Index

 

V.C.V.S. (Georgia)

Sections From the Imaginary Future (2017)

A duo of Irakli Shonia and Sandro Kozmanishvili (Soulvent, Octachoron). Experimental, analog, sort of minimal, a bit like deconstructed club music.

 


V I C I M (Sweden)

Convenience (2018)
Ademptus Demere (2019)

Dark, depressive ambient synth soundscapes.

 


V.O.S. (USA)

Veil of Secrecy (2001)
All Is One (2001) (S)
Deadtech (2001)

V.O.S. is short for Veil of Secrecy. Dark, ominous soundscapes. It's a side project of Yen Pox (Steve Hall).

See also: Yen Pox, Mud.

 


V Vecker Ensemble (Canada)

Acedia Phase (2023)

Vancouver-based improvisational ensemble focusing on stacks of analog synths and some sax solos, giving an occasional jazzy flair to their cosmic electronic sound.

 


V4R1 (Estonia)

V4R1 (2017)

Audiovisual project formed in Taiwan by two Estonians - Sander Saarmets (music) and Virge Loo (visuals). Inspired by Taiwanese environments, the synth music is quirky, rhythmic, repetitive and experimental. Sometimes a tad dark.

See also: Muschraum

 


Vaarbrud (Denmark)

Vaarbrud (2020)

Serene, melodic ambient compositions.

 


Vacant (UK)

Nocturnal (2017) (EP)

London-based grime / dubstep artist. The above EP opens with a purely ambient track "Farewell". A one-track inclusion so far.

 


Vacant Expression (France)

U (2020) (S)

Varied, emotional music from this Paris-based project.

 


Vacant Stations (UK)

Clones (2017)

London-based dark soundscape project.

 


Vacarch (USA)

A Dance Around Ourselves (2022)

Anchorage-based project between "dungeon synth" and RPG music, with complex synth themes and superfast metal drumming.

 


Vactrol Park (Italy / UK)

I (2015) (EP)
II (2016) (EP)
MT0017 (2018) (EP)
Music From the Luminous Void (2018)

Pulsing analog synthesizers with some real drums on some tracks. Not exactly Berlin School, although clearly influenced by that scene, just like by minimal techno and Ambient. Basically a duo of Guido Zen and Kyle Martin.

See also: Brain Machine, Land of Light.

 


Vacuum Aeterna (???)

Project: Darkscapes (2017)

What the title says.

 


Vacuum Templi (Italy)

Ceremonies (2014) (S)
Ceremonies II / The Temple's Tape (2015) (S)
Ritual Session For Organ And Tapes (2017)
Death Chamber Musick (2018)

Horror dark ambience project with power electronics and ritual overtones. The focus is on the choirs, lo-fi textures / drones and analog synths.

See also: Cericola, Loris

 


Vādin (UK)

Taiyō (2020)
Black Tortoise (2021)

A duo of Christian Duka and Lucie Štepánková. Taiyō was recorded in a yurt in the Welsh wilderness and represents a series of field recordings, drones, noises and melodic synth explorations.

 


Væv (Denmark)

Drømmenes Spejl (2021)

Somber, melancholic, melodic ambience.

 


Vagenas, Alex (Greece)

I Saw Water (2021)

Rough and stark, ambient electronics from this Greek artist formerly based in London. Intense, sometimes slightly noisy or piercing, this music mixes processed field recordings and electroacoustics with Alex's synthesizer textures.

 


Vaggione, Horacio (Argentina)

La Maquina de Cantar (1978)

Argentinean avant-garde composer (now residing in Paris). He appeared on the Viaje LP from It and released this solo album on the Cramps label. A no easy-listening experience, it features two sides of stark and experimental, monolithic and glurpy electronics, a fascinating mixture of Conrad Schnitzler, Klaus Schulze and minimalist composers. The first side is made with an IBM computer, the second with a minimoog and a Yamaha organ.

See also: It

 


Vagon Brei (Spain)

Asturias Tierra de Leyendas (2009)
Destiny (2011)
Cosmic Luv Voyage (2014) (S)
The Zeta Puppis Tales Vol. 1 (2014)
Secret of Swamp Castle (2014)
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out (2015)

A project of  Victor Ramos from Asturias, whose music combines a range of influences, from Ambient to gently rhythmic tracks with slight IDM / Shoegazer touches.

 


Vagrant (UK)

Center City (2013) (S)
Unrest (2017)
Crystalline City (2018)

A mixture of UK bass / dubstep and ambient tracks, some of them piano-dominated.

 


Vague Imaginaires (France)

L'île d'or (2020)
L'île sous l'eau (2020)
L'île volante (2023)

Vague Imaginaires is Denis Morin - a gardener from Grenoble. He is also a synth musician with a playful, relaxing style, inspired by different cultures and nature. Pretty nice stuff if you ask me.

 


Vague Voices (Bulgaria)

Гробник (2019)
II. Елегии (2022)

Ambient duo with a hypnotic, otherworldly sound.

See also: Cyberian, Dayin, Mytrip, Born Erased.

 


Vahi, Peeter (Estonia)

Music For Synthesizers (1986)
Relaxātio (1990) (with Meelis Kuusemets)
The Path To the Heart of Asia (1992)
To His Highness Salvador D. (1997)

This Estonian composer (born in 1955 in Tartu) makes music which is a mixture of (mostly) avant-garde electronics and folk music.

 


Vai (Germany??)

Nachti Ambient Tape #3 (2019)

Varied electronic compositions.

 


Vaillant (France)

Mirage Orange (2019)
Magie Noire+ (2019) (recorded in 2014 - 2019)

Melodic analog music in a unique style from Olivier Stula. Pretty nice stuff.

 


Vairinhos, João (Portugal)

Vénia (2020) (S)

Drummer and keyboardist from Portugal. Melodic, intense, rhythmic, hymnal, dramatic...

 


Väisänen, Ilpo (Finland)

Syntetisaattori Musiikkia Kuopiosta (2016) (S)

Member of Pan Sonic and several other projects in techno / IDM / glitch vein. His solo work is similar in spirit to his parent band. However, on Syntetisaattori Musiikkia..., a certain Prog EM influence is felt in places. It is still very experimental and a bit glitchy.

 


Vaisseau (France)

Horrors Waiting In Line (2020)

Brest-based synth / drums duo. Intense, doomy, neurotic EM. Pretty nice stuff apparently influenced by doom metal and the horror synth genre.

 


Vakhchav (USA)

Ab Intra (2007) (S)
Hunting Horns (2008)
Birth To A Point It Comes (2009)
In Embers (2009)
The Relative Middle (2009)

Vakhchav is the work of ambient drone artist Nickolas Mohanna who uses guitar, electronics and tons of processing.

See also: Mohanna, Nickolas

 


Vako (Spain)

Vako (2013)

Analog, cosmic, Berlin School music from this Madrid-based artist. Generally not very heavy on the sequencers. Comparable to Neuronium.

 


Vakula (Ukraine)

You've Never Been To Konotop: Selected Works 2009-2012 (2013)
A Voyage To Arcturus (2015)
Dedicated To Jim Morrison (2015)
Cyclicality Between Procyon And Gomeisa (2016)
Techno Game (2017)
Metaphors (2018)
In Search of Ancient Civilization (2020)
108 Mysteries (2023)

Vakula is Mikhaylo Vityuk. He is basically a deep house producer. However, on A Voyage To Arcturus you will find varied EM compositions, from sequenced Berlin School numbers to more rhythmic stuff with a touch of house and with liquid guitar solos, so it's a rather unlikely combination. Metaphors moves deeper into EM territory, with a unique combination of some tribal / ethnic elements and multiple synths. Nice!

See also: Vedomir

 


Vakunud (Italy)

Vakunud (2023)

A mixture of dungeon synth and melodic EM from this project.

 


Val P (USA)

Val Well (1979)
Moog (1982)
Moog II (1982)
Moog III (1984)

Val Podlasinski worked as sales manager for Moog Music in Buffalo. The first album was created on Moog synthesizers only. Others are library LPs.

 


Valanx (Germany)

Xenolith (2012)
Ejecta (2013)
The Seventh Order (2013) (EP)
Through Stygian Forests (2014)
Copper (2015) (S)
Bronze (2015) (S)
Silver (2015) (S)
Gold (2015) (S)
The Towering Pillars (2016)
Simulacrum (2016)
Ouroboros (2016)
Radiant Orbs of Abzu (2017)

Valanx is Arne Weinberg from Germany, who currently seems to reside in Scotland. He makes music under various psedonyms, including his real name. Originally a techno musician, he seems to have become bored by the club scene and decided to explore deeper realms under the Valanx moniker. As a result we have an unusual musical mix, where the sounds themselves (created mostly with modular gear) are obviously from the Dark Ambient school of thought - low rumbles, echoes, drones, distant chants etc., but the slow, broken rhythms accompanying a lot of the tracks could be an extension of his techno influences, although the rhythms never become prominent, providing just a backbone for the sinister atmospheres. Not exactly something for hardcore EM fans and purists, I thought of this music as marginally progressive, so, in my opinion, the inclusion of this project in EEM is justified.

 


Valdersnes, Rudi (Norway)

Untitled (2016)

Strange tribal ambiences with analog sounds.

 


Valdés, José Ignacio (Chile)

Misterios Cosmográficos (1983)
Esencia (1989)
Aura Dorada (2000)
Entreparéntesis (2002)
Evolución del Universo (2004)
Amanecer y Atardecer (2006)
Misterios Cosmográficos II (2014)

Chilean composer who is pretty diverse but is mostly very melodic, listenable and accessible, often in the style of Jean-Michel Jarre and even a touch of Laserdance on his first cassette (Misterios...). Later works may be new agey or ambient, depending on the album or track. Lots of symphonic bombast, too.

 


Valefor (USA)

Death Magick (1996)
Desert of Set (1998) (S)
Invokation Ov Forneus (1998)
Liber Al Vel Legis (1998)
The Graves of Andras (2001)
Ceremony of the Ordeal (2017)

Post-Darkness Enshroud (Michael Ford) Black ambience.

See also: Darkness Enshroud

 


Valentin, Frederic (Denmark)

Amager Strand (2015)
Brazil (2016) (with Hvide Sejl and Varg)
Buy Corals Online (2017) (with Loke Rahbek)
Elephant (2020) (with Loke Rahbek)
Together (2022) (with Loke Rahbek)

Danish musician and a member of a couple of bands. He makes music that is at times a bit noisy, but mostly synthy and ambient.

See also: Kyo

 


Valentino, Michael (USA)

Diary of A Libra (2008)
Hymn To the Unknown (2009)
Dreams of Escape (2011)

Michael Valentino is a talented young composer who makes melodic and cinematic music with a focus on atmosphere and melody. He is slightly influenced by Vangelis and possibly also TD but he really has an individual style with excellent melodic progressions and a large piano presence.

 


Valérien Öselicht (France)

Reflets (??)

Abstract electronics composed as a soundtrack to a sort of a visual slide show.

 


Valerinne (Romania)

A Ghost Year (2020)

Although a noise rock trio, Bucharest-based Valerinne recorded A Ghost Year as a diversion that explores the darkest side of their music. It is synth-based and sounds like a soundtrack to a horror / mystery movie.

 


Valerio Gallo Curcio Group (Italy)

Games And Images (1985)
Exciter (1985)
Musica D'Ambiente (1988)

Library electronics by Valerio Gallo Curcio and Franco Bonfanti. Comparable to mid-80's Tangerine Dream, sometimes using similar harpsichord-like electronic sounds.

 


Vales (USA)

Hymns (2014) (S)
Decision Points (2014) (S)
Tile (2017) (S)
Dual Graves (??)

Vales is an alias of Dave Doyen - an experimental musician who seems to enjoy creating noisy modular synth constructions. However, some of his stuff is less noisy and is related to the Prog EM sound in the same way that, for example, Conrad Schnitzler's stuff is.

See also: Wide Color, Sound Out Light.

 


Valese, Saele (Italy)

The Serpent's Eggs (2019)
IVIC (2021)
A White, White Day (2021)

Italian artist residing in Bern, Switzerland. Monolithic, metallic-sounding ambient compositions on The Serpent's Eggs. Slowed down minimal techno beats coupled with obscure atmospheres on IVIC. Long, collage-like pieces with growling synths and harsher, noisier moments on A White, White Day.

 


Valev, Emil (Bulgaria)

Óðáàíèñòè÷íà ìóçèêà (1993) (with JPE)
Èíäóñòðèÿ è ìå÷òè (1995)
Äåïðåñèâíà åêëåêòèêà
(1996)
Åìèë Âúëåâ (1997)
Åìèë Âúëåâ (1999)
Arbiter Elegantiarum (2013) (recorded in 1995 - 2013)
Cyber Punk (2017)
Àáñòðàêòåí Õóìàíèçúì (2020)
Z (2021)

Emil Valev (Åìèë Âúëåâ) is a Bulgarian musician and ex-member of Goth rock band Âèîëåòîâ Ãåíåðàë. He is also a visual artist and accompanies his exhibitions with his own music, which mostly consists of varied dark and experimental soundscapes.

