mid-90s to early 2000s

[nfotxn]

So I've tried to come up with some tracks and records that have been the most influencial to me in the past. These are songs that have made an indelible impression on me and even caused or been party to a few formative moments.

1. Aphex Twin
   The Richard D. James Album

   RDJ doing his tongue-in-cheek junglist thing before he got all dark and boring. Frenetic stuttering drum programming, bitter sweet string arrangements and quirky synth pads. The breakbeats on Cornish Acid will make your backbone slide even when you're sitting down. Lots of people will recognize songs like "Girl/Boy Song" and "4" as car commercial songs. Which is a shame that so much electronic music was (under)sold that way. Mostly because the composers aren't really "stars" but just hard working nerds who love music too much. Moby tried but compared to Richard D. James, Tom Jenkinson etc. he's downright sociable.

   Everyone needs to own this record. Even if you are a total pop fiend. Because if you can't take away something meaningful or entertaining from this record, well, it really sucks to be you.

2. Underworld
   Second Toughest In The Infants

   I've done a lot of thinking to this record. And house cleaning too! But lots of meditation and deep trancing out wish I was Karl Hyde being all "The water on ______." Helicopter blade synths and rave poetry. Playing this record while DM'ing on Quake totally upped my frag rate back in the day.

3. Boards of Canada
   hi scores

   Ok, so when "Music Has The Right" and "Geogaddi" came out every chronic po-thead, loft owning yuppy and their life partner got on the BoC bandwagon. And righteously so. But I was lucky enough to be exposed to a slightly earlier form and god damn. Another really life changing record. Honestly. I can think of no other music that evokes the same emotions so powerfully. Honestly, the feelings of childhood isolation and sadness that I often feel when I listen to Boards often detours me from putting them on.

   But I'm moody that way.

4. Red Snapper
   Our Aim is to Satisfy

   I guess this band was a template for all the "cinematic" groups (see "Ninjatune") to follow them. Great atmospheres, awesome technical playing and downright rock-outtable. Hard to find in record shops these days too. Avoid the self-titled recent record as it is essentially an unfinished record released to make cash after they broke up. Even though the special addition has a branding clothing tag sewn to the front it's still not as good.

5. Photek
   RISC VS. REWARD

   Now the domain of Anime geeks and fat gothic chicks with kanji tattoos on their ample bottoms there actually was a time when asian chic was cool. That is to say people were doing interesting things with an asian influence. Ni-Ten-Inchi-Ryu (Two Swords Technique) by Photek is a super example of that. It's a bummer the following record "Solaris" sucked so much. But then again Astralwerks seems to ms-managed a lot of their artists, including the venerable Chemical Bro's., in an attempt to market electronic music to more popular audiences in the later 90s until now.

6. MARRS - Pump Up The Volume

   First time I ever heard a breakbeat. Life changed that hot summers day. Just me and a friend's older sister's mix tape. I sat there in awe of the sound. My crazy closet fag conservative step father told me to turn down the nigger music.

   He left the house and I turned it up.

   I also played it on my radio station. That's right, this shoutcast thing I do isn't new. I used to make mix tapes when I was about 12 called "B&B Radio" which stood for "Brodie & Brodie" because I wanted a co-host. But nobody wanted to do something as dumb as sit in front of a tape deck and talk all cool. Well look at me now! HA!

   *cough*

7. Charles Manier - Bang Bang Lover (Dance Mix)

   This is Detroit Techno proper. Shit you can do the robot to and actually look cool. This is of course a new track that's retro styled. But still fucking tight.

8. Figurine
   The Heartfelt

   Angsty PSB-comme-Emo-comme-IDM about long distance relationships and love in the information era. It misses what most electro only feigns: being both austere but also heartfelt.

   The boy/girl shtick is a tad tired however. This is Jimmy Tamborello's prototype (along with Dntel, sorta) for what would later become The Postal Service.

9. Funkstörung
   Appetite for Disctruction

   When Funkstörung does Hip-hop it's like noting else. I feel a comparison is necessary here. This is what El-p was getting at but failed in doing with his harder edged sound. Instead of just running the same old hip-hop louder and with more distortion Funkstörung manages to better effect working with stripped down textures. We're talking square waves and tiny little samples that bounce across the soundscape irregularly. Beats like dialogs in alien morse code. Grammy Winners is still so shit hot.

