Thread: Looking for some suggestions

Anybody got any recommendations for any good stuff in the following kinds of music:

1. Specifically some Detoit techno, or more generally any kind of 80's electro.

2. Loose lo-fi noisy rock in the vein of Les Rallizes Denudes or Velvet Undeground at their most sloppy

3. Smooth jazz. That's right, 'smooth' jazz.

4. Music that features synths that make extensive use of the pitch bend wheel function

5. Modern surf music

6. Very sparse, open free improv music that leans more towards the serene than the chaotic

7. Heavy dub

8. Music that you imagine HarpsichordConcerto couldn't abide

9. Traditional English folk music

10. Music that uses circuit bent instruments

11. Music that features yodelling

Any suggestions in any of those areas would be appreciated.

Have you listened to any Kaija Saariaho? You might like her. Most of her music employs both electronic and non-electronic instruments, and she uses a lot of extended vocal technique, including yodeling-like sounds. My favorite things I've heard by her are Six Japanese Gardens (for percussion and electronics) and Lohn (for soprano and electronics). I don't particularly like Nymphea (string quartet and electronics) because I find it noisy, but you might like it, and HC probably wouldn't.

George Crumb is another composer who has people do really incredible things with their voices (and instruments), and is one of my favorite mid-late 20th century composers. It's likely that you already know Ancient Voices of Children, but if you don't, I highly recommend you listen to it. I wish I knew some actual yodeling music to recommend you! Yodeling is pretty cool.

As far as English folk music, Rebecca Clarke arranged three English folk songs for voice and violin (Three English Songs), and these are nice. I think its sister cycle, Three Irish Country Songs, is better, actually, but the English ones are good too. I like the combination voice and violin in these songs and think that violin as an accompaniment instrument is better suited to the character of folk music than piano. The violin writing is particularly beautiful in "I know where I'm going" from the Three Irish Country Songs.

Meaghan:

Yes, I've heard those Saariaho and Crumb pieces you mentioned.

Rebecca Clarke is new to me though.

The English Baritone Benjamin Luxon performed and recorded many English folk both alone and with the American folk singer Bill Crofut. I have two Cds of them singing together, both recorded an live performances and an excellent one of Luxon with piano accompaniment on the Chandos label. I do not know if they are still available but you might be able to find them with a web search. I understand that Ben is now retired and has some hearing difficulties. There are some others on You tube under both names.

Rob

Originally Posted by Argus

8. Music that you imagine HarpsichordConcerto couldn't abide

Originally Posted by Argus

2. Loose lo-fi noisy rock in the vein of Les Rallizes Denudes or Velvet Undeground at their most sloppy

Monoshock - Walk to the fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EmuxPniXX8
this is not on the album, that often sound even more chaotic

about 3.: how much smooth?

Originally Posted by Argus

6. Very sparse, open free improv music that leans more towards the serene than the chaotic

sun ra - atlantis (the short great and underrated pieces on the album: mu, yucatan, lemuria and bimini, incredible album)
jimmy giuffre - free fall
don cherry - mu
wadada leo smith - divine love
paul bley - open to love

1. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft's Die Kleine & Die Bosen album.
2. Got to be Jesus & Mary Chain's early stuff. Especially if sloppy is a virtue.

Well, it's a start...

Originally Posted by Argus

3. Smooth jazz. That's right, 'smooth' jazz.

i was thinking that the best album that i can think of is Wayne Shorter's High life. Produced by Marcus Miller it has really horrible sounds, but the compositions on it are amazing and very complex.
But i do like also things like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3fISFwTiEI

But i don't know what you really mean with smooth, for someone is stan getz for someone else is kenny g so i'm not so sure about what you're precisely looking for

Originally Posted by norman bates

about 3.: how much smooth?

As smooth as the soundtrack to an early 90's erotica film.

Originally Posted by norman bates

sun ra - atlantis (the short great and underrated pieces on the album: mu, yucatan, lemuria and bimini, incredible album)
jimmy giuffre - free fall
don cherry - mu
wadada leo smith - divine love
paul bley - open to love

I like the Sun Ra and Don Cherry albums you mentioned, and I like Leo Smith but I haven't heard that album. I'll have to check out the other two.

Originally Posted by elgars ghost

1. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft's Die Kleine & Die Bosen album.
2. Got to be Jesus & Mary Chain's early stuff. Especially if sloppy is a virtue.

Well, it's a start...

I like The Jesus & Mary Chain but they sound closer to shoegaze and have a more mellow texture than what I had in mind. A lot of the noise rock bands seemed to lose the swagger and feel of rock and roll that the VU and Les RD kept so well. I borrowed DAF's Alles Ist Gut of a friend years ago but I haven't heard the particular album you mention. I can't even remeber what I thought of that album so I'll have to reevaluate them entirely.