See also: Violetov General

 


Validine Chronus (USA)

Quinto (2006)
Transdermal (2018)

Pittsburgh-based artist who started experimenting with sounds and samples already in the 1990's (or maybe earlier?). The bulk of Transdermal can be described as Noise Ambient, with a few hard-core experimental moments and some vaguely melodic pads on top of radio static and various samples ("Cold", "Drift"...)

 


Valiska (Canada)

A Day As A Blade of Grass (2013) (S)
Shifts (2013)
A Changing Light (2014) (with Zenjungle)
Repetitions (2015)
Healer (2016)
On Pause (2017)
Numbers (2019)

Calm, moody, expressionist synthesizer soundscapes.

 


Valkering, Fred (Netherlands)

Soundtrack One (198?)

Ambient electronics on this rare cassette release.

 


Vallahir (Hungary)

The Journey To Eight Peaks (2022)
Doom Over Karag Haraz (2023)

Medieval-sounding "dungeon synth" tracks with a sense of narrative and touches of darker ambient styles.

 


Vallay (???)

Uno (2019)

Synth / drums duo of Franco Spenzini and Daniel Meuzard with something of a Heldon vibe.

 


Valle de Galgos (Argentina)

El Domo Spitzerwelt (2017)

Unusual duo combining analog electronics and some folky touches for a droning sound.

 


Valles Lacrimarum (Poland)

Everything Is Nothing (2001)
A Piece of Snails Existence On the Vertical Street In Hell (2003)

Ambient.

 


Valley And the Mountain, The (USA)

Outer Reaches (2015) (EP)
Gentle Waters Keep Moving (2016)
Alphanumerix (2016) (EP)

Detroit-based project mixing melodic and sequenced EM with electro beats. Klaus Schulze jamming with Juan Atkins?

 


Valley Forge (Germany)

Leaving To Nothing (1995)
Parking Lot At San Diego International Airport (2004)
Live & Session Tapes (2005)

Valley Forge is Thomas Bechholds from Germany. Versatile, sequence-full music.

 


Vallicelli, Matteo (Italy)

Primo (2017)
47100 (2017) (S)

Electronic Music from this drummer of several punk bands.

 


Vallmo (Sweden)

Ruin Walls (2019)
Bisho (2023) (S)
Othem (2023)

A project of Melina Åkerman Kvie. Sometimes rhythmic, with some techno beats, but mostly slow and atmospheric electronics, emotional and with a kind of Nordic flair.

 


Valotihkuu (Russia)

Sleep Tones (2015)
In A Garden (2016)
Fragile Melodies (2018)
Paths (2018)
By the River (2019)
Midnight Fairytales (2020) (with Dynastor)
Swallow (2021) (with Masaya Kato)

Warm Ambient with field recordings and a neo-classical edge. Valotihkuu is Denis Davydov.

 


Vals, Aigar (Estonia)

End Game (2018)
Imperaator (2020)
Uue ajastu guru (2022)

Drummer and member of avant-garde rock band Badass Yuki. His own solo music is hard to describe, as it mixes multiple influences and styles in unlikely ways. The primary components, though, include indie rock, shoegaze, post-rock, post-punk and a dash of ambient EM, all wrapped up in a nebulous flair typical of vaporwave productions. Tracks like "Opening Ceremony", "Musi", "Movies In My Mind" (End Game) or "Päevauni" (Uue ajastu guru) will definitely attract the attention of EM fans: what with all the sparkling synths, echoing effects and jazzy electric pianos... Oh, and the live drumming is nice as well of course.

 


Vals, Argo (Estonia)

Nokturn (2015)
In Loving Memory of (2020)

Although Argo Vals is primarily a guitarist, Nokturn is an electronic album with a warm sound and guitar as a complementary element. Elements of post-rock and Tangerine Dream circa Mars Polaris (and later) can be felt. Or maybe that's just me.

 


VÄLVĒ (UK)

Tiny Pilots (2023)

Experimental / avant-pop / improvisational band led by Chlöe Herington. The Prog EM influence on tracks like "Red Moon Rising" (Tiny Pilots) is undeniable.

See also: Herington, Chlöe

 


valyri (USA)

Phases (2018)
Surreality / Saturnfall (2018)
Expanses (2018)
Years Previous Spent Involuntarily (2019)
Isn't Althrough Which Way (2019) (S)
Home, For the First Time (2020)

This artist is related to the vaporwave, glitch and electroacoustic genres. However, the "Saturnfall" tracks from the cassette box Surreality / Saturnfall will please fans of ambient EM and Space Music. Phases is another ambient-oriented release.

See also: Khoven

 


Valyum, Carlo Domenico (Italy)

Cronovisione Italiana (2018)

Alleged tapes from an early 20th Century researcher who died in 1989. Most certainly, a modern hoax. The music is experimental, but quite listenable electronics.

 


Vamos Desistir (Brazil)

Perguntas (2020)
Respostas (2021)

A project of Gabriel Guerra from Rio de Janeiro, who is known under many different pseudonyms, each one used for a specific style of music. This one sees him creating long instrumental tracks with steady rhythms, layering sequences or synth solos on top, etc. Pretty nice and unique EM in a minimal and repetitive style.

See also: O Retiro dos Artistas

 


Vampire Tower (France)

An Evening At the Witch-House (2018)
An Evening At the Witch-House, The Infinite Castle & Demos Box Set (2018)

Somewhat related to the dungeon synth genre, this music is much more synthetic than the usual fair, not trying to imitate the medieval / acoustic instrumentation most of the time, opting instead to explore the possibilities of the crude and cheap instruments at hand. I find the sound very EM-friendly and relatively interesting.

See also: Mythological Eoarchean Cosmonauts

 


Van Bogaert, Frank (Belgium)

Colours (1998)
Geographic (1999)
Docking (2000)
Human (2002)
Closer (2004)
Nomads (2006)
Air Machine (2009)

Belgian synthesist born in 1962 in Sint-Joost-ten-Node and currently residing in Aartselaar, Antwerpen. Geographic features lush, rhythmic, melodic music, with a symphonic Vangelis-like grandeur. The title track sounds a bit like Enigma / Deep Forest, and so do other upbeat tracks on this album, although Frank Van Bogaert's music is far better than anything by those two artists. Frank has a real knack for creating catchy and strong (although often quite simple) melodies. Slow tracks like "Rain" pleasantly recall such works as Antarctica. This is the kind of stuff you can listen to together with your family, even your girlfriend / wife will like this. Ethnic influences (tribal percussion, various ethnic instruments, voices) are scattered throughout the album although this is not exactly World Music, as these elements do not dominate the picture and are used only to compliment these melodic tracks. Amazingly, "Sauvage" has something of a Laserdance edge to it. The upbeat tracks are too "pop" for my tastes, but many people will like this music. The best track on the album is in my opinion "Savior". The second best is the 2+ minute "Dreamworld". Docking follows in similar direction, although as a rule this album is more relaxed and more introspective than Geographic. The closest comparison would be, again, Vangelis, although Frank doesn't copy. He has his own signature, it's just that his approach to composing is somehow similar to that of the Greek maestro. On this album you will find once again some more "commercial" upbeat titles and some slow, romantic and relaxing tunes. Grand piano can be heard quite often, done in a pleasant, delicate manner. Overall, it's a good album, despite the fact that I thought some tracks were a bit overblown (as on Geographic - a feature that will be almost non-present on Human). Frank is really talented with his style. The best tracks (IMO) are the title track (I simply LOVE the sequences!) and "Churches". Human sees Frank adding improvisational methods to his style and it's my favourite album by him. You can read some more reviews of Frank's music in my reviews section.

 


Van Bradder (UK)

Dreamscapes (1997)
Images Oceaniques (??)

Supposedly, great Space Music, sometimes reminding on Steve Roach or Robert Rich, but without the tribal elements. Nigel Van Bradder was influenced by Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Ambient artists.

 


Van Buren, Chris (Netherlands)

Hope And Destiny (2016)
New Horizons (2017)
Tierra del Fuego (2018)

Dutch spacesynth artist also known as NeoSpace.

See also: NeoSpace

 


Van der Toorn, S. (Netherlands)

Vervlogenheden I-XI (2022)

Pretty much classic-sounding Ambient made with Rhodes piano, tape loops and processing.

 


Van Fleet, Ed (USA)

Migration (1987)
Light This (2011)

Migration is first Ed Van Fleet album released under his own name. File under Electronic New Age. The rest of his output is much more new-agey and less electronic. An exception to this rule is Light This, which is melodic Progrock with some electronics.

See also: Synchestra, Blue Star.

 


Van Handel, Stephen (USA)

Les Pieces Pour le Nouveau Monde (1986)
Pearls of the Soul (1988)
Chiaroscuro (1992)
Pieces For the New World (1993)

This California-based synthesist creates grand orchestral emulations ala Vangelis with some Jarre-isms thrown in.

 


Van Hoen, Mark (UK)

Nightvision (2015)
The Worcester Tapes, 1983 - 1987 (2015)
Electronic Music 1982-1987 (2017)
Invisible Threads (2018)
Plan For A Miracle (2024)

On Nightvision, diverse electronic composer Mark Van Hoen brings in his Prog EM influences to the fore (mixed with his glitchy / downtempo beats), with two tracks dedicated to Edgar Froese.

See also: Locust

 


Van Kruysdijk, Richard (Netherlands)

Dance Music 2010 - 2011 (2012)
One Two Three Four Five (2018) (with Bart van Dongen)

Electronic musician who is experimental but also quite listenable. He seems to be influenced by everything, from IDM to electroacoustic music, krautock and ambient EM.

 


Van Luijk, Timo (Belgium)

Vang Circular (2017) (with Mark Harwood)
Ipnopedion (2020) (with Frederik Croene)

Finnish-born Belgian artist in experimental vein. Vang Circular is a semi-acoustic work based on mellotron, synth, vibes, metal pipes and other (mostly acoustic) instruments. Pretty unique and definitely progressive. Further investigation is needed.

See also: Lumine, Ilta Hämärä.

 


Van Lukas Orchestra (Belgium)

CF. 68 (1983) (S)

Synth-pop single by this band. It is ok, nothing extraordinary. The real cream is side B, though, titled "The Girl Doesn't Seem To Care", which is a dramatic Prog EM track. Fans of Vangelis will like it for sure.

See also: Vanlukas

 


Van Orman, Wade (USA)

Zen Lullabies And Other Songs (2019)

Bloomington, Indiana-based ambient composer and songwriter. Zen Lullabies is evenly split between ambient material and vocal songs.

 


Van Otterdyke (Netherlands)

Soundtracks (1992)
Soundtracks 2 (1993)

These are library CD's with ambient synthesizer music.

 


Van Pelt, Graham (Canada)

Salt Spring: Sun And Shadow (2021) (recorded in 2017)

Indie rock / pop musician from Toronto. Salt Spring was recorded during his refuge on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia. The music is just him, a keyboard and a bunch of guitar pedals. Reflective Ambient.

 


Van Sax, Pier (Italy)

Ambientium (2020)

A pseudonym of Pier Luigi Salsano.

See also: Salsano, Pier Luigi

 


Vanaelst, Gavin (Belgium)

Live 08-03-2023 (2023) (with Jente Waerzeggers)

Nice EM ranging from ambient to sequencer-based. Composed for an exhibition.

 


Vanargandr (New Zealand)

Ok Vigs Fotum Ver Skiptum (2002)
Praeparet Bellum (2006) (S)
Valtivar (2006)
Dauthaz (2014) (S)

Droning Black Ambient.

 


Vanaheim, Paul (Norway)

Cold Fusion (2015)

Rhythmic, cinematic, orchestral, bombastic EM.

 


Vanbergen, Reinhard (Belgium)

Reinhard Vanbergen (2020)
Geometric Shapes (2021)
Coloured Cones (2021)
One Tone Trax - 8 Electronic Etudes And Variations (2021)
Reinhard & Reinhard (2021)

Belgian multi-intrumentalist, member of Das Pop, Rheinzand and The Happy. On Geometric Shapes, he presents wacky, library-like electronic tracks inspired by different geometric figures. Melodic, repetitive, cartoonish, cabaret-like, jazzy... Pretty nice stuff.

 


Vandalorum (USA)

Lost Hymns (2020) (recorded in 2017 - 2019)
Mesopotamian Death Cult (2020)
Partium Exitium (2021)
Flagellum Dei (2022)

San Diego-based project related to the dungeon synth genre, but also very much influenced by melodic EM and Ambient. Lost Hymns gathers singles recorded and released from 2017 to 2019. I really like the closing track "The End Times", its simplicity and melodic progression reminding me on eighties' Tangerine Dream.

