Category Archives: electronic

electronic, High Tempo

Kraftwerk – Man Machine

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Kraftwerk – Man Machine – music to write to
Man Machine is classic Kraftwerk German electronica. From the opening track ‘We are the robots’ the tempo is set. Beeps, whistles, and seventies pseudo computer sounds create a memorable and ground breaking album that set the scene for much of the music to come over the next forty years. This album takes a lot of beating as a writing album. It is cohesive, fun, speedy, and great to drive your fingers as they tap away at the keys.

Kraftwerk were unique at the time and even with the passage of time the quality of their work is not diminished. This is one of those great albums where even the artwork is laid out to  enhance the listening experience. The album cover as above is another reflection of the tracks on the album that pull you along with a thematic experience of the man machine.

They actually designed and created some musical instruments to enable them to record their albums. They also conceptualised their music as a response to technology and modernism. The red and black cover with the whole band in matching uniforms is inspired by Russian artists of the Suprematism movement, in particular El Lissitzky. Suprematism is based around geometric forms and a limited palette of colours. Suprematism refers to ‘the supremacy of our artistic feeling. The movement was born around the time of the start of world war one, but with the development of the Russian revolution developed artists were pushed into conforming. Like many artistic movements it foundered but gave birth to further art movements that I also know little about. To the outsider the symbolism looks purely authoritarian and also shares the nazi colours. This album grabs the iconography of extremes, super imposes the world of machines and industrialism, and isolation, to make a great cohesive album. It was massive at the time and will be one of those timeless album that is always around.

They are as you would imagine by looking at the artwork on their albums, eccentric visionary chaps. They are notoriously reclusive. The standing information that they hand out about contacting them is that they have set up the phone in their studio so it does not ring so they are not interrupted when they are recording. They advise of a time when the phone will be answered.

Coldplay apparently asked to use a sample and had to write several letters through their lawyers to the Kraftwerk lawyers to get into contact. Apparently they received a handwritten letter with a single word written word. I can see a certain synergy there as Coldplay also write music as if it were written by robots, although it is written by humans.

Bottom line, a great album to write to.

Released
1978

Lyrics
Yes, but not that money. As you listen to this album the only lyrics sounds more like electronic directions for how to use the dishwasher than song lyrics.

Mood
Mechanical and speedy. Not quite inhuman, but it certainly has the feel of people trying to sound like computers, but just before the era when it would have been possible for them to actually make the entire thing with computers.

Good to work to
Yes, Man Machine puts you in the mood to do something quickly straight away. The album is melodic in a really simple minimalist way, but it is the insistent tempo that keeps you working.

Like
There was a veritable plague of German electronica in the seventies with bands like Can and Nue, so much so that the term Krautrock was coined as a result.

The Artist/s 
Kraftwerk are one of the most influential electronic bands in the world. Kraftwerk mean power station in germ on.

The Kraftwerk line-up that created Man Machine were
Ralf Hutter – album concept cover, keyboard, synthesiser, vocoder, voice etc
Florian Schneider – album concept, electronics, synthesiser, vocoder
Karl Bartos – electronic drums
Wolfgang Flur – electronic drums

Other works
They have a whole set of great albums, you aren’t going to find a big difference in sound between these albums but a whole

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You can get Kraftwerk everywhere in all formats

The Verdict
Perfect for writing, a steady pace and active tempo to work to.

electronic, Folk

Best music to write to… Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree

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Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree
There is a gentle beauty to this album that makes my toes tingle with pleasure from the opening acoustic guitar riff.  Alison Goldfrapp’s sings with a mixture of exquisite high harmonies and the best sexy breathy James Bond theme chanteuse style. She had me from about 15 seconds into the first track, ‘Clowns. The simplicity of this album, combined with the orchestration, tight arrangements, and deep warmth combine to create a beautifully soothing listening experience. How does folk electronica sound?

This album is a complete departure from Goldfrapp’s previous albums. This album was inspired by an acoustic radio set the two played. They were enchanted by the warmth of the sound and decided to incorporate it into their next album. They haven’t completely abandoned the studio wizardry, but any cool sounds have been okayed down so they don’t distract from the soaring harmonies.

Goldfrapp tested a new look to take away from the overtly sexy look that was distracting from the music. I don’t know how successful that tactic was. The music is a beautiful mixture of acoustic, organic and the traditional percussive elements that are signature to the Goldfrapp sound.

They have said the album was inspired by paganism and surreal English children’s books. I really like the way how the whole artwork package and accompanying mini films that go along with the album work. A mixture of clown and owl imagery is going to grab me every time. If you buy it on vinyl you also get a really cool poster, I might be a sucker for the merchandising, but it’s pretty cool

Below is a brief collage of tracks on the album to some film put together by the artists. It gives you an idea of some of the treats.

Below is a short film with some clips from the album and the artists explaining how they made it. Warning – it may come as somewhat of a shock hearing the breathy beautiful voice of Alison Goldfrapp out of context with her native accent.

