xxp i'm kind of amazed to find MHtRtC (quintessential boc lp imo) was as late as '98! i'd somehow retconned them into being contemporary with the other warp usual suspects (i did see them supporting autechre errr '96?, to be fair).
― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 08:55 (twelve years ago) link
in '96
I definitely think of B0C as being second-wave Warp.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 08:56 (twelve years ago) link
BoC.
internet tells me it was prob early '97.
― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 08:57 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I remember when Music Has the Right to Children came out, I didn't really understand what the hype was about, since they didn't seem to be doing anything that hadn't been done in the previous 5 or so years. That album had exactly one track (the one with the chopped-up vocal bits) that sounded fresh and new to me. I'm still not sure why they became the poster boys for this sound, but whatever.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 11:20 (twelve years ago) link
The past 2 or 3 times that I've dug out an Autechre album just to check that I still hate Autechre, I've ended up thinking "hey, this isn't so bad, actually." And today when I did it, I was all "hey, this actually sounds pretty cool."
At what point do I have the "Celine Dion on Pandora" moment where I have to admit "actually, OMG I think I like Autechre?"
― Popcorn Supergay Receiver (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 12:14 (twelve years ago) link
daft punk still retain some cred.
global communication are prob the best here, tho why/how they are listed alongside a few of the novelty acts here is beyond me.
― I'm going to allow this! (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 12:48 (twelve years ago) link
I still don't get Autechre, but I've not tried to get tham again in at least 7 years, so...
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 12:57 (twelve years ago) link
tho why/how they are listed alongside a few of the novelty acts here is beyond me
a duo, the same two from beginning to end, both knob-twiddlers, in the 90s. not sure who is really 'novelty' here except for the lol crystal method, who may have been big in the states at the time idk.
― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 13:19 (twelve years ago) link
All I know Crystal Method from is "Trip Like I Do" and that ridiculous Spawn soundtrack, I don't think they were very big in Europe... They were like a second-rate US version of the Chem Bros, right?
Air has always seemed like a novelty act to me, but I guess most of you would disagree. Also, it's weird seeing them and Basement Jaxx listed as 90s acts, since most of their major works came out in the 00s.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:31 (twelve years ago) link
my take:
Air: they built their career on a mountain of bullshit, then released one stellar album (Talkie Walkie)Autechre: I never really cared about these guysB12: see AutechreBasement Jaxx: one of my absolute favorite acts up until ScarsBoards of Canada: Music Has A Right To Children is amazing but I feel like they are a direct influence on The WeekndThe Chemical Brothers: one dip of quality surrounded by some of the greatest dance music everThe Crystal Method: okay lol, seriously? I mean, I love "Keep Hope Alive" as much as the next person but come onDaft Punk: ultimately, they never topped HomeworkThe Future Sound of London: I admire these guys more than I actually like them, if that makes sense; "Paupau New Guinea" is all-time thoGlobal Communication: see Autechre and B12The Grid: okay now you're just fucking with usLeftfield: OVERRATED BULLSHITMatmos: I am embarrassingly unfamiliar with their musicOrbital: hands down, one of the greatest musical acts of the past 25 yearsPlaid: see Autechre, B12, Global CommunicationRöyksopp: they're pleasant enough but ultimately... ehTwo Lone Swordsmen: I know them by name rather than by music
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:38 (twelve years ago) link
okay now you're just fucking with us
yeah but you never know when someone's gonna go "i can't believe you left [act you've barely heard anything by] off this poll, they changed my life!"
― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:42 (twelve years ago) link
I thought you would like The Grid, Dan!
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:43 (twelve years ago) link
see!
― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:44 (twelve years ago) link
How can you not love this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f0kXNdxjBk
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:46 (twelve years ago) link
Crystal Method in their prime was a total budget Chems ripoff but everyone who loves the Chems' big beat period should listen to CM's "Keep Hope Alive" at least once:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFqmz5NS1bM
"Busy Child" is pretty bad-ass too; actually their first album would have made an amazing EP
xp: I don't dislike The Grid but compared to EVERYONE else on this list, including groups I dislike/hate like Air and Leftfield, they are non-entities
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:47 (twelve years ago) link
(also everyone knows that The Grid was all about "Swamp Thing")
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:48 (twelve years ago) link
Autechre has the most interesting catalog of the whole list, BoC is the most accessible (for good reason), Plaid is skewwy for me: I get no real vibe from them, as they seem largely part of the movement rather than innovators themselves. They just can't seem to decide whether to be melodic like BoC or as boundary pushing as Autechre, so a lot of their songs always seem to start off with that jittering, goose-stepping IDM kinda thing before transitioning into melody. They're very stiff in concert, with even head nods minimal at best.
Death In Vegas also bears notable mention, ignoring their reggae remixes and Oasis collabs. "Rekkit" & "Girls" are masterpieces.
