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Drone

Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
edited April 2008 in Other Music
Anyone a fan of this often overlooked, often unfairly maligned genre? I like the fact that while most music is principally concerned with melody, just one aspect of music, Drone often places a greater emphasis on texture, timbre and, as vague a description as it is, atmosphere. There are some really great bands/artists out there making this music and not a lot of people are hearing it. Patience is required but the rewards can be massive. Some drone I recommend:

Birchville Cat Motel (particularly Gunpowder Temple of Heaven and Beautiful Speck Triumph)
Earth
Boris
Stars of the Lid
Keiji Haino
Lustmord
Pelt
Vibracathedral Ochestra
"I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    I am a fan of the bands however I tend to prefer their less-drone output. I like Boris - Amplifier Worship however I tend to listen to Rainbow more. I love Sleep however I listen to Holy Mountain more than I do Jersusalem.

    Sunn O))) I have difficulty sitting through. I have wanted to check Earth out for quite sometime.

    Most of what I have been listening to for the past year has been atmospheric. I tend to lean towards the Black Metal/Shoegaze or Post Rock/Shoegaze before Drone.
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    How is it different from post-rock? Got any links?
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    How is it different from post-rock? Got any links?
    VERY different. I'd say the ONLY thing they have in common is the lack of vocals. You can listen to a drone release and swear they only played 3 chords...over and over and over until it beats you senseless. I am generalizing of course.

    I read an Earth interview and the drummer stated the most difficult thing drumming with Earth is how SLOW they play.
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    transplant wrote:
    VERY different. I'd say the ONLY thing they have in common is the lack of vocals. You can listen to a drone release and swear they only played 3 chords...over and over and over until it beats you senseless. I am generalizing of course.

    I read an Earth interview and the drummer stated the most difficult thing drumming with Earth is how SLOW they play.

    Sounds good... I'd probably like it then. One of the things I like most about Sigur Ros is that they can take three beautiful chords, reduce a song down to just those and have the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end... minimalism. What else do you need?
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    harmless_little_f*** wrote:
    ... minimalism. What else do you need?
    well, this could be straight up your alley.....however I don't think 'beautiful' will really ever enter your vocabulary while listening. Think bone crushing power chords.
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    transplant wrote:
    well, this could be straight up your alley.....however I don't think 'beautiful' will really ever enter your vocabulary while listening. Think bone crushing power chords.

    Also good! *runs to Google*
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    transplant wrote:
    well, this could be straight up your alley.....however I don't think 'beautiful' will really ever enter your vocabulary while listening. Think bone crushing power chords.
    Not all drone is bone crushing in the sense of Sunn O)))'s detuned guitars etc. Birchville Cat Motel can be colossally heavy or they can be startlingly beautiful. The only constant seems to be the relentless drone :D
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Not all drone is bone crushing in the sense of Sunn O)))'s detuned guitars etc. Birchville Cat Motel can be colossally heavy or they can be startlingly beautiful. The only constant seems to be the relentless drone :D
    I may look for this. If only because their name is cool...and to broaden my drone catalogue.
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    transplant wrote:
    I may look for this. If only because their name is cool...and to broaden my drone catalogue.
    They are pretty fucking amazing.

    I'd get those two that I mentioned in the first post first. If you like those, there's a rather large catalogue to explore.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    i just don't get bands like Sun O))). like you said, it does sound like one note over and over.

    i do like Doom though. really heavy, doomy shit. little different i think ... well, i love the band 5ive-they're really heavy and sometimes very very slow (like Pelican's first EP sort of), but just absolutly crushing. and no vocals there either.
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Mushmouthmatt wrote:
    i just don't get bands like Sun O))). like you said, it does sound like one note over and over.

    i do like Doom though. really heavy, doomy shit. little different i think ... well, i love the band 5ive-they're really heavy and sometimes very very slow (like Pelican's first EP sort of), but just absolutly crushing. and no vocals there either.
    I'm not a huge fan of Sunn O))) but I do like some of the more Doom-y drone stuff, like some of Boris' work. I guess it depends what you're looking for in the music. I find a lot of drone boring but when you find good stuff it can be incredible. The simplicity can make you pay much more attention to the atmosphere, the textures and tones and the ambience that the instruments create.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    Birchville Cat Motel (Beautiful Speck Triumph)
    playing right now.
  • KlaypersonneKlaypersonne Posts: 35
    Stars of the Lid are one of my favorite bands. I've been wanting to check out Earth for a little while, especially the newer stuff, but I just haven't gotten to it yet. I also love Eluvium who ambles into drone sometimes, especially on Talk Amongst the Trees.
    I discovered the secret of life, but forgot to write it down.
  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    I'm not a huge fan of Sunn O))) but I do like some of the more Doom-y drone stuff, like some of Boris' work. I guess it depends what you're looking for in the music. I find a lot of drone boring but when you find good stuff it can be incredible. The simplicity can make you pay much more attention to the atmosphere, the textures and tones and the ambience that the instruments create.
    Boris is awesome. i need to get their new one, Smile.
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    Klaypersonne wrote:
    Stars of the Lid are one of my favorite bands. I've been wanting to check out Earth for a little while, especially the newer stuff, but I just haven't gotten to it yet. I also love Eluvium who ambles into drone sometimes, especially on Talk Amongst the Trees.
    I haven't heard anything droney from Eluvium but An accidental memory in the case of death is an amazing album.


    As for Stars of the Lid, they are awesome.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    Does anyone else find the word 'Drone' quite scary? Menacing? I mean just the word? By itself?

    No?

    Oh forget it...
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • transplanttransplant Posts: 1,088
    anyone in this thread listen to Nadja?

    I am on my 3rd spin of their CD Touched and this is exactly what I have been in the mood for lately.

    I am pretty sure this band belongs in this thread, as it skirts the drone/doom/shoegaze mold.

    Anyone who listens to Jesu would love this.

    Ok, in the process of downloading Gravitational Pull Vs. The Desire For an Aquatic Life. if there are better ones from Stars of the Lid, fill me in.
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    transplant wrote:
    anyone in this thread listen to Nadja?

    I am on my 3rd spin of their CD Touched and this is exactly what I have been in the mood for lately.

    I am pretty sure this band belongs in this thread, as it skirts the drone/doom/shoegaze mold.

    Anyone who listens to Jesu would love this.

    Ok, in the process of downloading Gravitational Pull Vs. The Desire For an Aquatic Life. if there are better ones from Stars of the Lid, fill me in.
    Sorry for the late reply. The Tires Sounds of Stars of the Lid is their masterpiece, by far. It's long and hard to digest in one go but then, that's the same for all drone. It's incredible anyway.

    I found a beautiful album today. The Dance of the Moon and the Sun by Natural Snow Buildings. It's 2 and a half hours long (!) and consists of beautifully atmospheric, melodic drones and shorter, acoustic based pop songs with vocals. It's bizarre but absolutely brilliant. A mammoth album.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
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