 


Vander, Christian (France)

Les Voyages de Christophe Colomb (1992)

Ok, so this is a story-telling / narration album. Moreover, musically it's often deemed as "for completists only" by fans of this great musician. However, this might well be the only Christian Vander record that is based on synthesizers. Thankfully, there are long stretches of music with no voice. Still, a completely instrumental version would be way better. The style is bombastic and orchestral, sometimes a bit similar to contemporary Vangelis (circa Conquest of Paradise).

See also: Magma

 


Vanderberg, Justin (USA)

In Waking Moments (2007)
Synthetic Memories (2011)

Sound artist from Ohio, USA. On his debut release, Justin Vanderberg is helped by Steve Roach. Minimal soundscape / Ambient music.

 


Vanderson (Poland)

Echoes of Darkness (2007)
Music In My Mind (2008)
Fluorescentix (2008) (EP)
Earth Moving (2009)
From the Bottom of Space (2010)
Anything Can Happen (2010)
Visions (2011)
Synthetic Breath (2012)
Another Day In Future (2013)
Remote Sessions (2013) (with Przewyslaw Rudz)
Vandisphere (2016)
Beyond Time Structure (2017)
Sequenced Thoughts
(2018)
Return To Consciousness (2018)

Rhythmic, sequencer music from Polish synthesist Maciej Wierzchowski.

 


Vandoni, Chris (Switzerland)

The Rain Forest (1991)
Reflections (1994)
Inspirations (1994)

I would describe his style as general melodic / rhythmic. A bit new-agey and with some bombastic Vangelis-like moments.

 


Vanderen (Germany)

Sehnsucht I (2014)

Sounds like some guy equipped with a couple of analog synths trying to make dungeon synth music.

 


Vandroogenbroeck, Joel (Belgium)

Flirt (1972)
Images of Flute In Nature (1978)
Meditations Vol.1 (1979)
Meditations Vol.2 (1980)
Biomechanoid (1980)
Birth of Earth (1980)
Contemporary Pastoral And Ethnic Sounds (1980)
Lost Continents (1980)
However (1981)
Industrial Retrospect (1981)
Computer Blossoms (1981)
Mesopotamia Egypt (1982)
Middle Ages (1983)
Double Brain (1985) (with Bruno Spoerri)
Southeast Asia (1985)
Digital Project (1987)
Video Games & Data Movements (1988)
Avision (1988)
Sunrise (1993)
California, Industrial & Scenic Moods (??) (with Marc Monsen)
Advanced Process (??)
Datapulse (??)
Images (??)
Water World (??)
Hidden Atmospheres (2004)
Silicon Sirene (2006)
Moods And Movements (2007) (recorded in 1979 - 1995)
Alterated Frequencies (2007)
Meditation Vol. 3 (2007)
Meditation Vol. 4 (2007)

Most of these are super rare electronic library albums by the Brainticket frontman (1938 - 2019). Some ethnic material.

See also: Brainticket, Vann, Eric.

 


Vanelli, Giacomo (Italy)

Music For Nothing (2024)

Melancholic ambient compositions.

 


Vanenbergh, Barrie J. (Germany)

Synthesizer-Laboratorium (??)

Recorded in Cologne with Ralf Schoenmaker.

 


Vanethian (Italy)

Amazing Dimensions (2000)
Electronic Souls Fusion (2001)
Electric Blue (2001)
Energy Train (2004)
Galaxy Channel 7 (2004)
New Millenium (2004)

Vanethian is Manuel Marino. Influences of Jarre, Synergy, etc. Rather easy-listening stuff.

 


Vangelis (Greece)

Sex Power (1970)
Hypothesis (1971)
The Dragon (1971)
Fais Que Ton Reve Soit Plus Long Que La Nuit (1972)
L'Apocalypse Des Animaux (1973) (soundtrack) (recorded in 1970)
Earth (1973)
Heaven And Hell (1975)
Ignacio (1975) (soundtrack)
La Fete Sauvage (1976) (soundtrack)
Albedo 0.39 (1976)
Spiral (1977)
Beaubourg (1978)
Opera Sauvage (1979) (soundtrack)
China (1979)
My Love / Domestic Logic One (1980) (S)
See You Later (1980)
Don't Be Foolish / Doesn't Matter (1980) (S) (with Peter Marsh)
Odes (1980) (with Irene Papas)
Chariots of Fire (1981) (soundtrack)
Blade Runner (1982) (soundtrack)
Antarctica (1983) (soundtrack)
Soil Festivities (1984)
Silent Portraits (1984) (S)
The Mask (1985)
Invisible Connections (1985)
Rapsodies (1986) (with Irene Papas)
Direct (1988)
The City (1990)
1492, Conquest of Paradise (1992) (soundtrack)
In London (1993) (S) (with Neuronium)
Voices (1995)
El Greco (1995)
A Separate Affair (1996) (with Neuronium)
Oceanic (1996)
Mythodea (2001)
Alexander (2004) (soundtrack)
Blade Runner Trilogy (2007)
El Greco (2007) (soundtrack)
Amore (2016) (recorded in 1973) (soundtrack)
Rosetta (2016)
Nocturne (2019)
Juno To Jupiter (2020)

Famous Greek synthesist (real name - Evanghelos Odyssey Papathanassiou, 1943 - 2022), a self-taught musician whose career started in several Greek rock bands before he began experimenting with electronics. His first 'serious' band was Aphrodite's Child, formed together with his friends and which also included Demis Roussos. Their 1972 album 666 marked the beginning of Vangelis' experiments with sound. The album shows his talents as a keyboard player and is generally the most experimental of all Aphrodite's Child releases. Earlier albums are just plain pop songs with progressive touches here and there. Fais Que Ton Reve Soit Plus Long Que La Nuit consists partly of material recorded by Vangelis in Paris 1968 during the left-winged student riots. It's an interesting mix of field recordings, news snipplets, piano themes, folk songs and electronics. It is very rare and was never released on CD, as far as I know. Earth is a collection of vocal songs. L'Apocalypse Des Animaux is a soundtrack to a Frederic Rossif's film about wildlife and is considered the first "new age" album in some circles. Ignacio (aka Entends Tu Les Chiens Aboyer) is a work Vangelis did for a Mexican feature film that told the story of the old peasant travelling with his fatally diseased son to find a doctor. This work has a very romantic feel and is generally very melancholic sounding. Heaven And Hell features for the first time a collaboration with Jon Anderson, famous Yes singer, on the beautiful "So Long Ago, So Clear". Albedo 0.39, Spiral, China and Chariots of Fire contain some of the most well-known music by Vangelis. All are very melodic works. My own personal favourite albums are... prepare to be shocked... Beaubourg and Invisible Connections. Both are highly experimental (=interesting) works. Beaubourg is very avant-garde and abstract and Invisible Connections can be regarded as Dark Ambient, at least the first part. Direct is a great work, despite some boring tracks. The City still has some interesting ideas and a great atmosphere, but the rest of his recent output hasn't impressed me at all. Although there is El Greco, which is a very good tribute album to the greatest Spanish (IMHO) painter. The key to understanding such music lies in the listening approach. You simply shouldn't listen to El Greco the way you normally listen to EM. Listen to it as you listen to classical music and you will get there.

Notes: The Blade Runner soundtrack that was released in 1994 (the only version available) differs substantially from the original version recorded in 1982. It was edited with omissions and some additions too, mainly in the form of the dialogues from the film. A Separate Affair is the same single as In London, but with two extra remixes added. El Greco is the extended version of the 1995 limited CD. Odes was initially released as Irene Paras, with Vangelis only appearing in the credits, while Rapsodies was issued as 'Papas & Vangelis'.

See also: Aphrodite's Child, Jon & Vangelis, Alpha Beta, Odyssey.

 


Vanger, Jeph (Greece)

Cyclothymia (2022) (S)

This artist who lives between London and Greece creates music with a broad range of influences, from modern grime / dubstep trends to progressive EM.

 


Vanhellig (USA)

The Ghost In the Spire (2021)

New Hampshire-based Doom Ambient / funeral synth project. Slow doomy chords, fat synths, melancholic atmosphere...

 


Vanhöfen, Tassilo (Belgium)

Cosmix (2019) (S)

Slow rhythmic melters and ambient etudes from this artist. Cinematic.

 


Vanity Productions (Denmark)

Glas Gennem Glas (2011) (S)
Døden Ikke Heller (2012) (S)
I Allerførste Gry (2013) (S)
Oblivion (2015)
The Gates of Hermès (2015) (S) (with Varg)
Mardini (2016)
Only the Grains of Love Remain (2017)
In Only Gentle Light (2019)
But All Spiked (2020)
The Last Picture Show (2022)

Stark, cold ambient synth compositions with elements of noise. Vanity Productions is Christian Stadsgaard.

 


Vanity Project (UK)

Vanity Project Vol. 1 (2017)
Vanity Project (2018)
Vanity Project - Live! (2018)
Big Pharma (2020) (EP)

Strange sound here, like a mixture of disco, deep house / balearic, maybe also acid and, yes, Prog EM. Steady rhythms, multiple sequences, vague melodies... "Pom Pom" reminded me on the incessant hypnotic pacing of Klaus Schulze's "Tango-Saty".

 


Vanlukas (Belgium)

The Race (1985)

Recorded as a soundtrack to rowing, canoe and kayak world championship, The Race is a rare picture disc supposedly in electronic style from Lukas Van Echelpoel and released by Commodore. It was made using Roland equipment and there is a "No Fairlight CMI used on this album" note.

See also: Van Lukas Orchestra

 


Vann, Eric (Belgium)

Space Face (1981)
Water World (1982)
Bass Moods (1988)

A pseudonym of Joel Vandroogenbroeck. Electronic library records.

See also: Vandroogenbroeck, Joel, Brainticket.

 


VanPortfleet, Mike (USA)

Beyond the Horizon Line (2004)
The King of the Tundra (2006) (S)

Ex-Lycia musician. Dark, mysterious soundscapes.

 


Vanroy, Skip (Netherlands)

Skip Vanroy (1980)

Supposedly, new-agey music by this multi-instrumentalist and ex-member of Buffoons and Galaxy-Lin. Real name of the musician is Skip van Rooij.

 


Vantzou, Christina (USA)

No. 3 (2015)
Folded Galaxy (2018) (with Félicia Atkinson)
Thoughts of A Dot As It Travels A Service (2018) (with John Also Bennett)
No. 4 (2018)
Landscape Architecture (2020) (with John Also Bennett)
Multi Natural (2020)
Releasing Spores (2021)
Extratool: Half (2022) (S) (with John Also Bennett)
No. 5 (2022)
Κ​λ​ί​μ​α (2023) (with John Also Bennett)

Classical / minimalist composer. This one sees her moving in the direction of Classic Ambient and drone. Lots of subtle synths alongside piano and classical instrumentation. Nice.

 


Vapor State (USA)

The Genesis Device (2014)
Atmospherics (2014)

A project of Chuck Daar that mixes pure ambience with some rhythms, classical influence and a slight post-rock edge.

See also: Daar, Chuck, Hexagram, Cathedrals of Sound, A.V.P., Architectures, Return To Titan, Sky People, The.

 


Vapor Vagabond (USA)

Purrspective (2023)

With a cute sleepy cat on the cover of Purrspective, you'd expect some type of "comfy synth" maybe, but no. This is all pretty nice melodic and atmospheric EM, ranging from lazy sequencing to flowing pads and romantic melodies, and even a darker touch in places.

 


Varas, Luurel (Estonia)

Riddles For A Machine (2023)

Tallinn-based Varas (real name - Karl Silvar Alemaa) is an instrumental hip-hop / downtempo artist. On Riddles For A Machine there is a shift towards ambient electronics.

 


Varaz (Germany)

MTHCLS (2023)

Varaz is Steven Taelman. MTHCLS features side A with ambient EM material and side B with more techno-oriented material. File under EM-related.

 


Vare, Brandon (UK)

Music For Film (2016)

A collection of "fake soundtracks". Atmospheric, sort of lo-fi sound.

