Board 8 > Please recommend music.

(+) Yeah! (+)

My music taste is almost entirely limited to soundtracks or spinning off from soundtracks. I will not say that's a bad thing, I absolutely adore all the music I listen to and think it's fully deserving of respect. There's no modern chart topper pop hit that would even come close to licking the boots of putting on the Va-11 Hall-A OST.

But I still want to expand, and this is where I want to start. I picked up a Queen greatest hits vinyl which is obviously repackaged for mass production (as much as any Vinyl record could be "mass" anything), but the record quality is good, so I'm not opposed to rerelease stuff like this. I just don't know....where to start?

Already have my eye on some popular Prog Rock stuff like Blue Oyster Cult or Pink Floyd, but that's not necessarily what I'm trying to hone in on here. I'm looking for heavy synth stuff...probably speaking out of my ass here, but there's a vibe in my head of stuff that makes you think of driving down the city street at night in the rain with streetlights streaking by out the window. Probably the most pretentious thing I've ever typed, but I hope it somehow gets it across lol.

Chromatics - Kill for Love (listen to the titular song for a sample)
Kavinsky - Nightcall ("Nightcall")
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach ("Stylo")
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Neo Geo and Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto (songs: "Risky" and "Thousand Knives")
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
Clan of Xymox - Medusa
New Order - Brotherhood and the song "Temptation"
Drab Majesty - Modern Mirror
Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
Com Truise - In Decay

Just for reference how do these shape up against the vibe youre looking for

https://youtu.be/dX3k_QDnzHE

https://youtu.be/MV_3Dpw-BRY

Got ninjad on the latter by 18 seconds.

Kavinsky - Nightcall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV_3Dpw-BRY

Perturbator Dangerous Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vsf3zYppP4

Anri - Remember Summer Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHKb38-nl3U

Magdalena Bay - Image
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfcWOPpmw14

Soccer Mommy - Circle the Drain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTc1w32Vbeo

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Catching Smoke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L3-HOdMeuM

colliding posted...

Chromatics - Kill for Love (listen to the titular song for a sample)
Kavinsky - Nightcall ("Nightcall")
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach ("Stylo")
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Neo Geo and Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto (songs: "Risky" and "Thousand Knives")
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Darklands
Clan of Xymox - Medusa
New Order - Brotherhood and the song "Temptation"
Drab Majesty - Modern Mirror
Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
Com Truise - In Decay

I'll look into all these! Seeing Gorillaz mentioned does actually connect some dots in my head.

wallmasterz posted...

Just for reference how do these shape up against the vibe youre looking for

https://youtu.be/dX3k_QDnzHE

https://youtu.be/MV_3Dpw-BRY

Got ninjad on the latter by 18 seconds.

Very, very well! Technically not exactly what was in my mind but may be even better.

As another example that's a swerve in a different direction but has some of the same DNA that widens the scope, I ordered this album a while back that's more of an 80's popsynth vibe that I like what I've heard of a lot (it's sitting in a customers warehouse....where it'll probably stay for sometime what with The Troubles.).

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n5pjVjlBHxpzdVKZquI13qcqCguogvc74&si=CayNXAmCPZl8Nujp

that's 3/3 for "nightcall" so far

also sorry for no links

UshiromiyaEva posted...

As another example that's a swerve in a different direction but has some of the same DNA that widens the scope, I ordered this album a while back that's more of an 80's popsynth vibe that I like what I've heard of a lot (it's sitting in a customers warehouse....where it'll probably stay for sometime what with The Troubles.).