― kelpolaris, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:49 (twelve years ago) link
Oh come on, Air never did anything as trippy as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gocee0RWvho
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:49 (twelve years ago) link
The Grid never did anything as beautiful as this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcUrEn7xmNE&ob=av3n
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:50 (twelve years ago) link
They'd already released two albums before Swamp Thing; I genuinely think you might enjoy some of the stuff on those albums, knowing your taste.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:51 (twelve years ago) link
lots of good choices here but if I were to rank the best three albums any of these guys have made both In Sides and Snivilisation would be on it so I guess you know where I'm voting
― Estimate the percent chance that a whale has ever been to the moon? (frogbs), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:53 (twelve years ago) link
though I would have voted Denki Groove if they were on the poll!! they've got the other one in the top three
― Estimate the percent chance that a whale has ever been to the moon? (frogbs), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
B12 were about 1,000,000,000,000 times better than Autechre
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:56 (twelve years ago) link
seems unlikely but i will check them out when i figure out how to stop youtube giving me 100 videos about vitamin b12 supplements.
― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:57 (twelve years ago) link
It is sort of funny how "out there" we all thought BoC and Autechre were, and you listen to it now and it sounds really basic (which is no bad thing in itself)
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:58 (twelve years ago) link
Kelpolaris if you think BoC are "more accessible" than Orbital, then you mad doggy.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:59 (twelve years ago) link
wait, who thought BoC was "out there"? their entire steeze was immaculately crafted nostalgia bombs tied to awesome beats
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 14:59 (twelve years ago) link
Come on, nobody in Air ever made an Acid House album with Genesis P Orridge before either of them had ever heard any real Acid House, based solely on second hand descriptions thereof. How cool is that?
― Popcorn Supergay Receiver (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
I never thought BoC were out there - like I said above, their sound felt pretty basic IDM to me when MHtRC came out, which is why I never understood what all the fuss was about. As for Autechre, they proved being "out there" wasn't necessarily a good thing; I still find their more abstract 90s stuff terribly dull.
― Tuomas, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
(x-post to Tracer)
that's still out there. there's one BoC track that pretty much uniformly freaks everyone out - "The Color of the Fire" I think it is.
― Estimate the percent chance that a whale has ever been to the moon? (frogbs), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:02 (twelve years ago) link
wait, that track freaks people out???????? that track is warm and inviting!
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:03 (twelve years ago) link
reading other people's reactions to Boards of Canada comes across to me like meeting a room full of people talking about how terrifying and sinister they find "Babe"
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:07 (twelve years ago) link
The one with the creepy girl going "I... looooove... you" with the sinister warbly synth bass?
― tanuki, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:08 (twelve years ago) link
Best creepy electronic music duo of the 90s = Coil
― Valéry Giscard d'Staind (NickB), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:09 (twelve years ago) link
I honestly do not think that child sounds creepy, nor does the bass sound sinister. The whole thing reads to me like an enormous warm blanket of sound.
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:14 (twelve years ago) link
no that's definitely the point where most people are like "okay, you should put something else on now"
― Estimate the percent chance that a whale has ever been to the moon? (frogbs), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:17 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, BoC definitely have creepy vibes, though they're most prevalent on Geogaddi.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:20 (twelve years ago) link
little louie vega and kenny dope gonzales
― the late great, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:21 (twelve years ago) link
^
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:22 (twelve years ago) link
also, i should learn not to say "we" when i mean "me"
People think that BoC sounds creepy when, like, Main records exist?
― Popcorn Supergay Receiver (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:24 (twelve years ago) link
either way I always feel like BoC's music creeps me out like 20% as much as they want it to, "Color of the Fire" excepted. which is ultimately why I feel they're massively overrated.
― Estimate the percent chance that a whale has ever been to the moon? (frogbs), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:25 (twelve years ago) link
"Best creepy electronic music duo of the 90s = Coil"
― sisilafami, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:33 (twelve years ago) link
I guess coming into this stuff from the industrial area, where yeah Coil but also Laibach, Skinny Puppy, TKK, Severed Heads, SPK, Pankow, Tear Garden, KMFDM, etc etc etc kind of puts me in a different headspace when approaching BoC than most others but I can count on one hand the number of tracks I've heard from them from MHARTC on that I would consider "creepy" (I don't really remember the pre-MHARTC material; I've heard it like once or twice).
― THIS TRADE SERVES ZERO FOOTBALL PURPOSE (DJP), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
how about early drexciya - gerald "dopplereffekt" donald and james marcel stinson
― the late great, Tuesday, 3 April 2012 16:03 (twelve years ago) link
in that spirt, what i find odd about this list is why it sort of seems predisposed to the album-selling, indie-friendly acts like chemical bros, basement jaxx etc. but with two/three more serious duos thrown in.
ultimately aren't there about a zillion 90s dance duos?
― I'm going to allow this! (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 16:20 (twelve years ago) link
xxp - well BoC is more popular than all those acts, it's kinda like how Radiohead gets insane credit for being "experimental", when they're really just a kinda experimental act that happened to get very famous
― Estimate the percent chance that a whale has ever been to the moon? (frogbs), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 16:28 (twelve years ago) link