   Awesome tDR cover artwork too.

10. Console
    Rocket in the Pocket

    "I got my hard disk. I got my hard disk. With all that hard disk trash inside."

    So, like, if my computer was in love with me I think it'd write songs like this too. I dunno, I'm in love with the idea of people being close to computers. Or close to each other through computers in meaningful ways. I've still got a bit of Wired Magazine 90s cyber punk idealism in me somewhere. You know, before geeks got all money-first? Anyhow, It comes out in funny ways here in 2004. This track taps into that in a big way.

Comments

[iahklu.livejournal.com]

Boards of Canada

i've never been a big fan of the BoC full-lengths, but the "in a beautiful place out in the country" ep is one of my favorite polycarbonate discs of electronic music.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, an LP Boards experience is just begging for a box of Kleenex and a good cry about how your Dad never loved you.

Or perhaps I'm projecting?

[notofthisworld.livejournal.com]

I used to make mix tapes when I was about 12 called "B&B Radio" which stood for "Brodie & Brodie" because I wanted a co-host.

Heh. And awwww....

I owe you a phone call, by the way. But my most recent LJ post really explains it anyway.

[soundofwater.livejournal.com]

It is to my everlasting shame that to this day I still do not own the Richard D. James album...

[eskaton666.livejournal.com]

I love many of the artists you listed, but I have a recommendation for you...

the Dillinger Escape Plan did a brief EP entitled "Irony is a Dead Scene" in which they cover Aphex Twin's "Come To Daddy" (from the same-titled EP)...Mike Patton does the vocals on the entire EP (of Faith No More/Mr. Bungle/Fantomas fame....among others)... and it is amazing to hear someone who can actually play Aphex's breakbeats on a live kit...

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a cool track and a neat take on the song. But it doesn't come close to emulating the original. Which really wasn't the point. I mean it's impossible to play those beats. Although they did do a very good job trying!

[goofybearz.livejournal.com]

Well, I have several Aphex Twin albums and a growning collection of Underworld albums. But, I got hooked in the early 90's late 80's with groups like The Shamen, Fortran 5, The Orb, Orbital, 808 State, Future Sound Of London, The KLF, Biosphere, Enigma. You know Trippy Ambient house/techno stuff. All that music and I have never been to a Rave party.

[callingzero.livejournal.com]

I only just found "Rocket In the Pocket" this past year or so. I've been trying to find the 2 CD "Reset the Preset" for what seems like ages, especially for "Dirt On The Wire". I would have liked to catch this guy in San Francisco with the Notwist last month, but I think that was the night a bunch of us (including got all drinky and hungry.

My vote for best Underworld still goes to "Dubnobasswithmyheadman", also the first CD I popped into a real-live CD Walkman. Weee!

We play a lot of Beards of Canada (I'll leave the typo alone) at the office.

[flintlodger.livejournal.com]

i saw notwist at slim's about a month ago... it was refreshing to see a really good band that i hadn't heard of. 'themselves' opened for them. they were cool as far as their instruments went, but singer's voice was a little too whiny for me. notwist, notwist, notwist. i need to see them again.

never much liked "right to children", but that's their only album i've heard. i'll have to check out the earlier stuff.

i'm suprised to see no mention of the early dj shadow, i was almost suspecting it when i read that list... in highschool i had a tape that had a reflective purple label, dj shadow on one side, and i can't remember who on the other. i would play only the shadow side, rewind it, and play it again because i couldn't get enough of it, and the other side sucked. i have no idea where that tape is now, but if i knew the name of it, i would buy it in a second. his newer stuff's way more slow-beat style, but i still listen to it.

Why you bringin' up ole shit?

[abbazabba.livejournal.com]

I so can't believe you mentioned MARRS....I thought I was the only one who remembered that.

[beingmee67.livejournal.com]

Three comments:
a) Underworld. "Dubnobasswithmyheadman"! I wouldn't survive without "Dirty Epic"...
b) The Boards of Canada is probably the most "trippy" group right now. Reminds of one of my favorite movie quotes: "Now it's dark..."!
c) "Pump Up the Volume"? First time I heard this was a number one single in UK! I thought that it was an alien invasion, actually. And I still believe that it was the aliens... (Without this the mainstream would never learn what "house" meant for music...)