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n5pjVjlBHxpzdVKZquI13qcqCguogvc74&si=CayNXAmCPZl8Nujp

My earlier recs aren't really like this poppy. I'm less familiar with this type of music, but I could still toss out some names you might be familiar with:

Churches (which I'm sure most on this board would recognize from Death Stranding)
Late Night Alumni
Pink Pantheress
Robyn
...fred again
Magdalena Bay (seconding the recommendation earlier)
Carly Rae Jepsen obvs
Wink (J-pop from the 80's)
Hiroko Kasahara (ditto)

Talking about this with a friend on Discord and he told me I'm looking for things that would "make you think of Hotline Miami, but wouldn't be in Hotline Miami".

anything DV-i (try Aurora Memoria)

Blue yster Cult is one of my favorite bands, so I'll certainly say you're on a good track there. Their best album for the "city streets with the windows down" feel that you said you're looking for is probably Fire of Unknown Origin, but they've got a lot of other fun stuff in their discography depending on what you're looking for; they're an underrated band historically and much more than their famous singles. Secret Treaties is the one I'd call their best, but there are others that are appreciably close.

I will also always recommend The Dear Hunter to anyone and everyone. Prog rock, but that doesn't do a great job of capturing all the different styles they're capable of. Especially in regards to their concept albums. Act IV is the perfect place to start with them.

Mitch Murder - Interceptor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugowO0sSrM

Miami Nights 1984 - New Tomorrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG07oF3hVcY

She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HsaIZ-fF-M

Bathroom Plants - Installing Symbiotopia 2.0.1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZsQsMnMIWQ

Thanks for all these, going to looking into them tonight! Going to sort out which of these are old enough that I might have some luck at the local record shop too. I went there 2 weeks ago and didn't know what I was doing, and ended up just leaving with a Japanese Bon Jovi album and a Chuck Mangione record because he'd just died.

https://youtu.be/ijcTx6vBoJw

Tag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOMa56y_Was

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRgRbWFr9Mg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr6SFfmFNbE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a74-ZqWN_5c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td-e4i2BL_Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DamtMmO_NCo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toNaw_w3t7E

UshiromiyaEva posted...

driving down the city street at night in the rain with streetlights streaking by out the window.

So like Sayonara Wild Hearts

• CHVRCHES (especially their album Screen Violence) but also Lauren Sanderson's solo album (and her feature on the extended version of HEALTH's latest album - Rat Wars)
• I'll second Magdalena Bay, I'm actually wearing one of their shirts right now

https://youtu.be/DLG9oTH-ZbQ?si=OqqHNwA6S3JuIvMP

Starting to look at stuff now.

Gonna comment on music itself after, but adding stuff to wishlist while going, and finding that all the Gorillaz stuff is cheaper on Vinyl than CD? Wonder what's up with that.

NBIceman posted...

I will also always recommend The Dear Hunter to anyone and everyone. Prog rock, but that doesn't do a great job of capturing all the different styles they're capable of. Especially in regards to their concept albums. Act IV is the perfect place to start with them.

Jumping on this one real quick to say I adore this from a glance through, but Act IV is an out of print one that's crazy expensive so would love your backup album rec lol

A little more chill but is some fun synthy psychedelic pop, from the album Currents

https://youtu.be/_9bw_VtMUGA?si=yhm0SEhjsG5ByqrJ

So far I've loved everything here, added a lot of stuff to my shopping list to keep an eye on. Really appreciate all the recommendations even if this is good to be damning to my wallet!

NFUN posted...

anything DV-i (try Aurora Memoria)

The tragedy when I found this was digital only. At least put out of CD! Joining Void Stranger on my list of thoughts and prayers.

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Jumping on this one real quick to say I adore this from a glance through, but Act IV is an out of print one that's crazy expensive so would love your backup album rec lol

I actually did find this from a store for the original retail BTW. It was a limited edition with the cool color I wanted, too. Not sure why this randomly seems to be either out of print or readily available, and varies seemingly randomly regardless of the record pattern between $30 and $200, all in mint condition. The record world is new to me and confounds me sometimes lol.

