What Sounds Like DMST+ASMZ?

August 18, 2008 8:21 PM

Music recommendations in a very particular vein (well, maybe two): 1. Do Make Say Think and A Silver Mt. Zion collide in a near-fatal accident, the honorable Steve Reich presiding. What (band) results from this impossibly gorgeous union? 2. Rachel's is exquisitely beautiful, yet I've found nothing in the world like them. Is there anything, anywhere at all, that manages to sound something like Rachel's and something like Arovane's "Tides" album? I think it would blow my mind... If it isn't immediately obvious, I like post-rock with purpose, and BEATS. If you can't answer either question, throw me something exciting and intriguing in that vein worth checking out :)

Here are things I already know and love to death, aside from the aforementioned:

Godspeed at their darkest and grittiest (F#A#)
Four Tet (one of the best artists working today)
The Album Leaf
DJ Shadow
BT's "This Binary Universe"
Aphex Twin--especially his ambient
BOARDS OF CANADA
The Mercury Program
Tortoise
Mogwai
Sigur Ros

... this may seem like unrelated music but I assure you it's not. Can you understand the thread holding these together? (Happy to clarify! :))

posted by dmaterialized to media & arts (48 comments total)

ok, i'm into most of the bands you mention, and even though i don't quite get the exact combination sounds you're trying to find, here are some suggestions for you to look up:

- Esmerine
- Kammerflimmer Kollektief (Kollektiv?)
- Explosions in the Sky
- Because of Ghosts
- Decoder Ring
- Pivot

...and in the more ambient/electronica with beats sphere:

- Autechre
- Susumu Yokota
- Sixtoo (who are also a bit Tortoise-y)

there must be others, which escape me right now.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:48 PM on August 18, 2008

I'm with you. We're after the space where dream pop, electronica, jazz, minimalism, post-rock, shoegaze, etc. collide.

A few artists to try if you haven't already: Ulrich Schnauss. Dosh. Fennesz. M83. Manual. múm. Squarepusher.

Most artists on Ninja Tune. Skalpel and The Cinematic Orchestra are two of my favorites.
posted by PueExMachina at 8:51 PM on August 18, 2008

I guess I should assume you already know M83; I don't really know too awfully much about post-rock but maybe you have an opinion on Pelican, too? If you're down with them and maybe could take things slower I would point in the direction of Earth and more extremely drone-y Sunn 0))).

But then this is really only because I associate drone & doom stuff with Godspeed- it's sort of a shot in the dark and might not be up your alley as much as my associations think...
posted by The Bridge on the River Kai Ryssdal at 8:57 PM on August 18, 2008

How dark are you willing to go? If you want hella dark ambient music, there's an entire genre called "dark ambient." Heresy by Lustmord is excellent— sounds like the Boards of Canada on downers. If you're looking for something still kind of dark but not overwhelmingly so and like metal-y music, you might want to check out post-rock's brother, post-metal, the best bands of which are Isis (Celestial or Oceanic) and Pelican (Australasia). If you want guitar-driven dark electronica, Mezzanine by Massive Attack is a good choice.

I haven't personally listened to it much but drone-metal band Sunn O))) may be right up your alley too: it sounds like Isis and Lustmord having sex on a guitar that's underground.

Alternatively, if you just want more post-rock, you could always check out other records from the label that DSMT, ASMZ, and GYBE are all on, Constellation Records.
posted by Electrius at 8:58 PM on August 18, 2008

You might enjoy:
- Fractal Pattern
- Yndi Halda
- The Pirate Ship Quintet
- Hylozoists
posted by thisjax at 8:58 PM on August 18, 2008

tycho - the daydream
chris clark - empty the bones of you
m83
monolake
posted by limon at 9:02 PM on August 18, 2008

these are a bit short on beats, but they'd fit nicely with the list you've made.

