Otto Matta

akira - I was in your shoes about 4 years ago. I got interested after I wrote a couple of tracks in FL Studio. I bought a new computer, Reason 3.0 and a soundcard with MIDI (MAudio Delta 1010LT, which is still warmly regarded, even if it's not the best). With moderate effort I outgrew my setup within less than two years, then upgraded to Cubase 4, which is magnificent. My recommendation to you would be to skip many expensive and time-consuming steps and get yourself a half-decent soundcard and Cubase, both of which you can find used if money is an issue. Also make sure you have the fastest computer you can afford, one that you can upgrade as the need arises. Speed makes all the difference. You can have great gear but a slow computer will more than likely kill your inspiration. No matter what you decide on, making electronic music is always going to have a fairly steep learning curve (your effort will be the most important driving factor), so you're better off having the right equipment to start with and learn with. If I'd known better, that's what I would have done. In other words, don't be intimidated by this stuff - you, just like many, many people, can master it if you put in a modicum of effort. FL Studio can be very powerful in the right hands, and offers more flexibility than Reason, which is also very powerful and extremely sturdy, but ultimately limited. If you're interested, but not interested enough at the moment to splurge on a bunch of equipment, I'd say, one, forget Reason. Two, get yourself a half-decent soundcard with MIDI inputs so that you can hook up your Yamaha and use it as a controller with FL Studio. Three, if you like the process thus far, get Cubase as soon as possible, before you get all warm and fuzzy with FL Studio and don't want to part with it. The main advantage to programs like FL Studio and Cubase - not Reason - is that when you're ready you can acquire, for free and/or for money, software synthesizers and effects (VSTis) that will greatly expand upon the palette with which you can paint your music.

These are not great recommendations for what you want, but maybe you should check out Messaien's Tarangalila Symphony. It's powerful, trippy stuff, and it incorporates an Ondes-Martenot. The only other thing I can think of is Stockhausen's concrete music.

Here are a few: Later Murcof, Johan Johansson and Max Richter. If you want some more synthetic stuff, I highly recommend William Orbit's Pieces in a Modern Style (remakes of well-known classical pieces). In my opinion the only interesting thing he's done. And then if you like that sort of thing [here it comes, my big bias], totally check out all of Isao Tomita's , who did most of his important work just before Vangelis' time. He could cheese out at times, sort of like Jarre could, but his serious stuff (most of it) is amazing (I personally like all of it).

There's something fishy about that album cover... Can't put my finger on it.

Mandalavandalz Spirallianz Midimiliz Battle of the Future Buddha[z]

Looking forward to this one a lot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_UxLEqd074 Blair Witch style.

Undertow, then Aenima, although their edge was already starting to disappear. Opiate was okay, but not great.

First for me would be Peter Gabriel's Passion, soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ. Desert island material for me. The album is on YouTube . The Blade Runner soundtrack is great. Other 70s/80s sci-fi scores like Star Wars ( is especially awesome), Close Encounters, Tron and The Black Hole (movie here - one of my all-time faves, and the opening theme is wicked) are great to me because I was young and they permanently attached themselves to me. I also really like the Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack, as well as Bernard Herrmann's music for Ray Harryhausen's films, like Jason and the Argonauts.

Tell the mutators to dress the clowns in serial protogenics. [/fd]

Seen it about 10 times over the years, and it hasn't changed much. It's quasi-accurate, but not enough for people who actually listen to electronic music, so it's also, I presume, very misleading for people who are new to it. The Goa/Psy samples have not changed in many years, and are not quite representational. And not once have I seen someone refer to "Buttrock Goa" outside of that site, even though the samples there are all guitar-laden Psytrance. It's a fun site for the first few minutes, but ultimately frustrating in its half-assed reconstruction of the stuff we listen to.

I have to recommend this again, because it's pretty cool: Several very nice tech mixes at Soundmute

Yep. Been listening Spirallianz's Stereopark album lately, and it's sooooo good.

For me the production generally became too crisp and plastic. Too much focus on great production and loudness and not enough on interesting, human music with depth and character. Also going to a big outdoor for the first and last time and seeing how the community was not nearly as enlightened as I'd thought. Largely just a bunch of pretentious, selfish people who wanted to put junk in their systems and call it exploration. Which says things about the music itself. Huge turn-off.

Don't know the tracks you mentioned, but from your definitions, according to my experience, I'd say see if you like Ka-Sol's tracks Pricken (Stone Age's comp, Tales from the Dark Forest), and Iris (Schlabbaduerst's fifth, green compilation, as well as his entire Ghost Story album (Schlabbaduerst).

I don't know much. They had a handful of releases on compilations. Then I think one of them got sick or something, or had some sort of major difficulty, so they had to stop.

Such a great track, off the eternally awesome Vibraspirit 23. Up there, in my opinion, with Technossomy's VTOL. Too bad those guys had to cut things short before they could make an album or two. Love the Episode 1 pod racer samples. Just sayin'.

I assume you've heard some tech trance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjqbzD8pDis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPkmD3-KyKM

Should tech trance have been an option? If so, that's my choice. (Other)

WHAT?

Weird. That book totally transported me. A top ten fiction experience for me, and I've read a lot of books.

Yeah, the dude's an institution. Talk about overcompensation. True Lies was great. I've had a thing for Jamie Lee Curtis since Trading Places.

Serenity is great if you've seen the Firefly series first - it basically wraps up a prematurely, regretfully, canceled TV series. Pitch Black is definitely a worthwhile experience. The follow-up, Chronicles of Riddick, is also quality, although I suspect some would say not so. Not super-cerebral, but tough, action-oriented sci-fi with high production. BTW, I loved Sunshine. I was skeptical of the ending the first time, but the second and third time made much more sense. I guess it grows on you.