[ajzepp]

I've always loved music. I can remember getting my very first tape recorder/boom box back in the early 80s, and rushing with excitement over to hit "record" every time one of my favorite songs came on the radio. I'm now 41 and I feel like my taste has grown to cover many different genres and artists, and my love of home audio has only served to further expand my horizons.

Something I've come to realize over the last year in particular is that I really seem to enjoy EDM music. The problem is that I know nothing about it hardly. I have found a few favorites, particularly DeadMau5, ATB, Daft Punk, and Massive Attack. And truth be told, I don't even really know if all of these artists fall under the heading of EDM, or if they're considered "DubStep" (whatever that is!) or something else. All I know is that I consider it to be club-type music and it always has an emotional impact on me.

I know that we tend to have a more mature membership here at AC, but there must be some of you out there who love this stuff...if so, I'd really appreciate some suggestions of tracks, albums, and artists that you think I should listen to. The most recent addition to my library has been Skrillex, and once again I have really enjoyed it. All feedback is welcome!

[sts9fan]

I guess EDM is an all encompassing category. Massive Attack is prototypical trip hop.
I really like Shpongle, Mark Farina (mushroom jazz). For trip hop you must have Tricky and Portishead.

[low.pfile]

AJZepp,

Finding new music that you enjoy is always cool! EDM has been around for a while and is morphing.
I am no expert by any means, I think EDM- Electronic Dance Music, grew out out techno/electronica, and reaches into many genres.  I feel currently, it sorta of covers the formulaic current electronic instrument based pop music.

It is always difficult to put genre titles on any certain artist, especially when often the artist can change direction on every album. I feel that Massive Attack really wouldn't fall under EDM as the based in Hip/Hop, Dub, and was/is fairly experimental and the tempo seems way too slow to be dancy. Again I am no expert. I listen to a lot of electronica but don't have any EDM favorites to pass along to you.

Deadmau5 is fun live, saw him twice at SF festivals.

You should go over to Beatport.com to explore the vast range of modern electronic music including EDM.

cheers,
ed (47-3/4 yr. old)

[ajzepp]

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback 

[keenween]

Some great suggestions here.

Some others, not all strictly EDM: Martin Solveig, Kaskade, Swedish House Mafia, Benny Benassi, Justice

I love Mark Farina's stuff as well, he falls more into house music.

downtempo: Late Night Alumni, Morcheeba, Portishead, Zero 7
electronica: Underworld, FC Kahuna, Supreme Beings of Leisure, Groove Armada, Goldfrapp, Thievery Corporation, Boards of Canada, Prodigy, Crystal Method, Propellorheads, Teddybears

And this stuff is a bit more popish or rockish: Ivy, Datarock, Fischerspooner

[low.pfile]

I was just turned on to Ellen Allien by a friend via Spotify. I'm listening to the Dust album right now. So I was looking her up and found out there is an independent doc movie on Electronic music from 2009: Speaking in Code. It follows the duo Modeselektor. Allien's music is in it as well and she created a record label which produces techno and IDM (yeah, it's different than EDM! )

This Dust album is on the minimal/sparse side. I like it though.

cheers,
ed

[ajzepp]

Some great suggestions here.

Some others, not all strictly EDM: Martin Solveig, Kaskade, Swedish House Mafia, Benny Benassi, Justice

I love Mark Farina's stuff as well, he falls more into house music.

downtempo: Late Night Alumni, Morcheeba, Portishead, Zero 7
electronica: Underworld, FC Kahuna, Supreme Beings of Leisure, Groove Armada, Goldfrapp, Thievery Corporation, Boards of Canada, Prodigy, Crystal Method, Propellorheads, Teddybears

And this stuff is a bit more popish or rockish: Ivy, Datarock, Fischerspooner

Much appreciated! Adding all these suggestions to my list...can't wait to run through them this weekend.

BTW, I feel TERRIBLE saying this, but the song "Kill Everybody" by Skrillex has become one of my favorite tracks. NOT because of the lyrics...I wish the damn song was called something else...but the track is so damn catchy, I can't get it out of my head. 

[kc8apf]

EDM is quite a broad category.  I trend towards trip hop, electronic rock, and electronica.  Others have mentioned Portishead, The Crystal Method, and The Prodigy.  I'll add The Polish Ambassador, DJ Shadow, and Paul Oakenfold.

