Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'electronica'

The Notwist: Complex And Entangling

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:53:00 EST

Though best known for their textured, electronica-infused pop, the German rockers have explored a wide variety of styles in over 20 years together. They perform a set of songs from 2008's The Devil, You + Me — their first album in six years — at WXPN.

Natacha Atlas: Acoustic Takes, Arabic Classics

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:23:00 EST

She's best known for her electronica-tinged approach to Middle Eastern music. But for her latest release, Atlas takes an all-acoustic approach to folk songs from around the globe, from the Arab world to Appalachia.

Silje Nes: 'Ames Room'

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Silje Nes is a Norwegian musician who mixes the delicate sounds of the acoustic guitar with the bright, charming ambiance of electronica. Her soft, thin voice blends nicely with the whimsical instrumentation. Her new record, Ames Room, has a child-like brilliance that could pass as an upbeat, dreamy collection of lullabies.

Exclusive First Listen: Paul McCartney

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:08:00 EST

When The Fireman released its 1993 debut (the instrumental dance and electronica mix Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest), the band's identity was a mystery. U.K. music magazine Melody Maker eventually exposed it as a duo featuring the bassist and producer known as Youth and, to everyone's surprise, Paul McCartney. Now, a decade after releasing its last album, The Fireman is back with a new studio album. Hear Electric Arguments in an exclusive sneak preview of the entire album.

Chairlift: Sweet Electronic-Pop

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:07:00 EST

Yet another group catapulting into the public eye via a catchy iPod jingle, Chairlift is relatively new to the pop scene but quickly building a substantial reputation. The electronica-pop trio originated at the University of Colorado and recently re-located to Brooklyn.

Milosh: 'Awful Game'

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:28:00 EDT

On his third and latest album, iii, Canadian musician Michael Milosh serves up a collection of seductive, down-tempo electronica, inspired by his year living and recording on Thailand's tropical Koh Samui island. A classically trained cellist since the age of 3, Milosh writes on his MySpace page that he's "always had an intense attraction to songs that are sad, soft and beautiful" and that in his music, he attempts to "ride that thin line of mixing technology with some heart." On iii, he's succeeded in doing just that.

Niyaz: From Iran To India To Los Angeles

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:07:00 EDT

Azam Ali and Loga Ramin Torkian, of the Persian-Indian music trio Niyaz, sit down to talk about their new album Nine Heavens. The disc blends modern electronica with old Persian folk songs and mystical Sufi poems. Ali talks about how her transcontinental journey from Iran to India, and then to the U.S., has shaped her music.

Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich And Fussible

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:10:00 EDT

The Grammy-nominated Nortec Collective brings together Mexican, electronica and dance music. Hear songs from the group's new album, Tijuana Sound Machine, when Bostich and Fussible come by WXPN's World Cafe with host David Dye.

Shanghai Restoration Project: Hybrid Backbeats

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Chinese American music producer Dave Liang's upbringing was as culturally mixed as the Shanghai jazz scene of the 1930s. So he created a new ensemble combining traditional Chinese instruments with hip-hop and electronica.

Dosh: 'Don't Wait For The Needle To Drop'

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:14:00 EDT

Martin Dosh is a percussionist from Minneapolis, Minn., but his solo work is far from simple drum work. With Wolves and Wishes, Dosh's fourth full-length release on the Anticon label, Dosh has composed a series of richly orchestrated, mostly instrumental electronica tracks with a cinematic grandeur. With collaborative help from such well-known artists as Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Andrew Bird, the record finds a nice balance between Dosh's trippy synth, keyboard and drum work, and the album's guitars, violins, clarinets and saxophones.

Computer Vs. Banjo: 'Magazine Queen'

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:20:00 EDT

The name of the Nashville band Computer Vs. Banjo says it all: Johnny Mann and Beau Stapleton blend folky banjos and acoustic guitars with synth-heavy electronica and experimental beats. The computer tends to win the battle on the group's self-titled debut, but countless computerized samples of more traditional instruments give the record an eclectic, genre-bending sound.

Cavedoll: 'Decoder'

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:09:00 EDT

Cavedoll is prolific, almost to the point of absurdity. The neo-new wave group from Salt Lake City, UT has released 13 albums in the past year, with a total of ten albums due out in 2008. At the root of it all is the hyper-active imagination of frontman, producer and multi-instrumentalist Camden Chamberlain. For Cavedoll's latest release, No Vertigo, Chamberlain and the rest of his band serve up a hip-shaking burst of feel-good energy, inspired by '80s synth pop, electronica and punk.

