I'm looking for acoustic covers of techno songs, can you help me?

August 22, 2010 10:37 PM

I'm looking for acoustic covers of techno songs, can you help me? Not necessarily acoustic, but using analog instruments, whether amplified or not (e.g. Clara Engel covers Born Slippy, Stance's ukulele cover of Harder Better Faster Stronger, Acoustic Instruments cover Star Guitar). Other electronic dance music genres also welcome.
posted by Kattullus to media & arts (34 answers total)

The Bad Plus: Flim?
posted by tmcw at 10:43 PM on August 22, 2010

I'm so glad you asked this, as it gives me the perfect excuse to link to one of my favorite things: Frente's cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle."
posted by Jaltcoh at 10:51 PM on August 22, 2010 [2 favorites]

Acoustica: Alarm Will Sound performs Aphex Twin
On YouTube:
Four
Avril 14th
There are lots more linked in the sidebar.

Same group doing Autechre: Cfern
posted by carsonb at 10:52 PM on August 22, 2010

Here's Wakey! Wakey! doing Yeasayer's Ambling Alp (orig) live.
posted by carsonb at 10:55 PM on August 22, 2010

The Wrong Trousers doing Such Great Heights, and then of course Iron & Wine doing the same.
posted by carsonb at 10:58 PM on August 22, 2010

Sort of: DJ Buck - Nervous Acid
Chicks on Speed vs. DMX Krew (DMX Krew's are band versions of those songs)
posted by rhizome at 10:58 PM on August 22, 2010

A couple more:

John Mayer covering Radiohead's "Kid A"

Ben Gibbard covering Bjork's "Joga"
posted by Jaltcoh at 11:03 PM on August 22, 2010

Jose Gonzalez covering "Heartbeats" by The Knife
posted by haveanicesummer at 11:05 PM on August 22, 2010

I don't know if you consider jungle/D&B to be techno, but if so here's KJ Sawka.
posted by Rhomboid at 11:15 PM on August 22, 2010

Adem—To Cure a Weakling Child + Girl/Boy Song (Aphex Twin cover).

Jose Gonzalez has also covered Massive Attack's "Teardrop".
posted by kenko at 11:25 PM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

Bang on a Can does a live acoustic performance of Eno's "Music for Airports".
posted by kenko at 11:26 PM on August 22, 2010

Oh, but that's not electronic dance music.
posted by kenko at 11:26 PM on August 22, 2010

Jose Gonzalez covering "Teardrop" by Massive Attack (well known as the theme song to House)
Hooverphonic recorded and album "Sit Down and Listen to Hooverphonic" that featured analog/acoustic renditions of a number of their electronic songs.
The Fratellis cover "Ooh La La" by Goldfrapp
The Fray cover "Heartless" by Kanye West (may have some electronics in there)
Someone on youtube covering "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga
posted by haveanicesummer at 11:34 PM on August 22, 2010

Alphabeat cover of Daft Punk's Digital Love
posted by AlsoMike at 11:34 PM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

Senor Coconut covered a bunch of Kraftwerk songs Latin-style.
posted by corey flood at 11:46 PM on August 22, 2010

Newton Faulkner teardrops live (Massive Attack cover)
posted by petethered at 12:04 AM on August 23, 2010

Kraftworks - a collection of Kraftwerk covers. Most are pretty straightforward but, for acoustic-y goodness, I recommend track 10 ;-)
posted by Pinback at 12:12 AM on August 23, 2010

Aphex Twin's Alberto Balsam as performed by a steel band from the University of Cincinnati
posted by eendje at 12:46 AM on August 23, 2010

Swell Season doing Kraftwerk's The Model
posted by chillmost at 12:49 AM on August 23, 2010

Marco Benevento Trio covers The Knife's "Heartbeats":
NYC Winter Jazz Fest 2010 | | Louisville 2009
posted by prinado at 1:06 AM on August 23, 2010

Jimmy Eat World covered the Prodigy's Firestarter.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:42 AM on August 23, 2010

Dirty Vegas put a version of Days Go By at the end of their first album. I've linked to a live version, but it sounds a lot like the album one.
posted by theichibun at 3:04 AM on August 23, 2010

Frente! doing Bizarre Love Triangle.
Does the Cure count as dance music? The Watson twins do a cover of Just Like Heaven
posted by Gilbert at 4:40 AM on August 23, 2010

Elliot Minor doing a live cover of Pendulum's Propane Nightmares on Radio 1.

Also, if we're allowed self-plugs, check out my most recent MeFi Music contribution...
posted by ZsigE at 5:13 AM on August 23, 2010

Dr. Fox's Old Timey String Band covering "Kids" by MGMT. Banjo.
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 6:38 AM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

Kupek* also covered Born Slippy, downloadable here along with the rest of his music.

*Also known as Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley
posted by mismatched at 7:07 AM on August 23, 2010

Señor Coconut is most known for the Kraftwerk covers, but he has a growing collection of Latin-esque albums. Well, at least Yello Magic Orchestra.

Then you have Acid Brass, from The Fairey Band (What Time is Love on YT, vs original KLF track) and Acoustek by Instrumental, which are pretty good.

Sliding down the scale from inspired to mixed bag, you have the "String Tributes" on Vitamin Records, either by unlisted artists or The Section Quartet (yet another Postal Service cover), Climbing Up Walls (original: Radiohead).
posted by filthy light thief at 7:13 AM on August 23, 2010

Paul Van Dyk did a pair of concerts with an orchestra:

For An Angel (there's more in the related videos.)
posted by empath at 7:23 AM on August 23, 2010

Haven't seen it linked yet: Classical Trancelations. I like the version of Robert Miles' Children in that one.
posted by circular at 8:29 AM on August 23, 2010

I just discovered this a few weeks ago: Lou Barlow covering La Roux's "Bulletproof."
posted by cowboy_sally at 10:36 AM on August 23, 2010

The Balanescu Quartet covered a fair number of Kraftwerk songs on Possessed and did it exceedingly well.
posted by bouvin at 11:18 AM on August 23, 2010

Get Well Soon did a really nice cover of Born Slippy Nuxx
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 11:26 AM on August 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

A couple of the track off of Daft Club fit the bill.

Gonzalez - Too Long

Romanthony - One More Time
posted by Jawn at 12:48 PM on August 23, 2010

One of the most unusual and atmospheric gigs I've been to was the Accidental Powercut at the Union Chapel in London in 2004. Electronica played not only acoustically on strange instruments such as the cloud bowls, but without any amplification other than a vocal mic. I don't think it was ever recorded, just a one off experiment.
posted by amestoy at 1:49 AM on August 24, 2010