I’m looking for suggestions for electronic albums in any sub-genre that you think exemplify dedication to craft and careful consideration of detail in any aspect: production, sound design, composition, etc.
Here are examples of some artists that I think have consistently released music in this vein:
- Daft Punk (on this list particularly due to everyone’s go-to for great production, Random Access Memories)
- Tipper
- Yosi Horikawa
- The Flashbulb
- Shpongle
- Lusine
- Eli & Fur
- KOAN Sound
Boards of Canada - the entire discography
For something fresh I don’t see listed: Vegyn - Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds
Really any albums from:
- Boards of Canada
- Amon Tobin
- Flying Lotus
If I had to recommend one artist, it would definitely be this. I’ve never heard anything like it. Chaotic, lighthearted, masterfully crafted beats and percussions, and a lot of heart. There’s also a little world built around the music with alien creatures and their own languages.
just listened through Neō Wax Bloom which was very enjoyable. I think the more you listen through this album, the more small things you notice…
Yes! Great recommendation. Neō Wax Bloom is an overwhelming 40 minutes, but Iglooghost’s colorful sound palette and sense of melody keeps it intensely listenable. I’m amazed by how he fuses recorded instruments and synthesized soundscapes like it’s nothing.
Great recommendation, never heard anything quite like this! Neō Wax Bloom was a frenetic but joyous adventure!
I mean Aphex Twin probably goes without saying, given the influence on some of the listed artists alone. Can’t go wrong with any album but “…I Care Because You Do” or either of the “Selected Ambient Works” would be good starting points. Could also throw Autechre or Squarepusher in for the same reason too!
If you want something a bit more melodic, I love Stimming’s album “Ludwig.” Lisa Bella Donna’s stuff is also a treat.
And I’ll sneak in another style yet with Helene Vogelsinger! “Contemplation” is a great album.
I’ve listened to Selected Ambient Works and Squarepusher’s Hard Normal Daddy in the past, both great! Have also listened to lots of Lisa Bella Donna. Have somehow never dived deep into Autechre before. Thanks for all the good recommendations!
My pleasure! The other suggestions in the comments are excellent too, you’ll have a ton of music to explore here.
I’m not sure if it technically counts as electronic music, but I really liked Aphex Twin’s Computer Controlled Analogue Instruments.
The effort that went into recording it must have been enormous, and I wish I could have been in the room when the tracks were recorded.
Yes! His “Selected ambient works” are out of this world!
I’ll throw in a few:
- Four Tet (Rounds is generally regarded as amazing, I am a big fan of Sixteen Oceans)
- Caribou (each subsequent album is more intricate than the previous)
- Kuedo
- SBTRKT
- Sepalcure
- Autechre
- Chapelier Fou
- Kid Koala
autechre!
Four Tet’s unpronounceable side-project is great too. Search for: ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ
This EP is a great place to start: ooo ̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮̭̬̫̪̩̦̥̤̣̠҈͈͇͉͍͎͓͔͕͖͙͚͜͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢͢ͅ oʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡( ؞ৢ؞ؙؖ⁽⁾˜ัิีึื์๎้็๋๊⦁0 ̟̞̝̜̙̘̗̖҉̵̴̨̧̢̡̼̻̺̹̳̲̱̰̯̮
It’s a bit more analogue than his normal stuff? But definitely hits the “intricately crafted” mark!
Ha, yeah, I have those and my DAP hates them
Igorrr is great. Boards of Canada. very good. Aphex Twin was my favorite thing for like a year. and very recently i’ve been enamoured by Patricia Taxxon. its queer as fuck furry art, and it makes me cry every time i listen. the texture of her sound is really intricate, it feels tactile to me. lots of super well crafted sound synthesis. i like it alot.
Glad I didn’t have to scroll to see Aphex Twin mentioned. 🙂
Burial - Untrue
I’d highly recommend these - they’re not all strictly electronic but I feel there’s overlap at least:
- Sasha - Scene Delete
- Jon Hopkins - Immunity
- Daniel Avery - Drone Logic
- Bonobo - Black Sands
- BT - This Binary Universe
- Boards of Canada - Tomorrow’s Harvest
- Hugo Kant - Far From Home
- Bicep - Bicep
- Sub Focus - Sub Focus
Bonobo spans genres but he’s probably my favourite artist right now. His Late Night Tales entry (not electronic) was one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.
- Starcadian, any of his albums but especially Radio Galaxy.
He says he “makes ear movies,” and I’d say that’s about the best description. His music is very cinematic but also expansive and diverse. Radio Galaxy in particular reminds me very favorably of Random access Memories in the way that it experiments with different genres a bit more than previous works.
I found Starcadian 8 years ago and I’ve listened to some of his music almost every day since. I keep finding new things.
This thread is solid gold, I have been looking for new electronic artists lately too
A personal favourite, definitely an example of well crafted electronic music (lots of original tracks) would be anything by Takkyu Ishino.
that includes the Denki Groove discography, as well as his solo albums (and live sessions, also great). I recommend all of his stuff.
And as others have suggested, you cant go wrong with Boards of Canada, any album. Even their old tracks, which are very lo-fi, almost like vapourwave
Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK
Studio album by MúmI’ll 2nd this. It’s one of my favorite albums.
Future Sound of London - ISDN
Check out some mixed tapes, this is one of my faves - https://www.mixcloud.com/Hallucin8/thee-o-sunset-on-venus/
I was going to recommend ISDN as well. Also Orblivion by The Orb. Both are desert island albums for me.
Excellent! Though I might go Orbvs Terrarvm.
Nicolas Jaar’s Space Is Only Noise and Olafur Arnalds’ For Now I Am Winter (slightly more neo-classical/acoustic) are two I regularly revisit precisely for how cohesively the tracks fit together. Oh, and anything by Floating Points.
Mind, none of these use 100% electronic/synthesized sounds, so I don’t know if they count.
A couple that comes to mind that I’d recommend anyone to give a listen.
- The Knife - Silent Shout
- RJD2 - Since We Last Spoke
- General Elektrisk - Good City for Dreamers
- Yesterdays New Quintet - Angels Without Edges
Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
Nathan Fake - Drowning in a Sea of Love
The Campfire Headphase!. I find it packed with great stuff that I consider intricately crafted, and full of feeling