For Cinco de Mayo, the Sound of a New Mexico

Mon, 05 May 2008 10:10:00 EDT

"Akai 47" is the sound of Cinco de Mayo for a new Mexico: The Tijuana-based Nortec Collective makes a soundtrack for a digital generation, with a mix of traditional norteno accordions, turntables, and electronica.

Brokenkites: 'Prelude'

Thu, 01 May 2008 16:27:00 EDT

A fuge state is a kind of selective amnesia brought on by traumatic events. As the title for the new CD from Brokenkites, Fuge State is a digital world of glitchy electronica, populated by lonely, disillusioned and isolated people. "Fuge State has a medical definition as well as a musical one," says Brokenkites frontman James Willard. "I like the concept that music is directly related to mood or mental state."

Cheb i Sabbah's 'Devotion' to Organic Electronica

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:40:00 EDT

The Algerian club DJ is best known for melding traditional ethnic sounds with electronica. But on his new album, his mix of highbrow Indian spirituality and dance-floor ambition stands apart from the growing morass of globalized techno wizardry.

Guest DJ Thom Yorke

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:28:00 EST

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke shares some of his favorite music with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The two talk about Radiohead's latest work, In Rainbows and listen to some of the artists Yorke admires, including German electronica group Modeselektor, rap collaboration Madvillain, techno duo Autechre and more.

'Spam Allstars' Groove to Diverse Rhythms

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:00:00 EDT

The Spam Allstars are generating a buzz in the music business for their rhythmic mixtures of electronica, Latin, funk, hip-hop and dub. And the band members are just as diverse as the music they groove to. The Spam Allstars share their music as well as their inspiration.

Anoushka Shankar Blends Traditions on New CD

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, combines her classical Indian background with electronica artist Karsh Kale on the new CD Breathing Under Water. It features guest performers including her sister Norah Jones and Sting. The album will appeal to, and challenge, fans of both classical and contemporary music.

Phonograph: Electronica Meets Americana

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:48:00 EDT

The band has carved out a niche that combines indie-rock, experimental electronica and alt-country. Balancing synths and pedal-steel with a twangy roots-pop sensibility, the disc impresses with both the depth of its songwriting and the impeccable musicianship that backs it up.

Straddling Classical, Hip-Hop and Electronica

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:10:00 EDT

It's rare to find elements of Shostakovich and Jay-Z in the same song. But don't tell that to Daniel Bernard Roumain. The Harlem-based violinist and composer has made it his mission to bridge the gap between classical European music, electronica, and hip hop.

Ojos de Brujo Setting Sights on America

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Dynamic music group Ojos de Brujo is embarking on a U.S. tour from Barcelona. While their music is definitely flamenco, they fuse other elements from reggae to jazz to electronica.

Fujiya and Miyagi: Electronica Goes Pop

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:20:00 EDT

Fujiya & Miyagi isn't Japanese, nor is it a duo. A British trio named for a record player and a character in The Karate Kid, the group plays danceable electronica with a pop sensibility. In this segment, the group talks about its new material and performs live in the studio.

Rickie Lee Jones: Art and Upheaval

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:30:00 EDT

Jones' sound has evolved through R&B, jazz, folk, electronica and rock. Though commercial success often eludes her, she remains a beloved and highly acclaimed figure. This year's Sermon on Exposition Boulevard draws its inspiration from a spiritual text by Lee Cantelon.

The One AM Radio: Soft Melodies and Airy Vocals

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:50:00 EDT

Hrishikesh Hirway, better known as The One AM Radio, has been arranging and performing lush, eclectic pop and electronica since he took on the moniker in 1999. Since then, he's recorded three albums of dreamy post-rock and ambient electronic suites that mix soft melodies with airy vocals.

Fink: Dance Music Gets Acoustic

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:52:00 EST

Fink, a.k.a. Finian Greenhall, has taken a roundabout journey to his career as an acoustic musician. Greenhall began recording techno music in the late '90s, but as his interest in electronica started to wane, he began to prefer composing. He released his second album, Biscuits for Breakfast, in 2006.