the best albums from when a band "went electronic"
Loads of bands go this route; release two or three guitar led albums and then end up releasing a synth and electronic based record. it shouldn't be a surprise, seeing as it is a normal progression for musicians to experiment.
the twilight sad are going this way, and with mixed results i think.
i'd say the best of recent times is It's Blitz - what a fucking album.
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I wonder what album most people are going to say...
so much this
especially 'The Door To This House Remains Open'...the prettiest song ever to be grafted onto a hulking breakbeat.
wut?
Their best album but not exactly when they 'went' electronic
Blue Monday was 6 years earlier though I think Closer was the turning point with their use of keyboards
ok sorry, I didn't read your "I'd only read..." post
Thinking 'Decades' specifically rather than the whole album
And 'Isolation' of course
R.E.M. - Up
of montreal
Mogwai - Happy Songs For Happy People
Rock Action surely?
Bis - Return To Central
:D
Ulver - Blood Inside
^^^this is my favourite album of the 00s
I think they 'went' electronic a few albums before that
but Blood Inside is the best. Wars of the Roses comes close but I kind of wish they'd do more crazy mental assaults like that album
Oh, it's not the first electronic album obviously
but the best one from after they "went electronic" - Perdition City was just a (lovely) way of proving to themselves that they could handle electronic music, then they went and realised their ambitions to the full
Another case of me misreading things
AGAIN
kid a & kid b?
not by me
Yey, there it is!
now i just seem like a patsy
but honestly i didn't see your post and mine was intended entirely sincerely even if it is an incredibly obvious choice
Don't worry
it IS the correct answer.
The Fall - Levitate
It's Blitz is a weird one though
in that it's not really THAT electronic at all, just a handful of tracks in the first half.
Anyway, the answer is Low, by David Bowie.
Most questions relating to 'best album....ever'
can be answered with Low by David Bowie
Hefner - dead media
Blur - 13
^^^arguably electronic, inarguably awesome
mmm
it's not really, but then Battle and Caramel do feel like the soul of the album in a way (and certainly account for a chunk of its running time).
fair enough, sounded quite electronic to me
Think Tank
Fits the bill a bit better, and is probably better than 13. If I can say that.
Exactly re: Battle and Caramel
Add the electrified-to-fuck rock stomper Bugman and the studio odyssey 1992 and there's my 4 favourite tracks, the bedrock of the album. William Orbit may have had a huge influence but the tracks were all surely conceived with an electronic sound in mind.
Mellow Song, Trailerpark, Trimm Trabb (all done with loops) and Optigan 1 are also overwhelmingly electronic. The big singles aren't, and actually, they're the songs that feel out of place. I'd have preferred the album if they'd been relegated to an EP.
Primal
Scream
Good Work, Weatherall
Low - Drums and Guns
Does that count? I think so.
Er, and Curve - Cuckoo.
Drums and Guns is probably the best example I can think of
really love that album
it's their best
how could they go back to indulge Alan's worst, most pedestrian urges?
could he not have stayed all fucked up and depressed for a little while longer and cranked out a few more like D&G?
selfish!
C'mon is great as well
'Worst, most pedestrian urges'? Eh?
The Great Destroyer
is the only truly awful Low record. and though 'C'mon' isn't a total abortion of a record like TGD, it's a return to
more MOR territory.
and following on from their most challenging album, it seems all the more tame. I thought Retribution Gospel Choir was the current outlet for Alan's blooze riffs/soul man fantasies? It's alright in the context of that band, but the reason I love Low is that traditionally they couldn't be further from that kind of stuff.
Low don't make truly awful records
Low don't even make average records. And The Great Destroyer is my third favourite album of theirs.
generally, they don't
they've got one of the strongest back catalogues of any band. but 'The Great Destroyer' is awful. it's just empty bombast. it's also horribly mastered. and
'C'mon' is still better than plenty of bands are on top form, but by their standards, it's nothing special.
for the record
Drums and Guns > Things We Lost in the Fire = The Curtain Hits The Cast > Songs for a Dead Pilot > Christmas EP > Murderer EP > Long Division = I Could Live In Hope > Secret Name > Trust >>>>> C'mon >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Great Destroyer
not including 'A Lifetime of Temporary Relief', 'cause it's a compilation. but it is amazing.
ahem
"and..." the version of 'Silver Rider' on TGD is rubbish. And it's the version they always play live.
Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
came in to say ^this
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash In A Digital Urn
Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come.....
not really going electronic, but y'know, they added some beeps and whatnot
animal collective - strawberry jam
of montreal - satanic panic
of montreal - hissing fauna
Strawberry Jam
is the least inspiring of all post Here Comes the Indian AC stuff I'd say. It's great, but still doesn't come close to Feels or MPP.
I'd say it's their best overall.
Here Comes The Indian being the worst.
agreed
but was it that big a jump for them anyway? haven't they always kind of made some sort of freak folktronica?
either way i'm going to go listen to fireworks cause it's probably my favorite track ever.
Strawberry Jam
is the best AC record. period. 'cause it's Dave at his most lyrically inspired...and the music is suitably frayed and manic.
one of my all time favourites, really. nothing sounds better when you're feeling anxious/depressed/mentally unstable (also cold...sounds good in cold weather).
Here Comes The Indian's good
yes!
hell, I even like 'Danse Manatee'. even Pitchfork panned that one!
Its probably my favourite
it's the album that got me into them and it's stayed my favourite ever since.
Animal Collective have always been quite electronic,
there's even a good amount on Spirit They're Gone...
Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
Auto-Tune!!
Shirley his "going electronic" album was Enjoy Your Rabbit?
nah
yeh
Not his best electronic album
as per thread title.