 


Varg / Varg²™(Sweden)

Nanefter (2013) (S)
Ursviken (2015)
Star Alliance (2015)
Story of K (2015)
ჟინვალი (2016)
Brazil (2016) (with Hvide Sejl and F. Valentin)
Solitary (2016) (S)
Nordic Flora Pt. 2, En Ros Röd Som Blod (2016)
Nordic Flora Pt. 3, Gore-Tex City (2017)
Body of Water (2018) (S) (with Croatian Amor)
Welcoming Elegance (2018) (with AnnaMelina)
Nordic Flora Pt. 5, Crush (2018)
Fuck Varg (2019) (EP)
Entropic Dances (2019) (with Ano Ton)
Wings Of Desire (I Can Take Anything That's Painful, But I Can't Take A Lie) (2020) (S)
Body of Water / Body of Carbon (2020) (S) (with Croatian Amor)
Norrskensflamman (2020)
Body of Lila (2020) (with Croatian Amor)
10 år av skog, natt & stjärnor (2023)
Lonestar Pandemonium (2023) (S)

Dark techno producer (Jonas Rönnberg) from Sweden who on Ursviken decided to expand his horizons by adding other styles of music to his repertoire. Ambient and / or EM tracks include: the title track, "Vitberget", "Jámikasuolu", "Scharins Söner" and "Öhn". Sometimes it sounds like Klaus Schulze performing in an ice cave beyond the polar circle. The rest is not exactly EM but is no less moody and immersive. In 2019, he changed the name of his project to Varg²™ due to a legal / copyright dispute with a metal band.

See also: Född Död, Ulwhednar, D.Å.R.F.D.H.S., Body Sculptures.

 


Varga, Marián (Slovakia)

Stale tie Dni (1984)

Electronic Music from this late keyboard player of progressive rock band Collegium Musicum (1947 - 2017). This album is also known as The Same Days Again (as doubled on the cover).

 


Vargas, Mike (USA)

Capricious Ambiguity (1983)

So far only one album by this diverse composer. This is supposedly electronic. Further investigation is needed.

 


Vargas, Morita (Argentina)

8 (2020)

Experimental singer and multi-instrumentalist. Her music is driven by her processed voice, but on 8, you will find also synths, drum machines and other keyboards (such as the piano). It will appeal to fans of both Ambient and ethereal pop / avant-pop / indie pop.

 


Variant (UK)

LF003 (2018)
Empty (2020)
No Clarity / No Purpose (2023) (S)
Plays Sequential Space (2023)

Variant is Daniel Elks from Glasgow, Scotland. From dense, noisy soundscapes to moody synth, sometimes with relaxed arpeggios / sequences.

 


Variant (USA)

Falling Stars (2012)
Thru the Cosmos (2013)
Vortexual (2015)
Pyralis (2016)
Sequential Sleep (2016)
Thru the Cosmos [Pallas / Perseids] (2016)
Vortexual [Element Seven] (2016)
Thru the Cosmos [Eta / Aquariids ] (2018)
Deep Sky Network (2019)

Long ambient tracks from Stephen Hitchell.

 


Varkâna (Iran)

Rite (2017)
Cosmic Terror (2020)
Ahrimatic Chambers (2020)
Icebound (2021)

Hymnal music similar to the dungeon synth genre, but more EM-like.

 


Varropas (Finland)

Saat Vapaat Kädet (2009)
Varropas (2013)
Juosten Ulos (2015)
Rakuuna (2018)

A duo of Jusso Paaro (guitar) and Samuli Kyto (synth) with something of a spacey kraut / EM attitude.

 


Vårum (Norway)

Family (2021)

London-based Norwegian artist (Bjørn Thomassen). Melodic, hymnal, rhythmic, symphonic.

 


Varuna (Switzerland)

Sessile (2017) (EP)
Supernatural Cooling (2018)
Metamorph (2019)
Cosmogram (2020) (EP)
Genesis (2021) (EP)

Diverse project from Basel. Ranges from deep and dubby techno to varied ambient soundscapes.

 


Vas Deferens Organization (USA)

Zyzzybalubah (1997)

This double vinyl released by Texan experimental rockers represents a different, "kosmische" side of the band, with late Doug Ferguson taking care of analog synths and Jim Edgerton playing guitar. The music seems to be influenced by German and French EM of the 1970's.

See also: Frankie Teadrop, Ohm.

 


Vase (UK)

Amos' Flat: Room 1 & 2 (2019)

A project of Tom Wades. A mixture of IDM tracks and ambience, both reflective, mysterious and dark.

 


Vasi, Vincenzo (Italy)

QY Lunch (2005)
Bracchio elettrico (2010)
Perfavore Sing (2011) (with Giorgio Pacorig)

Italian multi-instrumentalist and theremin player. The most interesting work, EM-wise, is Bracchio Elettrico, which is centered around (layered) theremin sounds and effects. Good for those into experimental forms of EM and theremin playing.

See also: Ooopopoiooo

 


Vasilisk (Japan)

Whirling Dervishes (1987)
Mkwaju (1988)
Acqua (1989)
Tribal Zone (2012)
Live Blood (2014) (recorded in 1993 and 1992)

Strangely, this Japanese project (Tomo Kuwabara & Yukio Nagoshi) features music that reminds on the style of Jorge Reyes. There's a compilation with tracks from their three albums titled Liberation And Ecstasy.

 


Vasquez Iborra, Maria (Spain)

Mirage (2022)

Melodic, playful music from this synthesist based in Girona.

See also: Antequera

 


Vasori, Patrick (France)

Claviers Electroniques (1978) (with Caravelli)
April Orchestra Vol. 40 (1981) (with Caravelli)
Transparences (1981) (with Jan Yssren)
Keyboards Music (1982)
Fruits de la Passion (1986)
Tie Break (1987)
Metamorphosis (1990)

Library composer (all of the above are library releases) with typical French melodic electronic style - floating strings / pads, cosmic, synthy... Later albums have a more typical 1980's sound, so beware.

 


Vassallo, Brian (Malta)

Beyond (1998)
Flashback (2006)
Memoirs of A Lifetime (2010)

Synthesist with Space and quasi-Berlin School music styles.

 


Vassiloudis, Stelios (Greece)

All Else Fails (2022)

After many years of composing techno music or music for the clubs in general, Greek artist Stelios Vassiloudis steps into a more melodic, cinematic territory on All Else Fails.

 


Västlänken (Sweden)

Moebel / Autobaba (2018) (S)

Analog synth music influenced by classic 1970's EM and dub.

 


Vasudeva (Germany)

Vasudeva (??)
Journey To Lhasa (1991)
The Face of Nature (1994)
Mirror Images (2001) (with Apeiron)

World Music by a trio of Peter Kluge (woodwinds), Hjalmar Karthaus (electronics) and Udo Winkler (gongs, percussion).

See also: Zann, Moge, Wilfried.

 


Vaughan, Charles (UK)

Documenting the Decay (2011)
Haunted Woodland Volume 3 (2012)
Pylon Reveries (2017)

Ambient artist with something of a hauntology theme going on. Alternatively noisy, dark, reflective and melancholic.

 


Vaughan, Trevor (USA)

Affinate (2023)

Warm ambient synths and tape hiss.

 


Vava Vol (Canada)

Compositions Decompositions (1985) (S)
Celestial (2014)

Vava Vol is an experimental electronic musician, working with keyboards and synthesizers in Montreal area since 1978, both as part of a few bands and a bit later as a solo artist. I guess a lot of her music will be too noisy or experimental. However, there is still some interesting stuff, EM-wise. Compositions is an attempt to compose "classical" music, mixing it with abstract compositions and radio noises. Everything was recorded with a Korg PS-3300 synth. Celestial is a dance-friendly work, whose opener is a melodic piece in the style of Jarre.

 


VC Childkraft (USA)

Terrestrial Television (2008) (S)
Sonnensystem (2008)

Electronic Music by Juan Cisneros. The exact style is not known at the moment.

See also: Ju4n

 


VC People (Germany)

Galactic Classics (1979)
Mystery of Bomarzo (1980)

Lightweight Electronic Music with vocoders and disco moves by Claude Larson and Manuel Landy. The first album is electronic / disco reworkings of classical pieces. Mystery of Bomarzo is more complex and contains original compositions.

See also: Larson, Claude, Netzle, Klaus, Futura Carlos, Elmulab, Power-Pack, Special Touch, Logo 2000.

 


VC-118A (Netherlands)

Inside (2019)
Spiritual Machines (2021)

Techno / electro project of Samuel Van Dijk. Inside includes some ambient material, like the closing track for example.

See also: Multicast Dynamics, Ear To Ear.

 


VCSR (USA)

Tape #4 (2015) (recorded in 1979 - 1980)

A loose collective of musicians put together in 1978 by Bil Vermette, Dave Palmer, Emmons Page, John Vignola and Randy Jezierski. The band lasted until 1984 and played improvised analog music, going parallel route to German pioneers of the time.

See also: Vermette, Bil

 


Vdek, J. (Denmark)

Earthwake (2023)

Danish artist born in Copenhagen but residing in New York. Darkish, growling, droning synths, doomy guitars and drums in Tangerine Dream's Green Desert, early Pink Floyd, Jacula / Antonius Rex style, with additonal power electronics vibes.

 


Vdovin, Stanislav (Russia)

Крысиная нора (2007) (with Anton Cherkasov)
December24 (2008)
Rapid And Tired (2009) (EP)
Second Variety (2010) (S)
Made of Cloth And Feather (2010)
et_cetera (2010) (with Olga Shaydullina)
Magic Carpet (2012) (with Olga Shaydullina)
Wake Me Up When It's Gone (2014)
Between Ourselves (2016) (with Sonia Skobeleva)
Magic Theatre (2016) (with Olga Shaydullina)
Sirenes (2018) (S) (with Olga Shaydullina)

Stanislav Vdovin is a Nizhny Novgorod-based artist who is very much influenced by Ambient and IDM / glitch. The latter element makes the bulk of his output a hard choice for classic EM fans. However, it is recommended to check out his two collaborative albums with Olga Shaydullina, which represent a mixture of piano / acoustic instruments and Vdovin's electronics and might interest fans of Eno / Budd / Tim Story.

 


Vectorspace (Germany)

First Sequences (1992)

A project of Chris Höppner.

See also: Alpha Flight

 


Ved (Sweden)

Demis Roussos Internal (2019) (recorded in 2006)

Early, electronic-related recordings of this instrumental project / band.

 


Veda Sound (Poland)

Walim - Jaipur Express (2018)

World Music with sitars and analog synths from this duo. Pretty nice overall.

 


Vedomir (Ukraine)

Vedomir (2012)
Loop Minusovka / Orthodox Ambient (2012) (S)

Mikhailo Vityuk's deep house project. Some tracks have an EM flair, though. Of interest are the opener from the eponymous album, as well as the mysterious and largely ambient "Lullaby", plus side B of Loop Minusovka / Orthodox Ambient. File under EM-related.

See also: Vakula

 


Vedvik, Tom (Norway)

Slowdiver (1996)
Sutra Spin (1997)
Part of A Letter (2018)

Norwegian ambient / downtempo artist currently residing in the US. Slow rhythms, piano melodies and soft synth backing.

 


Vega, Santi (Spain)

Audiovisual Works (1992) (with Eva Gancedo)

This album was released on Lektronic Soundscapes and it may well be the only electronic release by Santi Vega.

 


Vega Stereo (Russia)

Quark (2009)

A duo of Alexey Demidov (also known as Analog Concept) and Anastasiya Ryndina. This album is Ambient, their other stuff I don't know anything about at the moment but it seems to always dwell on the border between experimental techno and Ambient.

 


VeganovA (Italy)

Nogod In Sirius (2020)

Electronic duo of Vega Lee and John Nova in a weird, mutant EM vein - sort of rhythmic, with lots of samples, some noisy or grating textures and mellotrons galore. Interesting.

 


Veik (France)

From Madness To Nomadness (2016) (EP)
Maïdan / I7LI (2017) (S)
Vocational Exploration And Insight Kit (2019) (S)
Surrounding Structures (2021)

French three-piece with something of a punky attitude. Rather abrasive and primeval, their music combines trends and influences such as no-wave, synth-punk, post-punk and krautrock. There is also an EM influence by way of analog synths galore.

 


Veil (UK)

Veil 3 (2016) (S)
Memory Box (2020)

Noise Ambient / Isolationism.

 


Veiled Allusions (Norway)

Through the Corridors of Time (2000)
A Curious Dimension (2000)
Visions of the World (2001)
Rosenkranz (2001)
When Darkness Descends (2004)

Dark subterranean atmospheres from Karsten Hamre (ex-Penitent / Arcane Art) who is also known as Dense Vision Shrine.

See also: Hamre, Karsten, Dense Vision Shrine, Defraktor, Museum of Transient Lights.

 


Veinke (USA)

In Vacuum of Blackened Space / Destitution (1999)
Collection III - The Black Summer (2000)

Dark noisy soundscapes from Daniel Marvin.

 


Veins Full of Static (UK)

Cinder & Bone (2018)
Temporum (2020)
Contours (2021)
For the Reverand Jason Molina (2022) (with Ghost Signs)
No Such Rust (2023)

Welsh ambient project with a droning sound.

 


Vejgaard Ambient (Denmark)

The 2nd House (2013) (EP)
The 3rd House (2013)
Free Composer (2014)
Showboat (2015) (EP)

A project of Karsten Høegh. On Free Composer, he presents melancholic ambient compositions with steady rhythms and more than a hint of Klaus Schulze. Especially the second side of the cassette is good.