Swod
Nils Okland (specifically Bris. he has other albums, but they're not as good.)
Max Richter (especially The Blue Notebooks)
Foehn
Deathprod (and if you like him, track down everyone else on his label.)
Add N to X
Picastro (though they have whispy vocals. your list makes me think you may not like whispy vocals.)

a seconding for Esmerine.

and I cannot say why, but it might be interesting to listen to Arvo Part alongside this lot.
posted by object-a at 9:08 PM on August 18, 2008

More post-rock:
Battles
Japancakes (a more sanguine, mellow post-rock)
Maserati
Unwed Sailor
Pedro the Lion (earlier stuff, at least)
Red Sparrowes
Explosions in the Sky
Terminal 4 (much like Rachel's)

More ambient and Aphex-like stuff:
Karsten Pflum
Aix Em Klemm
Download (the III album)
Plateau
Fridge (related to Four Tet)
Mouse on Mars
Oval (glitchy ambient)
Phoenecia
A Fellow Chimp

More Shadow-like stuff:
Kid Koala (a goofier DJ Shadow)
RJD2
Shakeyface (earlier stuff)
posted by el_lupino at 9:13 PM on August 18, 2008

Most of the bands I would mention have been already, but the Field hasn't been.
posted by jackflaps at 9:32 PM on August 18, 2008

Mice Parade, The Dylan Group, Rothko, Icebreaker
posted by unmake at 9:32 PM on August 18, 2008

I think you'd really get into The Photographic. I found them browsing through the Terrastock lineup.
posted by pilibeen at 9:58 PM on August 18, 2008

Bit out of left field, but have you checked out girl talk?
posted by shothotbot at 10:02 PM on August 18, 2008

I listen to most of the bands you listed, and therefore I'll make this recommendation, despite the fact that it's a bit far afield from those: Jesu. Huge sound with a solid groove. The albums tend to be more drone/heavy rock, while the split EPs (with Eluvium and Envy) have more electronic-leaning fare. I'd recommend starting with Conqueror or Lifeline (an EP).
posted by sinfony at 10:05 PM on August 18, 2008

Oh, and I'll second the recommendation of Isis (particularly Oceanic), but with the caveat that much of the "singing" on those records is death grunt garbage. It's pushed pretty far back in the mix, so it's not too much of a problem.
posted by sinfony at 10:08 PM on August 18, 2008

Isis after Oceanic has more actual singing and less "death grunt garbage." I would recommend the newest Enslaved album, Vertebrae, that just leaked, but if you can't handle the vocals on an Isis album there's little chance that you'll like Enslaved though they ahave morphed into the pinnacle of space metal greatness over their last three or four albums.
posted by The Straightener at 10:20 PM on August 18, 2008

Pivot
Yndi Halda
Battles
Re: (Electronic music composed by a member of ASMZ and a professor from MIT)
Bitcrush
Fake
Fuck Buttons (maybe a bit noisy and droney for your tastes)
Kayo Dot (or the band that preceded them: Maudlin of the Well)
Hrsta (beautiful music by Mike Moya from Godspeed, his voice is a good enough reason to listen to them)
Burial (surprised he wasn't mentioned yet. People call it "dubstep" but really it's just ambient music with dubstep inspired drum tracks)
Set Fire to Flames (really creepy post-rock recorded by a bunch of montreal musicians)
posted by azarbayejani at 11:01 PM on August 18, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

This might be too far afield, but you should check out Dif Juz. There's only 2 albums of theirs (plus a bootleg, if you know where to find it). They're a little jazzy, a little dubby, and sorta dreamy/shoegazey too. One of the more obscure bands on 4AD band from back in the day.

Here's a video for one of my favorite songs of theirs.
posted by O9scar at 12:32 AM on August 19, 2008

You'll probably like most of Matthew Herbert's stuff, particularly his album Bodily Functions. He also produced Dani Siciliano's album Likes.

Kim Hiorthøy's albums Melke and Hei are more similar to Four Tet than anyone else I've heard.

The rest of the album's fine, but you will probably agree with me that the final track on Boom Bip's Blue Eyed in the Red Room, entitled The Matter (of Our Discussion), is perfect.
posted by aubilenon at 1:25 AM on August 19, 2008

Not really DMST/ASMZ-like, but in BOC vein but slightly glitchier (touches of telefon tel aviv): Geskia - Silent 77. SO FUCKING GOOD.
posted by juv3nal at 2:05 AM on August 19, 2008

Oh you might like telefon tel aviv, even though I wasn't much impressed by the preponderance of vocals on their Map of What is Effortless. They can have their moments.
posted by juv3nal at 2:10 AM on August 19, 2008

So glad you posted this question- I was just introduced to Rachel's and am seeking similar.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 3:36 AM on August 19, 2008

