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Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Jeff on 23 Jan 2007, 12:58

Title: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Jeff on 23 Jan 2007, 12:58: Well, I figured since today's comic contained a joke about minimal electronica, which I partake of frequently, I would post you guys some recommendations should you want to look into this awesome genre of music. In fact, I registered just to post this for you all. I might stick around, though ;)

If you are getting into the cool world of "two brass loops and ping-pong percussion," then you should definitely check out the following albums:
Coil - Musick to Play in the Dark, Volume 1
Biosphere - Substrata
Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes
Burzum - Hli?skj?lf
Svarte Greiner - Knive
Rei Harakami - Lust

And if you are feeling really adventurous, try out some of Sunn O)))'s music; it is amazing.

I'm always in the mood for new electronica, so if anyone has anything cool to recommend, I'm all ears...or you could just post what you think about minimal, ambient, or drone.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Jackie Blue on 23 Jan 2007, 13:36: I'd consider anything mostly-ambient to fall under the umbrella of "minimal electronica" so with that in mind:

Amp
A.M.P. Studio
Windy & Carl (sorta)
Pan American
Labradford
Per Aspera Ad Astra
Miss Kittin (minimal but not ambient)
many early Legendary Pink Dots songs, basically any album pre-From Here You'll Watch the World Go By (though I actually like their later, more psychedelic work much more)
Fence Kitchen
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: elcapitan on 23 Jan 2007, 16:38: I'm just going to weigh in here and say that I listened to Ricardo Villalobos before all the cool kids did.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 23 Jan 2007, 18:20: Um, minimal = techno for most people, IME. Techno became uncool, then there was some stuff that was cool again that people were calling "minimal techno" and then that rolled around to just being "minimal".

I don't know if this is a good measure, but I just had a look at Last.fm's results for the tag "minimal" (http://www.last.fm/tag/minimal) and at the time of writing this only one artist listed on the front page is not dance music (Alva Noto, who is still very beat based) and elcapitan's Ricardo Villalobos is number one by a mile.

Actually, dunno how the fuck Nathan Fake fits in to any of this, but his one good track, Dynamo, is techno...

So basically, however much I like a taste of Labradford, Coil, and Biosphere, if someone said they liked "minimal electronica" I would want to have a decent length conversation about their listening habits before recommending any of those artists.

Bla bla. Should go read that comic... Edit: and it's all about ... yes, techno.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Misereatur on 23 Jan 2007, 19:38: Two Lone Swordsmen are really good minimal electronica. I recommend Stay Down, great album to start from.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 23 Jan 2007, 20:28: Quote from: zerodrone on 23 Jan 2007, 13:36
Labradford

minimal electronica? really? i've only heard 'Mi Media Naranja' but that one at least doesn't seem to fit the bill. unless i'm missing something....
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Jackie Blue on 24 Jan 2007, 02:42: Quote from: TheFuriousWombat on 23 Jan 2007, 20:28
minimal electronica? really? i've only heard 'Mi Media Naranja' but that one at least doesn't seem to fit the bill. unless i'm missing something....

I was referring more to their first album. Also not realizing that what people meant by "minimal electronica" was actually "repetitive techno". When I think of the words "minimal" and "electronica" I think of stuff like A.M.P. Studio, which is very close in tone to Labradford's Prazision LP.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 24 Jan 2007, 03:55: Ack, just re-read this and saw it was Jeff's first post ever! Sorry to rain on your parade, if more people post about any flavour of electronic stuff on here I know I'll be happy. :)
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 24 Jan 2007, 03:56: explain yourself! i've read your post about a dozen times and i can't figure it out....

edit:
on topic, i suggest Isol?e (http://www.isolee.de/)
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: elcapitan on 24 Jan 2007, 05:46: Actually, I will get off my high horse long enough to pass on a recommendation.

