[mark_h]

While I like a broad range of music nothing is closer to my heart than Electronic, so I have started this thread in an effort to and compile a one-stop resource of information on Electronica and its sub-genres for fans to exchange their knowledge.

The thread should include any or all of:-

1. Seminal or genre defining albums/EP's.
2. Labels that have pioneered this musical revolution.
3. Artists who have done the same.
4. A brief account of your introduction to the genre.
5. Websites and resources dedicated to the collection or expansion of electronic music.
6. Why you love it so much?

(A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music.)

Please post any track/EP/album/label no matter how obscure or hard to find, part of the joy of collecting music is discovering new things.

I will update this first post to include the list of albums artists and websites.

My introduction to the genre was through my father's copy of Tangerine Dream's Stratosfear (V 2068, Nov. 1976), I was mystified and mesmerized at the same time!

Labels:

Warp Records


The labels second and sixth releases, Nightmares on Wax's - Dextrous WAP 2, 1989, and Aftermath WAP 6 P, 1990, got me hooked on the label and I have collected it avidly ever since.

Strictly Rhythm

Legendary New York Label, I cannot think of one 12" from their catalogue I don't like, first Heard, Lovechild (2) - Sweet Ambience, SR01212, 07 Aug 1990 & Underground Solution Luv Dancin' SR01220, 1990 and fell in love. YouTube - Underground Solution - Luv Dancin'


Junior Boy's Own

Founded - 1990, Founder - Terry Farley, Steven Hall, Location - London, Notable artists, Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Arguably most successful release - Born Slippy.

Plastic City

Plastic City, a German record label located in Mannheim, releases since 1993 various artists and DJs in tech house f.ex. The Timewriter and Terry Lee Brown Junior, Marshall Jefferson, AWeX (f.ex Tom Wax), Steve Poindexter, Kriss Dior aka Bassface Sascha, David Alvarado, Andry Nalin (Nalin & Kane), Alexi Delano und G-Pal.

Between 1995 and 2002 Plastic City was also located in London (Plastic City UK) and New York (Plastic city America).

Sm: )e Communications

Sm: )e Communications was Profile Records’ electronica-oriented subsidiary. The label was shut down shortly before its parent was acquired by Arista Records. The offices it once occupied are now those of Koch Records.
Sm: )e Communications Discography at Discogs

Over to you!

 

[chinesekiwi]

I don't want to spoil the party, but hasn't this alreadly been done?

i.e. Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music | New Home on Techno.org

 

[mark_h]

/\ Thanks, I meant a Head-fi resource thread for others to contribute to?

 

[virometal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_h /img/forum/go_quote.gif Why you love it so much?

These two sexy devils are to blame.

 

[steviebee]

From the 70s -Tonto's Expanding Headband -Zero Time & It's About Time on vinyl. Rereleased on one CD as 'Tonto Rides Again'....'RiverSong' from ZT is flat out amazing. (Tonto = The Original New Timbral Orchestra - Robert Margouleff, Malcolm Cecil and a Moog). Classic.

And that other one from the 60s... White Noise: Electric Storm (think that was the title - don't have time to check my CD). That was fun. The BBC Radiophonics team having a whizz with some compulsive and (for the time) fairly radical explorations. (Though Sun Ra was way farther out on the galaxy round-trip

)

Also from the 70s -does Switched on Bach (CBS) count? Can't remember the artist -Carlos?...er, something? Bach by Moog. Never owned it & only heard a few tracks, but it sure was electronic.

 

[virometal]

I know there are some Modeselektor (I'm one too) fans on head-fi, so heads up for the new album from Moderat - yep, that's Modeselektor and Apparat together again. I wouldn't call it smashing or anything, but there are a couple of good tracks. Seamonkey is my fave so far. It's a real deep churner. For something a little more 'selektor, the opener True Error would be right at home on Hello Mom!.

 

[httran]

I would say Kranky is also a pretty important label. They focus mainly on ambient electronica like Tim Hecker and Stars of the Lid.

