So, I was talking with a buddy about the fact that most people, at this point, are “electronic music natives”, in that electronic music isn’t that interesting as it has already been around.

However, for those of us a bit older, we saw it come out of multiple arenas, until it gelled in the early 90’s as a genre. Of course, there was Jean-Jacques Perry, and other Moog lounge stuff from the 60s.

1960s – Perrey & Kingsley being goofy weird experimental maniacs

 

1960s – Piero Umiliani! MUSICA ELETTRONICA Volume 1:

 

 

1970s – The Residents and plenty of other bands experimented in the late 70s, and industrial / goth stuff came to rise during the 80s, like Einstürzende Neubauten or Kraftwerk. The Residents were just art to me, and gloriously weird. Not even that much electronic vs experimentation.

 

 

Joy Division / New Order and Depeche Mode were doing interesting things, as well. Plenty of bands were messing around with samplers, loops, drum machines, etc. Art of Noise was on my radar due to their Max Headroom song.  There was some industrial and goth synth, new wave, and pop music with experimental natures… the stuff in the 80s. Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, Tones on Tail, Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Kraftwerk (70s), KMFDM. I remember The Cure touring the US in 1981 with a drum machine. LOL

 

 

Also, scary to note that prior to my 1990s indoctrination, Nine Inch Nails was out there with rage synth. Pretty Hate Machine was released in 1989? WTH?

 

So, it’s not about the literal history of the music, but when did you become aware you were listening to something “different”, ie when did you feel electronic music creeping into your life?

 

At this point I look at electronic not as a genre, but as a “filter”, because you can push blues through that filter (RL Burnside’s Wish I was in Heaven Sitting Down), or Rock, Disco, Classical, etc. Anything!

 

 

So my history of electronic I can trace it pretty easily:

 

I think 1991’s “THE GLOBE” by Mick Jones’ Big Audio Dynamite II was my granddaddy of electronic music.

 

1991 – Then Massive Attack’s Blue Lines came onto my radar in the early 90s,

 

1991 – But then I heard Little Fluffy Clouds. Oh my goodness. The Orb blew my mind.

 

1992 – Aphex Twin were hanging out there, a bit. Honestly can’t remember when I heard Selected Ambient Works.

 

Then around 1992 – 1994 is when it started to steamroll:

1992 – Stereo MCs Connected, which was so different, and opened up the whole garage and UK dance scene to me.

 

Sugarcube’s Bjork, and the album Human Behavior. That gelled it for me, around 1993. And I’ll admit… crush was not the word. I was as in love as a 17 year old boy can be, before I understood what toxic fandom was.

 

1994 – Portishead’s Dummy – this was a huge moment. HUGE. Also the sexiest music I’d ever heard. Oof.

 

1995 – United State of Ambience III on Moonshine Records destroyed my brain! These were everything to me, for the longest time.

 

1995 – Faithless with MaxiJazz caught me off guard. Haunting to say the least. Perked up my ears a bit.

 

1997 – Daft Punk was in there, doing Homework. This is insane to think about this as a 25 year old song!

 

 

a few years later….

1998 – Kruder and Dorfmeister K&D sessions. & This is why I am a DJ, pretty sure. I wanted to play out Bug Powder Dust, and frankly… it was the first time I’d heard a remix that fully and functionally tore apart an original song and made it endlessly better. Hell, the original was a thrashpunkcoremetal thing that wasn’t even something you could listen to.

 

So there you have it… a quick laundry list of what got me into electronic music.

 

What got you into it will be different, based on age, timing, etc.

 

I am really curious what got you hooked, and when?!?