Alex Under's album Dispositivos De Mi Granja is great fun. It's techno, not minimalist in any serious sense of the word, but certainly... stripped down. I dig it.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: jcknbl on 24 Jan 2007, 07:08: Theres a fairly good chance not a single minimal techno artist has been mentioned on this thread so far.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 24 Jan 2007, 07:11: well that's good, b/c jeff asked for minimal electronica so any recomendations of minimal techno would be out of place methinks.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: jcknbl on 24 Jan 2007, 10:07: Well, minimal electronica isn't a real genre- and he referenced the cartoon, thus my point. Its not a big deal, just saying.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Caspian on 24 Jan 2007, 10:12: Quote from: Jeff on 23 Jan 2007, 12:58
Well, I figured since today's comic contained a joke about minimal electronica, which I partake of frequently, I would post you guys some recommendations should you want to look into this awesome genre of music. In fact, I registered just to post this for you all. I might stick around, though ;)

If you are getting into the cool world of "two brass loops and ping-pong percussion," then you should definitely check out the following albums:
Coil - Musick to Play in the Dark, Volume 1
Biosphere - Substrata
Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes
Burzum - Hli?skj?lf
Svarte Greiner - Knive
Rei Harakami - Lust

And if you are feeling really adventurous, try out some of Sunn O)))'s music; it is amazing.

I'm always in the mood for new electronica, so if anyone has anything cool to recommend, I'm all ears...or you could just post what you think about minimal, ambient, or drone.

I second the Sunn O))) recommendation. I am loving them the more and more I hear their music.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Shiney_Gothique on 24 Jan 2007, 11:37: God forbid we should ever give the poor kid minimal electronica if he asks for minimal electronica.

"THIS THREAD: Once again prooving that no one ever gets what they want."
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Scytale on 24 Jan 2007, 11:59: Quote from: Jeff on 23 Jan 2007, 12:58

Burzum - Hli?skj?lf

Hildskjalf is pretty good, I love the version of The Crying Orc on that, nice tribute to the first Burzum album, it's sort of Varg going full circle. The midi version of Jesu Dod on Daudi Baulders is pretty good too, even if it is midi.

My favorite of the electronic Burzum tracks has to be Rundgang... off of Filosofem , absolute master peice of minalism puts you into a really nice headspace.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Ben yayayayayayayay on 24 Jan 2007, 12:34: I was listening to Isolee in school today and I must say:

1. It was really cold so I was curled up and shaking
2. Isolee was making me bob my head and tap my feet

So basically my vice principal thinks I'm weaning myself off crack now
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: elcapitan on 24 Jan 2007, 17:51: Quote from: jcknbl on 24 Jan 2007, 10:07
Well, minimal electronica isn't a real genre- and he referenced the cartoon, thus my point. Its not a big deal, just saying.

Thanks for sharing, cowboy. Now run along and play in traffic.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 24 Jan 2007, 18:30: Quote from: TheFuriousWombat on 24 Jan 2007, 03:56
explain yourself! i've read your post about a dozen times and i can't figure it out....
Me?
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: KharBevNor on 24 Jan 2007, 18:45: Quote from: Scytale on 24 Jan 2007, 11:59
My favorite of the electronic Burzum tracks has to be Rundgang... off of Filosofem , absolute master peice of minalism puts you into a really nice headspace.

I've got a few bits and pieces lying around by some bands that basically try and rip-off that Burzum sound, like Miners of Moria, and it just ain't the same. I know, I've been trying to do it for three years. Say what you like, that man has got something.

In that vein, early Mortiis material may suit. Before he became all dancy.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: valley_parade on 24 Jan 2007, 19:23: Sunn aren't really electronic, but as proved today, can definitely blow out the speaker in a friend's car.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: carrotosaurus on 24 Jan 2007, 19:58: Does anyone listen to Vladislav Delay? Wonderful minimalism.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 24 Jan 2007, 20:18: I like Vladislav Delay a lot, but (big heresy in certain circles) actually prefer his house stuff as Luomo. It's an incredible balance between the completely icy, modernist fuck you of his production style and the slinky, sexual content of house. Just think that kind of contrast makes for more interesting listening.