Seconding with all possible vigor (after PueExMachina) Ulrich Schnauss, particularly Goodbye and A Strangely Isolated Place (techno-shoegaze)

Haven't seen these mentioned yet:
Pluramon, Dreams Top Rock (shoegaze-y post-rock, Julee Cruise vocals)
Pantha du Prince, This Bliss (dark ambient)
Labradford (more post-rock)
posted by FrauMaschine at 3:52 AM on August 19, 2008

Oh, and if you like Mogwai, Tortoise, and GSYBE, definitely check out Slint's album Spiderland if you haven't already.
posted by FrauMaschine at 4:00 AM on August 19, 2008

Since two people recommended Isis, I'm gonna go ahead recommend Neurosis. The Eye of Every Storm, A Sun that Never Sets, and the Sovereign EP are all excellent. This is metal. Yes, it's slow, droney, minimalist, moody metal, but metal nonetheless.
posted by brevator at 5:20 AM on August 19, 2008

Paavoharju
The Notwist
13 & God
cLOUDDEAD
posted by palindromic at 5:30 AM on August 19, 2008

Glenn Branca - Symphony #1 (other symphonies might work as well, but that one seems to me to be the best introduction point, as well as the most post-rockin'. Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth play on this and a couple other of the early symphonies)

Tristeza - the band Jimmy Lavalle was in before he struck out on his own as the Album Leaf. Spine and Sensory and A Colores are probably closer to what you're looking for than Dream Signals in Full Circles, which sounds borderline New Age.

If you'd accept more straight-up drone stuff, then you might want to look into Windy & Carl or Stars of the Lid, who are both on Godspeed's US label, Kranky.
posted by LionIndex at 7:04 AM on August 19, 2008

Awesome stuff so far-- keep it coming! I'll try to refine the list a little by saying:

- I LOVE Maserati, Massive Attack, Tristeza, Tycho, Telefon Tel Aviv and Ulrich Schnauss (sorry I didn't mention them). They're all very very good-- but not quite pertinent to this question, which is (aha! Clarification!):

orchestral-type music, (think ASMZ, Rachel's, Mercury Program, Tortoise) preferably with repetitiveness that goes somewhere (like Steve Reich, Tristeza, and Rachel's) that has soul, beauty and beats (a la some kind of weird mix of Arovane, Four Tet, BOC, or The Album Leaf's track "Red-Eye", my favorite). Preferably real instruments with electronics. Not every track has to be beat-driven (hence the inclusion of Aphex Twin's creepy ambient stuff). It CAN be rock (Mogwai is a damn good band and covers much of this ground--especially on tracks like "We're No Here" and "Glasgow Mega-Snake"), but I have a feeling it would be more electronic than rock.

BT's "This Binary Universe" is actually closer than I realized-- if that helps give you a sense. (Tracks like "The Antikythera Mechanism" and "1.618" are soaring, orchestral, beat-driven, beautifully-written... but they aren't dark enough, and just don't have the soul of Rachel's)

I might just have to start making music again myself... :)

Some other observations:
- Explosions in the Sky is very good but I think a little too... bland. Solid music but not as exciting/soulful as, say, GYBE or ASMZ (who have excitement/soul by the bucketful)
- Everyone keeps mentioning M83, but what I've heard from them I never "got". I probably just need to give it time.

I'm definitely going to be checking all of these out-- great list!!
posted by dmaterialized at 7:46 AM on August 19, 2008

I give you Clogs.
posted by dobbs at 8:42 AM on August 19, 2008

.... oooooooh, The Photographic is stunning. (Jesus christ, this is so much fun-- listening to amazing music handpicked by strangers!)

... next on my list is Clogs, Esmerine, Yndi Halda, Re:, that Bodily Functions album, Geskia, and more :) (this is by no means an invitation to stop, however!)
posted by dmaterialized at 9:18 AM on August 19, 2008

Oh, and Mus.

I'll Nth Stars of the Lid, Susumu Yokota (especially Grinning Cat) and Kammerflimmer Kollectiv and add The Dead Texan and maybe some Polmo Polpo, Jackie O-Motherfucker (aka JOMF) and Hochenkeit.

