electronica

Record #679: Kraftwerk – Electric Cafe (1986)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

By the mid ’80s, mechanical, inhuman synthpop that Kraftwerk pioneered had gone from an avant-garde experiment to the main stream. Artists like the Human League, New Order, and even Madonna had already taken the same artificial instruments and turned them on pop music.

And so when Kraftwerk released Electric Cafe, it was in a world where electronic music wasn’t just made by robots anymore. The adjustment is a little difficult, but it’s more rewarding than not.

Read more at ayearofvinyl.com #kraftwerk #krautrock #electronica #avantgarde #synthpop #vinyl

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Record #630: Bon Iver – i,i (2019)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

From the moment For Emma, Forever Ago thrusted him into the public eye, Justin Vernon has been a glutton for collaboration. He’s spent the next decade rushing from the avant-garde Volcano Choir to the drugged up soft rock collective Gayngs to the blues rock Shouting Matches to multiple collaborations with Kanye West, James Blake, and many more.

And while previous Bon Iver releases have brought this genre hopping under the umbrella of his solo project, i,i (pronounced “I comma I”) fully captures that collaborative spirit.

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Record #594: Mogwai – Rave Tapes (2014)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

Across their storied career, Mogwai have been no strangers to experimentation. Their sonic palette has stretched from cinematic post rock to Krautrock to heavy metal to indie rock.

But rarely do their experimentations last an entire record. But on 2014’s Rave Tapes, the Scottish post rock demigods decided to set aside their trademark bombast and spend an album practicing restraint.

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Record #593: Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (2011)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

Mogwai’s discography is a bit difficult to sort out. With an enormous catalog and the mythos to match, it can be difficult to get a handle on which records stand out from among the rest of their output.

But I’ve noticed two matters of consensus among the Mogwai fanbase. First, that Young Team is their best album. Second, that Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will is absolutely fantastic.

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Record #518: God Is An Astronaut – Epitaph (2018)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

god is an astronaut epitaph vinylSucker that I am for post rock, I’ve never given much time to Ireland’s God Is An Astronaut. I’ve heard the name plenty, and I had a couple of their albums on one of my work playlists, but I never paid close attention to it.

But when I saw that they released a new record, I made a note of it. I haven’t noticed many good post rock records this year, and I had a hunger.

And by God (who is an astronaut), this record satisfies that hunger.

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Record #509: Lorde – Pure Heroine (2013)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

Pop music and I have a tenuous relationship. I have tried for years to be a better poptimist, letting myself get lost in the catchy singalongs and feel-good beats. But I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that most pop music is just vapid and corny.

But every once in a while, a pop singer will rise from the din of mass-produced hacks and sugar-coated copycats to create something truly special.

Michael Jackson was one of them. Lady Gaga is another. And now, we have Lorde.

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Record #506: Local Natives – Sunlit Youth (2016)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

After Hummingbird, Local Natives got busy. In 2013, they played a total of 188 shows, a figure that earned them the title of the hardest working band in the world from NME.

While the instrument-hopping arrangements on Hummingbird were born out of necessity (having lost their bassist an album earlier), after nearly 200 shows they became quite familiar in their skin.

So when they went to record its follow up, they weren’t afraid to push boundaries and adopt new sonic palettes. They knew what their voice sounded like.

Which is good news, because Sunlit Youth is a massive departure.

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Record #475: Imogen Heap – Speak For Yourself (2005)

/ Nathaniel FitzGerald

speak for yourself.jpgYesterday, I told the story about how Imogen Heap turned me into a poptimist. And while that narrative informed much of the narrative for that post, this record actually deserves most of the credit for that.

Because if we’re going linearly (rather than alphabetically), the moment that shattered my aversion for all things pop was when I logged onto MySpace and listened to the featured track of the week: a mournful, vocoder-only ballad called “Hide and Seek.”

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