Of the Vladislav Delay ambient things, I think his first is still the best, 'Ele', which was on a little New Zealand label called Sigma Editions. Two of those three tracks are on the easier-to-find 'Entain' on Mille Plateaux. I kinda wish I was googling this stuff. ;)

Also, check out the song by The Dolls on this page (http://www.musicbythedolls.com/download.html). The Dolls are Vladislav Delay on beats and shtuff, his wife (the chick from Laub, AGF or whatever) and Craig Armstrong (a pianist who I knew from stuff like Massive Attack's 'Heat Miser'). Basically Vladislav Delay doing torch-songs. I kinda like it, but have felt no urge to go out and buy the album.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Jeff on 24 Jan 2007, 20:23: Quote from: Shiney_Gothique on 24 Jan 2007, 11:37
God forbid we should ever give the poor kid minimal electronica if he asks for minimal electronica.

"THIS THREAD: Once again prooving that no one ever gets what they want."
Well, I have tons of this stuff already. It would be nice if I found something new that I liked from this topic, but I really made it to discuss minimal music instead of seek recommendations for myself.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: carrotosaurus on 24 Jan 2007, 20:29: Thanks fish across face. I have Entain and I have Demo(n) Tracks. Both are excellent. I'm going to search around for Ele and others. I didn't even know about Luomo to be honest. It sounds pretty awesome though.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 24 Jan 2007, 21:05: The Luomo stuff has lots of vox, if that's a concern. The album I recommend is the first, 'Vocalcity', after that it gets too sugary for me. From memory he's recorded as Vladislav Delay, Sistol, Conoco (great, great 12" on the same label as Ele), Luomo, and Uusitalo. Maybe check the spelling on that last one. Plus there's The Dolls above and a collaboration between the vocalist from The Dolls (they're an item, I think) and him called, I think, AGFDelay?

More things I love dearly that I guess I could call "minimal electronica" or something:

Thomas Fehlmann. Excellent shimmery ambient and schaffel techno on Kompakt; great moody downbeat on Plug Research. This guy's been trucking along strong for yeeeeears.

Dettinger. Also released on Kompakt, makes really ... fuck, I hate to write it... organic sounding electronic stuff, some of his 12"s have the craziest mixes going on... off-kilter loops of Cocteau Twins records over the quietest, most un-pounding techno rhythms, and none of it's polished up or professional sounding. Which in his case is a really good thing. His two CDs on Kompakt are phenomenal, particularly the first one, 'Intershop'.

Rhythm & Sound. OK, I actually do find some of their stuff pretty boring, but this duo are one of those outfits who kicked off a whole damn genre of dubby, minimal tech business. Well, maybe subgenre, but a flood of copycats nonetheless. The thing that sets them apart is that they sound bloody grubby and far from being "glitchy" their music is swamped in the hiss of too many old effects boxes chained together, synths set to the wrong presets and so on. Plus the rivers of bass, if I can quote Underworld... The defining stuff was earlier, as Maurizio and Basic Channel, but get Rhythm & Sound's self-titled album. Or if you like reggae, maybe go for 'With The Artists', where they've collaborated with a whole lot of reggae vocalists.

Porter Ricks. Fucking Arctic drone producer Thomas Koener and another guy :wink: try their hand at the kind of dub techno I was mentioning above. 'Biokinetics', their debut is on the legendary Chain Reaction label and is amazing.. techno heard from out of the club, down some alley, plus everyone's underwater and about to die from the cold. Somewhere deep in the mix come some pretty angry burrowing noises, which are more obvious on their second album. If you like industrial stuff but can also stomach really repetitive and, well, minimal material, maybe try this out. I was really pleased to see Koener do this stuff live on a huge PA. It was incredibly visceral and thought-destroying in a way I just hadn't imagined techno could be before then.

Whoa, these descriptions are getting longer and more unwieldy. I'll stop here. One of the things I generally like about electronic stuff is it's more about picking up a great single here and there rather than pissing about with epic length albums, so trying to think of albums is a bit tricky.

