Well electronica has taken over the mainstream really. Listen to any Justin Timberlake album. The thing is that electronica goes in so many directions that a lot of these acts just can’t by nature be mainstream. Also, the culture of electronica doesn’t work with mainstream sensibilities. Most electronic music is meant to be mixed by a DJ in a club, and that’s the culture. So stuff that’s not club worthy can’t become a pop hit in the way a rock or pop song can.
KMFDM had radio play in the 90s, as did Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Crystal Method and Orbital.
I’m amazed. Vicious Delicious is the last album I listened to, before I lent my ipod away last week. Great stuff, but I’m (happily) surprised it was #1 on someone’s list.
Personally, I prefer Second Toughest in the Infants above dubnobasswithmyheadman, and would probably be #1 on my list if I had my ipod here to better write one.
Now I need to listen to the new Moby album ducksandruns
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Boards of Canada - Music has the Right to Children
4hero - Parallel Universe
Prodigy - Experience
Inner City- Big Fun
Orbital - Orbital 2
Basement Jaxx - Rooty
Biosphere - Microgravity
KLF - Chill Out
Prodigy - The Fat of the Land
It seems none that I have are or listen to are considered ‘electronic enough.’ For instance, tell if Stereolab applies and I will make a list. Until then, I give a shout out to Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music. It’s not good, but it’s a good way to escape a record contract.
People are mentioning some good stuff. I am glad someone else like ‘Foley Room’ as much as I did.
fusoya I wouldn’t say it is number 1 of all time, but it’s been in heavy rotation lately. I don’t know that the list is really in order.
Portishead - Portishead is definitely deserving of a mention. A top ten list is really an imprecise animal. So many things deserve the list, but you have to pair it down. I have gone back and forth between Portishead and Dummy though. They are both fabulous albums. Lately I am back on liking Portishead better.
Maeglin Definitely. We are looking at places up in your area too. The guy from Tsunami sent me a letter asking if I wanted to bid on producing the New York show of Juno Reactor’s tour in October. I really considered it and then realized it was unrealistic. I’ll definitely try and hit that show though. I regret missing them. When I interviewed Velvet Acid Christ on the same night they played I asked him, “I am missing Juno Reactor to be here, is it worth it?”, without missing a beat he said, “No, have you ever seen them live? They have a great set with a huge African drum section.” (For those who don’t know look up Amampondo) sp?
Infected Mushroom is good live, but unfortunately the only play in New York at the big guido clubs. They’re a little too mainstream to be enjoyable live.
Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to a lot of ‘The Wiggles’ lately. Which would seem like punishment until you realize the alternative is reading the same stupid book about trains for the 5th time in a row.
Lord yes. I did go see them live at Avalon a few years ago. Unfortunately, it was awful. I am not jealous by nature, but it is not easy to kick back and enjoy the music when the Westchester and Lon Gisland douchebags are constantly groping your wife. I have never had more people try to start shit with me in a short period in my entire life.
And despite all that, it would have been worth it had their set not sucked. But it did.
I have all of this to look forward to someday. Gee whiz.
1 Kraftwerk- autobahn
2,3,4 Stereolab- Emperor Tomato Ketchup, mars Audiac Quintet, Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements
5, 6 Air- 10,000 Hz Star, Moon Safari
7 Mike Oldfield- Deep breakfast
8 Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here
dreat, dinner tim
I’m not a big electronic fan, so I’ll nominate only three that I don’t see mentioned yet: Nine Inch NailsPretty Hate Machine Machines of Loving GraceConcentration Depeche ModeViolator
I love Portishead, but I don’t consider them electronic. (Others could say the same about NIN and MLG.)
Does a giant, moon-based “laserbeam” really count?
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what?
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Oh, the other Alan Parsons Project.
Other wise I just want to give a little more love for Kraftwerk and Suicide (Cheree was the song that introduced me to electronica)
I may have seen Todd Rundgren playing piano at a bar last year. Everyone had heard of him… but that was about it. One guy claimed that the mystery person seemed to know all of Rundgren’s songs and another guy walked up to him and claimed he was dead.
