20 Electronic Albums From The 90s

I'm pretty ignorant to this genre in general,   I think I've heard just two of these, and I voted for the Aphex Twin.  Alan (ColorofMoney91) recommended it a while back, and it a nice chilling album.  I think I've listened to that Material album as well (after hearing/reading your praises), and it was a doozy too.  But I'll pick Aphex.

Until fairly recently, I pretty much avoided/wrote off music like this, not really appreciating the synthetic buzzes, lack of guitars, robotic beats (in some of the stuff), and generally the static, ambient nature of a lot of it.  But I've expanded my tastes just a little bit over the past year.

Good list!

My vote goes to FSOL. I think Lifeforms is one of the best albums ever recorded. In fact The Orbs ultraworld is not that far behind.

HolyMoly wrote: I'm pretty ignorant to this genre in general,   I think I've heard just two of these, and I voted for the Aphex Twin.  Alan (ColorofMoney91) recommended it a while back, and it a nice chilling album.  I think I've listened to that Material album as well (after hearing/reading your praises), and it was a doozy too.  But I'll pick Aphex. Until fairly recently, I pretty much avoided/wrote off music like this, not really appreciating the synthetic buzzes, lack of guitars, robotic beats (in some of the stuff), and generally the static, ambient nature of a lot of it.  But I've expanded my tastes just a little bit over the past year.

Triceratopsoil wrote: Moon Safari is incredible

Blacksword wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: Must admit that I had a sneaking suspicion that Blacksword would go for Lifeforms  I'm glad you jumped on the bandwagon as well Dean.  Truly a milestone album. I'm not at all surprised to know that Fripp was into these guys. Fripp also done some work with The Orb on the FFWD project. Worth a listen.. Global Communications 76:14 is also superb, and would definitely be in my top 3 electronica albums. Also Pete Namlooks Definitive Ambient Collection Vol 1, is very good. Pete Namlook - Sextant (Live at XS)

Guldbamsen wrote: Blacksword wrote: Guldbamsen wrote: Must admit that I had a sneaking suspicion that Blacksword would go for Lifeforms  I'm glad you jumped on the bandwagon as well Dean.  Truly a milestone album. I'm not at all surprised to know that Fripp was into these guys. Fripp also done some work with The Orb on the FFWD project. Worth a listen.. Global Communications 76:14 is also superb, and would definitely be in my top 3 electronica albums. Also Pete Namlooks Definitive Ambient Collection Vol 1, is very good. Pete Namlook - Sextant (Live at XS) Thanks a lot for that clip. That was beautiful. Agree about Global Communication - that album was actually one of the very first electronica albums I bought I have however seen a fair deal of reviewers writing it off as boring....

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it..

Global Communication did a one off gig at the British Library in London a few years back. They played all of 76:14. It was quite a night, and coincided with a Sci Fi convention at the library. So some of the audience were dressed as Wookies and storm troopers! That place took on a very strange atmosphere that night, I can tell you..

I always considered that KLF release as more of a straight up dance record, though fun nevertheless. I'll go with FSOL's Lifeforms, although I'm actually a bit more partial to Dead Cities.

Edited by jude111 - May 09 2013 at 14:44

jude111 wrote: I'll go with Global Communication's classic. So relaxing and chilled, with great melodies... It's the kind of music I love listening to on long airplane trips... and since I'm not going anywhere far this summer (), it'll have to do... The track "14:31"s the most well-known classic - didn't Air sample this for one of their tracks? - but everything on it is great. I know you limited it to 20 - I'd have added 808 State's Ex:el and Underworld's Dubnobasswithmyheadman, two classics that mixed 'indie' with e music (they're in that 1991 poll about Nirvana, that's why I'm thinking of those lately...). This one's much more recent, but every time I hear something off of Trentemoller's album The Last Resort, I'm blow away...

I probably should and could've listed 25 albums(let's face it, I could very easily do one with double that. The 90s were brilliant in that aspect), but I was fixing to meet up with a friend of mine when I was making the poll, and I just didn't have time for more.... Love that Underworld album too.

Anyways to the saucy bit: you know Trentemøller? I had no idea people outside of Denmark know of him.
I have seen him play numerous of times in a place called Dunkel. A club in Cph that stays open till 11 or 12 the next morning. I remember slushing about in there with Trentemøller lighting things up in the DJ booth. Good times

I only have Moon Safari and Virgin Suicides from them, of which I like the latter more. I just thought people would respond better to this one in a poll(let's face it, PA is the world turned upside-down when it comes to most modern music).

Portishead went on to do better things, I agree as well. Third is far superior imo, and I vividly remember those pre-indie-emo kids(who in fact just were yuppies with hippie philosophies) that instantly took them in, and sorta made Portishead into a 'niche' band, if that makes any sort of sense. It's also around that time, when people(read:music magazines) started calling them trip hop.

Back to electronic, I had a feeling you'd go for Orb. Brilliant album and one of my fave chill out resources. Incidentally Mikedimike, did you catch their collaboration with Gilmour from 10 called Metallic Spheres? Man I love that record!

Early PT? Is early PT. You know I am a sucker for those years, and you have a point about The Orb connection, and call me crazy, but don't you think that Steven(who is widely renown for knowing 90% of the recorded music history) drew a little influence from there?

Gotta admit though, as much as I love the early original versions, I do have quite a thing for the updated version of Up the Downstairs with Gavin on the drums. Still very much like the original, only with drumming.

Edited by Guldbamsen - May 10 2013 at 04:46