I love observing people's journeys of music discovery! I think what'll really get you started is browsing online catalogues by genre or decade, because marketing and history always have a big influence on music:
https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/1980s/
https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time/g:synthpop/
https://web.archive.org/web/20210705084318/http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/year/1980-89s.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20240613133508/https://acclaimedmusic.net/genre/genre61_s.htm

RYM is user-ranked and a big part of the online culture, while Acclaimed Music aggregates lists from blogs and magazines in trying to preserve "the conversation" (though acclaimedmusic.net is down right now for some reason). If you're feeling ambitious you can also try this site made by a former data guy at Spotify: https://everynoise.com/

Reading the posts so far, I'll selfishly recommend Magical by Junko Ohashi: https://youtu.be/Nn0QGzVCCbI?t=759 - it's a 1984 compilation featuring the Twin Towers at dusk on the cover, and was reissued on cassette+CD+vinyl in 2022 to ride the city pop revival. The singer passed away late 2023 and it's a great time capsule of the optimism of a previous era.

I also love the CD version of Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna: https://youtu.be/GoYo86vhzVo - it does exist on vinyl but the CD is specifically done as a 1-hour nonstop mix like you'd hear in a DJ set!

Lastly, my inner Canadian has to recommend The Weeknd: https://youtu.be/kxgj5af8zg4 - he loves his nocturnal vibes and touches on synthpop, synthwave, dance...all those 80s genres that you're probably looking for, especially the albums from 2020 until now. Dawn FM specifically has a fun gimmick where it's presented as a radio station being played for you in purgatory!

This is the album that got me into synthwave. This like what you were looking for?

Timecop1983 - Journeys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egAB2qtVWFQ

Bonus: I just read this great blog post on the "night bus" music aesthetic from the late 00s-early 10s, which seems relevant: https://natepatrin.substack.com/p/under-a-street-halo-night-bus-and

And if youre alone in a fluorescently-lit rolling cage with nothing to do but listen to music and stare bleary-eyed out the window, the feeling of moving through an urban space you are a bit more visually invested in than usual can create a very specific feeling: I am here, and I am alone, in a city that is far bigger than I am. That combination of solitude, isolation from ambient sounds, a heightened visual awareness of your surroundings, and an altered mindstate gradually fading back into sober reality facilitates a deep-focus listening that night bus is engineered to heighten.

That post links to this Tumblr playlist from 2009, the first song was an insta-playlist add for me! https://britticisms.tumblr.com/post/59184739/sometimes-i-have-a-difficult-time-falling-asleep

You got kids?

I was listening to a soundtrack today that I thought would be a good fit for this topic's request, but then I remembered that the whole point was to get away from soundtracks.

PIayer_0 posted...

Bonus: I just read this great blog post on the "night bus" music aesthetic from the late 00s-early 10s, which seems relevant: https://natepatrin.substack.com/p/under-a-street-halo-night-bus-and

That post links to this Tumblr playlist from 2009, the first song was an insta-playlist add for me! https://britticisms.tumblr.com/post/59184739/sometimes-i-have-a-difficult-time-falling-asleep

this dude must have posted on hipinion (as did I)

Going to catch up on these last few posts after work when I can put on audio, but here's what I've decided on so far based on these suggestions (and a few completely unrelated selections that were already on my tondo list). Some of these I've already ordered due to inventory worries,some are sitting in a wishlist pending. All LP unless stated otherwise. Some of them may have been me going with a different album than what was specifically recommended.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Clan of Xymox - Medusa (CD)
Aurora - All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend
Drab Majesty - Modern Mirror
Tame Impala - Currents
Michael Jackson - Bad
D-Vi (Bandcamp)
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire or Unknown Origin
Earth, Wind, & Fire - Their Ultimate Collection
1000 Eyes - Charron (Bandcamp)
New Order - Substance 2023*
Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disc
Chvrches - Screen Violence
Music from Twin Peaks
Mitch Murder - Polygon Island
Anri - Timely!!
Perterbator - Dangerous Days
M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Ryuichi Sakamoto - Travesia
Gorillaz - Demon Daya
Daft Punk - Discovery
Daft Punk - Random Access Memory
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
The Dear Hunter - Act IV

*It looks like the cover of this say Substance 1987 so maybe this is a naming thing for the re-issue?

Of course I could and likely will get more, but this is what popped the most. Tha
nks for all the recs so far!