Welcome to the machines, and to the next interactive poll!

This one is, as already announced, about all things electronic but not on PA. What that means, I've got to say, is really up to you. It just should sound mostly electronic, but if you want it can have voice or drums or guitar, samples anyway, as long as this somehow doesn't spoil the overall electronic character. There is also freedom of styles, we can have techno, ambient, avantgarde/experimental, whatever you want.

Rules are as always. You can suggest up to four (and more ) tracks, but ultimately you will have to nominate one that gets into the poll. In the poll vote for your three favourites, excluding your own selection. I hope Lorenzo will tolerate if I make this slower than usual; I intend to leave this open for suggestions a week or so from now and only ask something like next Wednesday for final nominations, so that we can than vote until end of the weekend in 11 days time. This may allow more of us to listen to a good part of the suggestions.

If you want, that is... I hope not too many of you love the natural stuff so much that they have no time and no heart for the synthetic, the machines and the robots. Personally I have to be very careful because there is a pile of things I could nominate. I start with just one, another showcase of one of my favourite artists who hasn't featured in any of these polls yet. Barbara Morgenstern from Berlin gets much of "Fjorden" out of her cheap notorious Farfisa organ, but that's electronic enough for me.

I'm curious what your machines produce.

I can't really explain it, but this one has grabbed me from the very first time I heard it. It's pretty pure techno, and a rather atypical track by one of these long standing progressive bands that don't count as prog with a similar standing and an even bigger discography actually than Einstuerzende Neubauten. I don't have much hope that this will be very popular around here, but anyway, Laibach need to be present in one of these polls.

All four of my entries are considered electronic music.  I wanted to show just how diverse this category can be which is the main reasoning behind why I chose these tracks (besides the fact that I really, really like them).

2.  The Fireman - "Watercolour Guitars"  (extra points if you can say what very well-known musician performs under this alias)

3.  Broadcast - "The Book Lovers"  (Reposted)

4. Kruder & Dorfmeister - "Deep sh*t Pts 1 & 2"

Juana Molina - "Wed 21"

Juana Molina is from Argentina.

Venetian Snares "Hajnal"

Banco de Gaia "Drippy"

Video is coming up as unavailable for me. Doesn't show what the name of the track is.

Oh no, I don't like electronics...  Or do I...?

My take on this, for the moment, and in chronological order:

First, you probably would expect something like this from me by now. And this one has a story (again). Le Corbusier was appointed by the Philips company (them again!) to supervise everything around the Philips pavilion that was to be built for the Universal Exhibition of 1958 in Brussels. He asked Iannis Xenakis (yes, the composer, but he also was an architect) to design the Philips pavilion. Edgar Varèse was to compose a piece that would accompany the images projected on the inner walls of the pavilion. This piece became...

Edgar Varèse - Poème électronique (1958):

(the images from this video were those projected inside the pavilion, with the music "projected" through some 450 loudspeakers...)

Second, yes, I dare to put up some Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Architecture and Morality (1983):

And third, more recent and I hope it is electronic enough: Simon Scott - Honeymoon (2011):

There are quite a few suggestion I already know, which never happened on previous polls. I'll start with the best band I had to reject on PA for Psych/Space Rock. I'm glad I remembered them, they have a brand new album I wasn't aware of

Logan wrote: Egisto Macchi is my favourite artist of those I listed, but I prefer his music as full albums.

Excellent, maginificent work! As is his Città notte album. Didn't think of him and I wouldn't expect it to come up here, but this is wonderful music!

great song, now I'll look into this band some more. 

I think the wrong team evaluated this, maybe progressive electronic. If it was suggested for crossover, I would have said yes. 

Generally great suggestions, the Infected Mushroom one is great, I know and love the next two and wouldn't have had them on my radar for this poll, but it makes sense. Paul McCartney is the Fireman, nice surprise that album. I also have and like some Kruder and Dorfmeister, though not that one.

Yeah, I was concerned that would be the case as as far as I know there is no alternative video of that one on youtube. I go searching for something at some point later. It's called Sympathy for the Devil (Soul to Waste instrumental version; the version is important here because they made quite a number of "Sympathy for the Devil" versions quite different from each other.)

