Recommend some drone...

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I'm looking to expand my listening in a new direction: drone. I've explored the existing ILM t hr ea d s, but sadly, I'm coming up with two major blocks:

1) there's little available on P2P;
2) drone (ie, avant) albums seem to be v. expensive.

Consequently, while the record stores in Montreal are well stocked with this material, I've been unable to sample things - I can't find the music I'm curious about online, and the albums are too restrictively expensive for me to buy on a whim.

So I'm turning to the experts here for some recommendations. I don't have too much $ to spare, so I'm looking only for the truly great: I'm not even yet sure whether the genre is going to be accessible for me.

I'd love, therefore, if people could suggest particular albums, along with descriptions of what it is that those records sound like. My cup overfloweth with lists, but I'd really appreciate some more directed recommendations.

Some info on the particulars of my taste:

I like acoustic instruments, but by no means exclusively;

extreme/hardcore music (eg, Lightning Bolt) doesn't really do things for me. i'm comfortable, on the other hand, with classical and jazz (as well as rock, folk, electronica, blahblahblah). in other words, uh, nothing too too abrasive;

I like the velvets and the conventional post.rock canon;

I haven't had much success with strictly 'psych' bands, including jammy oldtimers like the Dead;

I don't do drugs;

I don't have a turntable (ie, CDs only, please);

some things I've heard and enjoyed (but don't know where to begin): indian ragga, zoviet*france [do they do any drone?]... uh...

I realize that I'm basically just begging for help, but if anyone out there is willing to condescend to me, my thanks would know no bounds...

― Sean M (Sean M), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Acid Mother's Temple?
Sunburned Hand of the Man?
I don't have albums by either but have seen them live -- this might be up your alley. It's all pretty weird-o and out there, but at least a few of the things on your list seem to jive with them.
And both should be available on P2Ps.. neither are TOO obscure.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

buy a compilation on the Camera Obscura label called "Serotonin Ronin 2" - wall to wall psych/folk/drone/avant stuff that seems right up your alley. i hate hippy music and drug music but this stuff rubs me up the right way.

deets here: http://www.cameraobscura.com.au/cam029-30.htm

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks Ben, the surface noise!

I found Acid Mother's Temple too interesting/disparate/song-based/engaged... So I guess I should specify that I'm looking for stuff that's really droney: you know, a hazy repetitive blur to get lost in.

― Sean M (Sean M), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Mount Vernon Arts Lab. Did Warminster, a 20+ minute "pocket symphony," with Adrian Utley (from Portishead). Droney.

PS - Barrus to thread.

― Leee Majors (Leee), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Tony Conrad "Four Violins". this was part of the 4 disc "early minimilism" but try and find it for dload before you shell out for that set. FE describe it as "one of the world's most important and space -inhaling pieces of music ever, which was only briefly available on LP. Mainline it as loud as you possibly can"

― mullygrubber (gaz), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

You should check out Stars of the Lid's 'Tired Sounds of...' -- nearly pure drone, incredibly hypnotic. Still in print on Kranky records (as is most of their stuff), it shouldn't be hard for you to find. Also, if you don't mind a little tinge of sinister (and it seems you don't, having heard and liked zoviet*france), Lull and Main are both worth exploring. Their stuff pops up quite often on half.com and amazon.com used, places like that.

― Clarke B., Monday, 26 January 2004 23:43 (twenty-two years ago)

i think you should try 'greg parks' - not sure of the rekkerd label - i did a review of this and i was not sure but found out i loved it - its drone, electronics and alot of folk music. that and charalmides - its like being in god's womb with the fearless vampire killers soundtrack penetrating through as atonal dream drones.

― doomies, Monday, 26 January 2004 23:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Even if you've heard (and, possibly, disliked) their other material, Tangerine Dream's "Zeit" will not let you down.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Monday, 26 January 2004 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, looking over your criteria (mainly acoustic, no power electronics, etc.) I would go directly to the following three Pelt albums: Techeod, For Michael Hannas, and Empty Bell Ringing in the Sky. AMG has the complete run down including commentary from the ubiquitous Ned Raggett. All three albums are great and are available from VHF. Sound samples available on the VHF site.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:21 (twenty-two years ago)

>Tony Conrad "Four Violins"

fucking amazing piece, but a insanity-provoking skull-rattler. seriously, at low volumes 'metal machine music' turns into beautiful flurries, but 'four violins' stays inherently loud to skin-removing degrees, i love it, but proceed with caution. if you're a 'sister ray' fan

I just posted David Tudor's 'Rainforest' to the top XXX ambient albums thread, a description is here. A lot of Tudor's other stuff is on the belligerent side, but not this; it's one of the most beautiful resonant rolling acoustic drones that's ever been made audible. If you don't already own it, and you're reading this thread for tips, I insist that you buy it, from amazon if you have to.

not to be confused with this record by cage and tudor, which has cage mumbling empty wordsy things throughout and relegates a minimal rainforest setup to the background.

