Electronica - what are you listening to?

[DaveF]

Where would be a good starting point as regards getting into Electronica? I know absolutely nothing about it. I'll admit that it's a genre that doesnt really appeal to me but it cant hurt to at least try.

[cybot]

Cybot,

Just how many electronica albums do you have? How do you mange to get the time to listen to them all?

It's great reading your posts, and seeing the album cover artwork as well. Keep up the great work!!

Adrian

Thank you so much Adrian.You've made my day :-). Don't worry I'm not going to go off on a long one! I have quite a few and it all started innocently enough ,as they all do, when I realised there was life after Tangerine Dream....I used to get the sadly defunct Sounds weekly rag and a few names I never heard of kept cropping up; the likes of Roedelius,Cluster,Tim Story, Popol Vuh etc etc featured regularly in the reviews section. The only trouble was they were impossible to get at the time until I accidently discovered Lotus Records, an enthusiastic one man (Andy G) operation who fulfilled all my needs and dreams in more ways than one! As they say the rest is history and I have to say the scene is far more healthy now than it was when I started out!

[cybot]

Where would be a good starting point as regards getting into Electronica? I know absolutely nothing about it. I'll admit that it's a genre that doesnt really appeal to me but it cant hurt to at least try.

Oh God, now look what you have started!! I tell you what, let me have your address and I'll quickly make up an mp3 sampler disc for you.Give me a few days and I'll see what I can come up with; I know you like Classical music, so I'll concentrate on the Classical ambient genre with a few odd bits thrown in for good measure. Prepare to be very surprised :-)

BTW are you familiar with the old school Electronic stuff from the likes of Klaus Schulze etc?

[cybot]

Having a quick listen to this unusual vinyl album and it's a little gem :-) I got it in the Boomkat Summer Sale and, while I wasn't sure whether to go for it or not, I'm so glad now I did!. The author's voices are beautifully recorded and the music,when present, is minimal piano on Side 1 and Cello on Side 2.




*First release from this exceptional publishing house that's chosen to release its publications pressed to vinyl - the perfect antidote to digital proliferation? Beautiful gatefold vinyl with original artwork by Jordan Crane* A bold countermeasure to the further digitisation of literature, Underwood's very existence heroically disrupts the cultural shift towards digital technologies as represented by the ascendance of the iPod-friendly downloadable audio book and the nascent e-reader market. Established by Nathan Dunne (and named after an American typewriter manufacturer), Underwood is both a publishing house and a record label. The company's goal is to create limited edition realisations of short stories, as read by their authors across 33rpm vinyl. The intention is to publish twice-yearly, featuring two writers each time, and on this inaugural installment the contributors are Clare Wigfall and Toby Litt. Presenting her story, 'Along Birdcage Walk' (an exclusive for this release), Wigfall has previously acknowledged the heavy influence of music on her work (something that seems appropriate given the format here), citing the likes of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and Cat Power as having a major impact on her acclaimed first collection of short stories, 'The Loudest Sound And Nothing', which was published by Faber in 2007 and went on to win the BBC National Short Story Award. B-side author Toby Litt is a prolific novelist (having ten books published since 1996) and contributes 'The Hare', lifted from his 2004 novel Ghost Story. Both readings are splendidly produced, with small pockets of music and sound design punctuating the texts and the presentation of the LP itself is quite beautiful, packaged in Jordan Crane artwork on an aptly book-like gatefold. A very desirable and understandably limited release, this first Underwood edition harks back to an age when the physical presence of books and records was meaningful and important, reminding you that however convenient and revolutionary a phenomenon digital culture is, some things are worth keeping on a shelf.

[fergus]

Where would be a good starting point as regards getting into Electronica? I know absolutely nothing about it. I'll admit that it's a genre that doesnt really appeal to me but it cant hurt to at least try.

Oh God, now look what you have started!! I tell you what, let me have your address and I'll quickly make up an mp3 sampler disc for you.Give me a few days and I'll see what I can come up with; I know you like Classical music, so I'll concentrate on the Classical ambient genre with a few odd bits thrown in for good measure. Prepare to be very surprised :-)

BTW are you familiar with the old school Electronic stuff from the likes of Klaus Schulze etc?

Dave, I visited Dermot's home recently and I was very surprised at the size and the quality of his collection. Dermot played quite a number of very varied albums for me, some of which I did not like that much but many more that have actually made it onto my Wish List. I intend to buy them soon, hopefully. As Dermot says....be prepared to be very surprised!!

[cybot]

Where would be a good starting point as regards getting into Electronica? I know absolutely nothing about it. I'll admit that it's a genre that doesnt really appeal to me but it cant hurt to at least try.

Oh God, now look what you have started!! I tell you what, let me have your address and I'll quickly make up an mp3 sampler disc for you.Give me a few days and I'll see what I can come up with; I know you like Classical music, so I'll concentrate on the Classical ambient genre with a few odd bits thrown in for good measure. Prepare to be very surprised :-)

BTW are you familiar with the old school Electronic stuff from the likes of Klaus Schulze etc?

Dave, I visited Dermot's home recently and I was very surprised at the size and the quality of his collection. Dermot played quite a number of very varied albums for me, some of which I did not like that much but many more that have actually made it onto my Wish List. I intend to buy them soon, hopefully. As Dermot says....be prepared to be very surprised!!

Thanks Fergus. BTW I know which one(s) you didn't like :-) At least you didn't run screaming from the house ha,ha :)

[fergus]

Thanks Fergus. BTW I know which one(s) you didn't like :-) At least you didn't run screaming from the house ha,ha :)

No I certainly did not Dermot....that session was a most informative one I must say!!

[Fran]

Hey Dermot,

would you make another one of those discs for me? Would love to sample some of the stuff I see mentioned here.

Fran

[Diapason]

I sense a forum demo disc in the making............

[Adrian]

would you make another one of those discs for me? Would love to sample some of the stuff I see mentioned here.

Can I be counted in as well...please sir, please....

Adrian