Just starting out. This needs a whole bunch of work....mostly just notes on bands that need exploring. Initially I was just going to look at synthpop, but have since broadened the range to various forms of electronic music, and intend to go way back to bands such as United States of America and Beaver & Krause.... I've now gone back to 1939, to the start of electric guitars......
There is a technical distinction between "electronic music" and music created using electric instruments, and I shall bear that in mind as I explore the use of electricity in music.
Development
Origins of electronic music
Andy Kirk - "Floyd's Guitar Blues" (1939) Electric guitar solo by Floyd Smith, widely regarded as the first significant electric guitar work on record.B.B. King – Singin' The Blues (1956) Debut album of an early and influential electric guitar player who influenced such as Clapton, Beck, and Page. The electric guitar work is clearly not simply amplified guitar, but utilises the electronic nature of the instrument with screeches and wails.
Jean-Jacques Perrey - Prelude au Sommeil (1958) Perrey is mostly known for his recordings with the Moog synthesizer in the late 6os - early 70s. This is his first recording; using the Ondoline, the forerunner of the Moog, he creates dreamy ambient music utilising drone and repetition. Significant in the history of electronic/synth/ambient music.
Raymond Scott Soothing Sounds For Baby (1964) A three volume set of ambient electronic music aimed at lulling babies to sleep. Fairly simplistic, but note-worthy for early use of electronics, and early example of ambient approach to music.
The United States of America – United States of America (1968) Early electronic music
+ White Noise - An Electric Storm (1969) An experimental, exploratory electronic noise/music group comprised of members of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Dr Who) and an American classical musician with an interest in electronics. The album is edgy, psychedelic pop, incomplete, mostly unsuccessful, but totally fascinating, and while commercially unsuccessful has consistently provoked interest.
The Seventies
Popol Vuh - Affenstunde (1970) Electronic ambient music.Can – Future Days (1973) Ambient ideas in Krautrock.
Brian Eno Discreet Music (1975) Ambient music takes form here.
Kraftwerk 1970 to present
Band: electronics, electronic drum (not strictly a synth-pop band, but widely considered the main influence on the genre - they provided the template, the sound, the image, and the instruments)
Hit singles: "Autobahn" (1974) to "The Model" (1981) Top album: Autobahn (1974)
1976 David Bowie – Low
Synthpop (Eighties electronic music)
Synth-pop (written in various ways - synth-pop, synthpop, and techno-pop) was a music movement mainly of the Eighties, though spilling over into the late Seventies and early Nineties, that is identified by the focus on electronic keyboards or synthesisers, and usually electronic drum machines. Music is traditionally created by sound vibrations occasioned by the direct application of the human body - the hands, feet, or breath - on deliberately designed musical instruments. During the Sixties some bands experimented with creating music by other means - by using non-musical instruments or sounds, or using electronically created sounds. By the Seventies these experiments had developed such that bands were looking at new sound structures arising from the use of electronically created sounds. By the time of the Eighties synth-pop bands the experimentations had been done, and the bands were using established electronic instruments, and using already established sounds and structures, such that synth-pop bands were no longer experimental, but mainstream. Synth-pop was the established and conventional music of the Eighties, and even long established mainstream artists and bands utilised some aspects of it in their own music.
The style of music tended toward repetition, and to sonic textures, something that would be explored by traditional guitar based bands and lead to shoe-gazing and dream-pop, though on the whole reflected what else was happening musically - so synth-pop could be mainstream pop, sophisti-pop, indie-pop, or goth rock, but using synthesisers. Some bands drifted in their use of synthesisers so could fall into one or more genres.
The style of music tended toward repetition, and to sonic textures, something that would be explored by traditional guitar based bands and lead to shoe-gazing and dream-pop, though on the whole reflected what else was happening musically - so synth-pop could be mainstream pop, sophisti-pop, indie-pop, or goth rock, but using synthesisers. Some bands drifted in their use of synthesisers so could fall into one or more genres.