 


Vejvoda, Goran (UK)

The Dreambird (1994) (with Mitar Subotić)
EHR - États Hautement Réverbérés (2014)

Son of a Yugoslav diplomat, Goran Vejvoda is a London-born artist who also lived in Rome, Belgrade and currently resides in France. Because of this, I was hesitant as to what country to include him under. I decided to opt for his place of birth in the end. The above listed works are in ambient style. Other releases include music in different styles, as well as participations in Yugoslav and French rock bands (as a guitarist).

 


Vekters, Chick (Australia)

Travelogue (2016)

Crazy cross-cultural mix of Jean-Jacques Perrey-style cheesy synths and Cluster-like wackiness from this Melbourne-based composer.

 


Velarde, Melanie (Germany??)

Life On Tape Nr.1 (2011) (with Michael Northam)
Parcel (2016)
Bez (2019)

The music on Bez sounds like a loungy version of Cluster, with some unique touches.

 


Veldman, Hessel (Netherlands)

United States XV (1982)
Ymuiden (2022)
Manifest Exodus (2024) (recorded in 2023) (with Martijn Comes)

Minimal synth / minimal wave artist. Some of his music may interest fans of Ambient, as is the case with United States XV. It features highly repetitive, somber and minimal synthesizer compositions. I wish the quality of recording was better, though. Ymuiden is nice Noise Ambient. Further investigation is needed.

 


Velehentor (Russia)

Iz Mraka Mogil (2001)
Dyatlov's Pass (2003)
Ishopanishad (2008) (with Closing the Eternity and Vishudha Kali)
Zona Otchuzhdenia (2008)
Ceremonial Death (2011) (S)

Ambient drones. Other albums of this project contain industrial / power electronics / noise music.

See also: Closing the Eternity

 


Velev, Lubomir (Bulgaria)

Free Spirit (2001)

Bulgarian musician, who was a member of several groups starting from 1971. In 1980, he formed a group called "Dilemma". Around the same time he started experimenting with electronics. Nowadays he works mostly as a solo artist.

See also: Slav Group, The

 


Velez, Jorge (USA)

Territories (2014)
Animals Disk (2016)
Morning And Evening Exercises (2018)
The Saturn Star (2018)

Varied artist whose output ranges from outsider house to Progressive Electronic. Relevant works will be listed.

 


Velf (USA)

Pernicious Serenity (2017) (S)
In A Sense (2019) (S)

Complex collage-like pieces.

 


VelgeNaturlig (Portugal)

Revolt of the Sun (2003)
Trancemissionbreath (2004)
Humus (2005)
The Third Light Performance (2005)
Opalescent Pust (2017)
Kundalini (2018)
Anāhata (2019)

Portuguese artist Ivo S. who mainly works within the darker realms of the Ambient spectrum.

 


Vėlių Namai (Lithuania)

Pasiklydę (2009)
Laumių šokis (2016)
Kúrir (2018)

Reflective ambient sounds from this Lithuanian composer who currently resides in Prague, Czech Republic. Veliu Namai translates to "house of souls".

 


Vella, Serge (France)

Airport (1977) (S)

Little-known synthesist who released this single with two melodic tracks stylistically between Jarre's symphonicism and Space's synth-disco trends. Nice analogue sound.

 


Velleitie (USA)

Unblurred Variants (2016)
Scheming the Afterimage With God Herself (2017)

Droning Ambient from Chicago with a post-rock edge.

 


Velo di Nebbia (Italy)

Uno Duo Tre (2018)
Live Drones (2018) (with Kraut Sounds)
Cristallo (2019)
Quando arriva la nebbia (2022) (with Kraut Sounds)

Italian ambient project. The guy known as Kraut Sounds guests on Uno Due Tre.

 


Vels Trio (UK)

Yellow Ochre (2010)
Celestial Greens (2021)

London-based trio playing soft jazz fusion and synth music.

 


Velthuys, Enno (Netherlands)

Ontmoeting (1982)
A Glimpse of Light (1984)
Vreemde Landen Vol. 1 (1984)
Landscapes In Thin Air (1985)
Vreemde Landen Vol. 2 (1986)
Different Places (1987)
Vreemde Landen Vol. 3 (??)
Just Like Lucky Luke / Dawn By the Stormy Sea (2023) (S)

Electronic Ambient.

 


Velvascale (Canada)

Secret Origins (2002)

Berlin School music by Canadian artist James Smith.

 


Velvet Cacoon (USA)

Atropine (2009)

Unusual Drone / Doom Ambient album by this Portland, Oregon-based black metal act.

 


Velvet Dream (Germany)

Darkened Mysteria (2018)

Nice and varied winter / mountain ambience with some Space Music and dungeon synth touches.

 


Velvet Rope Crowd Control (USA)

Where the Floor Starts To Fade (2022)

Nice, beautiful droney ambient compositions created mostly with guitar and processing by the duo of Bryan Hilyard and Andrew J Klimek.

 


Velvet Speed (UK)

Beneath the Region of Dead Stars (2007) (soundtrack)

Spacey synthesizer tracks beween Space Music and Ambient with some Berlin School influences.

 


Velvet Universe (Germany)

Uebersicht (1979)
Tears (1980)
Voyager (1981)
Enigmas (1983)
Technotice (1986)
Contact (1989)
Live Across the Universe (1994)
Moon Mirror (2000)

Electronic Music by Sepp Niemeyer, Thomas Kapke and Rainer Wolfgang Sauer. Enigmas has Chris Franke on one track.

See also: Sauer, Rainer

 


Velvet Voyage (Switzerland)

Welten (1988)
Syntron / Kreis (1990)
Plejades / Procyon (1993)
Hyperspace (1997)
Correlation (1997)
Robot Mind's Eye (1999)
Proxima Centaury (2000)
Spheres (2000)
Space Trance (2001)
The Red Plains of Mars (2001)
Crystallization (2002)
Arrival From Outer Space (2003)
Temporal Paradoxon (2003)
Dunestream (2004)
Traummaschine (2005)
Mindsong (2005)
Arpwaves (2006)
IV (2006)
Analogue_Syn (2007)
Mars (2007)
Weltraumklang (2007)
Dream Machine - Live (2007)
Infinite Space (2007)
Hidden Planet (2008)
Vortex / Vacuum (2008)
Stargazer (2009) (soundtrack)
Moonsphere (2009)
Moonsphere II (2009)
Moonsphere III (2009)
Live In Space (2010)
2010 (2010)
Plejadian Keys (2011)
Hyperspace 2011 (2011)
Hope Beyond Menace (2012)
Astral Landscape 3013 (2013)
Synthwaves (2013)

Classic, cosmic analogue synth excursions by Swiss musician Bruno Ender Lee (b.1971) inspired, naturally, by Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream.

 


Ven, Patrick van de (Netherlands)

Passing Winterghosts (??)
Involution (2001)

Ambient soundscapes in the vein of Patrick O'Hearn.

 


Venbento, Luigi (France)

Tangage / Le Piege A Son (1974) (S)

Obscure Electronic Music.

 


Vendetta, Suite, The (UK)

The Kempe Stone Portal (2021)

A project of Gary Irwin. From rhythmic, 1980's "balearic" tracks to krauty / motorik-based EM.

 


Venditti, José (Spain)

Live In Taipei (2019)
Concerto Para Plantas (2020) (S)
Espectro Dorado (2024) (with Marta Verde)

A mixture of field recordings, some sax improvisations and sequencer EM.

 


Venetian Veil (USA)

Conjurings Vol. 1 (2018)
Conjurings Vol. 2 (2019)
Fault (2021) (S)
Conjurings Vol. 3 (2022)
The Lands of the Living And the Dead (2022)

Sacramento-based duo of Jim Willig and Susan Hunt. They describe their sound as "Gothic Komische" and that may be quite accurate - floating synths and some guitars, menacing sequences, drones... Nice, if a bit static EM with a different twist.

 


Veneziani, Paolo (Italy)

Alphabet (1998) (S)
Lambda Suite (2000)
The First Floor (2004)

Long ambient tracks.

 


Venja (Belgium)

Modesty (1987)
Touched By Emotions (1989)
Cloudscapes (1990)
Rapture! (1992)
Arcadia (1993)
Cashmere Moon (1995)
A Dash of Soul (1996)
Floating Silence (1996) (with Symbian)
Curves (1999)
Mode Zen (2013)
Shapeshifter (2016)
Unfolded (2021)

Real name is Johan Geens. Diverse music, from rhythmic toe-tappers to floating soundscapes completely devoid of any drum sounds. Curves is rhythmic, while Rapture! is floating. Some albums are described as being "romantic". Therefore, I suppose, they can be called sappy as well.

See also: Galactic Underground

 


Venn Rain (UK)

First Light (2011)
Place In World (2011)
Humming Hills (2011) (S)
20 Loops (2011)
Bioharmonics (2012) (S)
Missing Time (2012) (S)
Serene Beam (2012)
Sympathetic Vibrations (2012) (S)
Cymatic Symbols (2012)
Entropics (2012)
Diamond Dust (2012)
Crepuscular Raze (2014) (S)
Twin Beaks (2014)
Questing (2014) (S)
Rhizome Riverbed (2014)
Early + Unreleased (2015)

If you know the Tidal project of Jimmy Billingham, this is more of the same. Ambient.

See also: Tidal, Sandpiper, HOLOVR, Billingham, Jimmy.

 


Venosta, Giovanni (Italy)

Olympic Signals (1985)

At least the first side of this LP features this experimental musician in a Roedelius mode, mixing lots of piano with electronics and that special Italian minimalist prog touch — a fact that reveals his origins. The second side, as far as I can tell, is much heavier on the piano, with less electronics and more classical influences. Giovanni Venosta went on to collaborate with Roberto Musci on a few ethnic-inspired sample-based albums and produce numerous film soundtracks.

 


Ventral Metaphor (Spain)

Syntax III (1988)
Biscuit Circuit (1991)
Propaganda State (1992)
Project Plowshare (2024) (recorded in 2004 - 2005)

One of those numerous pseudonyms of Miguel Angel Ruiz.

See also: Ruiz, Miguel Angel, Orfeon Gagarin, Funeral Souvenir, Exhaustor, Ambulatorio Segreto, Tecnica Material, Des Airlines, Michel.

 


Venus Ex Machina (UK)

Lux (2021)

Indisciplinary artist heavily into sound experimentation, with a focus on no-input mixer techniques and processed voice. Lux is centered around a rhythmic sound that is half techno half EBM. However, you should hear the long closer "Paraquat" - an experimental EM epic full of strange sounds and background choirs.

 


Venus Volcanism (Greece)

Rizitiko (2020)
Tissue (2023)

Cretan vocalist and experimental composer (Rena Rasouli) based in Iceland. Varied, dramatic synth compositions with some vocalizations.

 


Ver Sacrum (???)

Manifest Destiny (2016)

Sounds like an imaginary horror synth soundtrack.

 


Vera Vice (Estonia)

Vera Versa (2021)

Estonian female electronic duo. A lot of the tracks have vocals to varying extent but it is their synth prowess on instrumental or largely instrumental tracks like the title track (Vera Versa) or the closer "Cherry Moon" that is a real attraction here. I would prefer less singing for sure but nonetheless found the music very refreshing and enjoyable. Recommended.

 


Verandi, Mario (Argentina)

Distant Shores (2001)
Remansum (2020)
Eight Pieces of the Buchla 100 Series (2021)
Lucent Shores (2023)

Nice ambience with a huge piano presence and a neo-classical feel.

 


Vercetti Technicolor (Greece)

Olympic Sequences (2013) (EP)
Bay of Blood (2013) (EP)
Black September (2015)
Infinite Nothing (2017)
Maldito Amor (2019)

Vercetti Technicolor is an alias of Greek Gianni Vercetti Balopitas (his name sounds half Italian half Greek, if it's his real name, that is) who is one of the founders of the Giallo Disco label. He seems to love his analog synths and mellotron choirs, drawing inspiration from both Giorgio Moroder and Goblin.

 


Verde (Finland)

Musical For Cats (1997)
Traffic Light (1999)
Modern Electronic Circuits (1999)
Acib (2000)
Acill (2000)
Osta Oma Tampere Saat Kaupan Päälle Helssingin (2001)
Lokki (2001)
Aquariums I Have Been (2002) (with Bret Hart)
Karhun Epäillään Paskantaneen Golfkentälle (2002)
Huge (2002)
Live (2003)
Kato Internetist (2004)
Vuoronumero (2004)
Legenda (2006)
Tower (2007) (with Circle)
Kärmes (2009)
Tapes (2010)
Giardino (2011) (recorded in 2007) (with Circle)
Petoviha (2013)
Otto (2016)
Merikurjet (2019)
Keuhkot_Verde Meets Mik Quantius (2022) (with Keuhkot and Mik Quantius)

Verde is Finnish synthesist and experimentator Mika Rintala (member of space rock / experimental band Ektroverde). Weird electronics made on unusual self-built instruments. Lots of concrete sounds usually accompany his experimental soundscapes.

