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25. William Basinski:
The Disintegration Loops I, 2002
For all the pretty ambient music out there, little of it has the
built-in gravity of Basinski's drones, reconstructed from decaying
magnetic tapes and caked with what feels like time's dried sweat.
Created in the shadow of 9/11's Ground Zero, it encapsulated the
decade's melancholic turn like no other.
24. Flying Lotus: Los Angeles, 2008
L.A.
beatmaker Flying Lotus marked his arrival on England's Warp label with
a missive that had two meanings: it was part love letter to his
hometown, part admission that he'll never stay faithful. Lurching
breaks and warbly jazz samples pay homage to Stones Throw's brand of
SoCal soul, but both the low-end undercurrent and the high-end shimmer
have more in common with the avant dubsteppers of the U.K.'s amorphous
"bass music" scene.
23. Basic Channel: BCD-2, 2008
Despite
their steadfastly underground attitude, Berlin's Basic Channel managed
to get the word out: they're the undisputed masters of dub techno, and
they rank among minimal's most important forebears. This, their second
comp, collects tracks from vinyl 12-inch singles that appeared in the
early '90s. Ranging from clattering percussive maelstroms to ambient
washes that sound like a cassette that's been dubbed dozens of times,
these tracks still sound ahead of their time.
22. The Postal Service: Give Up, 2003
At its time the unlikeliest of crossovers -- emo-leaning pop meets skittery electronic, really? -- this collab between Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab's Ben Gibbard taught indie kids not to be afraid of keyboards (and inadvertently paved the way for one Billboard-charting Owl City in the process).
21. Daft Punk: Discovery, 2001
The gigantic glowing pyramid helped, but "One More Time"
and its enclosing album essentially won Daft Punk ownership of
electronic pop for the remainder of the decade: Kanye West, Auto-Tune, Justice, Lady Gaga -- none of them would have been the same without the robotic French filter-disco whizzes.
20. Mu: Afro Finger and Gel, 2003
Before she had an album, Paris Hilton had a song
named after her, thanks to this brain-frying collection of avant-dance
disco-punk, the results of a collaboration between Mutsumi Kanamori and
Maurice Fulton. Where so much dance-rock has aged poorly, this still
sounds like the future (and sometimes a future you're afraid to
witness).
19. Metro Area: Metro Area, 2002
Darshan
Jesrani and Morgan Geist helped kick off the decade's long-overdue
reassessment of disco with this 2002 album reviving Italo synths,
oonce-oonce glide and electronic boogie quirk.
18. Four Tet: Rounds, 2003
He's gone on to more ambitious things, but Four Tet's Rounds
remains a cherished snapshot of electronic music at a key juncture in
its evolution. Four Tet shrugged off any allegiance to calcifying
subgenres, instead trusting his own instincts and coming up with a
dented masterpiece of quizzical, whimsical beauty.
17. Hot Chip: The Warning, 2006
With
their second album, Hot Chip graduated from the bedroom to the
recording studio and kept grinning the whole way. Even with denser
production, the London electro-hop outfit retains a cuddly, lo-fi
intimacy, thanks especially to Joe Goddard's vocal nonchalance and
Alexis Taylor's laddish falsetto, while the rest of the band adds
layers of squiggly synths, nano-sized breakbeats and assorted Casiotone
confetti.
16. Air: The Virgin Suicides, 2000
These French experts in Nouvelle Vague cool nailed the balance between
poise and affectation on their soundtrack for Sofia Coppola's portrait
of some seriously crazy-making sisters.
15. M.I.A.: Kala, 2007
When M.I.A. and her larger-than-life persona caught the ears of Jay-Z and the Slumdog Millionaire
producers, her global beats, unvarnished backstory and confrontational
rhymes gave a new sense of purpose to an exhausted pop marketplace.
14. Arthur Russell: Calling Out of Context, 2004
When
Audika's 2004 reissue re-introduced the music of this avant-garde disco
icon to a largely unsuspecting world, it was one of the decade's most
generous acts, connecting us to a sound we'd known was there all along,
but just couldn't find access to.
