Nightmares on Wax, I'm total game.



Here I dont know what was the reason but Dan your post for some reason reminded me of 'Molotov Cocktail'. Frankly I didnt appreciate them much, but still maybe the word nostalgic led to a deja-vu.

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SoundCloud

Prefuse 73
Flying Lotus

(glitch-hop strictly speaking)

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Original artwork and unique devices inspired by vintage technology http://www.thisisobsolete.com

Excellent choices all. I'd recommend Planet Boelex -

http://www.boelex.org/

particularly the Suunta album.

Just spotted this in my inbox from some Amazon spam

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ninja-Tune-Label-Month/dp/B0045G64BY

You need an Amazon account but it's an album of choice DRM-free Ninja Tunes cuts for the princely sum of £0,000,000.00

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Original artwork and unique devices inspired by vintage technology http://www.thisisobsolete.com

I've been listening to some more experimental/avant garde stuff recently that you might be more likely to call electronic music in the traditional sense rather than electronica which does seem to imply something specifically cultural. It's challenging at first but like the best Jazz (Coltrane, Mingus) it'll reward you with some unique aural experiences. I like listening to some of the really odd stuff on my iPod and going and doing something normal like shop or washing up or just walk amongst people. Everything is normal apart from this totally surreal soundtrack burbling away in the background! The other cool thing about this stuff is that not all of it is coming from labels, I'm just finding a lot of it on the net especially through the always brilliant Matrixsynth.

Anyway here are the artists

Franck Vigroux's "Camera Police"
Tim Love Lee's "Against Nature"
Tobor Experiment's "Tales from Dione"

and a guy who keeps popping up on Matrixsynth called "Ether^ra" .. he's just doing a load of improvs but he's got a really nice feel for it (and a Serge modular the lucky b'stard!) this i particularly like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I367bdFDKKI&feature=player_embedded

Spreading the net a little further what I like in the electronica I do like I hear in some jazz and more recent classical music - i can't explain it but they seem connected (to my ears at least)

Coltrane, Mingus, Bartok, Philip Glass etc

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Original artwork and unique devices inspired by vintage technology http://www.thisisobsolete.com

Quote Andy W:

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http://www.boelex.org/

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Hi Andrew, I'll be truthful.

At first go I was turned off. I even set my expectations in such a way that nothing about boelex, one man army project, could ever appeal to me. I clicked on the myspace play button and started reading about the project. I came back to SOS with utter discontentment and thought of not replying as nothing about that site or music project boelex seemed appropriate to the league of the references in this thread.

BUT, then all of a sudden my speakers were pure beauty. I checked the myspace and saw the song Suunta being played. I was so much impressed that I checked almost all the songs and they are still being played as I'm writing. I immediately felt ashamed of my biased view that I had some moments back. In the beginning I even doubted this to be a self promotion.

Andrew, there are a very nice set of melodies in Suunta. Hail. Suunta is very much my style.

Thanx for this truly rare and beautiful recommendation. I'm at complete awe.

Until coming week my mind is going to be exploded by all these recommendations in this simply beautiful thread. Only with few anomalies.

Thanx Andrew.



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SoundCloud


Edited by AuralSerenity (14/10/10 09:30 AM)

How about Sunn O))). The drone music can be cool too (I know that lot of people are allergic to it).

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Quote AuralSerenity:

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Quote Andy W:

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http://www.boelex.org/

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Hi Andrew, I'll be truthful.

At first go I was turned off. I even set my expectations in such a way that nothing about boelex, one man army project, could ever appeal to me. I clicked on the myspace play button and started reading about the project. I came back to SOS with utter discontentment and thought of not replying as nothing about that site or music project boelex seemed appropriate to the league of the references in this thread.

BUT, then all of a sudden my speakers were pure beauty. I checked the myspace and saw the song Suunta being played. I was so much impressed that I checked almost all the songs and they are still being played as I'm writing. I immediately felt ashamed of my biased view that I had some moments back. In the beginning I even doubted this to be a self promotion.

Andrew, there are a very nice set of melodies in Suunta. Hail. Suunta is very much my style.

Thanx for this truly rare and beautiful recommendation. I'm at complete awe.

Until coming week my mind is going to be exploded by all these recommendations in this simply beautiful thread. Only with few anomalies.

Thanx Andrew.

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Yes that's all rather lush especially Suunta - reminds me of early Future Sound Of London

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Original artwork and unique devices inspired by vintage technology http://www.thisisobsolete.com

Any of you come across the sonic madness that is Tara Busch?