See also: Sorb-i-tol, Ektroverde.

 


Verdeaux, Cyrille (France)

Nocturnes Digitales (1980)
Love & Ecstasy (1980)
Prophecy (1980) (with Bernard Xolotl)
Moebius (1981)
Offrandes (1981)
Shambala (1981) (with Jean-Philippe Rykiel)
Alive Tree O2 (1982) (with Dean Evenson and Jonathan Kramer)
Flowers From Heaven (1983)
Journey To Tantraland (1983)
Piano For the Third Ear (1983)
Kundalini Opera (1984)
Messenger of the Son (1984)
Rhapsody For the Blue Planet (1988)
Impressionist Musique (1995)
Tribal Hybrid Concept (1998) (with Pascal Menestreyl)
Ethnicolors (1998) (with Pascal Menetreyl)
Aerobix 99 (1998)
Solar Transfusion (2004)

Cyrille Verdeaux (born in 1949 in Paris) is the leader of Clearlight. Much of his recent solo output can be classified as ordinary new age. Some of the early albums are supposedly quite good, though. Note that Nocturnes Digitales was re-issued on CD, but supposedly with completely different material than on the original release. Also be sure to check out his Clearlight records, especially the first one.

See also: Clearlight, Delired Chameleon Family.

 


Verdwijnt (Netherlands)

Verdwijnt (2021)
Verdwijnt II (2022)

Collages of field recordings interspersed by horror synth-like electronic parts.

 


Veres, Andrew (USA)

Charles Martel Mammillary Bodies (2012)
Interstice (2016) (S)

Warm ambient synths and drones from this artist.

 


Verge (UK)

Emblematic Ruin (2017)
Clouded Path (2018) (EP)
Impermanence (2020)
Fluid Motion (2021)
Vignettes (2021)
Perspective (2023)
Impulse (2023)

Thick, impenetrable sounds from Belfast-based Andre Gough.

 


Vergez, Richard (USA)

New Works (2017) (with David Brieske)
Transplants - A Performance By Anna Mendez (2017)
Private Pressings (2018)
Way of Life (2019)
Laborers (2020)
Beyond Me (2020)

Synthesist and experimental musician. Way of Life features flowing and reflective synth compositions. Some rhythmic stuff as well.

See also: Night Foundation, Distant Tongues.

 


Verheecke, Ken (USA)

Consider the Moon & the Stars (2019)

Although primarily a guitarist, Ken Verheecke presents a nice EM / electric guitar / acoustic guitar mixture on his album Consider the Moon & the Stars. Sometimes comparable to Ashra, F. D. Project, etc.

 


Verhören (USA)

Death Is Safe (2007)

Varied melancholic Ambient from Arizona-based Justin Ward. I have ambigous feelings towards this music. On one hand, the bloody voice samples are extremely cheesy and irritating and can totally ruin the experience. On the other hand, there are voice-free droning tracks (like Neptune's Bleeding, for instance where one can notice the similarity to Klaus Schulze's trademark chord progressions) that are quite nice overall. A matter of taste of course.

 


Verirrte Tiere (Germany)

Ananda (2000)

Dave Schmidt under a pseudonym. The style is not known at the moment.

See also: Sula Bassana

 


Verity, Steve (USA)

Digital Planet (1994)
TimeStar (2003)

Space Music from this Californian musician. The first album was released on Mike Metlay's "Atomic City" label.

 


Vermette, Bil (USA)

Katha Visions (1984)
Observations (1988)
Voyager (1994)
Emocean (1995)
Geophobia (1997)
Beyondherebe (2006)
Environ-Mentals (??)
Galaxies IV (2012)
Archives I (2012) (recorded in 1978 - 1988)
Spiral Galaxy - Live In Albion (2017)
Spiral Galaxy Live (2018)
Hunting For Planet 9 (2021) (recorded in 2015 - 2020)

From Space Music (Voyager) to energetic EM ala Mark Shreeve (Geophobia).

See also: VCSR

 


Vermillion Gaze (UK)

Temple of Containers (2016)

A duo of Joseph Auer and Kris Derry with a rich Ambient / Berlin School sound.

See also: Tokyo Isolation Chamber, The, Clytha Social, The.

 


Vermillion Rhombus (UK)

You'll See Me Through the Fog (2022)

Droning and moody, slightly melodic ambient compositions.

 


Vermont (Germany)

Vermont (2014)
II (2017)

A duo of Danilo Plessow and Marcus Worgull with melodic / rhythmic music based on the sound of analog synthesizers.

 


Vern Pyles, Zon (USA)

Earthzone (1987)
Looking Forward (2007)

Zon Vern Pyles is a former Moog Music employee so it was only natural for him to compose his own Electronic Music. It was Zon who created factory patches for such synthesizers as Alesis Andromeda, Minimoog Voyager, Clavia Nord Lead 3 and a few others. This music is very analogue, very energetic and rich in sequencers. Great choice for Tangerine Dream fans.

 


Vernacular, Phyllyp (USA)

Suggestive Reasoning (1984)
Cognitive Dissonance (1985)
The Red Bag / Let's Play! (??) (with Neil S. Kvern)

Rare tapes with Electronic Music by this obscure artist who also appeared on a couple of samplers. He mixes various influences, such as German "cosmic" music, Dark Ambient, industrial and experimental. Apparently, Cognitive Dissonance features a guest appearance by Trey Gunn. The tape is packaged nicely in synthetic cloth.

 


Vernal Equinox (Canada)

New Found World (1988)
Music For Art Galleries (1997)

A duo of Timothy Rempel and Steve Brenner. Classic Electronic Music in the style of Tangerine Dream.

See also: Brenner, Steve

 


Verner, J. Arif (USA)

A Vision Beyond Light (1996)
Through the Timeless (2000)
From A Distant Horizon (2005)
Anno Domini (2007) (with Deborah Martin)

Ambient / Space Music on Spotted Peccary label.

 


Verplanken (France)

Autopsy of A Dream (2005)
The Missing Tracks (2005)

Music with a Heldon vibe. Heavy synthetics, frippoid guitars and a general neurotic feel.

 


Versalife (Netherlands)

Rate of Change (2012) (S)
Vantage Point (2013)
Collision With the Past I (2014) (S)
Collision With the Past II (2015) (S)
Encrypted Mind (2017)
Soul of the Automaton Pt.3 (2018) (S)

Electro-influenced artist who combines Kraftwerk-like pulsations with a more experimental and ambient, Progressive EM sound, often approaching the Berlin School. The above discography is incomplete and includes only releases that have relevant material, fully or in part. Encrypted Mind is the most interesting one so far.

 


Verstärker (USA)

Aktivität (2015)
Jenseits (2023)

Kentucky-based krautrock project with elements of EM. Based on motorik rhythms, distorted guitars and synths.

 


Vertical (Finland)

Field Days (2015)

Although known as a psy-trance artist, Joonas Lehtinen aka Vertical released this ambient album.

 


Vertical67 (Germany)

Panta Rhei (2015)
A Voyage Beyond (2019)

Berlin-based musician who is into electro, but on Panta Phei mixes that style with EM of the ambient kind.

See also: Coloured Chaos, The

 


Verticchio, Giuseppe (Italy)

Labyrinth (1994)
Mechanical Movements (1994)

E
lectronic Sequences (1995)
Music For Waiting Rooms (1995)
The Other Side of the Sculptures (1995)
The Way To Mars (1995)
Ancient Lands Vol. 1 (1995)
Ancient Lands Vol. 2 (1995)
R.A.S. 080-180 (1996)
Ambientscapes - Collected Works 1997 (1997)
Fragments From the Lost Time (1998)
Floating Waves (1998)
Tjukurpa (1999)
Resonant Ambiences (2000)
Frozen (2000)
Distant Skylines (2001)

Italian Ambient artist (born in 1965 in Rome, Lazio), heavily influenced by Steve Roach's Tribal Ambient style. He released some other works under the name Nimh and is part of the Biasthon project. The work Frozen that appears in the discography above is actually an early version of the album that would later be re-released under the Nimh moniker.

See also: Nimh, Biasthon, Hall of Mirrors.

 


Vértice (Italy / Spain)

Besoch Trauma (2019)

Somewhat experimental, looping ambient compositions from this trio of Maurizio Bianchi, Saverio Evangelista and Juan Manuel Cidrón.

See also: Bianchi, Maurizio, Cidrón, Juan Manuel.

 


Vertigo Stellar (Germany)

This Used To Be A Kind Gesture (2020)

Varied music from Berlin-based Tom Fischer, including some nice sequencer flights.

 


Verto (France)

Krig / Volubilis (1975)
Reel 1936 (1978)  

This music is like a droning, experimental mixture of zeuhl and Heldon / krautrock-styled electronics.

 


Verwijmeren, Kevin (Netherlands)

It's the Colour of A Cloud Covered Sky (2014)
Those Glorious Heights (2016)
Dett (2018)

Droning Ambient.

 


Veryan (UK)

Ebb & Flow (2020)
Here (2021)
Interview With the Vampire (2022)
Reflections In A Wilderness (2023)

Relaxed rhythmic / melodic EM. Subtle sequences, pads, unhurried rhythms... Pretty nice stuff in an individual style from this enigmatic Scottish female synthesist.

 


Verzerren (USA??)

Dialectic Struggle (2018)
Echoes of the Past (2020) (S)

A project of Joe Bauer. Warm synth pulsations, nostalgic pads...

 


Vesanus (Italy)

Dungeon (2022) (S)

Electronic compositions by this one-man black metal project. Contrary to expectations, this is not "dungeon synth", but rather moody progressive EM with sequences and brooding melodies.

 


Veslemes (Greece)

I Know Where You Live Vangelis! (2020) (S)
Apolithoma (2021)
Pigeon Post Knossos (2021)
The Well (2022)
O Exorcismos (2023)

Athens-based Veslemes aka Yiannis Veslemes is a Greek synthesist who makes rhythmic and atmospheric EM with influences from other genres like dub, balearic, jazz, etc. He also made more techno-oriented material as Felizol.

 


Vesper (France)

Paralactic Ellipse (2017)
Astrosophia (2019)
Ancient Stellar Echoes (2021)

Dark, mysterious synth melodies and some doomy, metal-like guitar bits.

 


Vespertine (Australia)

Transmissions From Antiworld (1998)

Vespertine is Greg Godhard. The music is supposedly Dark Ambient.

 


Vessel, The (???)

Expedition #1 (2021)

Cosmic synth / Space Music.

 


Vestigial (Italy)

Aeon (2007) (S)
Translucent Communion (2008)
Solar (2009) (S) (recorded in 2006 - 2007)

Dark Ambient.

 


Vetus Supulcrum (Netherlands)

Ravenforest (2019)
From the Land of Shadows (2019)
Songs of War And Lamentation (2019)
The Journey Afar (2019)
Windswept Canyons of Thule (2020)
Death's Oldest Songs (2021)
A Shroud of Desolation (2022)

Intense, repetitive, melodic fantasy ambience / dungeon synth. The growls remind me on Forest Silence.

 


VHF (UK)

The Journey (2022)

Electronic trio formed by Keith Hale (ex-Hawkwind), Paul Foss (percussion) and Andy Visser. The style is not known at the moment.

 


VHS Dreams (Greece)

Lost World (2018)

Synthwave-related project of George Dervenagas. Some tracks lean towards ambient forms of EM and general progressive electronics.

 


Vi Res (Australia)

The First People (2015)
Sunstar (2015)
Static Interference (2016)
Jenny Dixon Beach (2016) (soundtrack)
Lost Score (2016)
Vi Res (2018) (S)
Cold Century (2018)

Vi Res (aka Vi-Res) is a cinematic EM project of Michael Figucio. Flashy, with nice melodic themes and soloing.

See also: Miggs

 


Via Lactea (Mexico)

Milky Way (1978)
Live (1979)
I (1979)
II (1980)
III (1980)
IV (1981)
Via Lactea 1977 - 1997 (1997)
Daath (2016)

Via Lactea started in the 1970's as a "cosmic music" outfit. It was led by two musicians Carlos Alvarado (sadly passed away in January, 2020) and Miguel Angel Nava. The music featured classic spacey synthesizer excursions ala Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze but quieter, more restrained and Ambient-like, with sometimes ethnic / prehispanic influences creeping in. After the first album Miguel Angel Nava left the band, leaving synthesist Alvarado as the sole member. He continued to release albums, sometimes helped by fellow experimentalists Jorge Reyes, Arturo Meza and others.

See also: Alvarado, Carlos, Decibel.