In the meantime here's an out of competition entry, once more making the point that the fact that Can keyboarder Irmin Schmidt, still active at >80 years of age, is not listed here is an oddity without equal. Brilliant progressive electronic music from his Toy Planet collaboration with Bruno Spoerri. (I had Irmin nominated already, so won't nominate him this time, but anyway, his music is worth exploring, and he is a true prog giant who for reasons beyond any comprehension is not listed here.)

I am gonna try and listen to a full length release from them. 

The only appeal that I'd like to make is when listening try to listen to at least one by everyone rather than listening to five suggested by one person before even starting with another.

Logan wrote: * EDIT: Since I did five (even if allowed), to save time for others, I think I will go straight to my nomination and nominate Giorigio Moroder - "(Theme From) Midnight Express" even if it is well known. Egisto Macchi is my favourite artist of those I listed, but I prefer his music as full albums.

Well, you can do what you want, but how on earth is that supposed to help with the number of suggestions?

I did find a Soul to Waste instrumental version 1988 on YouTube that played for me. It probably won't play for you because it didn't come up in your search. To verify, the time on it is 7:52.

 

You're right, I can't see that one, but 7:52 is about right (mine is 7:54).

but tonight I will contribute to the poll by posting two songs by a writer friend of mine and Italian-German musician, whom I had proposed to Progarchives, but which was unfortunately (for Progarchives) rejected.

I pretty much figured you would probably know who The Fireman was.  McCartney obviously has capabilities and has been under-appreciated in his later years, but this proves that he's still a genius.

Okay, since it wasn't used in an interactive poll, I will put Broadcast "The Book Lovers" back up again.  I'm also putting it here in case you missed it on my first post.  This is such a great track that I hate to not put it up.

3. Broadcast - "The Book Lovers"

 

Electronic, but not in PA? Seems unlikely. But I think I may have some tunes that could count as "electronic". For example, the first one:

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-zzvl_w6Fx69fqlnzLTptJgoXuDF4lfm" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-zzvl_w6Fx69fqlnzLTptJgoXuDF4lfm

I do realise that this was a bit of an egoist topic... some people are happy if they find one or two things in their collection and I have the hardest time ever to decide how to restrict myself. Anyway I put up another one, from an 80s album that is pretty unknown but I always loved it for its unapologetic roboticness - and it has even some kind of melodic composition, and some very subtle but rather unrobotic surprises. Actually it's quite deceptive because it may sound a bit like an automatic composition based on somehow mathematically modifying the theme, but actually it has irregularities all over the place if you start looking for them. The whole album is like that, beginning to end. There's nothing like it (although the guy had heard a good dose of Kraftwerk before starting with his own music, as I know from an interview). The work of a genius if you ask me, but maybe difficult to get into for those who treasure human life and its expressions. Serge Blenner - Fracture 2

Hahaha, I love them. I have to get that album. Don't worry, as the opening post says, you decide whether it's electronic. That's the criterion. Problem is, if you think it doesn't fit, chances are it doesn't fit.  

I'm a contructivist actually; god exists for those who believe in him because he is constructed by belief... and it's electronic music (or prog or whatever) by your thinking that it is.

Listening to Cristi's proposals now. In the beginning I thought that's all a bit too smooth and polished for me, however no. 3 and 4 are much better than no. 1 and 2 for me. The Adrian Enescu one is a very original and fresh take on happy-go-lucky music, and Cymatics has exactly the kind of dynamic that I love about rhythmic electronic music.

One major quality of electronic music is often just this otherworldly quality, this "overprecision" which transmits some kind of unstoppability and invincibility - something human beings sometimes want to be but never are.  But something like Cymatics stops and waits for the human who wants to follow, just to go on in unstoppable manner when the listener thinks they have managed to get their hands on it. In some way this is more powerful than heavy metal - you know a heavy metal rocker will slow down and die - the computers may not... but that's just fiction, in reality they die as well, often earlier. But as long as they live, they manage to go on as if it could be forever. 