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New album 'Fantasy Bridge' available now!
Making of Fantasy Bridge Diary

Indeed I have, although I wouldn’t have described her work as madness, but rather tasteful

While we’re on the subject of more experimental stuff, I’d recommend Jason Corder (OffTheSky), whose web site is: www.offthesky.com

My favourite album of his is ‘Gently Down The Stream’, which you can audition here at Shopsonic (a wonderful resource for ambient music as long as you have a credit card )

www.shopsonic.com/product_details.php?id=304


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

anyone who likes electronica is welcome to peruse the offerings of the doubledotdash!? collective as linked in my sig. it ranges from banging to blissful.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

.... I also have some modular synth action om my link if anyone fancies a listen....

Tara Busch is pretty cool although I don't own any of her stuff - I probably need to rectify that.

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my music

Quote MarkOne:

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Any of you come across the sonic madness that is Tara Busch?

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Reminds me of Bat for Lashes. Quite erotic in pieces, and that's not mad at all.



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SoundCloud

Quote Martin Walker:

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While we’re on the subject of more experimental stuff, I’d recommend Jason Corder (OffTheSky), whose web site is: www.offthesky.com

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Wow, thats cool. I almost got scared when I clicked on that link, I least expected my subs to go active. I seriously jumped at that sound. But that's a very interesting one Martin.

Quote Martin Walker:

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My favourite album of his is ‘Gently Down The Stream’, which you can audition here at Shopsonic (a wonderful resource for ambient music as long as you have a credit card )
www.shopsonic.com/product_details.php?id=304

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What the hell!

So many lovely replies and not a single one spoke about my second favorite in the list. If there is any doubt then clear it as Global Communication - 76:14 is an impeccably beautiful piece of art. There simply isnt any comparison to this album. It took almost a century for me to decide not to put it on the first place. And nothing else but only Substrata comes to that league. Even after making the list I wasnt sure if I did the right thing for 76:14.

By the way guys, check Chevy Martin. My stoopid cousin made the video and posted it today for me. He likes this track a lot. Chevy is also one of my favourite lounge musician, and my cousin told me there isnt a single link of this song on the web so he made this video and posted it. So guys check this out. Frankly, as some people had funny issues with Pink Floyd being in the list that I made. I guess if they consider the Pink Floyd to be out then Chevy Martin gets that rank without a single frown.

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SoundCloud

Quote AuralSerenity:

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What the hell!

So many lovely replies and not a single one spoke about my second favorite in the list. If there is any doubt then clear it as Global Communication - 76:14 is an impeccably beautiful piece of art. There simply isnt any comparison to this album. It took almost a century for me to decide not to put it on the first place. And nothing else but only Substrata comes to that league. Even after making the list I wasnt sure if I did the right thing for 76:14.

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Great album, but the track 8.07 is a a complete cover of the track Love On A Real Train by Tangerine Dream...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KuNH3C36QE

Quote vinyl_junkie:

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Great album, but the track 8.07 is a a complete cover of the track Love On A Real Train by Tangerine Dream...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KuNH3C36QE

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Nope that's wrong info. The track that you should have mentioned was not 8:07

That's the track 5:23 the 8th track on the album that youre reffering to dear. It was also a soundtrack for one of the GTA game.
And moreover it never was accurately ripped, one can say there are lot of similarities in two. I've been following Global Communication since my kidhood so I followed there history, even how they figured most of those tracks.



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SoundCloud


Edited by AuralSerenity (14/10/10 07:01 PM)

You can also check this link of wiki, go down to the notes in bottom.

I even played both the tracks in cubase and did A/B comparison, I would say yes its similar, but calling it a complete cover would be preposterous in accordance with my ears.

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SoundCloud

Why the hell we cant edit our post? SOS forum is having a serious issue.

*Edit - I wanted to add "I bought that album in August '94 as per my records and it was released in June '94" I followed the ambient cult through such similar and some other that were mere bootlegs when came and later got known to everyone as a mainstream one. Like Rara Avis, who also has a major impact on me.

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Quote AuralSerenity:

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Why the hell we cant edit our post? SOS forum is having a serious issue.

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Sorry about the current lack of editing folks - I reported this earlier on today, and am sure it will be back in action soon.


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

Quote AuralSerenity:

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Quote MarkOne:

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Any of you come across the sonic madness that is Tara Busch?

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Reminds me of Bat for Lashes. Quite erotic in pieces, and that's not mad at all.

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Tara has done remixes for Bats For Lashes


Martin

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YewTreeMagic

That's not surprising Martin, surprising is what I just found out. She has also covered The Cure for "Let's Go to Bed". I would seriously like to listen to that.



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Quote AuralSerenity:

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Like Rara Avis, who also has a major impact on me.

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As I mentioned Rara Avis, I think it cant go without me putting this link. Oh I love this song.





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SoundCloud

Tycho.

Yes, the Global Communication album is very good, but there are other albums that I prefer to listen to. I find myself reaching for FSOL more than any other artist.

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http://soundcloud.com/richie-royale
http://www.mixcrate.com/richieroyale