 


Viaje a las Perseidas (Spain)

Orion _ Moon _ Messier42 (2022)

Audiovisual project with music by "El niño de los peines" (Rafael Chicano, who usually composes techno music). The music here was composed to accompany electronic telescope projections and the style is synth drone / gently throbbing synth music / NASA samples.

 


Vialard, Christian (France)

Neukalm (2014)

Interesting stuff here. Lots of analog synths used and the whole at times ends up sounding like Kraftwerk jamming with Tim Blake in space or something like that. There are steady mechanical rhythms and lots of neat, unique touches like the cheesy textures of vintage electric organs and so on.

 


Vian, Patrick (France)

Bruits Et Temps Analogues (1976)

A cosmic classic in Schulze / Pinhas vein. Patrick Vian (1942 - 2023) was a guitarist and electronics player from France, son of Boris Vian.

See also: Red Noise, Spacecraft.

 


Vian, Pedro (Spain)

Beautiful Things You Left Us For Memories (2016)
Pedro Vian (2019) (recorded in 2014 - 2018)
Ibillorca (2020)
Font de la Vera Pau (2023) (with Refree)

A mixture of dancey, balearic-influenced tracks and a more atmospheric EM style from this Barcelona-based artist (real name - Pedro Rufi).

 


Viands (USA)

Temporal Relics (2015)
Seven Thousand Year Plan (2018)

Synthesizer improvisations from Joel Peterson and David Shettler. Ranges from rhythmic and hypnotic Cluster meets Schulze sound to abstract plinkety-plonk.

 


Viaud-Leblanc, Andre (France)

Les Mechaniques de l'au-dela (2009) (recorded in 1980 - 1988)

A 7-disc box with experimental music by the original Pataphonie guitarist. A mixture of guitar, electronics and samples.

See also: Pataphonie

 


Vibravoid (Germany)

Phasenvoid / Retronique (2003) (with Sula Bassana)

Split (vinyl) release by these two space rock outfits. The Vibravoid tracks (side one) were recorded in 1993 - 1996 and are not very typical of the band's outfut, as they mainly feature synthesizer drones and sequences with layered guitars, more synths and some vocals. Especially "Mind Decision" is said to be very TD-like. The Sula Bassana tracks are more in the traditional space rock mould, although there are some interesting atmospheric numbers as well.

 


Vicnet (France)

Voilé (2017)

Varied music from Vincent Tordjman, often based on the sound of analog synthesizers. There were at least two albums prior to Voilé. These were supposedly more influenced by electro.

 


Victimas del Spleen (Argentina)

Copritas (2016) (EP)
Copritas (2016) (EP)
Montes (2016) (EP)
De La Canal (2016) (EP)
De La Canal II (2016) (EP)
De La Canal III (2016) (EP)
LP (2016)
Universos (2017) (EP)
Los Desvios (2017) (EP)
Radar-Copia (2017) (S)
Copritas III (2017) (EP)
Tranceatlantico (2017) (EP)
Copritas IV (2018) (EP)
Moleculas: A-8 (2018) (EP)
Zona Delta (2020) (S)
Escalas (2020) (S)
Propagacion (2020) (S)

Diverse project of Lautaro García, from ambient / atmospheric to gently rhythmic.

 


Victims (USA)

Form Hell (2016) (S)

EM duo of Chris Livengood and Timothy Fife.

See also: Fife, Timothy

 


Victims Shudder, The (USA)

Sonic Torture Methods (2003)
In Lasting Joy, Of Slowly Dying (2004)
Terror Romance (2008)

US Dark Ambient.

 


Victor (Brazil)

Darkness & Light - Ambient Meditations Vol. 1 (2004)

As the title says.

 


Victor, Jean-Louis (France)

Le Voyage Interieur (1982)
Existence (??)

Floating electronics. Pascal Languirand guests on a couple of tracks.

 


Victorian Witch (Italy)

Eerie Tales (2020)

Ritualistic darkish ambient project from Gianluca Martucci.

See also: Sagenhaft, Urna.

 


vid.nas (UK)

Man Machine Interface (2017)
Tales From Machine City: Exterminating Angels (2020)
Copper And Crystal Labyrinths (2023)

A project from London in cyberpunk / dreampunk / futuristic electronics vein.

 


Vidales, Alfonso (Mexico)

Entre Dos Paredes (1989)
Clavico (1998)
Sheppard (2000)

Vidales is the keyboard player of the group Cast who on Entre Dos Paredes (Between Two Walls) has crafted a very unusual form of EM that's halfway between soft progressive and Ambient.

 


Videl (UK)

Demo 2006 (2006) (EP)
Act I: Flowing Tunes From the Funeral River (2007)
Innocent Death (2007)
Trapped In Forever (2007)
D'Monique Velsmord (2010)
YIIIX (2010)

Dark Ambient.

See also: Loneliness of the Universe Eternal

 


Vidění (Italy??)

An Unexpected Day (2022)

Humid, tropical ambient compositions with a few rhythms.

 


Video-Aventures (France)

Musiques Pour Garcons et Filles (1979) (S)
Camera (1981)
Moonbeam Movies (1990)
Oscillations (2011) (recorded in 1979 - 1984)

Video-Aventures was formed in France in 1979 and disbanded in 1991. The core line-up included Dominique Grimaud, Monique Alba, Guigou Chenevier (Etron Fou Leloublan), Gilbert Artman (Urban Sax, Lard Free), Cyril Lefebvre, Jean-Pierre Grasset, Jac Berrocal an Daniel Deshay. Their style is difficult to describe. Sort of avant-electronics / new wave with occasional vocals maybe? It's certainly one of those "fringe" bands in the EEM repertoire.

See also: Camizole, Grimaud, Dominique.

 


Video Liszt (France)

Ektakrom Killer (1981)

Synth music produced by Richard Pinhas and performed by him together with Hervé Picart. Halfway between Pinhas' style and melodic ala Jean-Michel Jarre.

See also: Pinhas, Richard, Ose.

 


Videodrones (Denmark)

Mondo Ferox (2016)
Nattens Hæven (2017)
After the Fall (2022)

Energetic, sequence-full electronics with a touch of synthwave from this Danish duo. Heavy cinematic vibes here.

See also: Skøtt, Jakob

 


Videogram (Sweden)

2077: Raiders of the Apocalypse (2014) (S)
Camp Blood (2015) (S)
Pre-Cert (2015)
Gladiatori dell'Apocalisse (2016) (S) (soundtrack)
Choice Cuts 2014 - 2018 (2018)

Horror synth project of Magnus Sellergren.

 


Vidna Obmana (Belgium)

The Ultimated Sign of Burning Death (1985)
Unnames (1986)
The Face That Must Die (1987)
Vidna Obmana & Big City Orchestra (1988) (with Big City Orchestra)
Deathchamber - Trancedreamed (1988)
Experience Artaud (1988)
Monument of Empty Colours (1988) (with Phillip B. Klingler)
Death Pact 8 (1988) (with Kapotte Muziek)
Depression And Ideal (1989) (with Phillip B. Klingler)
Compositions (1989) (with Phillip B. Klingler)
Gathering In Frozen Beauty (1989)
Near the Flogging Landscape (1989)
Refined On Gentle Clouds (1989)
Revealed By Composed Nature (1990)
Towards the Unfolding Flower (1990)
Passage In Beauty (1991)
Terrace of Memories (1992) (with Sam Rosenthal)
Shadowing In Sorrow (1992)
Syrenia 2 (1992) (with Asmus Tietchens)
Ending Mirage (1993)
Soundtrack For the Aquarium (1993) (with Hybrids)
Echoing Delight (1993)
Parallel Flaming (1993) (with Djen Ajakan Shean)
Still Fragments Live (1994) (with Djen Ajakan Shean)
Spiritual Bonding (1994)
The Well of Souls (1995) (with Steve Roach)
Asmus Tietchens / Vidna Obmana (1995) (with Asmus Tietchens)
River of Appearance (1996)
Cavern of Sirens (1997) (with Steve Roach)
Twilight of Perception (1997)
Crossing the Trail (1998)
Landscape In Obscurity (1998)
Ascension of Shadows (1998) (with Steve Roach)
The Shape of Solitude (1999) (with Serge Devadder)
True Stories (1999) (with Jeff Pearce)
Motives For Recycling (1999) (with Asmus Tietchens)
Spirits (1999) (with Jan Marmenout)
Echo Passage (1999) (with Alio Die)
Variations For Organ, Keyboard And Processors (1999) (with Willem Tanke)
The Surreal Sanctuary (2000)
Live Archive (2000) (with Steve Roach)
The Contemporary Nocturne (2000)
Circles And Artifacts (2000) (with Steve Roach)
Deep Unknown (2002) (with Brannan Lane)
Tremor (2002)
Innerzone (2002) (with Steve Roach)
The Shifts Recyclings (2002) (with Asmus Tietchens)
Echoes of Steel (2002)
Isolation Trip / Path of Distortion (2002) (S)
Spore (2002)
Tracers (2003) (with David Lee Myers)
Live (2003) (with Joris De Backer)
Spirit Dome (2004) (with Steve Roach)
Act 2: Phrasing the Air (2004)
Anthology 1984 - 2004 (2004)
Legacy (2004)
Continuum (2005) (with Bass Communion)
Drone / Noise Anthology 1984 - 1989 (2005)
Act 3: Reflection On Scale (2005)
Gluttony (2005) (with Klinik)
Somewhere Else (2005) (with Steve Roach)
The Continuum Recyclings Vol. 1 (2006) (with Bass Communion)
Greed (2006) (with Klinik)
The Bowing Harmony (2007)
Continuum 2 (2007) (with Bass Communion)
1984 - 1986 Testament of Tape (2009)
The Circuit Abstract (2015) (S) (recorded in 2000)
Hemorrhage (??)

Dirk Serries aka Vidna Obmana ("Optical Illusion" in Serbian) is a self-taught Belgian Ambient composer. I've heard some of his stuff which was very good, but it's hard to appreciate after the first listening. The same can be said about his collaborative work with Steve Roach, Well of Souls. Again, it is very good Tribal Ambient stuff, but I probably need to hear more than once and to hear closely to really start enjoying it.

 


Vidulesku (Italy)

Dance Voyage Sketches (1984)

Varied electronic tracks on this library LP from Mario Migliardi under a pseudonym.

 


Vieira, Alberto (Portugal)

Existence Without Form (2017)

Varied compositions created for an exhibition, from melodic and symphonic etudes to more experimental stuff.

 


Vieon (UK)

The Sound of the Future (2014)
Fly By Light (2016)

Vieon is Matt Wild. Although he states to be influenced by Jarre and Kraftwerk, his music actually sounds like a synthwave / spacesynth hybrid, leaning more towards the former. Only very marginally progressive, it will be enjoyed by those into the more accessible and easy-listening end of the EM spectrum.

 


Vietgrove (UK)

Vietgrove (1986)
Perhinderion (1987)
Green Hinge (1991)
The Garden of Forking Paths (1992)
Rough Mixes And Excerpts (1993)
Orbis Tertius (1994)
The Little Apocrypha (2003)

German-inspired electronics from UK-based synthesist Norman Fay. The story of Vietgrove started in the early 1980's, when Norman began recording his own electronic compositions using a Roland sequencer and a string machine. The first significant concert was to take place as a support act for Nik Turner's band, but Norman didn't want to appear on stage alone, so he asked his friend Carlton to help him on guitar. The gig was a success, and the audience wanted to buy their music, so a cassette was recorded and thus the ball rolled on. Soon Carlton had to leave the band, and Norman continued on his own, recruiting guitar players from time to time or simply creating solo electronic compositions.

 


Viewer, The (USA)

Reservoir (2022)

Intense, dark, sometimes noisy electronics from this Texan artist.

 


Viger, Robert (France)

Climats (1981)
Dramatic Delay (1982)
Terre des Betes (1982) (S) (soundtrack)
T.V. Labyrinthe / Patchograf (1982) (S)
The Earth (1984) (soundtrack)
Ways (1986) (with Alan Shearer)

Library electronic records.

 


Vigroux, Franck (France)

Radioland: Radio-Activity Revisited (2015) (with Matthew Bourne)
Rapport sur le Désordre (2016)
Barricades (2017)
Ignis (2018) (with Mika Vainio)
Totem (2019)
Désastres (2019) (EP)
MMXX-01 (2020) (S)
Ballades Sur Lac Gelé (2020)
BestialRE (2020) (with Phill Niblock and Kasper T Toeplitz)
Matériaux (2021)
Atotal (2021)
Magnetoscope (2022)

Franck Vigroux is an experimental artist who made a complete cover album of Kraftwerk's Radio-Activity together with Matthew Bourne. Some of that influence seems to have migrated to his solo LP as well, as we hear some weird vocoder bits on the opening track. The rest ranges in sound from the intense / noisy to rhythmic and vaguely melodic. You can sort of feel the influence of the more aggressive / neurotic branch of French EM here (Heldon et al) and overall it's an experimental and definitely progressive work in a unique style.

