Somewhat to my surprise I can fairly easily think of ten, although the quality may have taken a dip. Here they are in all their obscurity:- Insides
- It’s Immaterial
- In The Nursery
- Irresistible Force
- Immersion
- Ken Ishii
- Tetsu Inoue
- Ryoji Ikeda
- Ilitch
- Ivy
Insides were a little-known early 90s ambient pop outfit who started life as Earwig (one album) before changing their name and releasing an album (Euphoria) and EP (Clear Skin) on 4AD. The latter is a 38-minute instrumental which apparently used to be played before they came on at gigs and is an essential piece of minimal Steve Reich-like electronica.
More electronica: three from Japan, each very different, Ishii good in a club, Inoue in a chill out room, and Ikeda in a gallery. (That's a photo of Ryoji: he lived very near us in Tokyo. You might expect him to be very cerebral & clinical but he's not at all like his music). And two more from UK: Mixmaster Morris’s Irresistible Force and Colin Newman & Malka Spiegel's Immersion.
Liverpool-based It’s Immaterial released an essential album in 1986 (Life’s Hard and Then You Die) followed by a disappointing second (Song) and then split. Ivy are a classic Indies band from New York, very ‘up’, very ‘charmante’ (the singer is French).
Ilitch was a French outfit from the late 70s/early 80s who released 2 edgy LPs (PeriodikMindTrouble and 10 Suicides) and a cassette (PTM Works). As is the way, they’ve been reappraised, re-released on CD and are now re-active. And finally, In The Nursery are a 'neo-classical/martial electronica' (thanks Wilkipedia) duo. Twins actually. They seem to have become specialists in soundtracks to otherwise silent movies, including Man With a Movie Camera - which has also been re-scored by at least two others, Michael Nyman and Cinematic Orchestra.
Also-rans: Idol Taxi (quirky Japanese breakbeat), Ken Ikeda, Isan, I Start Counting, Instrumental (chamber versions of chillout), Icicle Works, Inspiral Carpets, In Embrace, Incredible String Band, and at a pinch Chris Isaak (if only for Wicked Game). But not Iron Butterfly, Iron Maiden, INXS, Ice T or Billy Idol.
A bit of a problem one for me. Can't come up with 10!
ReplyDeleteBut I would have the Norwegian duo Information for 1 great album. Mark Isham for a couple of 80s things, before Hollywood & Scientology got in the way. A big favourite at the time were mid 70's British jazz/rock/fusion band Isotope, mainly because of Gary Boyle's guitar playing. And Neil Innes for his TV programme of musical sendups - The Innes Book of Records.
Right, totally forgot about Mark Isham. Wasn't big on Isotope. Not really aware of Information (although doubtless you've put a track on one of yr compilations). Bad name btw. And, yes, Neil Innes should be conbsdered.
ReplyDeleteIshii (as Flare) was also good in chill out room.
ReplyDeleteInoue's "World Receiver" is on my classics-list.
Impulse manslaughter is too but I don't think you'll like them.