Tag: electronic

663. Daphne Oram

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2025) Episode 663 is DAPHNE ORAM, an early pioneer in electronic sound creation and composition, and also one of the first women in the field. She got her start making electronic music for the BBC in the 1940s-50s, and her music was used in early James Bond films. She invented an instrument called Oramics, which employed electric receptors to pick up shapes drawn on 35mm film to create variations in pitch, register, volume and vibrato. In the 1940s Oram composed a piece entitled “Still Point,” considered the first work to combine acoustic orchestration with live electronic manipulation. It wasn’t performed until 2016, years after her death.

Favourite album: Oramics

Favourite composition: Pulse Persephone

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: If, like me, you are into the sounds and tones of early electronic music, this is for you. Oramics provides what you need to know.

645. Beatriz Ferreyra

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(April 2025) Episode 645 is BEATRIZ FERREYRA, an Argentina-born, France-based pioneer of electro-acoustic music. This involves the use of tape (musique concrète) and audio signal processing (and later computers) to create experimental (some might say ‘futuristic’) soundscapes. You have to hear it to know what I’m talking about. She has composed for performance, soundtracks and art exhibitions. It may not be for everyone, but I really like this kind of music.

Favorite piece: Médisances

Favorite album: Echoes +

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Works compiled into albums: Huellas Entreveradas, Echoes+, Senderos de luz y sombras.

566. Popol Vuh

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

Episode 566 is POPOL VUH. They are categorized as a Krautrock band but the German word term for it, “kosmische Musik,” fits better as they are cited as pioneers of “space music.” And electronic music too, as their first two albums featured the Moog synthesizer. But then leader Florian Fricke set that aside for piano and guitars, creating ambient soundscapes and textures with ethereal, at times spiritual, dimensions and non-European percussion and vocals. Fricke was close with Werner Herzog and composed soundtracks to several of his films. Among the Krautrock groups, Popol Vuh’s approach was closer to Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel (as contrasted with Kraftwerk and Neu!). But the artist I find most similar in sound is Mike Oldfield. Like Oldfield (and Manuel Göttsching) Fricke mastered that lovely high pitch warbly guitar tone. Popol Vuh was a progenitor of world music and New Age, but I must make clear that I would not identify Popol Vuh with either of those genres as they came to be known. I adore 1970s electronic/ambient music but get turned off by the “New Age” style it evolved to by the 1990s (I’m looking at you Tangerine Dream).

Favorite album: Einsjäger und Siebenjäger

Favorite song: Hosianna Mantra

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: Most everything is good here. The early electronic albums have their appeal, but I like the mid-1970s spiritual stuff the best. Least are the late 1990s albums which start to sound New Age-y.

520. The Silver Apples

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(September 2023) Episode 520 of the “opus project” is THE SILVER APPLES. This duo is known for being one of the first groups to use electronically-generated sound (via a home-made proto-synthesizer) as the basis for pop/rock songs, through a couple of obscure late 1960s albums that were later seen as influential in the development of electronic and synth music.  “Pop/rock,” however, is misleading as the songs are unconventional, even avant-garde, with surreal lyrics. They reunited in the 1990s for a reissue and some new, similarly eclectic, recordings.  This music is unique.

Favorite album: The Silver Apples

Favorite song: Oscillations

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: Mostly of historical interest I think, although those who appreciate enigmatic music may want to check it out.

463. Suicide

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(January 2023) Episode 463 is SUICIDE. This is weird stuff. On its own, I’d probably give it a pass. But knowing where it emerged from and what it led to make it worth a review. A duo out of the late-70s NYC glam punk scene, with one making repetitive and dissonant patterns on a synthesizer and drum machine and the other laconically muttering words in heavy echo effect. It’s like a combination of David Byrne, John Cale, Can and Depeche Mode. They were influential for 80s synth pop duos (think Soft Cell) and 90s industrial dance music.

Favorite album: Suicide

Favorite song: Cheree

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: it’s worth a listen to know it exists, but probably just that

462. Aphex Twin

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(December 2022) Episode 462 is APHEX TWIN. Every couple years I pull out a techno/electronic dance music artist in the hope that something appealing about the genre will be revealed to me. It hasn’t happened yet, and it didn’t with Aphex Twin. That said, I do like some of James’ early ambient work (especially the beatless Vol II) and appreciate his creativity in what appears to be a desire to make genuine music.  Yet no matter the intention, EDM always sounds to me like something to market to rave clubs and Euro-style hotels.

Favourite album: Selected Ambient Works Volume II

Favourite song: Rhubarb

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: just the two early ambient albums, IMO

406. Arooj Aftab

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(May 2022)

Episode 406 is AROOJ AFTAB.  Pakistan-born, U.S.-based vocalist and composer whose music is a blend of jazz, minimalism, electronica and neo-Sufi.  She uses her beautiful, mid-range voice as an instrument integrated into the music. The moods are relaxing, contemplative, atmospheric, spacy.

Favorite album: Siren Islands

Favorite song: Mohabbat

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: definitely check her out

360. Mica Levi

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(September 2021) Episode 360 is MICA LEVI, who usually performs under the name Micachu.  A genre-defying artist who does things you wouldn’t think of.  Their work falls into three categories: quirky, rhythmic pop (with the Shapes), experimental collages (at times merged with hip hop), and unconventional film scores.

Favourite album: Jewellery

Favourite song: Golden Phone

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: if you’re in the mood for something completely different

345. Cluster

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 345 is CLUSTER, plus side project HARMONIA. Make a Krautrock Venn diagram of the sounds of Can, Tangerine Dream and early Kraftwerk, and that space in the middle is the sound of Cluster, who unfairly didn’t get the recognition of the others. Cluster requites my inordinate love of mid-70s synthesizer music. The duo teamed up with Brian Eno on some (by definition) quality recordings, directing their later sound toward Eno-esque brainy ambient.

Favorite album: Zuckerzeit

Favorite song: Hollywood

Favorite Harmonia album: Deluxe

Favorite Harmonia song: Deluxe (Immer Wieder)

Compared to expectations: ↑

338. Biosphere

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 338 of the “opus project” is BIOSPHERE, the recording name of Norwegian Geir Jenssen (this includes his other works too).  Ambient can mean a lot of things, and he touches most of them. The majority of his stuff is more textural and minimal, the kind I prefer, but he also records techno-ambient, which I loathe (reminds me of ghastly upscale Euro-chic hotels).  He also makes literal ambient sound recordings.

Favorite album: Shenzhou

Favorite song: Translation

Compared to expectations: same