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:26 (twenty-two years ago)

wow! great stuff - thanks to all!

anyone know anything about what record to buy for good ragga stuff? ravi shankar?

pls note - while I like acoustic stuff, i'm really interested in plugged-in music as well. some of the dark/neo-folk stuff that's been suggested sort of sucks, from a drone standpoint.

― Sean M (Sean M), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

sean,

richard youngs did a CD with kawabata makoto of AMT (who i think are wildly overrated)... it's self-titled i think and released by VHF... sounds up your alley.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Elvis OTM with the later Pelt recommendations.

Oh yeah, and certainly Experimental Audio Research (Sonic Boom from Spacemen 3) -- especially early albums like 'Phenomena 256' and 'Mesmerised.'

― Clarke B., Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

earth - earth 2

― sean marvin (williamtell), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Sean, my friend, Indian music is about so much more than just the drone aspect. Investigate with an open mind and ear and you have a lifetime of pleasure and discovery ahead of you. Here's a start -- dig around in the links on this page and you'll find some sound samples to get you started. Or take a chance -- there're some cheap mail-order titles available in the genre:

http://www.musicindiaonline.com/

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

two drone-y records that i will plug any chance i get:
Folke Rabe: Was?? (re: Dexter's Cigar) early electronic-drone purity. really beautiful.
John Duncan: Phantom Broadcast. supposedly a shortwave transmission, but it shimmers and evolves like a second sun.

― andy beta, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 01:16 (twenty-two years ago)

The Vibracathedral Orchestra
Phil Niblock
The Dead C (circa The White House-Tusk; harsh harsh harsh but drone drone drone)

― Ian Johnson (orion), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Vibracathedral Orchestra, yeah, I second that. Mostly acoustic with a lot of folk/rock influence, as well as the occasional raga-esque endeavours.

― Stupid (Stupid), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 01:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, Elvis already plugged me and made a good choice, so yay! I'll add Thomas Köner's work if that hasn't been suggested already -- bowed cymbals, very mysterious and moving -- and Crib, a very little known performer on solo bass whose She is Church I was and still am enthralled with. That said, the latter could easily be out of print these days.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 01:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Popol Vuh are very raga influenced and they're mostly based round piano and electric or acoustic guitar. I'd recommend pretty much anything pre 1990's. Ash Ra Tempel's early albums are also great in a somewhat darker direction to Popol Vuh. Also check out the first 3 or 4 Amon Duul 2 albums for a more Velvets-influenced take on the Krautrock drone.

Other good stuff - Ghost, Sunroof, Sunn O))) (v. noisy drone!), Circle, Thuja.

http://www.aquariusrecords.org has loads of good sound samples that should be of use in discovering things you might not have heard of otherwise.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

armpit - praying mantis

cambell kneale (birchville cat motel) said something along the lines of "it sounds as if they have up and left their instruments running"

just great layers of single guitar feedback, splattered with occassional drumming WAY deep in the mix. 2 cdrs worth of this stuff.

― brock (brock), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

How about Roy Montgomery?

Scenes From The South Island

Just wonderful.

― lee ward (lee ward), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I must agree.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

re: Popul Vuh, the best album-by-album guide I've ever read is Dadaismus' ILM exclusive.

― (Jon L), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 05:48 (twenty-two years ago)

terry riley - esp. a rainbow in curved air / poppy nogood
la monte young
cluster
harmonia

― simon 803 (simon 803), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:00 (twenty-two years ago)

''anyone know anything about what record to buy for good ragga stuff? ravi shankar?''

'The tamburas of Pandit pran nath' would seem to fit, ram nayaran 'raga lallit' is very intense 72 minute drone.

''pls note - while I like acoustic stuff, i'm really interested in plugged-in music as well. some of the dark/neo-folk stuff that's been suggested sort of sucks, from a drone standpoint.''

quite a lot of ppl doing that stuff lack the discipline required.

Pelt are an exception to this (there was a pelt thread a few days ago).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Charlemagne Palestine

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I was gonna say Sunroof!. That's a great idea to check out the sound samples on aquariusrecords.org, too.

― scott m (mcd), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Is the Hafler Trio considered drone? If yes their latest trilogy (mostly layers upon layers of treated cello drone) is pretty interesting and mid priced.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

many, many thanks to all. i will be snooping around online and taking yr recommendations to CD Esoterik. treasure-trove!

― Sean M (Sean M), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 17:15 (twenty-two years ago)

the jewelled antler comp #2 is pretty good - mostly acoustic stuff interspersed with field recordings. the library series is swell too.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...

Felt the need to ranimate this thread due to my uncontrollable urge to find the middle eastern / persian answer to 'four violins' by tony conrad (or middle eastern influenced). Some pelt stuff and some mashayekhi stuff is now in winning place but I want something better.

― maarten, Sunday, 4 November 2007 12:53 (eighteen years ago)

Not necessarily string related in my case, anything is welcome

― maarten, Sunday, 4 November 2007 12:57 (eighteen years ago)

my first instinct is to scream HENRY FLYNT but that's more a combination of raga and bluegrass. but you might want to check out "ascent to the sun" anyway.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Sunday, 4 November 2007 13:31 (eighteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.