Actually everybody who like me deals with real computers all the time knows they're only human, too. The vision of this kind of electronic music is just a fantasy, but don't we all want to leave reality for a while?

@Logan: Fair enough. I kind of guessed that that's your thinking. For my taste it takes too much responsibility for other people unnecessarily. I mean it's clear without any apologies or compensating decisions that if you post five tracks there nobody is obliged to listen to all of them, or even any of them. We do it out of curiosity and because we love good electronic music and to discover things... or not. I don't think we do it because we feel we have to. I'll certainly listen to all five and even more if you post more, although I may not have to say something about all of them. (Have heard the first one now - it's super awesome!) But then of course it's my topic and I have suggested it for a reason...

   

Logan wrote: This topic likely will be my last participation in one of these polls.

You will be missed!

And then I might change my mind.

That's good news. (Except it's not exactly news. )

"AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT"

1) Nerolux: Germania 1 (it ends at 7'55'')

2) Nerolux: La leggiadra

3) Nerolux: Yourcenar

And of course this band...

Meat Beat Manifesto "Unavailable Memory"

Dan Deacon "Adriane in Wonderland" 

dr wu23 wrote: This band came to mind for me...always liked them..

Except that the video doesn't show up for me. And since you mention artist nor title, I don't know what to look for (Because of this youtube unreliability it is always better to also mention artist name and title in the text...)...

@Mathman: I was very pleasantly surprised to discover your first Dan Deacon suggestion. Very good! So I am curious to discover more from him; thanks!

Simple Minds -Theme For Great Cities from Sons and Fascination. Will try this one....

I'll nominate DAVESAX ... although I'm not sure that he will like it ... you can't talk "machines" without seeing his rig and all the stuff he builds.

He was just born 50 years too late ... TD would have appreciated him and then some! Instead, we get to!

it's hilarious that you posted in the interactive polls several times and still don't know what we're doing here.

Can you post a listening link to Davesax's music? 

he is on PA? that's cool. 

In any case, this playlist has been much better for me to work to. I just wasn't able to with the sad songs. Enjoying the different electronic sounds posted so far.

I'll have to listen to the full Egisto Macchi album, I really liked that first track

For my second suggestion I choose something live from my favourite Portuguese Electronic band. This line-up was great, they had the 70's Krautrocker, the 80's Synthpopper and the cool EDM guy.

I wanted to add something more experimental to my suggestions... this one is still pretty intuitive and atmospheric music, not so much of the "sound research" category that I'm also tempted to include, but anyway, here is Svarte Greiner - Easy on the Bones from the excellent Knive album.

dr wu23 wrote: Simple Minds -Theme For Great Cities from Sons and Fascination. Will try this one....

Thanks! This one works for me. And it is nice to see some unknown work (to me at least) from a very well known band coming by...

Fair enough Davesax is on PA, however it may well be that many don't know his music. (I think I have listened to one piece once.)

If you suggest something specific, I will let it in.

^ A kind of electronic acapella?

Something else: This is from an outstandingly original album titled Antigravity, a collaborative work by Jac Berrocal, David Fenech and Vincent Epplay, three French musical explorers. Between free jazz, free electronics, free world, they propose something rather unclassifiable:

Jac Berrocal, David Fenech, Vincent Epplay - The Overload:

Yes, I like this very much, but I actually prefer what he issued under his real name. For example, something a bit more percussive:

Erik K Skodvin - Red Box Curves (from the album "Flame"):

 

Just listening to Venetian Snares - Hajnal. Very exciting music, firework of ideas! Before that one, I've got to say that Egisto Macchi is by far the best from Logan, wonderful soundworld, but I don't really get the others, Com Truise, OK, works well for the video. 

TCat has four winners there, hard to say which one I like most really. Juana Molina, interesting and creative, not quite my cup of tea. Meat Beat Manifesto, yes this kind of stuff is what I was waiting for, haha, very well done techno, is techno actually the correct genre for this? As much as I love electronic music, I haven't really paid attention to how this stuff is labelled. Dan Deacon, I don't quite like the overall sound of this but it's undoubtedly original and creative.

