With that said I was drinking a Blue Moon Belgian-Style Wheat Ale this evening when I read the label which states..."for a uniquely complex taste & an uncommonly smooth finish." That made me think of a style of music that I have become particularly fond of lately, that of instrumental quasi-electronic music, and more specifically the aforementioned with drums of the jazz persuasion. Sounds like a tough class to get a hold of, but I've managed to find a lot of bands lately that I feel fit this category. They are all "uniquely complex" while at the same time having quite an "uncommonly smooth finish." The first foray into this was from an NPR broadcast when I heard of the band Moon Orchestra (I would provide some sort of link to his work but this guy is a recluse who doesn't work through the world wide web). This is the brain child of Jon Platou Selvig, who is also a member of the band Salvatore. Both these Norwegian bands are smooth music makers that can be listened to as a background to work, conversation, and all your creative activities. Most importantly they are amazing at their craft, and create really interesting music that withstands the tests of multiple listens.Two others worth mentioning come from another circle of artists in multiple bands. First is the band Ratatat. This band is a bit more uptempo, more of a dance-ilk. None-the-less they are classically entertaining song writers who really capture your attention. From this band we also get Evan Mast's side project E*vax. His work for E*vax is much more electronic, and I am normally not much for the primarily electronic pieces, but once again this is music that provides a perfect backdrop for any activity (except things that require raising your heart rate). He releases his E*vax stuff through a label he and Ratatat bandmate Mike Stroud run called Audio Dregs. Other notable artists I've found from this label include Supersprite, and F.S. Blumm. There is a great sampling of music on their site to help you pick up what you might like.
I'll give you a few samples if you're lazy...and I hope you like, "But you don't have to take my word for it..."
Ratatat-Wildcat-listen to the bridge...
E*vax-Contra Costa
Salvatore-Rainbo
Moon Orchestra-Moving On Out-listen to the drums...
2 comments:
awesome mate, i'll check out e*vax, i've been enchanted by moon orchestra already through your counsel. i'm suprised you left off basinski.
of the similar concept, not of sound....sweden's under byen, germany's the notwist, and san diego's tristeza offer emotionally sovereign soundscapes for one's aural enjoyment.
I agree with your Basinski connection completely, I did as an after thought think of giving him a brief mention, but looked to stick to the more melodic for this particular post. Always amazing how our minds jump to similar places. Which leads to the question, is Basinski a part of the Z music genre/outsider music, or could he be classified in some other sort of "true" (using the word true liberally here) categories of music. It's an interesting argument I would say, seing how he created that music, but uses it in a much different context when he lets people actually listen to it. Hmmm...hope you're tan Zanman, hope others can weigh in.
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