13. Hercules and Love Affair: Hercules and Love Affair, 2008
Retrofitting New York's halcyon club daze for the kids, enfant terrible
Andy Butler and friends (DFA mixmaster Tim Goldsworthy, the
otherworldly Antony Hegarty and friends) tapped into a modernity that
was completely new.
12. Junior Boys: Last Exit, 2004
These
Canadians have gotten deeper and more varied with the years, but
there's something extra-special about their debut, which fed jittery
two-step and R&B beats through chilly synth-pop filters -- and even
scored a Fennesz remix in the process.
11. Burial: Untrue, 2008
Bass
and a deep bottom are urtexts of the mysterious London dubstep
producer's second album. There may be a future-soul beauty and two-step
traction to tracks like "Archangel" and the aptly titled "Ghost Hardware," but the lord they serve is a decidedly downtrodden one.
10. Matmos: A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure, 2001
Sampling everything from liposuction procedures to their dead rat's empty cage, Bjork's accomplices turned "clicks + cuts" into a joyful, messy noise.
9. Jamie Lidell: Jim, 2008
On his third solo outing, former techno-funkster Jamie Lidell channeled the '60s-era spirits of Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and James Brown;
as though making up for a turn away from obviously "electronic" music,
his live show remained a maelstrom of live loops and sampling run amok.
8. The Streets: Original Pirate Material, 2002
Mike
Skinner's droll, everyday tales of the everyman found their perfect
expression in a playful fusion of hip-hop and U.K. garage that hasn't
been matched.
7. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver, 2007
When
James Murphy sang, "New York, I love you but you're bringing me down,"
we knew exactly what he meant. When he filtered the message through a
maze of post-punk and vintage disco influences, "down" turned right
side up.
6. Dizzee Rascal: Boy in da Corner, 2003
Grime's
greatest artist album, this debut catapulted a London teenager named
Dizzee Rascal from the projects to international stardom, changing the
course of U.K. dance music and making its impact felt even on U.S.
hip-hop.
5. Basement Jaxx: Rooty, 2001
Basement Jaxx's career highlight to date, 2001's Rooty found the duo warping club-ready beats into irrepressible future pop with some of the most memorable choruses going.
4. The Knife: Silent Shout, 2006
The Knife's Silent Shout
took techno into the realm of the nightmarish and carnivalesque with
icy synthesizers, cyborg sea shanties and weird, detuned, androgynous
vocals that seemed to raise the dead. All that, and you could dance to
it.
3. Luomo: Vocalcity, 2001
Finland's
Luomo (aka Vladislav Delay) helped set the decade's house-music revival
with this sensual fusion of Chicago-inspired beats, 21st-century synths
and goosebump-sparking vocals. Cold sweat distilled.
2. Herbert: Bodily Functions, 2001
Herbert's
conceptual art, not to mention his songwriting, was never been more
focused than it was here, drawing on samples sourced from daily
domestic life, and with Dani Siciliano's voice topping it all off with
a hint of intimate mystery.
1. The Avalanches: Since I Left You, 2000
The
Avalanches planted the roots of some of the decade's most fruitful
flowerings, crossing hip-hop beats with psychedelic textures and disco
euphoria, and laying the foundations for everyone from Girl Talk to Grizzly Bear.
24. Flying Lotus: Los Angeles, 2008
23. Basic Channel: BCD-2, 2008
22. The Postal Service: Give Up, 2003
At its time the unlikeliest of crossovers -- emo-leaning pop meets skittery electronic, really? -- this collab between Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab's Ben Gibbard taught indie kids not to be afraid of keyboards (and inadvertently paved the way for one Billboard-charting Owl City in the process).
21. Daft Punk: Discovery, 2001
20. Mu: Afro Finger and Gel, 2003
19. Metro Area: Metro Area, 2002
18. Four Tet: Rounds, 2003
17. Hot Chip: The Warning, 2006
16. Air: The Virgin Suicides, 2000
15. M.I.A.: Kala, 2007
14. Arthur Russell: Calling Out of Context, 2004
13. Hercules and Love Affair: Hercules and Love Affair, 2008
12. Junior Boys: Last Exit, 2004
11. Burial: Untrue, 2008
10. Matmos: A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure, 2001
9. Jamie Lidell: Jim, 2008
8. The Streets: Original Pirate Material, 2002
7. LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver, 2007
6. Dizzee Rascal: Boy in da Corner, 2003
5. Basement Jaxx: Rooty, 2001
4. The Knife: Silent Shout, 2006
3. Luomo: Vocalcity, 2001
2. Herbert: Bodily Functions, 2001
1. The Avalanches: Since I Left You, 2000
Why isn't Lady Gaga's "The Fame" on the list? She reinnovated the elctronic genre and you don't even include her?