Originally Posted by norman bates

i was thinking that the best album that i can think of is Wayne Shorter's High life. Produced by Marcus Miller it has really horrible sounds, but the compositions on it are amazing and very complex.
But i do like also things like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3fISFwTiEI

But i don't know what you really mean with smooth, for someone is stan getz for someone else is kenny g so i'm not so sure about what you're precisely looking for

I haven't listened to any of your vids yet but I will do later on. I will say I was dissappointed by Shorter's albums Juju and Speak No Evil, they seemed like straightforward hard bop to me with not much of interest beyond that. I know I don't like much Weather Report, I find that particular strand of fusion a bit naff in some ways. I do like Miles' 80's albums with all the corny digital synth effects and stuff though.

Okay, how smooth? Well, I was thinking of the kind of thing BBC Ceefax would play at half four in the morning when the telly programmes used to go off (if you're not British you might not understand this). Basically, anything with that kind of sound of late 70's George Benson, Pat Metheny's work with Lyle Mays, David Sanborn style sax etc. I don't really listen to much of that style so I can't really name too many names, but I mean the 'cheesy' post-fusion smooth as opposed to the 'cool' smooth of Getz, Baker, Hall or Evans.

Originally Posted by Argus

I haven't listened to any of your vids yet but I will do later on. I will say I was dissappointed by Shorter's albums Juju and Speak No Evil, they seemed like straightforward hard bop to me with not much of interest beyond that. I know I don't like much Weather Report, I find that particular strand of fusion a bit naff in some ways. I do like Miles' 80's albums with all the corny digital synth effects and stuff though.

though shorter is one of my favorite musicians ever, i understand what you mean. In fact, i've began to appreciate Shorter's greatness listening to Miles Davis's albums like Miles Smiles, Nefertiti, Esp and Bitches brew (and those of Lee Morgan with him like Procrastinator, and even those of art blakey) when i've discovered that all my favorite pieces were written by him (Footprints, Sanctuary, Pinocchio, Dear sir, Rio, This is for Albert etc). I have the problem with Juju and Speak no evil because the sound is very smooth (while on the albums of the second quintet the sound is more dissonant), but by no means those albums are straight hard bop, the compositions are very elaborate and that particular "ambient" and oneiric sound was a thing never listened before in jazz. Anyway, i don't like Weather report too, but Weather report were a lot more Zawinul than Shorter. High life is a lot better, and a lot better also than Tutu in my opinion (but the sound is quite similar). After that, if you want to hear the free jazz side of Shorter, try with All seeing eye

Originally Posted by Argus

Okay, how smooth? Well, I was thinking of the kind of thing BBC Ceefax would play at half four in the morning when the telly programmes used to go off (if you're not British you might not understand this). Basically, anything with that kind of sound of late 70's George Benson, Pat Metheny's work with Lyle Mays, David Sanborn style sax etc. I don't really listen to much of that style so I can't really name too many names, but I mean the 'cheesy' post-fusion smooth as opposed to the 'cool' smooth of Getz, Baker, Hall or Evans.

ok, now is more clear. My answer for now is again: High life

Argus - re: DAF. On second thoughts perhaps the Gold & Liebe album (their fourth, I think) would be better as drums and guitars were pretty much out of the picture by then. Die Kleine & Die Bosen (their second album) is more of a cross between Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and PIL.

Oh, and also:

Originally Posted by Argus

11. Music that features yodelling

I know you don't much care for opera, but I couldn't resist.

Right I've had a listen to some of the recommendations now.

Coincidentally, after saying I don't like Weather Report, I heard a live version of 'River People' by them on the radio and I thought that's the kind of smoothness I had in mind. Slightly sweet and cheesy, but funky and upbeat.

Wayne Shorter - I listened to High Life and, yes, that is one of the kind of production/arrangement styles I was after only a bit more uptempo and with some burning solos would be nice.

I quite liked the Janet Lawson one because I like that kind of piano playing but the voice didn't do it for me. I know this isn't exactly smooth jazz but it reminds me of this kind of piano part:



Here's that ultra smooth stuff that I referred to earlier:



Elgar's Ghost - I listened to Die Kleine und Die Bosen. Yeah, Cabaret Voltaire and a few of those other early 80's Sheffield bands came to mind, only DAF sounded colder and less dancy. I'll compare it to Gold and Liebe because I think I did like the synth-ier tracks more.

Monoshock - I like it. Tracks like 'International Hello' and 'Astral Plane (Take Me Away)' are exactly what I was after.

Aramis - I bet you're right. I'd imagine HC can't abide Tomasz Niecik. Unless HC is a 16-year old Polish oik at heart.

I've yet to listen to Benjamin Luxon, Paul Bley or Jimmy Giuffre, that'll probably be tomorrows listening now.

Still no Detroit Techno, Dub or modern Surf music to tackle yet.

Originally Posted by elgars ghost

Argus - re: DAF. On second thoughts perhaps the Gold & Liebe album (their fourth, I think) would be better as drums and guitars were pretty much out of the picture by then. Die Kleine & Die Bosen (their second album) is more of a cross between Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and PIL.

I'm listening to Gold und Liebe now. Very similar to Cabaret Voltaire in that they seem to get more dancy and less punky as time went on. It sounds like the kind of thing the German nihilists in The Big Lebowski would listen to.

Are you familiar with SPK? Particularly their album Leichenschrei. If you like Throbbing Gristle you'll probably like it.