Reference Quality Electronic Music

[Tim Link]

A lot of this music really relies on extended bass to balance out the complex high frequencies. You need smooth highs too. It requires everything. There really is beautiful stuff here but if your system is out of balance or can't produce a really wide and clear sound field the intent probably won't come through and it'll just sound like a lot of senseless noise. I think the loudness curve comes in to play heavily with this stuff too so you can listen to it at low level but you need to adjust. I find that some of it needs to be practically swimming in bass - smooth bass - before I can hear something that makes me understand why somebody published this sound.

I've been enjoying Yaeji lately and since I haven't seen her mentioned yet in this thread, here's a video of hers:

 

[Tim Link]

Mark Chesnutt - Your Room AIX Records 24/96 Stereo Mix
I'm a fan of country music and Mark Waldrep's recording of Mark Chesnutt's - Your Room is a "chestnutt" in my music library.
It's so refreshing to hear a artist you love performing his greatest hits while being recorded live in "HD audiophile" technology. There have
been very few if any modern music releases done quite like this, you could count them on one hand. And those like the celebrated Cowboy Junkies albums
have been music to bore you to death with. (JMHO)
If your not familiar with MC, he has 14 No. 1 hits, 23 top ten singles, four platinum albums, five gold records.
Available from AIX records in everything from a 2 channel stereo download to the BluRay multi-channel video of the live recording. Drum cymbals that
sound like brass and not a loose air hose, vocals without the sssspit, awesome instrumental inner detail and all the rest of a top notch audiophile recording.
A release of Great music with Great sound that hasn't been given it's due.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Your Room (HiRez) / Artist: Mark Chesnutt
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Duration Title [codec]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR12 -0.00 dB -15.36 dB 4:34 06 - Almost Goodbye [flac]
DR13 -0.00 dB -14.48 dB 2:46 12 - Blame It On Texas [flac]
DR12 -0.00 dB -14.04 dB 3:25 01 - Bubba Shot The Jukebox [flac]
DR13 -0.00 dB -16.01 dB 2:37 15 - Goin' Through The Big D [flac]
DR13 -0.00 dB -15.53 dB 3:41 05 - Gonna Get A Life [flac]
DR13 -0.00 dB -15.17 dB 3:18 14 - I Just Wanted You To Know [flac]
DR12 -0.00 dB -14.57 dB 2:58 07 - It Sure Is Monday [flac]
DR12 -0.00 dB -14.67 dB 2:41 02 - It's A Little Too Late [flac]
DR12 -0.00 dB -14.68 dB 4:00 08 - Ol' Country [flac]
DR13 -0.00 dB -15.55 dB 2:24 11 - Old Flames Have New Names [flac]
DR13 -2.17 dB -18.62 dB 2:43 09 - Rollin' With The Flow [flac]
DR13 -3.71 dB -19.95 dB 3:06 13 - She Never Got Me Over You [flac]
DR13 -0.95 dB -18.59 dB 3:28 10 - Thank God For Believers [flac]
DR13 -2.26 dB -19.13 dB 3:46 04 - Too Cold At Home [flac]
DR12 -0.00 dB -13.51 dB 2:29 03 - What A Way To Live [flac]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of files: 15
Official DR value: DR13

Sampling rate: 96000 Hz
Average bitrate: 2865kbs
Bits per sample: 32 bit

Dr14 T.meter 1.0.16

Not really electronic but I decided to give this a listen. Comparing Almost Goodbye on this album to the older version on the Almost Goodby album it's definitely a dryer, less processed version. Almost Too Dry. It sounds very accurate and clean but I think I like the older version better. The older version has wide stereophonic effects and lots of reverb. It qualifies better as electronic music. Actually I'm not sure which I like better. Going back and forth there are things I like about both of them. The Your Room version is more intimate and lifelike - like he's really present in your space - Your Room!

 

[subframe]

John Tejada. I’ve been using the Performance Review EP a lot, but you could choose most anything he’s put out, including Wajata. He tends to a dryer style, and his dynamics are masterfully controlled. On a bad system, it can sound flat and lifeless. On a system with quality bass and dynamic ability, he’ll sound so so solid.

 

[SteveC]

My apologies if he has already been mentioned. I'm very fond of Ray Lynch.

 

[damirj79]

 

[damirj79]

 

[Talisman]

I've always found this to be a tough test for a setup, you have to feel it in your gut

 

[damirj79]

 

[Berwhale]

 

[Berwhale]

 

[Berwhale]

 

[Klonatans]

Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase

 

[damirj79]

This one is the best ever:

 

[Count Arthur]

 

[moonlight rainbow dream]

 

[moonlight rainbow dream]

 

[dan.]

A few tracks popping up here that I never thought to try out since getting into this hobby. I don't think I care too much to properly listen to EDM tracks (although I do like it for general listening when not being analytical).

Having said that, a favourite album of mine to try out is Universus, by Shock One. It's all so dirty, a tonne of texture, and lots going on. Especially the following couple of tracks..

Chaos Theory

Big Bounce

 

[pavuol]

his entire work sounds very nice..

Vimala - Stromboli

Vimala - Fact

 

[Greenman]

I notice you’ve recommended a few Infected Mushroom recordings. I am recently delving into the Electronic field coming from a more traditional Rock background. I discovered Infected Mushroom a month or so ago and have been working through their catalogue, which I think is pretty consistently high quality. I do like most of the high energy ’techno’ elements, but mainly they seem to have inventive arrangements, humour and actual tunes. I also like their usage of more organic instruments (guitars etc).

So from the above are there other artists you recommend that do something similar and are as good/better …tunes mandatory

 

[moonlight rainbow dream]

I notice you’ve recommended a few Infected Mushroom recordings. I am recently delving into the Electronic field coming from a more traditional Rock background. I discovered Infected Mushroom a month or so ago and have been working through their catalogue, which I think is pretty consistently high quality. I do like most of the high energy ’techno’ elements, but mainly they seem to have inventive arrangements, humour and actual tunes. I also like their usage of more organic instruments (guitars etc).

So from the above are there other artists you recommend that do something similar and are as good/better …tunes mandatory

I haven't come across anything that has quite the same effect as Infected Mushroom, sadly. I've tried a lot of their peers in psytrance and EDM and very much of it comes off as repetitive and monotonous in comparison... so.. I just don't do that anymore and try to appreciate stuff for what it is. Listening to The Gathering album all the way through (just for example) is not a replicable experience and I'm fine if it stays that way. Just enjoy it, be thankful it exists at all, queue it up for a re-visit in a year or so, and move on - that's where I'm at.

With all that out of the way, I would point you as an electronic music newbie at two "classic" "greats": Boards of Canada and Shpongle. They're doing different things, but are like IM in that they churn out sound palettes and sound vistas that are just utterly unique and fun to explore.