The Best of Cosmic Electronic Music

The Best of Cosmic Electronic Music is a regular series highlighting some of the best and most interesting cosmic electronic music out there.

Introduction

Cosmic electronic music is a genre of music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is characterized by its use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments, and its emphasis on atmosphere and melody. Cosmic electronic music often has a dreamy, ethereal quality, and is often used to create a sense of space or travel. It may also be influenced by, or incorporate elements of, other genres such as ambient, new age, or experimental music.

The Pioneers of Cosmic Electronic Music

The 1970’s saw the birth of electronic music, and with it, a new genre began to emerge. This new genre was called cosmic electronic music. It was a fusion of electronic music and space age themes. The first artist to release an album in this genre was Jean-Michel Jarre with his album Oxygene.

Jean-Michel Jarre

Jean-Michel Jarre is a French composer, performer, and producer of electronic music. He is a pioneer in the development of electronic music and has been one of the most prominent figures in the genre for over four decades.

Jarre’s first album, “Deserted Palace,” was released in 1972 and established him as one of the leading exponents of electronic music. His subsequent albums, “Oxygene” (1976) and “Equinoxe” (1978), consolidated his international reputation. In 1981, he released “Magnetic Fields,” which contained the tracks “Magnetic Fields 1-4.” This album saw Jarre utilizing a range of new technologies, including digital synthesisers and computer-generated sounds.

In the late 1980s, Jarre began to work with film directors on movie soundtracks, including Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” (1982) and Wim Wenders’s “Until the End of the World” (1991). He has also composed music for television and stage productions.

Jarre’s most recent album, “Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise,” was released in 2016. This album featured collaborations with a number of artists, including Pet Shop Boys, Massive Attack, Yello, Cyndi Lauper, and George Martin.

Vangelis

Vangelis, the hugely influential and acclaimed Greek electronic music composer, was one of the pioneers of cosmic electronic music. His work often features heavily synthesized sounds and sweeping, grandiose melodies, and his music has been used in many films, TV shows and video games. He is perhaps best known for his soundtrack to the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire”, which won him an Academy Award. Other notable works include the soundtracks to the films “Blade Runner” (1982) and “1492: Conquest of Paradise” (1992).

Kraftwerk

Kraftwerk is a German musical group from Düsseldorf, formed in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered as innovators and pioneers of electronic music, they were among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. They were also early adopters of drum machines, computer-generated visuals, and vocoders. Kraftwerk’s innovative style of music influenced many subsequent electronic music genres such as house and techno, as well as providing inspiration for pop acts such as David Bowie and Duran Duran.

The Legacy of Cosmic Electronic Music

It is no secret that electronic music has come a long way since its inception in the late 19th century. In the past, electronic music was mostly relegated to the avant-garde and was not widely accepted by the mainstream. However, all of that has changed in recent years. Thanks to the likes of Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze, and Vangelis, electronic music has finally been accepted by the masses.

Tangerine Dream

Germany’s Tangerine Dream were one of the first groups to be associated with the fledgling cosmic electronic music scene of the early 1970s. Led by Edgar Froese, the group experimented with long-form, improvised pieces that incorporated elements of krautrock, trance, and ambient music. Tangerine Dream’s early albums, such as Electronic Meditation (1970) and Alpha Centauri (1971), were highly influential on subsequent generations of electronic musicians.

Klaus Schulze

Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music composer and musician. His work spans a wide range of styles, including ambient, avant-garde, new-age, and rock. He is perhaps best known for his synthesizer-based tone poems, which explore the spiritual and cosmic realms. Schulze’s music has been highly influential in the development of electronic music and space music, and he is widely regarded as one of the most important pioneers in these genres.

Brian Eno

Brian Eno is one of the most influential and innovative figures in the history of electronic music. He has helped to pioneer several different genres and subgenres, and his influence can be heard in the music of many different artists.

Eno was born in 1948 in England, and he began his musical career as a member of the avant-garde rock band Roxy Music. He soon began to experiment with electronic music, and his work with the band became increasingly atmospheric and ambient. After leaving Roxy Music, Eno released a series of groundbreaking solo albums that further explored the possibilities of ambient and electronic music. He also collaborated with a number of other artists, including David Bowie, Robert Fripp, and Harold Budd.

In the 1980s, Eno helped to popularize the genre of new age music with his album “Ambient 1: Music for Airports.” He also continued to experiment with other genres, including techno and house music. In the 1990s and 2000s, he collaborated with a number of artists from different genres, including Paul Simon, Coldplay, and U2.

Eno’s work has had a profound impact on the course of popular music, and his influence can be heard in the work of many different artists.

The Future of Cosmic Electronic Music

Cosmic electronic music is a genre of electronic music that draws inspiration from the cosmos. It typically features synthesizers, drum machines, and futuristic soundscapes. The genre emerged in the early 2010s and has been growing in popularity ever since. In this article, we’ll explore the best of cosmic electronic music and what the future of the genre holds.

The Orb

The Orb is a British electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Kris Weston. The group’s music is characterized by its use of samples, atmospheric textures, and minimalist composition.

The Orb’s debut album, The Orb’s Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (1991), was a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and establishing the group as pioneers of the genre known as ambient house. The group has since released eight studio albums, numerous compilations, and collaborated with various artists.

In 2008, Paterson announced that he would be working on a new Orb album with British producer Youth. The result of these sessions was The Dream (2009), which was released on Youth’s label Butterfly Recordings.

Aphex Twin

Richard D. James (born 18 August 1971), better known by his stage name Aphex Twin, is an English musician. He is best known for his influential and distinctive acid techno and ambient music styles, which drew heavily on jungle and house music, as well as hardcore rave music. He is also the co-founder of Rephlex Records with Grant Wilson-Claridge.

Aphex Twin’s album selected ambient works 85-92 was called the best album of the 1990s by FACT magazine. In 2001, Q magazine placed selected ambient works bank robber/the chase at number 29 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, Pitchfork Media ranked James at number 10 in their Top 100 DJs/Producers of All Time list.

Autechre

Autechre is a British electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both from Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are considered to be pioneers in the field of experimental electronic music, and their work has been highly influential in the development of IDM and intelligent dance music.

Autechre’s music is characterized by intricate textures and complex rhythms, often created with extensive use of computer software. Their early work was strongly influenced by the Chicago acid house scene and the work of Warp Records artists such as Aphex Twin and LFO, but they later developed their own unique style.

Autechre have released thirteen studio albums, three live albums, two compilations, four EPs, and sixteen singles. Their most recent studio album, Exai, was released in 2013.