 

[milkweg]

A cousin in the UK instroduced me to elctronic music with Tangerine Dream's Rubycon back in '75 but I didn't buy my own electronic album until Kraftwerk's Autobahn was released in '76. Autechre is my favourite electronic music but only their '90s period. Just can't get into the disjointed music they do now as it has no melody or theme to it at all and just sounds like random electronic noise.

 

[EFN]

When it comes to Electronica.....KRAFTWERK is Godsend.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Seminal or genre-defining albums or EP's:

Aphex Twin, Selected Ambient Works, Volume II -- may not be the first truly ambient album (obviously there's at least volume I, lol), but certainly put it (back) on the map.

Kraftwerk, Autobahn -- the first synthpop record, as far as I know. Well, after "Popcorn" by Hot Butter.

 

[mbd2884]

Sponge is the only electronic group from the 70s that kept up with the changes and evolution of electronic music I still listen to.

From Britain I'd have to think Sasha is the guy to blame there.

Paul van Dyke has been around for while to be accredited with the Trance scene in Germany.

Orbital is among my list

Enigma for the New Age/Atmospheric Electronica.

BT, he's called the "Godfather" of trance for a reason. That and Deep Dish would be completely nothing without his earlier works with them.

Hybrid's Wider Angle to be a landmark for progressive trance.

 

[nvkid909]

but as PvD has said himself before, "there is no E in paul van dyk!" (but plenty in the colourful boys & girls he played to in sheffield, UK, late 90's

)

i would say 808 state, possibly even altern8, took an underground sound & gave it a broader audience (albums perspective on a scene). then people like prodigy & orbital took the baton & made it even more mainstream.

leftfield created prog-house with leftism. shouts also to the shamen for skirting around commercial with echoes of acid house & melodic techno (albeit more commercialised - before the now soul destroying existance of manufactured boy / girl bands).

a lot of UK sound came inwards, ie: house is usually seen as american even though we have a few labels, trance from places like holland with AvB tiesto & ferry corsten (also PvD from germany, above), techno is like a detroit / berlin thing sometimes via london, though there is harder stuff than minimal obviously.

AFX, BOC, AE & other similar sounds are always here & always underground as they're not a sound for sharon & tracies at the disco (which is still a lot of folk in the uk), they don't pimp themselves, but sometimes it's a shame as your local chav hardcore head would probably like aphex, everyone would like boards, etc etc etc

being into trance & techno i always went to REACT, they seemed to be better than the generic trancemaster 'filler' tracks.

ah man i forgot to mention the progressive breaks of hybrid, way out west, starecase, general midi etc... most of which woud be in the boxes of DJs listed above.

 

[bong]

I'm old skool:

Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
Yeah yeah, Autobahn usually gets the most credit as it put Kraftwerk and electronic music in the limelight, and the band considers it their debut (not counting KW1, KW2, and Ralf & Florian), but Trans Europe Express is perfection from start to finish.

David Bowie - Low
Bowie and Eno... nuff said.

The Human League - Dare!
Arguably the first successful melding of full electronic instrumentation and pop, and the first international superstars of electronic pop.

New Order - Blue Monday
Best selling 12 inch of all time.

Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
Hip hop, house, dance, electro, sampling, breakbeat, all in one influential song.

 

[milkweg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bong /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Human League - Dare! Arguably the first successful melding of full electronic instrumentation and pop, and the first international superstars of electronic pop.

The album Travelogue is much better than Dare even if it was less commercially successful. I consider Simple Minds the first superstars of synthpop. Their albums Sons and Fascination and New Gold Dream are better than anything The Human League ever did. But then maybe Ultravox are. Both Ultravox and Simple Minds were doing synthpop before Human League and both were quite successful in the UK before they were recognized in the U.S.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

No, I'd have to agree with Bong that Dare absolutely defines the genre. (I was going more for a "first" than a "defines the genre" choice with my post.) Violator would be another good choice. Simple Minds and Ultravox weren't pure synthpop, IMHO, so if you're talking genre-defining, aren't such good choices.

But as for pleasant listening, they are both excellent choices. (I love all three bands.)