Years go by, and more of the greats of the past move on to either afterlife or nonexistence, leaving us to wonder what the point of it all is. “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” We must announce that sadly, Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk perished today at the age of 73.
6 CommentsTags: Ambient, electronic, electronic music, florian schneider, kraftwerk, synthpop
Five thousand years ago, the present author created a guide to the main acts associated with the classic 70s-style electronic sound. The response was generally quite positive in nature (which the present author humbly appreciates), and several individuals requested a sequel focusing on later acts and developments in Electronic music.
28 CommentsTags: 1990s, 2000's, acid, Ambient, aphex twin, astral projection, atmospheric, Autechre, bass communion, biosphere, boards of canada, carbon based lifeforms, coil, computers, Cosmic, dance, drugs, dub, electronic, electronic music, electronica, film score, futuristic, goa, hallucinogen, house, idm, Industrial, insanity, Israel, keyboards, man with no name, norway, ott, porcupine tree, psybient, psychedelic, psychill, psytrance, science fiction, shpongle, simon posford, Soundtracks, space, steven wilson, surrealism, Sweden, synth, synthesizers, techno, the future sound of london, the infinity project, the orb, trance, UK, underworld, USA, woob, younger brother
After being consigned to almost half a century of burial by time and dust, a long lost critical Tangerine Dream album has finally seen the light of day!
5 CommentsTags: 1970s, 2019, Ambient, christopher franke, edgar froese, electronic, germany, lost album, peter baumann, steven wilson, tangerine dream
Ambient Allah Steve Roach has released his second effort of 2019. Like February’s HelioSphere, this new offering is a collaboration album, however this time he is working strictly in a “Guest Artist and Production Support” role as aid to a primary work by artists Miles Richmond and Peter Grenader.
No CommentsTags: 2019, Ambient, electronic, miles richmond, peter grenader, steve roach, USA
One genre which often attracts the admiration of Metal musicians is Electronica. When musicians from Germany, France and elsewhere began experimenting in the third quarter of the 20th century with various newfound technologies in order to create monumental landscapes of synthetic psychedelia with cosmic scope, the uncanny wave of influence unexpectedly resulted in the arising of everything from the modern club scene to many of your favourite Black Metal bands.
Tags: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, Ambient, ash ra tempel, ashra, brian eno, canada, cinema, classical music, conrad schnitzler, Cosmic, drugs, edgar froese, electronic, electronic music, electronica, film, film score, france, futuristic, germany, greece, jean-michel jarre, keyboards, Klaus Schulze, kraftwerk, krautrock, manuel gottsching, michael hoeing, michael stearns, progressive rock, Romanticism, science fiction, sinoia caves, Soundtracks, space, steve roach, surrealism, synth, synthesizers, synthpop, tangerine dream, terry riley, UK, USA
Following familiar queues in electronic music, 3Force manages to not only achieve the climaxes through well-crafted expectation and adequate use of impact, but also sound articulate: someone using an established, rich language to its full potential as a means of communication. (more…)
34 CommentsTags: 2017, 3force, electronic, fascism, resistance
With the fiftieth anniversary of metal music around the corner, forthcoming years will witness an increase of publications dealing with the history, legacy and defining characteristics of the genre. This could finally resolve the lack of consensus that still exists regarding the definition and origins of heavy metal.
25 CommentsTags: Ambient, article, black sabbath, cream, electronic, Genesis, hard rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal history, heavy rock, metal history, origins of heavy metal, progressive electronic music, progressive rock, proto-metal, psychedelic rock, punk, tangerine dream, the stooges
Article by Lance Viggiano.
2016 has been a dismal year for metal in terms of albums one might want to carry with them for the rest of their aimless and futile material embodiment. Fortunately, other genres are not so bereft of endearing symbolic language. Kretchmer is an electro composer who draws from the “braindance” acid of middle period Aphex Twin and the romantic melodic sensibilities of Kraftwerk. Each track possess an underlying narrative whose structure reveals itself via the gradual buildup of layers to a moderate density. A primary motif is looped or varied upon through the course of a given track. To further fill space, chords occupy the background and often provide a resolve to the melody as it cycles. Par for the course for this music, the drum and synth bass tracks play with the open space in between musical themes and function as harmonic rather than strictly rhythmic components. The emergent polyphonic circuitry pays tribute to classical sensibilities but eschews the theatrical; drawing instead from the grounded drama of the moving body.