What...no PEACHES? Not electronic enough for you?
Horrible list of many mostly unknown artists (except M.I.A., Basement Jax, AIR and LCD Soundsystem)
Agree with the GaGa comment; the Lady was able to push otherwise regularly played mainstream technopop (elsewhere outside US)to be played on US radio once again (and sadly at the end of the decade)
And whatever happened to various electronic music trendsetters and gurus like: NY's own Moby (Ambient Electronica), ATB (Eurotrance), William Orbit - Tiesto - Armin VanBuuren... (Trancemasters) , Enigma (New Age Electronica), Robert Miles (Dreamdance), Bjork (Islandic electronica), Scooter (Hardcore Techno), Bob Sinclar or David Guetta (Ibiza dance style sensations), or Benny Bennassi, Gigi D'Agostino & Gabry Ponte (Electro), or even well known American artists like Andre 3000 or Black Eyed Peas (with their newest electronic album Energy Never Ends)????????????????
Where do these rank on your list?
No TIESTO in the list that's unfair!
very poor choices mr roman! Trance has no place here, but really, hardcore techno in the form of Scooter? How could you possibly think that it could be considered as the best of anything?
Bjork is about the only thing you put forward that really could be part of the list. the original list is an outsanding one and combines true pop style with people who have made music without the charts in mind. It is rare to see such a quality list of artists. favourites for me were,
MIA (especially 'Hussle' ft Afrika boy)
Avalanches (check out the radio 1 mix session!)
Basement Jaxx (surely every song on this album kicks off!)
Dizzee! (check 'I luv you'! what a loop!)
The Streets ('we got the funk', dirty instrumental)
Jamie Lidell (soul mixed with Warp? what!?)
Hot Chip ('boy from school' is dancefloor illness)
FOURTET has to be the number one artist here. my favourite track of his being 'Smile around the face'. check out the DVD for everything ecstatic.
Metro Area with their downtempo beat focused soundscape.
Daft Punk have inspired an entire electro disco vibe.
Bravo Rhapsody!
You really should stop misleading people with this title. It's no wonder why the comments , being posted, are not favorable. Instead, you should change the title of this page to, as you say,
"A sampling of some of the decade's more provocative (or at least prescient) statements, from the underground to the charts", then others wouldn't be so harsh.
Im curious, do you get royalties from me having wasted my time listening to "The Avalanches: Since I Left You"? Even at 2000 standards, this album was average.
Lady Gaga reinnovated the electronic genre? You're kidding, right? What is so different or groundbreaking about her music that it deserves a spot on the list?
And anyway, lists like this are always subjective.
I don't understand! Why isn't Lady Gaga on this list, when Philip Sherburne specifically stated at the beginning that he wanted to list the artists who helped pave the way for her????????????????
READ the article before you bash it.
Whats all this Lady GaGa cryin about...shes a hack. I was pleasantly surprised with this list. With Electronic being by far the most prolific genre of music, you could have chose hundreds of different combinations that would have some merit. I could get into what I think should be there but lets just say this is a pretty nice list...goes a bit deeper than I expected.
Lady Gaga isn't on the list because she makes terrible terrible music. That's not opinion, that's fact. There's nothing 'musical' about it. She's a product, not an artist.
GaGa is one of the more exciting acts to come around in recent years. Not that there can be another Maodnna (no one can have that kind of impact, commercially, culturally and musically/on entertainment, with their work). But, she has some good music and at least isa performance artist.
What... no Stars of the Lid or Saul Stokes??? What decade have you been living in?
Actually what I should be crying about is lack of depth in present culture, in that Electronic Music = Dance Music.