You may also like Triple Burner (which is Montreal guitarist Harris Newman and Bruce Cawdron who's in GYBE and Set Fire to Flames) and Glissandro 70 (which is Sandro Perri (aka Polmo Polpo) and Toronto's Craig Dunsmuir). Note that the album features vocals but then again, so do Rachel's sometimes.

Though most of these bands work best in the album format, here are a few tracks you can sample (Glissandro 70, Clogs, Triple Burner, Mus, Kammerflimmer, Yokota).
posted by dobbs at 9:22 AM on August 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I also added a velma track from their cyclique album. Might be too far afield but I really love it. You may as well.
posted by dobbs at 9:39 AM on August 19, 2008

l'altra
posted by dizziest at 9:45 AM on August 19, 2008

Yndi Halda
This Will Destroy You
Talk Talk
posted by Rinku at 9:56 AM on August 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

OH MY GOD. I'm not at all ashamed to admit it... I actually burst into tears (and couldn't stop laughing, simultaneously) upon hearing Clogs' "Five/Four". That track is so ridiculously beautiful it hardly seems fair.

THANK YOU. (And thank you Dobbs for posting all those tracks to your site... I'm working my way through them, and am so grateful!)

Wow.
posted by dmaterialized at 10:06 AM on August 19, 2008

Most of the stuff I can think of has been covered, but nobody's mentioned electrelane yet. You might like it.
posted by pullayup at 12:09 PM on August 19, 2008

There's a user on MeFi (Mach3velli) who usually recommends post-rock even when it's not appropriate, but for some reason isn't in this thread. This is his blog, which is full of the stuff you want.
posted by klangklangston at 12:47 PM on August 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Sorry, that's Mach3avelli.
posted by klangklangston at 12:50 PM on August 19, 2008

Isolee - Rest and Wearemonster

Labradford Prazision.. basically anything on Kranky Records might be worth checking out. Low, maybe circa Trust and Things We Lost in the Fire, after that Drums and Guns has more beats, Great Destroyer is noisier and more "rock" (I love it)..
Bowery Electric Beat

cosign Fennesz and Pantha du Prince.. so great

No one mentioned Kronos Quartet?

Maybe you would like Chromatics, I love them..
posted by citron at 1:07 PM on August 19, 2008

You might also like Nico's Chelsea Girls?

Also just remembered that back when I was into Tortoise and that sort of thing, I quite liked Little Lost Soul by Third Eye Foundation. beats, a bit goth-y, fun stuff..
posted by citron at 1:28 PM on August 19, 2008

Gang Gang Dance God's Money
Brian Eno Another Green World

Yeasayer are pretty great IMHO
posted by citron at 1:53 PM on August 19, 2008

Cool, glad you liked Clogs. I uploaded two more tracks you may dig to the same spot. The first one is Stars of the Lid and the second is Bell Orchestre.
posted by dobbs at 8:20 PM on August 19, 2008

Someone also mentioned Kronos. I'd highly recommend the soundtrack to The Fountain. It's Clint Mansell, Kronos, and Mogwai. It's more aggressive than what we're talking about here but it's a stunner, I think.
posted by dobbs at 8:22 PM on August 19, 2008

Try Mono. Exhibit A and B.
posted by gakiko at 10:48 PM on August 19, 2008

(Geographically) more obscure, but perhaps worthy of a mention: Bailterspace, Jakob, and High Dependency Unit.
posted by Sonny Jim at 3:09 AM on August 20, 2008

This thread might be the best thing that ever happened to me.

Saxon Shore is really good, too.
posted by arimathea at 7:19 AM on August 21, 2008

and I cannot say why, but it might be interesting to listen to Arvo Part alongside this lot.

I kinda take it as a given that people who like this kind of music would also be into the likes of Arvo Part, Steve Reich, Henryk Gorecki, Philip Glass & David Darling.

In which case, I cannot recommend The Necks highly enough.

(ignore the fact that it's the ugliest website on the planet; the music is beyond sublime)
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:04 AM on August 23, 2008

I'd like to second Talk Talk - of course only their last 1988 & 1991 albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Not orchestral, but very much a precursor to GYBE! and this "post rock" business you speak of.

Listen 2 3 4.
posted by anthill at 7:36 PM on August 23, 2008

I'm also adding Talkdemonic.
posted by dobbs at 10:51 PM on August 26, 2008