Band: 2 keyboards, bass, drums
Hit singles: "Enola Gay" (1980) to "Forever" (1986) Top album: Architecture And Morality (1981)
The Human League 1978 to present
Band: keyboards, drum machine
Hit singles: "Don't You Want Me" (1981) to "Tell Me When" ( 1995) Top album: Dare (1980)
Depeche Mode 1980 to present
Hit singles: "New Life" (1981) to "Precious" (2004) Top album: Violator (1990)
Band: 3 keyboards, drum machine
Pet Shop Boys 1981 to present
Duo: keyboards, drum machine
Hit singles "West End Girls" (1981) to "I'm With Stupid" (2006) Top album: Actually (1987)
New Order 1980 - 1993; Reformed 1998
Band:
Hit singles "Blue Monday" (1983) to "True Faith" (1987)
+ New Order - Power, Corruption And Lies (1983) Not my sort of band - and I think they had the wrong sort of influence on the 80s, but they did have an influence, and were highly, highly regarded for a while (though their standing is fading). This is the album that made them big, and is generally regarded as their most important album.
1985 Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85
1989
808 State – 90 Techno / Acid House Similar to New Order, KLF, The Shamen and The Wolfgang Press. I don't think we need albums from all of these acts to represent Acid House which was a mostly Chicago minor musical trend that was delivered via 12 inch singles at raves and nightclubs rather than listened to in extended form at home. There are, though, some interesting cross-overs. Hmmmm. Mostly boring. Score: 4
Techno (Nineties electronic music)
1990
Depeche Mode – Violator (RS) This is the Mode's big breakthrough album. The best track is "Personal Jesus", but it's quite weak compared to Johnny Cash's cover. Hmmm. Regardless of American heavy metal acts like Marilyn Manson digging the band, this remains Eighties synth-pop at a time when Nirvana and The Stone Roses were emerging. They are a dreary band out of time, but clinging on fiercely. The band, and this album, frequently figure number one on best synth-pop lists.
Aphex Twin 1992 to present
Individual (Richard David James), keyboards Ambient techno
Singles: "Come to Daddy" (1997) and "Windowlicker" (1999)
Top album (debut): Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
1993
William Orbit – Strange Cargo: III (1993) This guy later worked with Beth Orton and Madonna developing the folktronic sound with both of them. And there are elements of that in this otherwise electronica album. Interesting stuff, though mostly quiet background ambient - nothing to grab the attention, and fairly limited ambition wise. OK. Score: 5
1994
Underworld – Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) Underworld was an Eighties synthpop band who split up after two indifferent and unsuccessful albums. Two of the members, Hyde and Smith, teamed up with DJ Darren Emerson in the early Ninties to create fluid dance and techno based music which would incorporate whatever musical ideas took their fancy, with meaningless lyrics they used merely as sound, and which could be swapped from one track to another as just another competent in the finished sound. What they created was something original, though they are best known for two albums, Dubnobass, the debut album of Underworld Mark II, and the better known follow up, Second Toughest. Their later albums are attractive and interesting enough, but not on the same level as Dub and Second.
1995
Leftfield – Leftism (1995) Electronic (house) music, regarded by some as the best house music album, a style of music usually released in single track format. Applauded as being quite varied, incorporating a variety of (related) music styles, such as reggae (dub) and ambient (trance). It's quite patchy, and the music styles it covers are heard better elsewhere. So the Portishead-type trip hop bits are done better by Portishead, etc. The album caught attention at the time, but it's not an enduring album, so is already starting to fade from attention. Score: 4 1/2
1996
Underworld – Second Toughest in the Infants
Everything But the Girl – Walking Wounded Poppy, commercial, approachable trip-hop - the acceptable face of techno. There is a place for stuff like this, but the real music was going on with Portishead and Massive Attack. Score: 4
Faithless - Reverence Electronica house. Well constructed and varied, but fairly minor.
LTJ Bukem – Logical Progression Important in the development of drum n bass. Repeated motifs moving around in an ambient dance style with high speed drum beats (more like clicks). This is music to dance to, or to have on in the background. Not music to sit down and actually listen to - there's little reward.