Banco de Gaia now, very cool, great musicality and development here. I'm happy to have suggested this theme, some great stuff to explore for me. The last two by Mathman would certainly be podium candidates.

Christian, listen to Nerolux, real name Francesco (Franz) Krauspenhaar, a German-Italian artist. I know him very well, he's a friend of mine. The first track is about history of Deutschland.

Hmm, I hope that still some people are enjoying electronic music. I have heard it all now, but I'll write some more about it later. Some mightily good stuff there. By the way, looking for music by Tom Dissevelt (thanks suitkees) I came across this:

https://moochinaboutltd.bandcamp.com/album/battle-with-the-invisible-monster-visionary-electronic-ambient-avant-garde-space-age-sounds" rel="nofollow - https://moochinaboutltd.bandcamp.com/album/battle-with-the-invisible-monster-visionary-electronic-ambient-avant-garde-space-age-sounds

...which offers 10 hours of pioneer electronic and space music from the 1940s, 50s and 60s for 20 Euro. I think I had about 1-2 hours of this already, but still, very exciting collection and well worth the money.

I'm looking at finishing nominations by end Wednesday, so there's still some good time to listen, give feedback, and take feedback into account when nominating.

Even new contributions are still very welcome!

time to consider our final nominations? 

Thanks to the playlist I have been on an interesting trip through machineland. My take on electronics is probably a bit narrow-minded: I never really found much interest in Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze or even Jean-Michel Jarre - I find them in general too dull. Bands like Cluster, Harmonia or Kraftwerk... have much more of my attention. I try to avoid everything too ambient or too techno or too cheesy (think of late 70s and 80s film synth/sequencer sound tracks or Atari computers...). I'm more into the electronic (electroacoustic) experimentations of the 50s and 60s, or the later and recent experimental, avant-garde endeavours or soundscaping thingies...

That said, even the suggestions put up here that I would normally avoid were not that unpleasant (with one or two exceptions...). So, I will not be commenting on all songs - with my little introduction above you know where my preferences tend to - but give some mentions of those that stood out for me and/or were nice discoveries.

- Barbara Morgenstern: I don't know her work, and with the beginning of this track I was afraid of an overdose of Atari-cheese, but it soon becomes very interesting and quite good!

- Then there's a batch of more techno-oriented tracks; not really my thing but I must say that Hante was pleasantly surprising, to some extent.

- Didn't know Lothar & the Hand People, but both tracks are really great, especially Machines. Indeed, a must have!

- Egisto Macchi: This is just a masterpiece! Indeed, one should listen to the whole album, but I think that once you start listening, you cannot stop...

- Watercolour Guitars from the unknown Fireman. Wouldn't expect this from PMcC but it is very good indeed.

- Juana Molina: This has something very captivating, quite nice.

- Dan Deacon: A very good surprise! I like the different pieces put up here (although his improvisation a bit less). I will definitely explore more of his work.

- Venetian Snares: A very good discovery too. I like both pieces, but especially Hajnal!

- Mildlife: New to me but very good, nice and groovy. Yes I like this very much.

- Irmin Schmidt: The three dots, after I mentioned Krawtwerk here above, are for him!

- Nerolux: Interesting listen and good to have three different pieces up here, but with all the three I remain a bit unsatisfied. Maybe it is because he's staying every time with one (good) musical idea without combining this with some other ideas or more evolution within the piece - I am probably wishing for a bit more complexity...

- Simple Minds: I didn't know this one (I only have their Street Fighting Years album) and I like it very much!

- Sensible Soccers: same remarks as for Mildlife, I like this very much.

- Svarte Greiner: This is what I mean with "soundscaping thingies". It is very atmospheric and it drags you (me at least) in there.

 

 

Bekki Williams - River of Night's Dreaming

 

 

Andy Pickford - Terraformer

 

 

Now, before everybody thinks that I don't like cheese, here are two very accessible songs (because cheese with some bread and red wine makes a feast!). Both of these groups should be on PA, imo, but they aren't. Both from the early 80s.