Released
2008

Lyrics
Yes all over the album, throaty breathy beautiful lyrics.

Mood
Warm, meditative music that would suit a warm bath and a glass of red wine as well as anything else. The vocals and instrumentation have a real depth that I really like.

Good to work to  
This album calms me down and lets me relax. Maybe that’s not good for every kind of writing but it is certainly the kind of album that can relax me. It is a melodic album, one that vibrates with joy, sombre thoughts, and self-reflection. Although there are lyrics I don’t find them distracting at all and I find listening to this album quite soothing all of which makes it easier for me to write to it.

Like
This album is a combination of styles, variously called folktronica, dream pop and various other meaningless words made up by music journalists.

The Artist/s  
Goldfrapp are an english duo, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. They were introduced in 1999, who had heard one of her demos. Gregory was a composer while Alison Goldfrapp had been a backing/guest vocalist on tracks by Orbital and Tricky. Their first album together was 2000’s Felt Mountain. This was followed by Black Cherry in 2003, and Supernature in 2005. They received acclaim and some success with their earlier albums most notably with Supernature, before the change of direction that was heralded by the release of Seventh Tree. There latest album Tales of Us was released in 2013, but I haven’t heard it.

Below is a short film with some clips from the album and the artists explaining how they made it.

Other works
I have heard most of Goldrapp’s albums but I am pretty sure this is the only one they have in this style. All of the others are gorgeous electro pop and atmospheric jewels. Not that you couldn’t work to their other albums, but they aren’t of the same style. The rest of their output is distinctly more electro ambient albums.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You should be able to get this everywhere. My vinyl version is one of my favourite albums. It has this lovely artwork and posters.

The Verdict
This is a big winner. It has a calming effect that is sure to make you happy while you are productive.

electronic, High Tempo

Chemical Brothers – Further

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This is an album to listen to when you need to produce words quickly. I would not normally recommend a chemical brothers album to work to, but this album is an exception. The beats per minute get me working like a metronome. It was also nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album Grammy in 2011.

When I first bought this album on vinyl, I laid out cushions in the middle of my lounge room for the all important first listen. I got myself myself a cup of tea, a good book, and plugged the headphones in so I wouldn’t disturb my lady friend who was writing an essay in the next room. She is easily influenced by music and usually only plays very chilled kind of stuff when writing. The music played and I was loving this little relaxation treat even though I had to keep turning the sides, 2 discs and sides a,b,c, and d with a lot of newer vinyl releases like this one. As I was changing records for side C she came in and said, “You do realise that those headphones don’t work and I can hear everything.” Luckily I had been lying between the speakers so had been enjoying the full blast of the tunes oblivious to this fact. Without the headphones it sounded even better, and it’s steady beats were perfect for her to work to as well.

I can put my hand up and say that this review may well be influenced by my abiding love of the Chemical Brothers. However, I would probably not want to work to most of their albums.  Perhaps not having any ‘break out singles’ on this album, that enables it to work on you differently to the rest of their output.

The album starts slowly with Snow, then kicks in with Escape Velocity which really gets the heart racing. My fingers hit the keyboard at much greater speed when I listen to this album than with any other artist. Look at me I’m gushing like a virgin. With trademark crescendos, peaks and troughs the Chemical Brothers deliver again.  Yeah, I like it.

Released
2010

Lyrics
Yes some, and the odd horse sample or two. None of the lyrics are powerful enough to put you off your stride, just enjoy the ride.

Mood
Upbeat, with fast beats. Samples are used throughout and they love using the whole sonic palate. Some of the samples may appear abrasive at first listen, but all of the songs can be taken as thematic pieces.

Good to work to
A great album to lift the heart rate. It’s study motifs aren’t too jerky, so if you’re feeling tired this is a great album to put on to lift the tempo. You might not think that you can write to the Chemical Brothers, but all I can say is if you’re in a hurry and need to deliver the goods, it’s the album.

Like
I don’t really listen to enough dance styled music to really know what it sounds like, but if it were a movie it might be a cinematic movie soundtrack. It is an altogether even album, that did not produce the hits of the earlier albums. If you like the big Chemical Brothers hits you might find this album somewhat of a comedown.

The Artist/s
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are the Chemical Brothers. They have been making groundbreaking electronic dance music since 1989. They have had an incredible amount of hits and collaborations, but most of them more suited to the dance floor than the writing room, from Block’ rocking beats’, ‘Out of control,’ ‘Hey Boy,’ and countless others.

Other works
I can think of nothing of a similar nature that you will be able to work to. It has more energy than other Krautrock albums I discuss like Kraftwerk, or Lemon Jelly. If you really like the sound of this I can recommend several other of their seminal albums like Surrender, but don’t think they are going to be the same aid to writing.

Where Can I buy it, and in what formats
You can buy this any which way you want. I would recommend buying the vinyl.

The Verdict
This album has got me to work on a fair few deadlines where I needed to pump out the words. I would have a listen first if you don’t usually like electronic music, but listen to a full song or two before making your mind up as it may grow on you.