[low.pfile]

Much appreciated! Adding all these suggestions to my list...can't wait to run through them this weekend.

BTW, I feel TERRIBLE saying this, but the song "Kill Everybody" by Skrillex has become one of my favorite tracks. NOT because of the lyrics...I wish the damn song was called something else...but the track is so damn catchy, I can't get it out of my head. 

Your post reminds me of a line in a song which says ""Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?".... which is a tribute to a Misfits song with that title.
The Electronica song is by Golden Boy with Miss Kittin from 2002.... catchy because it's sung so sweetly, but TWISTED! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTYJZtnUuF0#t=56

[krikor]

I'll echo what some others have suggested - Thievery Corporation, Crystal Method (saw them both at the first Rothbury Festival - fantastic), Prodigy, Propellerheads (great!), Underworld, Portishead.

I've also found good stuff in the bargain CD bins, often multi-artist collections that have got me into exploring more of certain arists. A few more to add, though the genre net widens as I think about it:
- Future Sound of London
- The Orb
- Orbital
- Stereolab
- Fatboy Slim
- LTJ Bukem
- Josh Wink
- Kevin Saunderson (some Motown electronica!)
- William Orbit

Hell, I'd even throw Bjork into the mix.

I also really like the Jam Band/Electronica crossover stuff (Space Jam or Trip Jam?):
- Particle
- Sound Tribe Sector Nine (YES!)
- Ozric Tentacles (OK, now I'm moving more into prog rock and not so much EDM)

AND FOR SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, I think you must include Art of Noise and (of course) ... Kraftwerk.

[sts9fan]

Moving on from the STS9 stuff:
Disco Biscuits
EOTO
Lotus
Conspirator

[JDUBS]

EDM shows can be fun but you need to be either young and / or a bro (the brostep scene is quite obnoxious) or you'll def feel out of place.

-Jim

[nnck]

Try Pye Corner Audio, Clubroot, Flying Lotus
and one of my favorites from last year, Huerco S.

[emac]

I'll echo what some others have suggested - Thievery Corporation, Crystal Method (saw them both at the first Rothbury Festival - fantastic), Prodigy, Propellerheads (great!), Underworld, Portishead.

I've also found good stuff in the bargain CD bins, often multi-artist collections that have got me into exploring more of certain arists. A few more to add, though the genre net widens as I think about it:
- Future Sound of London
- The Orb
- Orbital
- Stereolab
- Fatboy Slim
- LTJ Bukem
- Josh Wink
- Kevin Saunderson (some Motown electronica!)
- William Orbit

All good recommendations and places to start.  Personally speaking, I'm a huge Orbital fan, though I can't say that I've ever encountered any other artists that sound like them.  Also, it's worth mentioning to avoid the most recent mixes by LTJ Bukem and his label, Good Looking Records.  Pales in comparison to the atmospheric drum n bass that he used to release.  Also, while on the topic of classic drum n bass, I'll add Goldie's Timeless album, which many moons later is still one of the best dnb releases ever.

[Quiet Earth]

Great thread. I'm always looking for new ideas in electronica. It is definitely a growing/expanding genre and it's getting harder to nail down (compartmentalize).

Here are a few electronica oriented CDs that I like :

Cinematic Orchestra -- Motion
DJ Kicks -- Kruder.Dorfmeister
Kruder & Dorfmeister -- the K&D sessions
John Hopkins -- Opalescent
Waveform Transmissions -- Volumes 1,2, and 3
Tosca -- No Hassle
Orbital -- The One AM Radio
Ambient : From Here To a Tranquility......Volumes 1 thru 4 (far out man  )
The Art of Chill, Volume 5 (mixed by Bent)
BT -- If the stars are eternal so are you and I
Darshan Ambient -- From Pale Hands To Weary Skies
Peace Orchestra -- Peace Orchestra
Ruxpin -- Where do we float from here?

[ajzepp]

Wow, this is awesome!! Thanks everyone!

[eclein]

Check out  http://www.ektoplazm.com/  its my favorite place to get free music and you can find every category, sub category. I found it a few years back and I have gotten some incredible stuff there...all FREE!!!!!

[ajzepp]

Thanks, Edwardo 

[sts9fan]

Just put on STS9 "Artifact" in honor of this thread.

[ajzepp]

Just put on STS9 "Artifact" in honor of this thread.

I just played "Tokyo", one of the tracks from the STS9 album "Artifact", in honor of you playing it in honor of this thread