Chris Evans & David Hanselmann - Salisbury Plain:

(From the album Stonehenge. I actually like both of the albums they did together very much, Stonehenge and Symbols)

And, Dutch glory, but only for a year or so: Tower - X.I.O:

(Here joined with Epilogue, from the album Titan - a really great symphonic rock album! They had two hits taken from this album in the Netherlands, and maybe also in Germany and/or Belgium, but split up soon after. Listen to the entire album https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kFQoerb8pKjL0d2FvgN0bTTLGjOWVUVTQ" rel="nofollow - here )

So, now you know that I also like "normal" music...

Hante “Tomorrow Is A New Day” interesting in dark way

Egisto Macchi “I Futurbili”  Ominous!  Got my attention

Klaus Morlock “Bethany’s Cradle”  Like the delicate creepiness of this one

The Fireman “Watercolour Guitars” Really enjoyed the spaciness of this

Kruder & Dorfmeister “Deep sh*t,”  Like the repetitive, hypnotic vibe of this. 

Venetian Snares “Hajnal”  kinda spacy classical jazz feel to this, then it got annoying

The Protomen “The Stand”  Good prog/rock type stuff, not fond of “speaking” though, where it happens

Simon Scott “Honeymoon,” like the harpy thingies

Irmin Schmidt “Toy Planet,” starts very quietly, sort of a repetitive choral sound, spooky

Anonymous Collective  Stereolab Kinks-ish vox  kinda trippy enjoyable

Banco De Gaia “Last Train to Lhasa”  like the Tibetan-y vocals and repetitive feel again.

Sensible Soccers - Nunca mais me esquece | No Ar | Antena 3  Enjoyed the hypnotic sense of this one with the guitar work, more feeling, less robotic than a lot of these have been.

Svarte Greiner - Easy On The Bones  I find this one very intriguing and spooky as heck! 

Weird Al Always been a fan. 

Some more suggestions, great! (And some feedback.)

The Protomen: Not quite my taste; I tend to like proper electronic more than quite electronic rock music; this is a bit shy doing the electronics actually.

Varese & Le Corbusier: Groundbreaking stuff of course  - no way I cannot be intrigued by this

OMD: A positive surprise this one - I had tried a few times to get into OMD but always failed. This one is very enjoyable, I didn't have it on my radar.

Honeymoon: Another great proposal by suitkees - you will always find what I like! That said, despite the fact that I like the approach and treasure some quite similar stuff, I'd pick the other two of you over this one.

Midlife: This one is super catchy, smooth and relaxing. Not always the kind of stuff that I like but this one convinces me.

1000 Airplanes on the roof: This has some very nice and original ideas but comes over as a bit of a mish-mash lacking musical direction.

Nerolux: Haha, this is how the 1920s and 1930s must have sounded... not. Actually this is very exciting, maybe a bit too nervous.  

 

 

I finished listening to the first page, my favourite from Mike was Broadcast although I was positively surprised to know that McCartney dabbled with that kind of music.

I really liked Venetian Snares, I didn't know I could find something with the Amen break so engaging.

Edgar Varèse's (I almost wrote Froese :P) poem is probably more interesting from the historical and visual point of view than the actual musical piece. Since I alread knew that OMD song, I'll go with Simon Scott from those three.

Bekki Williams “River of Night’s Dreaming,” has more orchestral sound than a lot of these have, with an electronic repetitive underpinning.  Bordering on New Age, but not firmly stuck there, at least to my ear.

XIO “Epilogue”  I did like this one, for it’s progginess.

Well Tempered Synthesizer….I do remember this one, I remember it as “Switched On Bach.”

Two further Nerolux suggestions... interesting project, but I like the first one most.

Simple Minds... similar as OMD, I never really liked them, as they were far too centered on their charismatic singer in my view. Here's an instrumental which I like quite a bit more than how I had them in mind. I'd prefer the OMD one though.

Anonymous Collective - not my cup of tea, particularly due to the in my ears unattractive vocals.

Meat Beat Manifesto - very slick, I like this!

