I'm sorry but even though I grew up listening to electronic music and it was my first real favorite genre for a number of years, I think it like rap, and r&b as I always say, only has about 7% of it that is actually good. I haven't listened to a good decent band falling under the genre for a number of years probably.

I'm tired of the horrible, repetitive, Oonse Oonse Oonse style of electronic music, or the down-tempo crap that never goes anywhere.

I realized what I like, and what it is that I think makes electronic music good, is melody, something that I personally don't see in a lot of electronic music. Bands I like are Hybrid, Trance Atlantic Air Waves, and most video game soundtracks I find are more well constructed than most commercial electronic bands. What are some good songs/bands that actually sound good?, I don't know how to say this without sounding like a dick, haha. Basically stuff that has more substance to it and actually goes somewhere, here's some good example of songs/bands I like so you get an idea:

Water From a Vine Leaf - William Orbit & Beth Orton
Teardrop by Massive Attack
Most stuff by The Crystal Method
Lustral - Everytime
Anything by Trance Atlantic Air Waves Good example
Anything by Delerium
Anything by Hybrid
Afro Celt Sound System All good examples (more along the world genre but it is just so damn good and has enough electronic influences to warrant mentioning, I don't think I've found anything better/similar in a LONG time)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SnackPatrol,

Maybe it's not your taste or style judging by your artists you listed there but have you given stuff like this a try: Air, M83, Boards Of Canada, Amon Tobin, Crystal Castles, LCD Soundsystem, Cut Copy etc.

nah those all sound awesome, thanks a lot i'll check em out, Air is awesome so thats good

Looking at your list there, the most obvious recommendations that spring to mind are The Chemical Brothers (start at Surrender or Dig Your Own Hole) and BT (Movement In Still Life)... though those are so popular it's almost inconceivable you haven't heard them.

Investigate all of these picks: my ever-growing list of electronic essentials

Good to see someone else who enjoys Never Never Land, Filmore. Though I do see it as the least of their three major albums, it's definitely underrated.

quote:

Originally posted by Filmore Mescalito Holmes:
Investigate all of these picks: my ever-growing list of electronic essentials

I listened to Plaid's Double Figure again today, and it was better than I remembered it. I have much better headphones now. I'm going to go on a rampage and revisit a bunch of my old electronica.

quote:

Originally posted by Filmore Mescalito Holmes:
Investigate all of these picks: my ever-growing list of electronic essentials

I didn't know you were a Reverbaphon and Gui Boratto fan.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:

quote:

Originally posted by Filmore Mescalito Holmes:
Investigate all of these picks: my ever-growing list of electronic essentials

I listened to Plaid's Double Figure again today, and it was better than I remembered it. I have much better headphones now. I'm going to go on a rampage and revisit a bunch of my old electronica.

mmm... I really dig Plaid. That track "Rat's Step" from the Tekkon Kinkreet OST is one of my favorites

quote:

Originally posted by Filmore Mescalito Holmes:
Investigate all of these picks: my ever-growing list of electronic essentials

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
I listened to Plaid's Double Figure again today, and it was better than I remembered it. I have much better headphones now. I'm going to go on a rampage and revisit a bunch of my old electronica.

Gawd, I should listen to that album again. Their new stuff is great too, but it's not as inspired as their early work.

quote:

Originally posted by The Twinkie That Wouldn't Die:
Good to see someone else who enjoys Never Never Land, Filmore. Though I do see it as the least of their three major albums, it's definitely underrated.

I loved their first two albums, the first of which is more trip-hop what with DJ Shadow and all (I have a seperate hip/trip-hop list). I hated their new album, though. It seemed like a watered down version of Never Never Land.

quote:

Originally posted by JGlass:
I didn't know you were a Reverbaphon and Gui Boratto fan.

Gui is a newer one I only heard because of Kompakt (I used to be on their MP3 promo site). His album was solid and the remix EPs backed that up.
Reverbaphon and me go way back (not literally). I've been a major fan of the Benbecula label for years, and I tried to do my best to give them some North American exposure. Christ.'s debut album was actually the first record I played after my dad died (him at 53 while I was 23), so that will always have a big place in my heart (and it was only two pounds plus shipping for the double LP vinyl 'til a few months back). I saw Frog Pocket live (he's crazy) and I used to work with Wounded Knee at FOPP when I lived in Edinburgh a few years back. Also a big fan of Ochre, Brian Ellis, and Genaro.

TMT review of Our Heart Beats With Joy which kinda sucks (the review, not the record)
PopMatters review of Here Comes Everyone which is hopefully much better

One of my first reviews was Chromophobia and it pretty much got me started exploring House and electronic music... It's so old but not too shabby..

I could swear I reviewed Here Comes Everyone but I must have either never posted it or never finished writing it.

Having started one of these threads before, I realise that it can be a little daunting when you get loads of suggestions - not enough time to check 'em all out.

However, with regards to electronic music, there's some classic stuff out there. I recommend these (if you haven't heard them already). They are pretty old now, but still hold up quite well. They link to videos for your viewing pleasure -

Aphex Twin

The Orb

Heh, when I saw the words "Aphex Twin" in Duncan's post I knew exactly what he was going to link to.

That video is pure genius. I used to really like the video for "windowlicker" because it came on the disk and was really high quality. It's also quite disturbing, and I accidentally showed it to lots of people when they would come visit and we would get bored. I think I only made it through the video a couple of times without someone asking me to turn it off somewhere in the middle.

I listened to DJ Shadow's Endtroducing again yesterday at work. I started into Shadow with Private Press, and loved it, and I had been disapointed by Endtroducing for not being the same. Yesterday I was able to have a lot more of it click in place. I realized you aren't supposed to dance to it, or drive a fast car, you are supposed to just chill out.

I strongly recommend DJ Food's Kaleidoscope from 2000. It's similar to Endtroducing, but samples more jazz. It's great stuff.

That "Come To Daddy" video is intense. At the end when he comes out of the TV and starts screaming at the old lady. Wow. I can relate to this sort of thing, frankly.

quote:

Originally posted by goathouse's enlarging prostate:I can relate to this sort of thing, frankly.

Should we be concerned about you?!

I love that video too. Someone will send the men in white coats round in due course.

Psychotherapy. The next Health Insurance.

Venetian Snares

Venetian Snares

Venetian Snares

Get Rossz Csillag Allat Szuletett and don't ask questions.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
DJ Shadow's Endtroducing

That's seriously somewhere in my top 20 albums all-time, every track is a stunner even a 46 second (I believe that's the exact number, I can't recall exactly) track like "Why Hip Hop Sucks in '96" kills.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mikey Rocks,

quote:

Originally posted by St. Mike:

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
DJ Shadow's Endtroducing

That's seriously somewhere in my top 20 albums all-time, every track is a stunner even a 46 second (I believe that's the exact number, I can't recall exactly) track like "Why Hip Hop Sucks in '96 kills.

It's still growing on me. In a few years, I just might agree with you completely. Even with it not being one of my favorite albums of all time, I can really respect it a great deal.

I'm serious about DJ Food. I listened to Kaleidoscope again this morning and it was as good as I remembered. It might be insulting to compare it to Endtroducing, but it's amazing in it's own right. Namely, "The Riff" and "The Crow", are two of the best songs in their style.