Recent Ambient/Electronica?


Just wondering what handful (3 or 4) of recent (the last year) offerings fans of the electronica/ambient genre might be giving frequent play in their rotation.

TIA,
CD
cdelplato
I may be one of the few fans on the board so here are my favs from this past year or so. I may throw in a few artists that aren't new but new to me.

Tennis-Europe On Horseback CD(2001-record label=BiP-HOp). Excellent dubby, abstract electronic music. Fantastic bass. Think Boards Of Canada with dub basslines.

Rhythm & Sound w/ the artists & the versions CDs(2003-Asphodel licensed from Basic Channel). These collect almost all of the 12"s from the Basic Channel sub-label Burial Mix. Each 12" would pair the duo up with legendary dub/reggae singers with an a-side vocal and a b-side dub(which is the source of The Versions). A+!

Susumu Yokota-I've been wearing out these 2 albums by this guy for a few weeks now. One album is titled Grinning Cat(2001) and the other is The Boy And The Tree(2002). Reminds me of maybe Irresistible Force meets Keiichi Suzuki(he's the guy who produced the classic Satellite Serenade) and The Orb. Both are on the Leaf label. He uses a lot of weird disjointed loops that at first listen don't seem to go together but it all comes together quite nice before too long.  Leaf. Go to the audio portion and he's got lots of samples on numbers 42, 43, 44 & 45. EDIT-I've now bought Laputa(2003) & Sakura(1999) and I have to admit...this is some of the best new stuff to my ears and I wish I would've heard about him earlier.

Bluetech-Prima Materia(2003 ? 2004 on Waveform). One of the better Waveform releases I've heard lately. More along the lines of Sounds From The Ground or the A.D. comps. I liked the Open Canvas album from a few years ago. Kinda Robert Rich-like.

Steve Roach/Byron Metcalf/Mark Seelig-Mantram(2004 on Projekt). One of my very favorite artists who can do no wrong in my opinion. I have 50 or so discs of his and pretty much get anything he produces.

I've been wearing out the Maurizio & Basic Channel reissue cds.

Stuff I'm intersted in but haven't been able to find/buy yet:
Pete Namlook/Speedy J new collaboration.
Jonah Sharp/Mixmaster Morris collaboration.
Yagya.
Gas-Pop.
Deadbeat. I hear this is REALLY good.

Here are a few of my favs of all time so PLEASE recommend something to me:

Pete Namlook-Air I & II
Global Communication-76:14
The Orb-UFOrb
Lustmord/Robert Rich-Stalker
Steve Roach-The Magnificent Void
A Positive Life-Synaesthetic
Cabaret Voltaire-The Conversation
Hey SYNTHFREEK...great picks! Susumu Yokota is superb! Not crazy about "Boy & Tree" but "Sakura" is my absolute fav'!!

BTW...if you have the "Sakura" on vinyl, I'll be happy to take it off your hands or trade??
I second the Rhythm & Sound "w/ the Artists" disc. Very nice piece and also available on vinyl.

In a similar mould, you may want to check out Murcof or one of the recent Biosphere recordings. Although not quite ambient, I was rather impressed with the new Fennesz recording, 'Venice'. He could have easily ended up retreading the same ground, but instead expanded upon his chosen soundform quite nicely.
I am big into electronica you can see a portion of my collection at http://www.discogs.com look up user deven8 that list is about two years ago.

I will agree with just about everything already mentioned. basic channel is goood stuff, I perfer sakura by yokota as well. I have all the gas and deadbeat release on cd really wonderful stuff worth a listen for sure. Can not wait for murcof's newest release, I wasn't to impressed with the latest biosphere though, did quite like venice by fennesz but perfer endless summer.
I will recommened the following four as recent things to give a listen.

artist: title: label

Deru: pushing air: neo quija
Aeroc: viscous solid: ghostly international
Claro Intelecto: neurofibro: AI
String theory: Radiovalerian: Wobblyhead

string therory is only released as a dual cd/album release which is pretty cool.
the rest if you do search for their labels or them you can find mp3 samples
Nice to see some supporters of this type of music on audiogon. Do a search for
Feeling musically adventurous? Boards of Canada
it was a good tread a while back on this type of music which synthfreek posted on as well.
enjoy
Mogwai

I heard Rock Action, on vinyl- pretty good.

Astralwerks has reissued some ENo, and I think it's available on import SACD
I'm also enjoying the new Japancakes album titled Waking Hours. A lot more piano on this go round. If you've never heard them I'd start with their album Belmondo. Superb stuff! The extra Warp records mix cd that comes with the Warp dvd is really tasty as well. The history of Warp in like 45 minutes. It must have bits and pieces from 120 tracks!
There is a cut on the Astralwerks 2003 Cd by The Faint called "The Conductor (Thin White Duke Remix). That I am really enjoying and the sound quality is top notch as well
I was hooked up to the following recent bands/artists:
Chis Campbell -- Things We Already Know on 180g vinyl released 2013
Cyrillic Typewriter --  Custodian released 2013. Other releases of it are also very interesting.

If you want something interesting, dark, and very creative I recommend Shackleton. Especially Music for the Quiet Hour / The Drawbar Organ EPs. The production is insane and it grows on you the more you listen you realize how creative and brilliant the music is. On a good system this music is epic. I also love Move D (David Moufang). The albums Pop For Dwoozle and Kunstoff are excellent. Sandwell District is also great. And I can't forget Proem. Conforce, Leif Dinas Oleu, and older Monolake! 

^---Good stuff. Shackleton is crazy good. I'll throw a recommendation out for everything on the Carpe Sonum label. It's basically a label set up for Fax artists since Pete Namlook's death. If you're into the mid-90s Fax sound then grab the 20 or so releases they've put out the last 2 years.