Oh yeah, since that comic was about Villalobos, if people haven't heard his track Dexter then you're really, really missing out. It's like all the melancholy synth goodness of pre-95 Autechre roped into this super subdued techno rhythm that somehow is actually fun to dance to in a tent at 8am when it's raining outside and you're wondering what you're doing at this shit festival. . . I imagine. :oops:

Someone told me he's been playing dubstep tracks in his DJ sets, which is ... confusing.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 25 Jan 2007, 00:08: Quote from: fish across face on 24 Jan 2007, 18:30
Quote from: TheFuriousWombat on 24 Jan 2007, 03:56
explain yourself! i've read your post about a dozen times and i can't figure it out....
Me?

yes. "Ack, just re-read this and saw it was Jeff's first post ever! Sorry to rain on your parade"
sorry, i just had no idea (and i still don't) what that means...
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 25 Jan 2007, 04:54: My first post in this thread was saying (in a way more mellow way) that the suggestions so far were way off track and that people didn't understand what "minimal electronica" usually means.

So my second post was after I re-read the thread. I'd missed that this thread was the original poster's first post ever, and thought maybe my post was a bit too critical ("Sorry to rain on your parade" = "Sorry to fuck up your first thread"). As it happens, this is the internet, so no one reads other people's posts anyway, and my post probably wasn't nearly so "fuck you" as I imagined it.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 25 Jan 2007, 07:28: haha, i read the other post but i didn't make the connection. it's hard to gauge tone on the intertubes anyway.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Caspian on 25 Jan 2007, 07:48: Oh yeah, why hasn't anyone recommended Tribes of Neurot? Their new CD (Meridian) is pretty freaking awesome.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 25 Jan 2007, 07:59: Quote from: tommydski on 25 Jan 2007, 07:34
Anyone remotely interested in ambient should check out Chris Herbert.

Go here (http://www.brainwashed.com/common/htdocs/discog/krank101.html) and you can download three full tracks for free!
Wow! No excuses! Check it out!
They're very short and end very abruptly if they're full tracks. :)

Either way, this is top notch stuff. This is your friend you mentioned in that thread where the OP was asking for fast, aggressive, breaks-driven music, right? I like it a lot. Like a contemporary take on the beautiful murk of Eno's 'Ambient 4: On Land'. There's a lot of fairly similar sounding music around, but these 3 snippets all sound fantastic.

Edit: Judging from the SoundOut image at the bottom of this page (http://www.chrisherbert.net/mp3/) he uses Audiomulch, which is a great bit of software. Not that that's any more sensible that praising someone for their use of guitar, I suppose...
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 25 Jan 2007, 08:03: waitwaitwaitwaitwait....why has no one mentioned aphex twin's selected ambient works??? 'volume 2' is supoib!
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 26 Jan 2007, 07:52: Following Tommydski's recommendation above I went out and bought that Chris Herbert CD 'Mezzotint' yesterday (well, after downloading it and giving it a quick skim-through).

It's excellent. Thoroughly recommended if you like any of the influences he has on his myspace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=17372360), being:

fennesz, william basinski, luc ferrari, cluster, philip jeck, dick raaijmakers, fonal, gas, vladislav delay, rosy parlane, basic channel, arthur russell, the rock band this heat

The album's on the esteemed Kranky label, who've released bands like Labradford, Godspeed You Black Emperor, and Fontanelle as well as some nice electronic stuff (I especially recommend Loscil). I love what they're about, but I don't keep close enough tabs on them, it seems.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Jackie Blue on 26 Jan 2007, 08:09: Kranky sent me a demo of Loscil's album Submers in 2003. I listened to it once and for some reason wrote it off as boring, even though I like minimal stuff like that. I finally gave it another spin a week ago and was surprised at how much I liked it. Very awesome chill-out music, good for falling asleep to.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: fish across face on 26 Jan 2007, 08:30: I think he's got better over time. My favourite is 'First Narrows', which is the one after 'Submers'. He introduced some acoustic instruments in the mix, so it's got a slightly wider range of sounds than the first two.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Kai on 26 Jan 2007, 09:27: I have Mezzotint.

it is awesome.
Title: Re: Minimal Electronica
Post by: Jeff on 26 Jan 2007, 10:43: Quote from: zerodrone on 26 Jan 2007, 08:09
Kranky sent me a demo of Loscil's album Submers in 2003. I listened to it once and for some reason wrote it off as boring, even though I like minimal stuff like that. I finally gave it another spin a week ago and was surprised at how much I liked it. Very awesome chill-out music, good for falling asleep to.

Oh yes, I second any album by Loscil as a minimal electronica recommendation. He is awesome.