Yesterday finally the first part of the special one was going out on the 50 best discs of electronics of the XXIst century and the first debate was served: Daft Punk arrives, Björk below, unjust positions … The habitual thing in a list of music.
Today the second part keeps on demonstrating that last decade there was no only genre in the electronic music but so many people like one he wanted to find. The big teachers returned, also finally. The Indietrónica was leaving new works of reference simultaneously that was losing bellows in as what proposals, the black music was supporting joined the House, while the above mentioned style was diminishing and finally, Big Beat was opening way to new sounds for all the publics.
The dead electronics? No. She is more alive than never.
45. Kraftwerk – Tour de France (2003, Kling Klang)
Without Kraftwerk there would not have been electronic music, or at least, not as we know it nowadays. This maxim, of the first with a too categorical appearance, bases on all the declarations of the protagonists of the world of the beats, quoting the Germans like his principal source of inspiration (especially Derrick May).
Although the golden age of the group of Ralf and Florian took place in the 70, including the whole decade with authentic jewels that are bible of the genre, then also they published some work; unfortunately, without keeping both level and the eight first ones (it is said soon).
In 2003, after 17 missing years of the panorama of study, Kraftwerk was taking the webs from themselves with Tour de France Soundtracks (Kling Klang), which then in 2009 would eliminate the last term in the title, remaining only Tour de France. The return was of the good ones, although many people want still to listen to new curlicues of the first epoch. Meanwhile electronic formula Pop the Germans were appearing and they continued with his anthems factory with the song that gives title to the disc and that they divide in three stages.
Techno that kept on evoking trip sensations, Martian Pop with synthesizers and a concept: that of 100 years of proper Tour de France, under which one this work was thought. Of notable high place decades later.
A song: ‘ Tour De France Étape 1‘ (YouTube): the trip in circle that never recurs.
44. Lali Puna – Scary World Theory (2001, Morr Music)
The electronic music has never had barriers. It has always incorporated new fashions and thanks to her, as to other musical styles, we can see what the tendencies of the society were in that moment and what were the deviations that were arising in the subgenres. In the 90, this deviation that more triumphed out of the electronic circuit was the Indietrónica.
Groups as Lady Puna the beats of the Downtempo mixed with taste and class with the structures of a very calmed and soft Pop, where the voice was not seen like a rare bug, but it was an essential part. The principal stamp of this expansion was Morr Music, where there published projects of the size of Ms John Soda or Tarwater happened for his catalog, as múm – Finally We Are not One, (2002, Fat Cat Record) was on the point of entering the list – although in Fat Cat and then in Morr Music, his similarities were palpable.
In Lali Puna the voice was contributing it Valerie Trebeljahr, without raising the intensity, hiding in many cases under the sound of the bases of an electronics that had received in his miscellany with Pop the most basic elements of the Breakbeat. Scary World Theory (2001, Morr Music) is a work to disconnect and whose relevancy in the scene brings with it his incorporation to the list.
A song: ‘ Don’t Think‘ (YouTube): the summary of his sound.
43. Moodymann – Black Mahogani (2004, Peacefrog)
The House has never been a cigar, not either in the times in which it detached in Chicago, or in the most closed underground. Many see it like a continuation of the Disc with his consequent changes. In the last years the House kept on drinking from this miscellany with the black music of which in a beginning it made use to grow like proper sound. Artists as Moodymann is an example of it.
Kenny Dixon Jr is the name that hides after this project of, ironically, Detroit. With two good lengths in the 90s and with several 12 " under its own stamp, KDJ, as well as one for Planet E (Carl Craig) and his later signing for Peacefrog Records, Moodymann was already a reference in the scene.
In Black Mahogani (2004, Peacefrog) the Jazz gains enough weight, but spun good, serving from example to projects that they say to do Acid Jazz pasteloso and soporific. The Funk appears between averages, not to change, and the collaborations with different voices, like Roberta Sweed or Amp Dog Knight. Another way of confronting the Deep House at the beginning of the decade.
A song: ‘Holiday’: black sounds under the electronic base.
42. Akufen – My Way (2002, Foce Inc).
The Microhouse was one of the derivations of the House that came with more force during the last decade. Of Canada there coincided several names like Deadbeat, Tomas Jirku and Marc Leclair, the real name of the one who hides after Akufen, one of the projects that more have influenced during these years. Each one confronted the sound from his way, each one offered the only and personal project. Something difficult of thinking.
In case of Akufen with his début in length, My Way (2002, I Forced Inc)., the perfection was such that after that did not repeat already in this format, only with a mix for Fabric (2004) and later under its own name turned into alias (2006).
An exposition as addictive as his album of début was difficult to overcome. There was ‘Deck the House‘ to play with an addictive base on which a loop was repeated until the end, ‘Skidoos‘ contributing the darkest face and of a single that drinks from Deep House but controlling the beats up to the last stretch, ‘Jeep Sex‘ kept on joining lines of Acid years later, and ‘Heaven Can Wait‘ was cutting any rhythm to create the new one.
A song: ‘ Deck the House‘ (YouTube): the new speech of the House.
41. 2 Many DJ’s – Expert Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2 (2002, YOU CHIRP)
Big Beat taught something very important to the most accessible electronic musician: the well used elements of the Rock are synonymous of success. There The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy or Fatboy Slim are to corroborate it. There are many ways of mixing both sounds, as we have seen the latter decade, although if I had to remain with one of all of them the proposal of 2 Many DJ’s would be my favorite.
Expert Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2 (2002, YOU CHIRP) not only introduces the Rock with the electronics, but it dares to choose 30 topics much known about the popular music or not between the music lovers, without deadline and without a common genre. This way there are mixed The Velvet Underground with Felix Da Housecat, The Stooges with Sly and the Family Stone and all so satisfied ones.
A brave compilation of remixes that go beyond the phenomenon mashup, mixing everything existing and for having. It is a pure adrenaline and diversion to see what the Belgians’ couple also known like Soulwax (David and Stephen Dewaele) there spend for his personal mixer anthems of the size ‘I’m Waiting For The Man’ and make them addictive, not for the topic in itself, but for the set that they manage to create. Pure dynamite where the speed and the intensity are his principal values. An album the day is glad.
A song: ‘ Not Fun‘ (YouTube): the splashed riffs of the Garage of Electro.
The 50 best discs of electronics of the XXIst century Part I
Tags: electronic music song