[virometal]

I heard a-lot, A-LOT of sweet electronic music last year. So many enjoyable albums crossed my platter, from the smooth Europop of Client to the Drill n Bass of DJ? Accucrack. Ecstatic sample maven, indie darling Dan Deacon joined along with the tempered microhouse of Panth du Prince. Yes, it twas a good year.

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My subjective, due to switch any moment and usually techno heavy, top five:

1.

The Field – “From Here We Go Sublime” - a very well reviewed album in the usual circles., and I can’t say it better than the paid people. I do like to call it the Polar Express. Insound likened it to “post pop ambient’. Heh I dig. Don’t let the pop fool you though.. It’s a grower in spots and little bro ain’t goin’ wanna steal it. His eyes are on Venetian Snares.

2.

Motor – “Unhuman” – I likes me sum Techno; post industrial techno that is; relentless that is. These two like Front 242 and attack with “20 Volts of Steel” “Night Drive” brought back some finer moments of Sheep on Drugs, and I’m not talking about the Chromatics album…

3.

Younger Brother – “The Last Days of Gravity” –if Shpongle or Hallucinogen fans haven't heard of YB, they might recognize duo half Posford. Yeah, it may not quite reach those heights; quality prog trance still. Maybe a little more exact, mature, but still a millions miles of fun with the drop beat and Eastern touch.. (The preceding LEN “Steal My Sunshine” reference was intentional)

4.

Felix da Housecat.– “Virgo Blacktro and the Movie Disco” – more of a personal pick from me. It felt comfortable right when that signature electrohouse warm synth of "Movie Disco". Luna, his latest vocal collaborator, tints more Glitz than Neon Fever. I like it. She fits the more smoothed out tip. “Pretty girls don’t dance. They just pose to Techno.”

5.

Tujiko Noriko – “Solo” – “you’ll love this,” my friend said. Whatever, he doesn’t know I’m a popster at heart. It took a while, five or more listens. Sounds like Bjork and Deerhoof packed a studio for a glitch session, called Amon Tobin, asked, “hey how do we make this a melody?”

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So I want to hear form the real experts. What were the great electronic albums of last year? Which genre blew up? Who blew your mind? Which Fabric set kicked (I loved Ellen Allien’s set myself). How good was Untrue? Whatever, sum it up. Flip the fader.

 

[MoodySteve]

As much as last year (and the few years preceding it) were pretty mediocre in terms of electronic dance music, I think some of the more meditative, mental and leftfield genres started to show their strength. Electronica continues down its path of hybridization; this year saw a lot of ambient & IDM mixing it up, as well as electronic music with acoustic instrumentation. In addition, innovative musicians are continuing to find ways to create their music in more interactive and dynamic ways; it seems the day of pointing and clicking for days on end on a DAW may be numbered, as well as the days where two turntables and a mixer constitutes a 'live performance'. Here's for a good 2008!

My Top 5 (In No Particular Order)
1. Kettel - Whisper Me Wishes - This young man has the best command of melody in the entire game. He uses the cheesiest instruments, the most canned-sounding percussion and writes unashamedly happy and bright melodies, yet I don't get instantly turned off by his music...rather, it lulls me into his colorful, bright sonic world. This album is Kettel at his finest, sounding like proper shoegazing music re-interpreted by Plaid.

2. Murcof - Cosmos - When one looks up at a huge night sky, cognizant of the sheer magnitude of the sight before him/her, a simultaneous feeling of vastness (collective) and complete insignificance (individual) often arises. This album is devoted to that feeling, and somehow, it manages to accomplish this. This isn't dark ambient, nor a re-issue of Murcof's previous dabblings in minimalist electro-classical...it's a sonic portrait of the universe, zoomed all the way out. This album must be heard in the proper setting and proper mindstate to be experienced properly. I consider the final track, Oort, to be a new milestone in what music can be.

3. Off The Sky - The Geist Cycles - Jason Corder, who has been a champion of the netlabel scene for years, makes interesting so-called 'laptop techno' which hovers somewhere between Basic Channel-era techno and drone ambient. His Off the Sky project is his experimental side, where he ditches the confines of 4.4 and makes completely abstract electronica. The Geist Cycles is his most refined and focused work to date. It has it all - deep kick drums, intelligent rhythms, interesting percussive sounds, unpredictable structure and even real instruments. This CD proves that not only is laptop techno not on the way out, but that it has as much soul and spirit as the best genres, when done properly.

4. Amon Tobin - The Foley Room - Amon Tobin needs no introduction; his sample-mangling beatsmithing has been making us nod our heads and stomp our heels for years. On The Foley Room, Amon switched to 'found sounds' as his source, and crafted this fascinating album out these sounds...after, of course, they'd been given the Tobin Treatment. What results is a very cinematic and visceral audio experience, not as catchy or beefy as his previous works, but still having the trademark Tobin complexity and vibe.

5. Alio Die & Zeit - Raag Drone Theory - Raag Drone Theory is nearly 80 minutes of blissfully introspective ambient music, full of organic sounds and rare lutes, zithers and other obscure instruments. While most 'drone music' is rather easy to tune out, the musical gestures on Raag Drone Theory are interesting and frequent enough to reward a close listen. Listening to this album in the right setting is like having your brain take a long bath. This is music to think to.

Honorable Mention
Jichael Mackson - This enigmatic figure hasn't released an album, but has strung his fans along with a series of widely-spaced 12" singles. His live performances, however, are when he really shines, making completely improvised techno that's hypnotic, chunky, driving and engaging...and best of all, not horrendously repetitive and predictable. He is leading the charge in showing what the next generation of electronic musicians is capable of, and making the veteran jocks look like talentless boobs in the process.