Still a masterpiece BTW.
^ I mean Enjoy Your Rabbit.
Still a good album though.
Age of Adz is the masterpiece.
ADORE!
I am being serious, I love that album, it's a good egg made by a guy with a good egg head
The album that destroyed the pumpkins for me, total shame.
Not 'the best' or anything like that but 'It's Blitz'
Is a nice, very natural progression for the YYY's. This isn't sarcasm, but I like the kind of plastic feel it has. It suits Karen O's voice. And it reminds me of fairground rides.
It's Blitz is more electronic
due to Dave Sitek's production. One often wonders whether it’s the band who change their sound, or whether they just get in the ‘producer du jour’ to change their sound for them. Madonna is a prime example of this.
Oh
Didn't know that.
except that it is 'the best'
u mad dawggie
It's Blitz>Show Yr Bones>Fever to Tell
is the backwards chronology of their discography, yes
chapterhouse - blood music...
another good call
Bloc Party
A Weekend in the City
No way
It's barely electronic at all. It's just much more produced. Listen to Silent Alarm, and that holds more influence from electronic alleys - like you know, more obvious pedal usage
The Notwist
Neon Golden
Came here to post this.
Winner.
and 'shrink'
I wanted to put this down earlier, but I don't know anything about The Notwist's music pre-Neon Golden so wasn't entirely sure if it was their first electronic record.
they pretty much changed on 12 and shrink has got some lovely tracks on it
chemicals' is probably my favourite track after 'consequence
^ another vote for the notwist
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi?
Editors
(Not Really!)
There's one really good song on that album
but I can't really remember what the rest sounds like.
Interpol
Er, actually
it's a really good album.
the erlend oye solo album?
thought it was pretty solid and vastly more electronic than any of the kings of convenience stuff that preceded it.
That's a good one
they changed the band name for them but
electronic anthology project (built to spill)
headphones (pedro the lion/david bazan)
that Headphones record is indeed rather lush.
"Bands, with managers..."
tis indeed- particulalrly fond of sh*t talker
though i've never been quite sure what the pink and brown song is about
What about the other way around?
Electronic bands going pop. I.e. Air, Daft Punk...
didn't Squarepusher do this
and Doves, sorta
Ministry
Started off electropop and went industrial.
A c
Achtung Baby
is what I was trying to say.
Worked really well
Great album, although 'Zooropa' took it that little bit further, and then so did 'Pop'.
bands going electronic
makes me cringe
actually i think the term makes me cringe
more than the music
that's why i bounded it
i couldnt think of a better way to describe it though
Motley Crue's...
...Generation Swine of course.
korn and skrillex
Hood
Hard to say WHEN it happened, but certainly by 'Cold House' it was in full effect. Maybe 'The Cycle of Days & Seasons'?
Much preferred Hood before Cold House, although it has its moments
The Cycle Of Days And Seasons is still overwhelmingly a pastoral post-folk-rock record, with some really lovely sampling work (i.e. an electronic technique added on top like so much (grim, Yorkshire) pepper)
Melvins / Lustmord
Pigs of the Roman Empire
Trans
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Wire - 154
Wire - Send, maybe
but not 154 - still overwhelmingly a rock record (rock is allowed to have synths and not be 'electronic')
By that logic, Six By Seven - 04 should be considered, and that's as rock as it gets.
Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Have to agree with this one posted earlier. Can't listen to it now as it's so wrapped up in my youth and I played it to death (as did just about every club I ever went to). Totally mind-blowing, all the same.
Just bloody say it people!!!
I'm gonna say
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna.
I'm not totally sure though, I listened to their earlier stuff but could never get into it. From what I remember though it was more noise-rock rather than the more electronic stuff that's on Saint Dymphna and Eye Contact? I may be totally wrong. Great album anyway.
i guess the postal service doesn't really count
but i want to say the postal service.
*tries to pinpoint the exact moment Electric Six went electronic*
g'luck :D
So then Justice would be both the opposite of this, and awful in the process
:'D
...and I'm not in the business of slagging Tricky, but he definitely does beats better than riffs.
He can still churn out a riff when the mood takes him, though.
I'll say it then. Bloody Kid A.
Talking Heads
Remain In Light
Kid A
I can't believe none of you have even alluded to this seminal record
Yes, but too obvious
It's been alluded to several times throughout the thread
people are just afraid to say it properly in case they end up in the DERAILED THREAD.
Except a couple of people have said it properly as well.
um
http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4307858#r6358209
Pretty sure I'll be the only one to mention that you're not the first to mention it.
pedantry first
En Tact is the album, pro-gen a single.
Not their first electronic dabbling but the first where they seemed to get it right, and dancey as opposed to industrial-ish.
It's Blitz
is dull dull dull.
nope
just because you disagree, doesn't make you right.
yeah, but the difference is I'm right.
:D
no, it's your complete wrongness coupled with the fact that It's Blitz is ace ace ace
that makes him right.
S'alright.
I thought it was a bit overrated at the time and I after listening to it again recently, I still hold that opinion.
It's not dull and it's not ace. It's alright.
Iron Maiden
Somewhere In Time
Belle and Sebastian have that one track 'Electronic Renaissance'
Which is such an uncharacteristically electronic tune from such a band. Even though it's their first album, I find the song hilarious.
Suede 'Head Music'
they fucked up with that one
It's not that bad
The worst songs tend to be the 'safer' Suede-by-numbers ones... If they'd gone for it a bit more with the electronic thing they might've pulled it off better.
Kid A
You're still all overlooking the elephant in the room
?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsQKLS_unR4