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Bob Greece 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Greece
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Points: 1823
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 Topic: Very confused about electronica
Posted: September 05 2006 at 08:00 |
In the 1990's I used to listen to The Orb, Orbital and Banco De Gaia. Recently, I found a radio station that plays instrumental chill out music and I really like it. I have been trying to find out which are the main instrumental chill out bands these days. I have read lots of web pages and found out a bit but I am still pretty confused. I think Leftfield were a good band weren't they?
Can anyone help me out of my confusion and tell me what are the essential instrumental chill out electronica bands that I should try out?
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philippe
Special Collaborator
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Joined: March 14 2004
Location: noosphere
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Posted: September 05 2006 at 08:22 |
Easy question...I don't really like the term but I know what you mean: complex, late night musical excursions with lot of electronic "loops".
With emphasis on abstract eletronic textures new bands as Biosphere, Beneath the Lake, Bequeen...can be for you.
Leftfield just sounds PAINFUL & HORRIBLE for my ears. Go for it only if you like 
Edited by philippe - September 05 2006 at 08:29
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Bob Greece
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 1823
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Posted: September 05 2006 at 10:55 |
I remain confused.
I think I'll just stick with prog.
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Dalezilla
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: July 28 2005
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Points: 5113
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Posted: September 05 2006 at 10:58 |
 Bob Greece wrote:
I remain confused.
I think I'll just stick with prog. |
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superprog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2006
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Points: 1354
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Posted: September 05 2006 at 11:05 |
ahahaha
Leftfiled's Leftism (1995) is one of those classic albums i grew up with and comes highly recommended for anyone wanting to understand 90s electronica.......
Nowadays chillout is really ubiquitous and u can easily find a million and one compilations of the stuff but albums-wise check these out:
Radar - Nothing Is Real (Arabic beats n' chills)
Biosphere - Substrata (not chillout but classic Ambient....gorgeous evocative Arctic soundscapes)
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Jim Garten
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Retired Admin & Razor Guru
Joined: February 02 2004
Location: South England
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Points: 14693
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Posted: September 05 2006 at 12:41 |
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Ooooh - one of my favorite forms of music... There is so much out there, but I love those which in my opinion owe a huge (and very audible) debt to prog rock, complete with swooping synths & soaring guitar solos. When I'm playing chillout sets, these fit in seamlessly with more 'classic' electro chillout like The Orb, Banco De Gaia, Ankh, etc
Right, a few of my current favorites (Some of these albums may be difficult to get hold of, but they're worth the effort):
Carbon Based Life-form "Hydroponic Garden"
Hoopy Frood - "Psychonaut"
Peter Mergener - "Wet Places" or "Instinctive Traveller"
Shpongle - "Are You Shpongled?"
Mirror System (Hillage/Giraudy's chillout side) - "Mirror System"
Jerome Froese (son of Edgar) - "Neptune"
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 Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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MikeEnRegalia
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
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Points: 20534
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Posted: September 05 2006 at 13:22 |
Bob Greece wrote:
In the 1990's I used to listen to The Orb, Orbital and Banco De Gaia. Recently, I found a radio station that plays instrumental chill out music and I really like it. I have been trying to find out which are the main instrumental chill out bands these days. I have read lots of web pages and found out a bit but I am still pretty confused. I think Leftfield were a good band weren't they?
Can anyone help me out of my confusion and tell me what are the essential instrumental chill out electronica bands that I should try out? |
My recommendations: - Shpongle (psychedelic/spacey)
- David Holmes (experimental)
- De-Phazz (cool/stylish)
- Lamb (experimental)
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Bob Greece
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 1823
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 03:10 |
Thanks for your recommendations. Superprog is right when he says that there are millions of chill out compilation albums but few albums by bands. That seems strange coming from a prog viewpoint where it is the other way round.
Looking at the Internet, it seems that the following two albums are pretty seminal:
KLF - Chill Out
Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
Have any of you heard those?
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Angeldust
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 18 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 336
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 03:13 |
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Try Dousk - D.I.Y .This guy is Greek and one of the best producers in chill-out electronica that i've ever heard.This album is his debut actually..Oh and i love the albums you've mentioned...Especially fsol.
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darksinger
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 29 2006
Location: Durham, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 1091
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 03:20 |
Bob Greece wrote:
In the 1990's I used to listen to The Orb, Orbital and Banco De Gaia. Recently, I found a radio station that plays instrumental chill out music and I really like it. I have been trying to find out which are the main instrumental chill out bands these days. I have read lots of web pages and found out a bit but I am still pretty confused. I think Leftfield were a good band weren't they?
Can anyone help me out of my confusion and tell me what are the essential instrumental chill out electronica bands that I should try out? |
two words:
skinny puppy
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superprog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1354
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 04:00 |
hey KLF's Chill Out and FSOL Lifeforms are ultra seminal 90s ambient man!! if u dun have em pls get them!!!!
maybe we are all talking abt v diff things here when we make recommendations to Bob hahahah.......maybe its the way the term 'chillout' has evolved...i think chillout used to refer to very ambient electronic spacey-age stuff like the Orb, FSOL, KLF etc.