 

[virometal]

Aha! It only took fourteen days, but I finally got a reply. Hopefully more will offer their opinions. I enjoy reading them.

 

[GlendaleViper]

The brainchild of Mouse on Mars, and The Fall. Delicious!

 

[kwitel]

Whattup Viro-heres mine:

Burial's "Untrue"-subtle brilliance; kinda difficult for me at first-took me a little while to get into.

Digitalism "Idealism"-Daft Punk gone industrial.

Kalxon "Myths of the Near Future"-ok, not classic electronica, but experimental and damn good enough to be included in this category. Just some wicked throwback, new-wave rock.

Panda Bear "Person Pitch"-complex and layered, experimental post-pop perfection.

Thomas Fehlmanns' "Honigpumpe"-I think youll really dig this one. Warm ambient techno with a little dubstep thrown-reminiscent of some old Orb.

Doesnt Richie Hatwin have a new mix CD coming out this week??
I wish hed get back to working on the darker, minimal-techno material His Plastikman albums are IMO some of the best electronica ever released.

 

[moriez]

Not a lot of discoveries in 2007. Only 3 that I heard enough to say I like them:

DeepChord presents Echospaco: The Coldest Season
Very interesting spaced out techno-dub.

Lusine - Podgelism
Quality remix album of Lusines´ Serial Hodgepodge.

Substance & Vainqueur - Scion Versions releases
Again techno-dub.



Worth mentioning:

Kettel - Whisper Me Wishes
Melodious electronics and even classical bits.

William Basinski - Shortwavemusic
Dark ambient. Drones?

Funckarma - Refurbished Two
Adventurous thick electronics.

Clark - Ted
Ehm, dont know but nice.

 

[virometal]

Very nice selections.

Thanks for the rec kwitel. I'll put that on the to buy list along with Kettel (didn't know he had a new one out), and Von Sudenfed.

On the electro front, Rother just released another mix album, "We Are Punks 2." I think Pillsbury man would like it.

 

[kwitel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very nice selections. Thanks for the rec kwitel. I'll put that on the to buy list along with Kettel (didn't know he had a new one out), and Von Sudenfed. On the electro front, Rother just released another mix album, "We Are Punks 2." I think Pillsbury man would like it.

Looks like its gonna be released this Friday-will def look into it.
To be honest, not loving Popkiller, although there are some good tracks.
I prefer the IAMX type sound, a little darker with a slight industrial edge to it.
I may have to give it a couple of more listens tho-thanx for the heads up.

 

[arteom]

Motoro Faam - ...And Water Cycles - Really nice musical album, very liquidy.

Plumbline / Roger Eno - Transparencies - Really enjoyed this one, I thought it was quite unique in its melodies, rhythms, and just general sound.

a few that came out last year that i can recommend off the top of my head.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Forgot about this one - Champion et ses G-Strings. Have yet to hear it, but dying to. Champion is simple, lush club grooves and really nothing more, but if anyone here ever got into The New Deal (RIP), this live set should be exciting. The G-Strings are his live band.

 

[virometal]

Ah, sorry kwitel. I hope you didn't drop too much money on it. Forget "We Are Punks 2" then. There's not much industrial about it. It's straight Datapunk electro mixed by Rother. I'm a sucker for that stuff.

So you're talking about "Choice" by Hawtin then? That's some deep green through Amazon. I nominate you to take the bullet and let me know!

 

[kwitel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ah, sorry kwitel. I hope you didn't drop too much money on it. Forget "We Are Punks 2" then. There's not much industrial about it. It's straight Datapunk electro mixed by Rother. I'm a sucker for that stuff. So you're talking about "Choice" by Hawtin then? That's some deep green through Amazon. I nominate you to take the bullet and let me know!

No worries-ill probably give it a try regardless.
Didnt realize Choice was coming out in March...
Hey-have any dark, minimal techno recs for me? ll even try some techy house. Anything with a nasty bassline should do.
This strict dubstep diet ive been on lately is really rasing the bar in the low freqs department.

 

[SR-71Panorama]

Justice Justice
NIN - Year Zero
Nuit Blance - Vive le Fete

So far nothing has hit me quite as hard as The Knife - Silent Shout, but that was 2006. For me, that album raised the bar something fierce.

 

[virometal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwitel /img/forum/go_quote.gif This strict dubstep diet ive been on lately is really rasing the bar in the low freqs department.

I don't know if we're on the same wavelength right now. I'm really not that big of a Dubstep fan. "Untrue" was good, but it's not a genre I buy much of.

Hmmm...well considering you like Klaxons and Digitalism, I'll give you an "Indie Electronic" album that I think is better than both - "The Looks" by MSTRKRFT. There are some fat beats on that album. On their Myspace, click on "Paris" to hear what I mean.

For tech house, I've been diggin "Some Other Country" by Swayzak. I gave the Amazon link because Myspace samples "Dirty Dancing" which isn't as good IMO. I don't know if I would call it dark; not warm though.

 

[kwitel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by virometal /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know if we're on the same wavelength right now. I'm really not that big of a Dubstep fan. "Untrue" was good, but it's not a genre I buy much of

This is not good.
Wer'e going to have to change this.
First off-Burial in my opinion is not a true representation of current Dubstep. Very talented and progressive, but way too experimental and minimal.
My thing is the techy, super dark bassy, two-step variety-essentially good old mid-90's Jungle slowed down.

Go and get Dubstep Allstars Vol.2 by DJ Youngsta NOW-then we can finish this conversation