WHAT WHERE IS GAGA. THE FAME IS A ELECTRONIC GENRE. THE FAME SHOULD BE THE FIRST #1.
Fever Ray should be in there instead of Silent Shout.
As a real dj from detroit, heavily involved in the electronic scene, I feel as though they have covered it pretty well. All the people you discussed ARE mainstream, and fall into only about 3 different genre categories. These are albums that effected people like "lady gaga". Armin van buuren or benassi or ATB (???1990'S!!!) did not put out anything that was much different than anyone else in their genre. I was sort of displeased because they should have included someone from the enormous tech-house / minimal craze that happened about 5 years ago and is still continuing today. But seriously all that you and everyone else seems to be saying is that they picked unknown artists. well listen to them, and know them because without them your "known" artists probably wouldn't sound like they do.
I am upset to see the following four five artist missing which I feel defined the Electronic Category for the last ten years.
1. Tiesto
2. Goldfrapp
3. Lady Gaga
4. Armin VanBurren
5. Cascada
That Jamie Liddell album isn't so much 'electronic' as soul or R&B; - the spot should be reserved for Ricardo Villalobos, surely?
All I can say is that this list is pathetic. You can tell this was a one man job. These lists need to be done by at least 4 or 5 people to get a good balance. Some of the albums on here don't fit in electronic and some of the albums are just plain old BLAND!!!! Seriously, Matmos is going to make it on there! I'm not go to dictate what should be on here, but how can Zero 7 be over looked. Two band members talented enough for successful solo careers (SIA) and Jose Gonzalez. What about Portishead or Massive Attack or Radiohead. Anyone feelin me?
Thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions to the list, and I'm sorry for any feathers I may have ruffled. Yes, Jesse, this was a one-person job -- and yes, it was intended to be a little provocative, but then listmaking is always a provocation of a sort. If there's anything clear from all the comments it's that there's no single definition of what constitutes "electronic music" these days, so I largely trusted my gut (and my own tastes) in putting this together.
As for my criteria, I tried to focus either on music that pushed dance music in new directions, or that really foregrounded the electronic/digital aspects of its creation. I also tried to balance some more obvious, even populist picks (Daft Punk, Air) with lesser known acts that, in my opinion, are deserving of way more attention than they typically get.
In response to a few specific comments:
* The Avalanches -- I can't promise that everyone will like it, but it's certainly a critical fave (as its inclusion on Pitchfork's and the AV Club's lists attests), and for my money it's not just a highlight of sample-based music, but it's also a warm, cozy record I'm always happy to return to.
* Lady Gaga -- I love her public persona, but I've never been personally convinced by the music. As to the question of whether she's "electronic" or not, sure, she uses synths and drum machines (or their virtual equivalents), but then again, so does pretty much everyone in chart pop and R&B; these days.
* Stars of the Lid -- an interesting pick, given that they're in some ways more of an "electric" than "electronic" band. But yeah, as far as ambient music goes, they're amazing, and they'd certainly be on my best-of-decade long-list.
* Fever Ray instead of the Knife's Silent Shout -- chalk that one up to a question of taste, I suppose, plus my natural predilection not to grant such recent albums best-of-decade status yet. But it's a great album, regardless.
* Villalobos -- if his labels made his music available digitally, he'd be right up at the top of my list. Now, if someone would nudge Perlon and Playhouse to open up their archives...
* Portishead & Massive Attack -- IMO, their best work was done in the '90s.
u serious lady ga ga the pop sensation? Get Real people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GaGa??? Oh people, get over yourselves! I dance my ass off to her music and love her dearly, but she is no electronica! Cascada? Scooter? Tiesto? Stop please. This is not a list of Club Pacha's most played or Jersey Trash anthems.
Fantastic list. So glad that the Knife is so high - that album is haunting (and yes danceable, as you keenly observed)
Screw Lady Gaga. Why the hell isn't Venetian Snares anywhere on these lists? Seriously, his music is polarizing, but it's hard to deny that he has created some of the most unique music this generation. Listen to Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett, which is classical mixed with breakcore. It's abrasive to the casual listener (i.e. people who pretend to be music fans but are very closed-minded and forbid innovation, calling it "weird"), but to those who can look past that, there is true beauty.