A Somewhat Unclear Music Request

I've always been pretty eclectic in my music tasts, so this is going to be a bit broad here.

But basically anything with good atmospheric textures or soundscapes. usually this comes out as electronic, but fusions are also good. Also psychedelic or space-themed music would be welcome.

Genres such as acid jazz, ambient, space music, trans, space rock, dream pop, shoegazing, symphonic electronica, and a myriad of others.

Just anything with a unique sound that's outside the norm, I'll try anything at least once.

Hopefully I'm making sense here.

Stuff I really love:

• Pepe Deluxé: Queen of the Wave (psychedelic rock meets surf rock meets baroque pop. sample song)
• Jaga Jazzist: The Stix (futurejazz. sample song)
• Spiritualized: Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space (shoegazing, space rock, and baroque pop. listen here)
• The KLF: Chill Out (ambient electronic music with pedal steel guitar. Listen here; since the KLF deleted their back catalogue when they disbanded, no one's going to care if you download this album.)
• Orbital: In Sides (semi-ambient techno. sample song)
• Julianna Barwick: The Magic Place (ambient music constructed from looped vocal harmonies. listen here)
• Earthsuit: The Rise of Modern Simulation (rap-rock with major drum-n-bass and reggae influences. sample song here; the band has given their blessing for fans to share the album via mp3s)
• School of Seven Bells: Ghostory (dream pop with some dancey beats. sample song)
• Hybrid: Wide Angle (trance with breakbeats and backing orchestra. sample song)
• Stereolab: Dots and Loops (space-age pop. sample song)
• Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan: Song of the Second Moon (early electronic music, very spacey. sample song)

And since Starflyer59 is my favorite band ever, they're getting two albums recommended:

• Silver (shoegazing; sample song)
• Old (dream pop meets space rock; sample song)

Oh, dude...

You need to peep the Since I Left You album from The Avalanches. I think it might have what you're looking for.

Actually here, lemme give you an example.

edited 4th Apr '13 7:43:49 PM by PhysicalStamina

ignore

edited 4th Apr '13 7:43:43 PM by PhysicalStamina

I feel like you might like Black Moth Super Rainbow. Cobra Juicy is their newest album, and it might be a good place to start with them.

If you have not already made your acquaintance with NEU! then now is a very good time.

Trip-hop is great. Massive Attack and Portishead are good starting points.

Space rock like Ozric Tentacles and Gong has great atmosphere too

Unique sound that's outside the norm?

Obviously you could start with some of the older american weird stuff, Captain Beefheart, The Residents etc., but then you have later "popular" music. I recommend Cardiacs, Deerhoof, even some of Blur's stuff (on their albums 'Modern Life Is Rubbish', and, of course, '13').

There's also the world of contemporary classical music, Penderecki is worth checking out, as are a number of others.

In electronic music there's Autechre and Venetian Snares, and I most definitely second MetaFour's suggestion of Orbital's In Sides. That album truly is a masterpiece.

edited 5th Apr '13 1:21:01 PM by porschelemans

I suggest Bran Van 3000 album Rose or Discosis.

SWANS.

but here's a list of other artists of whom I adore their atmosphere
Talk Talk, Genesis' Wind and Wuthering album, Hackett's first album, literally any SigurRos song, Riverside, Porcupine Tree, Siouxsie and the Banshees' Tinderbox.


Also I can't stress this band enough. SWANS. Seriously, listen to this and this. Swans are the absolute masters of unsettling soundscapes and atmospheres. There is seriously no other band like them and they're definitely outside of the norm.

edited 5th Apr '13 11:26:18 PM by iamathousandapples

As said before, trip-hop. Massive Attack's album Mezzanine is essential. I would recommned dark ambient here, but I haven't even really listened to it yet myself, so no. Nine Inch Nails released an ambients album, Ghosts I-IV, you might want to check that out.

I wasn't sure Swans quite fit his idea of atmosphere, but I second the reccomendation nonetheless.

Swans are one of my favourite bands, but I refrained from mentioning them for several reasons. In retrospect, though, I would say that they are a solid recommendation given the OP's seeming taste, particularly their later and present work (1991-1997, 2010-present).

Wow, Orbital is awesome! Some of their stuff sounds like it could have came from the Genesis.

I'm not sure if I just haven't gotten into their style yet, but Swans just seems too unnerving for me. I know that's sort of the point, but jeez are these guys scary.

Brian Eno. 'Nuff said.

What album did you listen to, if I may be so bold as to ask?

Yes.

edited 22nd Apr '13 7:58:12 AM by JHM

Prolly the ones I gave him. They're really harsh but masterpieces, I should have started him out on The Great Annihilator

The Great Annihilator and Various Failures are probably the ideal starting points for getting into Swans if you're not already used to that sort of experimental mind-frag. Anything else (save maybe Children Of God or My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky) is going to come on a bit strong, to say the least.