1997
The Prodigy – Fat of the Land (1997) The launch of big beat. Techno. Score: 5 1/2
The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole (1997) Part of what is termed the Big Beat genre of techno music which was hugely popular in the rave scene of the 90s. The Prodigy, FatBoy Slim, and The Orb, were part of the same scene. Seen by some electronica critics as too simplistic, bombastic, and repetitive, it was nevertheless highly popular, and spread beyond the hip-trance scene into the real world. I'm not convinced that we need to have examples from both The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, given the obvious and simplistic nature of the music, and that the two bands sound very similar (FatBoy Slim is more inventive and interesting). The Prodigy's Fat of The Land is enough for this. Score|: 4 1/2
David Holmes – Let’s Get Killed (1997) Jazzy ambient. OK, pleasant enough. Score: 4 1/2
1998
Fatboy Slim - You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby (1998) Amusing and fun, though lacks authenticity and depth. I like it. Score: 6
Air – Moon Safari (1998) Smooth-jazz electronica. A bit limited and boring. The best track is the modest hit single "Sexy Boy".
Madonna – Ray of Light (1998) See William Orbit Strange Cargo: III (1993)
Daft Punk
Moby
Paul Oakenfold
Carl Cox
Deadmau5
The Orb
Orbital
The Avalanches - Since I Left You In the same style as PM Dawn.
Underworld
Mylo – Destroy Rock & Roll Quite likeable and quirky electronic soundscapes, but doesn't advance on what Beaver & Krause were doing, nor is it as interesting or melodiously structured - it's a little simplistic in places, like DJ music.
Ranker - Top Techno bands
Rolling Stone - Top 30 EDM (Electronic Dance Music) Albums
Top Ten - 10 Greatest Electronic Artists
MixMag - 50 Most Influential Dance Music Albums
Q Magazine Top 10 Dance Songs
1. Orbital – Belfast
2. Frankie Knuckles – Baby Wants To Ride
3. Junior Jack – Da Hype
4. Ltj Bukem – Horizons
5. Azzido De Bass – Dooms Delight
6. X-Press 2 – Lazy
7. New Order – Crystals
8. Funk D’void – Diabla
9. Sasha – Xpander
10. Chemical Brothers – Setting Sun
Q Magazine Top 10 Electronica
1. Kraftwerk – The Model
2. Suicide – Cheree
3. William Orbit – Adagio For Strings
4. David Bowie – Warszawa
5. Four Tet – Glue Of The World
6. Moby – Porcelain
7. Brian Eno – Deep Blue Day
8. Cluster – Sowiesoso (So Not So So)
9. Massive Attack – Inertia Creeps
10. Aphex Twin – Window Licker
1143 March 2019
The Naughties
Radiohead Kid A (2000) Contains electronica and ambience.The Avalanches - Since I Left You In the same style as PM Dawn.
Underworld
Mylo – Destroy Rock & Roll Quite likeable and quirky electronic soundscapes, but doesn't advance on what Beaver & Krause were doing, nor is it as interesting or melodiously structured - it's a little simplistic in places, like DJ music.
Best bands and albums
Ranker - Top Techno bands
Rolling Stone - Top 30 EDM (Electronic Dance Music) Albums
Top Ten - 10 Greatest Electronic Artists
MixMag - 50 Most Influential Dance Music Albums
Q Magazine Top 10 Dance Songs
1. Orbital – Belfast
2. Frankie Knuckles – Baby Wants To Ride
3. Junior Jack – Da Hype
4. Ltj Bukem – Horizons
5. Azzido De Bass – Dooms Delight
6. X-Press 2 – Lazy
7. New Order – Crystals
8. Funk D’void – Diabla
9. Sasha – Xpander
10. Chemical Brothers – Setting Sun
Q Magazine Top 10 Electronica
1. Kraftwerk – The Model
2. Suicide – Cheree
3. William Orbit – Adagio For Strings
4. David Bowie – Warszawa
5. Four Tet – Glue Of The World
6. Moby – Porcelain
7. Brian Eno – Deep Blue Day
8. Cluster – Sowiesoso (So Not So So)
9. Massive Attack – Inertia Creeps
10. Aphex Twin – Window Licker
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| Music Styles & Genres |
1143 March 2019
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