Adriane in Wonderland - This sounds too "thick" for me, I miss some subtlety. (I have proposed a techno track, I know...) "Learning to Relax" by the same artist is quite a bit better in the first three minutes but then when the rhythm and singing starts it's too thick for me again.

Venetian Snares was the first artist I have already bought inspired by this poll. Magnificant Stumble is good, though I like the first one more.

Sensible Soccers - Yes, that's the opposite of "too thick", very nice lean music giving some sense of efficiency and avoidance of waste. Like the 5/4.

Banco de Gaia, Last Train to Lhasa - another artists where I like the first suggestion more, although this is creative and not bad.

"We're all doomed"- indeed we are.

The Overload, a lot of dark atmosphere here, which I often like. The music is great, but as often with electronic music, unfortunately, the vocals are not a winner.

Erik K. Skovdin - for some reason I have explored Svarte Greiner, but never the stuff that Skovdin does under his own name. This is very good, although I don't really see the difference in style - this would without problems fit on any Svarte Greiner album as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, thanks for reminding me that this stuff is around, I will check him out.

Some more things that are not yet on the playlist... haven't commented on anything by Psychedelic Paul yet.

This is good music though a bit too optimistic for my darker tastes. I prefer the Andy Pickford one, which has some interesting soundscapes before the melody comes in.

Awesome J.S. Bach cover version posted by Dr. Wu - not sure whether I'd vote for it but it's very worthwhile as a thing to do.

I bought Evans & Hanselmann's Stonehenge album at the time, being a fan of electronic music, but I've got to say it disappointed me, and here once more the vocals ruin it for me. (It seems to get me you've got to be either a Peter Gabriel or Bjork, or rather do instrumentals... I'm very critical with voices. With some unpredictable exceptions.) Similarly X.I.O... well this is too cheesy for me. suitkees and I apparently can agree on the darker side of things, but when it comes to nice and beautiful music, give me Tangerine Dream over these day and night.

This is starting to drag a little bit. 

Nerolux: Germania 1

You're impatient. Perhaps people like that they have some time to listen to stuff.

I gave a deadline already. Nominations in please by end Wednesday!

ok, Wednesday it is. 

Not available in the US. I did find this which is from a compilation. I like it. Hope it's the same track.

 

Yes, it is the same track.

 

 

Adrian Enescu - In Cerc (In Circles). 

Lewian wrote: I bought Evans & Hanselmann's Stonehenge album at the time, being a fan of electronic music, but I've got to say it disappointed me, and here once more the vocals ruin it for me. (It seems to get me you've got to be either a Peter Gabriel or Bjork, or rather do instrumentals... I'm very critical with voices. With some unpredictable exceptions.) Similarly X.I.O... well this is too cheesy for me. suitkees and I apparently can agree on the darker side of things, but when it comes to nice and beautiful music, give me Tangerine Dream over these day and night.

You see, I have my cheesy side too...

But if you like it darker and more atmospheric, you must know Kreng. If not, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfiCXETRCJLxKf-rQCbuCRg" rel="nofollow - explore his work . It was Erik Skodvin who signed him to the Miasmah label for his first album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxbSEFQiwUI&list=OLAK5uy_m9S67h341SEMGf9MfyGtlf3iMCLB3cZLA" rel="nofollow - L'autopsie phénoménale de Dieu . It combines acoustic instruments, samples, electronics... Nils Frahm contributed to his second album, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAmaHnVnl-M&list=OLAK5uy_nLiQX0GC1qvkVutx9rvEgeQcBKupjC_zo" rel="nofollow - Grimoire . His third album, The Summoner, is as atmospheric but mostly acoustic/classical (a great album too!); this one was issued on the Sonic Pieces label. Miasmah and Sonic Pieces have joined https://www.mi-so-store.com/products" rel="nofollow - their shops now, but be careful: there's a lot of good stuff up there, so your bank account may suffer a little...

BTW, I will nominate Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Architecture and Morality

I think it is the most accessible that I put up here.

BTW2, that Moochin' About compilation is quite impressive...!