35 CommentsTags: detroit techno, electro, electronic, electronica, kretchmer, modern classical, music in the key of major, nottingham, review, techno
Article by Lance Viggiano
Autechre began their lifecycle inspired by Kraftwerk’s robot-pop composed of complex layers of simple motifs transformed into dialogues in which each layer of sound appeared to be communicating with each other, resulting in intricate music that often sounded emotionally distant yet alluring and rewarding. This approach has been refined through later work by removing the individuality of each motif, stripping it of meaning and self-purpose; and instead crafting living wholes out of simplistic cells. With the AE_LIVE release, Autechre present a novel concept that was originally released as a four-part series and since has been expanded to nine separate compositions averaging around an hour each. For the sake of sanity and brevity, this review will focus on the original four performances.
Each performance is procession of distinct tracks whose form and aesthetic are pre-composed. The basic structure and sonic palette unfold in a live setting through improvisation resulting in a collection of compositions which are distinct but unified. The thing-in-itself is inaccessible and can only be approached through a variety of perspectives. Autechre manifest the underlying urge of each track through indeterminate duration, rhythmic and harmonic variance. The compositions contain no narrative arcs which may frustrate the listener however life itself is equally devoid of historical arcs, shapes of time, purpose, and rationality. If we can abstract a theme out of each manifestation it is the inner and outer turmoil of living a human life. The subject-object relationship to this work is different between listeners, therefore the meaning of the art is subject to variety since we do not have access to the inner contents.
1. AE_LIVE_KRAKOW_200914
Man’s primal, aggressive, and marauding nature is the subject of this composition. This experience is the most immediate of the original four and simplest to grasp for those used to musical tour de force. Exuberant synth erupttions are followed by moments of hesitation through cascading bass creating an abstract representation of threat, uncertainty, and sudden response. The rhythms often invoke a steady elevated heartbeat over which sharp patterns clash and dissolve. Autechre explore their early dialectic style in the compositions coda but instead of a conversational tone, invoke a confrontational quality. Elements compete with one another, increasingly at odds and less integrated as the whole piece winds down into an uncertain and exhausted conclusion.
2. AE_LIVE_BRUSSELS_031014
The most dance and groove oriented take is predominantly physical in nature. The focus is on the body and its motion. Autechre push the limits of danceable rhythm which in turn challenges the body to remain in step with the ever-shifting cadence of life.
3. AE_LIVE_UTRECHT_221114
The most sparse and introspective variation. Track transitions are less abrupt while the whole retains more interdependence than the other pieces fitting for a contemplative journey. Autechre sort their mental contents in a relaxed meter. However, the character of the patterns are no less tumultuous and bombastic than the others.
4. AE_LIVE_DUBLIN_191214
External and visceral. Washes of ambience linger in the background giving off an impression of a subject traversing a landscape. This contains the most abrupt and forced transitions. A lack of fluidity is reminiscent of the rush of chaotic and divided sensory imagery washes over listeners who find themselves in unfamiliar places, isolated, without familiarity or a rational center.
AE_LIVE may be purchased from the AE_STORE
24 CommentsTags: 2015, Ambient, Autechre, electronic, experimental, intelligent dance music, live, review
An experienced music listener who is new to black metal asked for a doorway into the genre. This raises the question of how to appreciate black metal, which like most things in life is mostly mental preparation. Without context, black metal seems like any other loud genre, and it becomes harder to distinguish the newer tryhard junk from the original.
The best way to gain context is to walk through the history of the genre from oldest to newest. This approach, common in art, literature and philosophy, allows people to see what developed from what and what the reasoning for that was and therefore, what the reasoning is behind what is here now.
The result of this query was a simple list to urge people to explore this genre further. This list originates in the history of black metal music, but also in influences that can be identified among the bands as immediately relevant. Toward the end it extends more into general conjecture based on what shows up later in highly different form among the black metal works of relevance listed above it.
I. Proto- Metal
II. Interim
III. Black metal
IV. Second Wave
V. Extended Contemporary
For immediate death metal background to black metal:
For heavy metal background to black metal:
For hardcore punk background to all metal:
For electronic music background to underground metal:
For progressive rock background to metal:
For classical background to metal:
Tags: Ambient, Black Metal, classical music, cosmic ambient, death metal, electronic, electronic music, electronica, Hardcore Punk, Heavy Metal, History, metal history, progressive rock, synthpop
