----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 1:35 PM
Subject: Re: [313] ambient techno


> Hello,
>
> I should also have said that I am looking for recommendation for specific
> releases. I know about Fax and Warp, I need details about which
> releases/artists to look for. I have a general idea about who was big in
the
> early 90's and what to look for. What I am interested in is specifics
about
> the more obscure labels/releases and artists from that period.
>
> Also, did Apollo ever put out any compilations CD's?

Apollo definitely had a compilation. Not sure what it was called. My
favorite Apollo release was a CD called Manna from a 3-piece band, with some
live instrumentation, but still very electronic at heart. As previously
mentioned, Sun Electric, Thomas Fehlmann, The Orb's first three albums and
all the AI series on Warp are essential.

In terms of the UK, you should definitely seek out GPR, and especially the
sub-label Input-Neuron Musique. The first three releases were:

1. Morganistic, by Luke Slater is an excellent harder techno 8-track LP.
2. Roupe - Strom, is a phenomenal work for the time, exceedingly dense and
varied, with a melodic sensibility I know you'll love.
3. Russ Gabriel - Voltage Control, very Detroit, and not a lot of powerful
beats, but as smooth as you'd expect from him. Some of his best work.

The GPR output itself is too vast to focus on, but Beaumont Hannant and Luke
Slater were the hilights for me. Luke Slater had an EP called Big ____ ???
which was three tracks. I tired of his albums on GPR over time though. I'd
say listen first. The Big ____ track is amazing though. Hunt it down for
that one song. There was also a 2x CD compilation which would serve as a
good starting point, called Equanimity. There's a great Roupe song, in a
time signature that feels like 9/4 to me??? Also early stuff from Fumiya
Tanaka and some other good stuff from Russ Gabriel and Cherry Bomb. Cherry
Bomb's first album, Electronic For Dogs is quite nice too. Roupe also had
later material on other labels you should track down. He's a genius.

Someone mentioned The Higher Intelligence Agency - good call. Beyond Records
had a lot of good ambience and dub, some of which did not stand the test of
time so well. A lot of it was released domestically on Waveform. Their best
release got Mixmaster Morris' "best of" one year, Another Fine Day's "Life
Before Land". I still listen to this regularly. On that note, The
Irresistible Force's first album, "Global Chillage" is must-have ambience.
And while we're on the topic of Rising High, the first Wagon Christ, "Phat
Lab Nightmare" was rather twisted, before Luke Vibert went into beats more.
He also did an incredible remix of MLO's Wimborne available on a compilation
somewhere, I think it was Chilled to Death 3000 or something. :) MLO's IO
soundtrack is beautiful beatless ambience. Perfect music to sleep to, in the
same category as the calmer moments of Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2 and far
better than the FAX stuff IMO. A lot of that fell into the "music for the
extremely patient" category for me.

We can't forget The Sabres of Paradise and Nightmares on Wax when talking
Warp. It's not as "electronica" as the rest, but classic material. Haunted
Dancehall and Smoker's Delight are timeless. I assume you already have B12
covered. That's the most purely Detroit stuff on Warp, except Drexiya and
Ultradyne of course. Black Dog's Music For Adverts and Short Films is as
good an electronic music *album* as has been made and Bytes is also
essential, before the Plaid/Black Dog split.

The Plaid EP on Clear is some of their best work. Angry Dolphin is a
timeless song. All the early releases on Clear are worth your time,
particularly The Jedi Knights. The Jake Slazinger (AKA Mike Paradinas) was
his best material if you ask me, but I can do without it today. Tusken
Raiders (also AKA Mike Paradinas) good, but you should listen first. Nasty
beats, but more listenable than the Tango 'n Vectif album. The Gregory
Fleckner Quintet was interesting and not much more. I know there was a lot
more Clear stuff worth mentioning, it's just not springing to mind.

There's also a huge world of Pork, Mo Wax and Ninja Tune, but I suspect
that's not so much what you're after.

A lot of this stuff will be hard to find, so I recommend starting your
search at http://gemm.com

Tristan
----------
http://ampcast.com/phonopsia <- Music
http://phonopsia.tripod.com <- Mixes, pics, thought, travelogue & info
http://www.metatrackstudios.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED] <- email
<FrogboyMCI> <- AOL Instant Messenger


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