But i think from late 90s onwars it began to take on a more trip-hop beatz kinda connotation esp w the advent of groups like Portishead, Massive Attack etc and today u get stuff like Theivery Corp etc....
this association i believe has stuck ever since, in fact when i hear the word chillout i automatically think of the loungey-beats variety first!
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superprog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2006
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Points: 1354
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 04:19 |
oh yeah, get this comp series Back To Mine, where famous electronica artists pick their 'chillout at home music'. The one feat. DJ Nick Warren (i think it was the first) is absolutely brilliant....it'll def satisfy ur needs!!!
The intersting thing abt electronica is that its actually very 12" singles based, hence the bigger proportion of comps as opposed to albums-proper. Even funnier is that some of these electronica guys like the Orb and FSOL produced lengthy albums which were pretty much prog in nature.........ithe Orb's first album and Lifeforms are seriously sprawling dbl albums. Underworld and Orbital have come up with albums that are quite prog too i.e. longform exploratory tracks..........
Check out Underworld's Secondtoughestintheinfants and Dubnobasswithmyheadman
For Orbital, Insides and Orbital 2(brown album) are also recomended.
whew!!!!!!!!!
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Bob Greece
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 1823
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 04:48 |
Hi Superprog,
Sounds like you're really interested in this genre. Thanks for your help. I have an Underworld live album and I think it's really great. I think that when I say chill out, maybe I mean ambient.
My Internet searches are starting to yield some results. This site looks excellent:
I have also found some polls about essential ambient albums to get:
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crimson magus
Forum Groupie
Joined: August 09 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 65
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 06:40 |
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I don't know if this album offers what you seek but I suggest that you listened to it.
<Ozric Tentacles - The Hidden Step>
That's the first album I 've listened so far from this band and seams like they combine progressive elements, with psychedelic - space rock and beats, techno music. I've heared such songs in many chill - out bars. There is a lot of arabic - asian music there. Give it a go.
Another suggestion if you prefer electronica in rock, is <Radiohead - Kid A , Amnesiac>.
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Bob Greece
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 1823
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 07:59 |
crimson magus wrote:
I don't know if this album offers what you seek but I suggest that you listened to it.
<Ozric Tentacles - The Hidden Step>
That's the first album I 've listened so far from this band and seams like they combine progressive elements, with psychedelic - space rock and beats, techno music. I've heared such songs in many chill - out bars. There is a lot of arabic - asian music there. Give it a go.
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Thanks. Ozric Tentacles are my favourite band and I've got all their albums. I wouldn't call them electronica though - it's psychedelic progressive rock.
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superprog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1354
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 10:38 |
Bob Greece wrote:
"Hi Superprog, Sounds like you're really interested in this genre. Thanks for your help. I have an Underworld live album and I think it's really great. I think that when I say chill out, maybe I mean ambient. "
Yeah heheh between 94-98 I was seriously into electronica, from ambient to house to techno to dnb to trip hop....quite the gamut. Can't really remember buying any rock albums hehehe..........from there i zoomed into the more avant garde and experimental stuff esp reading The Wire......got into krautrock and postrock.....and i end up here with prog and fusion...what a ride!!!! its not over yet, mind you!
Hyperreal is a v good source for ambient music, yea i used to visit it for recommendations on ambient music. I've personally got a v soft spot for 90s ambient, that whole outer space otherworld vibe always gets to me.
An interesting label for ambient music is Fax, run by Pete Namlook and they used to (mad!!!) release an album a week or somethin!!! some of it has not weathered well but its still worth checkin out too.....if not mistaken many albums just had one track that went on for 60plus mins....how prog is that?
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superprog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1354
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 11:16 |
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damn...after typing all this i just dug up a copy of Global Communication's 1994 album to listen after such a long time....still great!!! another recommended one!!!
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Bob Greece
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Greece
Status: Offline
Points: 1823
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 11:22 |
I've just been looking at this list again:
I think it's a great help to someone like me who doesn't know much about ambient.
Superprog - is that your Global Communication album in the top 10?
Edited by Bob Greece - September 06 2006 at 11:25
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Meddler
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 29 2005
Location: Massillon
Status: Offline
Points: 881
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 11:38 |
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gosh links are hard to get to work here.
http://frankklepacki.com/
scroll down to music, click Frank K CDs and listen in the track list. the samplesare about 1 minute.
Home Cookin' is chill out music in the "music" list.
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[IMG]http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/amorfous/astro-1.jpg">
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superprog
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 07 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 1354
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Posted: September 06 2006 at 11:53 |
hey Bob, yep its no 8 in the list.....they call it 76:14 cause thats the total playin time....but i dun see the title on the cover.....just the shape of a ear hehehe
man once you get deep into this field you gonna be checkin out a helluva lot....but its great and it doesnt sound the same......so many wonderful variations.....happy tryin!!!
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Very confused about electronica