 


Vikorra Doom (USA)

The Ghost From Sheol (2024)

Dirgy, dungeon synth-y compositions from Bruce Moallem.

See also: God Body Disconnect, Underwater Sleep Orchestra.

 


Vila, Frank (Spain)

Crepusculo (1989)

Catalan artist based in Barcelona. This album is melodic, symphonic and new-agey, with lots of piano. I guess fans of Vangelis circa 1988 - 1994 might find it interesting. He released a couple more jazzy instrumental albums but these, although fine, are too far from any EM in my book.

 


Viljanen, Juho (Finland)

Viljasen Koneliike (2020)

Drummer, trombonist and synthesist. Intense, experimental EM with some really fat analog sounds.

 


Village of Dorlech (UK)

Power of Plants (2019) (S)

Self-described by the author as "plant-based dungeon synth", this is pretty much removed from classic dungeon synth canon. However, trying to pin it down is not an easy task either. Esoteric ambience on plant-related themes maybe?

 


Villages (USA)

The Last Whole Earth (2008)
Stockholm (2011)
Grey East (2011)
Theories of Ageing (2012)
Music For Savage Flowers (2012)
The Spilling Past (2012)
Staying And Waiting (2012) (S)
Sun Control (2013)
Procession Acts (2015)

Ambient drone artist Ross Gentry from Asheville, NC, who uses both guitar and electronics.

See also: Gentry, Ross

 


Villain, Carmen (USA)

Both Lines Will Be Blue (2019)
Sketch For Winter¨IX: Perlita (2021)
Only Love From Now On (2022)
Music From the Living Monument (2023)

US-born singer and musician of Norwegian and Mexican descent. Absolutely indescribable music on Both Lines... It is ambient but challenging, classically-influenced but electronic, minimal but ethereal. Nice stuff.

 


Villalon Renaud, Alejandro (Mexico)

Simbiosis (2013)

Varied melodic Electronic Music from this synthesist.

 


Villamizar, Carlos (Colombia)

Sense of Inflowing Unknown (2020)
Sueños Ligeros (2021) (S)

Originally from Bogotá, Carlos Villamizar is a sound artist and synthesist currently based in Berlin. Varied, mostly ambient, but at the same time rather intense electronics.

 


Villeneuve (France)

Now I Am Alone Before the Stars (2022)

Varied EM composed by Benoît de Villeneuve on a modular setup.

 


Villeneuve, Nikita (Russia)

Ñòàðûé çíàêîìûé (2020) (recorded in 2016) (S) (soundtrack)

Versatile musician (mostly in the vein of house music) and founder of Raw Russian label. On the above soundtrack, he presents varied, mostly shorter tracks, predominantly ambient, but also with a neo-classical edge and a sort of nostalgic mood.

 


Villette (Netherlands)

Dawn Is Mine (2020) (EP)

A project of Amsterdam-based Anne Korteweg. She loves her synths and mostly goes for the relaxing / cosmic and flowing sound, sometimes throwing in a beat or two, or going for the sequencer overload ("Midnight Arp"). Pretty impressive stuff and obviously a talented artist.

 


Villiger, Martin (Switzerland)

Antarctica (2001)

New instrumental release from this Swiss musician, with brief forays into symphonic rock. Some of the tracks (the most obvious example being "Emptiness") have a more atmospheric and electronic sound, obviously influenced by Vangelis (the Antarctica soundtrack, of course). This fact makes this album worthy of inclusion to EEM.

 


Vilović, Nenad (Croatia)

Prizma (2022) (recorded in 1985)

Electronic Music recorded in secrecy by this pop / disco musician, sax player and studio engineer. It was rejected by major labels at the time because of its experimental nature.

 


Vilutyte, Zita (Lithuania)

Saules Kelias (2001)
Laivas (2003)
Intuicija (2003)
Tarp Dangaus ir Žemes (2003)
Dangaus Kukurūzai (2004)
Trinity (2004)
Ąsotis (2005)
Saules Sodas (2005)
Adaptatio (2007)
Third Ear (2008)
Mandalaluna (2009)

Somewhat nice, flowing Ambient from this musician and painter, with some nature sounds, a bit new-agey, but never sweet or too dark.

 


Vimal, Richard (France)

Transparences (1977)
Migrations (1978)
Aquarythmies (1980)

A classic of French electronic scene, Richard Vimal started in the early 1970's, doing typical French Chanson stuff. He released several singles but these were not particularly successful. After a period of silence he got in touch with Polydor, which, surprisingly, offered him a contract. A change in musical direction followed (Richard discovered the synthesizer in 1974), and the first full-length album was released, featuring Richard on vocals and subtle synth arrangements. He then released two more, completely instrumental albums, the second of which had considerable success.

 


Vincent & Lang (USA)

Nights of Babylon (1982)

Synth album recorded at Studios Blue Dolphin, Hollywood, California.

 


Vincent, Roy (France)

Drøn #1 (2020)
A Lasting Memory (2022)

Mostly guitar-based drones on Drøn #1, with moments of nice synthiness and sequencer on track 1.

 


Vinci (France)

Qatar (2017)

French duo in monolithic motorik vein.

 


Vindensång (USA)

Themes of Snow And Sorrow (2006)
Terminus: Rebirth In Eight Parts (2008)
Alpha (2012)

Pennsylvania-based duo creating nature-inspired Ambient, akin to Vinterriket.

See also: Rúna

 


Vindictives, The (USA)

Muzak For Robots (2003)

Punk rock band from Chicago that, strangely enough, released this playful electronic album which is all synths (no guitar in sight) and all-instrumental. Pretty entertaining stuff done in an individual style.

 


Vindkaldr (Australia)

Ambient I (2015)
Vindkaldr (2019) (recorded in 2015 - 2019)
Abyssos Symphonia (2021)

Atmospheric black metal / dungeon synth / ambient project from Australia. I find a lot of his ambient material pretty refined and moody.

 


Vine, Keir (UK)

Instance (2018)

Multi-instrumentalist. Among the different styles of Instance, you will find also nice and relaxing ambient compositions. Sometimes with quiet organs ala late period Talk Talk.

 


Vines, Russ (USA)

Gemini (1983)

A strange record put out by Russ Vines and his "Contemporary Music Ensemble". Part of it (actually, the majority) is jazz but then there's also a funky track and some spacey and abstract electronic numbers.

 


VingDragon (Poland)

New Discoveries (2003)

VingDragon is Derek M. Rozanski who is inspired by classic EM artists of the 1970's and 1980's (Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Klaus Schulze).

 


Vinilette (Spain??)

Mysteria (2021) (S)

Rhythmic EM between synthwave and rough horror synth.

 


Vinize (Italy)

Percorsi Immaginari (1992)

Rare album released on vinyl.

 


Vinogradova, Sasha (Russia)

Oko (2021) (with Alina Anufrienko)

Music for synthesizers, voice and cello. Ethereal, cinematic, sometimes with a Vangelis feel.

 


Vinsfield (France)

Nébuleuses (2011)
Horns of Fear (2018) (soundtrack)

Melodic EM with some Jarre influence from this Reims-based synthesist.

 


Vinsonhaler, Paul (USA)

Hierophany Cassette Loops Vol. 1 (2021)
Hierophany Cassette Loops Vol. 2 (2021)

Dark, murky, cinematic soundworlds from this Memphis, Tennessee-based synthesist.

 


Vintage Cucumber (Germany)

Neuland (2014)
Kratugartner (2014)
San Tropico (2020)

Vintage Cucumber is Johannes Schulz from Templin, Brandenburg, Germany. He makes solo motorik-based krautrock / Dusseldorf School compositions that are sunny, dreamy and easy on the ear, like NEU! / La Dusseldorf gone full-on beach mode.

 


Vinterhjärta (Sweden)

Vinterhjärta (1987)

Music by members of progressive rock band Ragnarök (Peter Bryngelsson, Dan Johnsson and Lars Liljegren). This is still very much informed by progrock, but the music here is very flowing and pastoral, with no drums, just guitar, piano and synths. I guess you can kind of compare it to the more pastoral Mike Oldfield, The Enid or the spacey Pink Floyd (on the long title track), but overall it's pretty unique stuff.

 


Vinterriket (Germany)

Gjenomm Tåkete Skogen (2000)
Finsternis (2002)
...Und die Nacht kam Schweren Schrittes (2002)
Landshaftsmalerische Klangwelten Synthetischer Tonkunst (2002) (recorded in 1996 - 2002)
Winterschatten (2003)
Landschaften Ewiger Einsamkeit (2003)
7-Zoll Collektion (2005) (recorded in 2002)
Der Letzte Winter (2005)
Weisse Nachte Des Schwaren Schnee (2005) (recorded in 2002 - 2005)
Lichtschleier (2006)
Von Eiskristallen...Und Dem Ewiger Chaos / Das Winterreich (2006) (recorded in 2002 - 2003)
Kaelte, Schnee Und Eis (2007)
Wege In der Vergangenheit (2007)
Eiszwielicht (2008) (S)
Firntann (2008)
Gebirgshöhenstille (2008)
Zeit-Los:Laut-Los (2008)
Horizontmelancholie (2009)
Nachtschwarze Momente (2009) (S)
Nebelfluh (2010) (S)
Garðarsholmur (2012)
Entlegen (2013)
Hinweg (2015)
Nachtfülle (2019)

Frosty, desolate synth soundscapes by Christoph Ziegler, former member of black metal band Graven.

See also: Nebelkorona, Atomtrakt.

 


viñu-vinu (Canada)

Encounters (2018)
Echoes From Afar (2018)
Exilio Transitorio (2020)

Varied project from Montreal. Ranges from glitchy rhythms to nice analog EM and ambience.

 


Violence In Eden (UK)

Songs From the Edge (1998)

One of Jim Kirkwood's pseudonyms. This is a limited vinyl release.

See also: Kirkwood, Jim, Lucifaere, Ancient Technology Cult, Section 37, Emerald Eye.

 


Violet (Portugal)

Bed of Roses (2019)
Transparências (2022)

A project of Maria Inês Borges Coutinho. On Bed of Roses, she mixes trip hop and techno rhythms with sampling techniques, an ambient attitude and an ever-so-slight touch of vaporwave perhaps. Very different and not for EM purists for sure, but definitely progressive it its approach. Transparências is another EM-related work.

 


Violet Mist (UK)

Glimmer (2020) (S)

Nocturnal, minimal, sequenced synthwave sounds and rhythms.

 


Violetov General (Bulgaria)

Gentle Reactor (2022) (recorded in ??)

Experimental goth rock / post-punk / darkwave band active during the 1990's and beyond, led by Emil Valev. Gentle Reactor collects some archived / remastered tracks, some of which will definitely appeal to fans of the more experimental forms of EM.

See also: Valev, Emil

 


Vir Unis (USA)

Imaginarium (1998) (with Ma Ja Le)
Body Electric (1999) (with Steve Roach)
The Drift Inside (1999)
Aeonian Glow (2000)
Pulse 'n' Atmo (2001)
Aqua Culture 1 (2001) (with James Johnson and Christopher Short)
Blood Machine (2001) (with Steve Roach)
Dreamers At the End of Decaying Light (2001) (recorded in 1988 - 2001)
Live At the Gathering 23 (2001)
Perimeter (2001) (with James Johnson)
Thermal Transfer (2002) (with Saul Stokes)
The Yellow House (2002) (with Christopher Short)
Live At the Miramar (2002) (with Interstitial)
Mercury And Plastic (2002)
Symbology (2002)
Perimeter II (2003) (with James Johnson)
The Live Transmissions Vol.1 (2003) (with James Johnson)
Book of Mutations (2003)
Live At Lakeview Planetarium (2003)
Easting (2004) (with James Johnson)
Primary Space (2004)
Everything Seeks Balance (2004)
Tokyo Highway (2004) (with The Elf Machine)
The Live Transmissions Vol.2 (2005) (with James Johnson)
Not Even the Rain (2005)
The Endless Days of the Mono Gods (2007) (recorded in 1990 - 1996)
Return of the Locust Queen (2008)
Drawn From the Well (2008) (with Disturbed Earth)
Stand Still Like the Hummingbird (2009)

Quite good Ambient and Space Music. Vir Unis is John Strate-Hootman.

See also: miKroNaught

 


Virant, Christiaan (Hong Kong)

Fistful of Buddha (2012)
Ting Shuo (2014) (with 张荐)

Hong Kong-born artist currently residing in Beijing. He is an inventor of the famous "buddha machine" looping device. His own music is rather ambient.

 


Viridian (UK)

Juno (2018) (EP)

Guitarist James Green on Juno-6 synth and tons of reverb. Ambient sound inspired by dystopian visions.

 


Viridian Grin (Greece)

Ellinikon Project - 12000 Years (2000)
Whisper Scream (2000)
6th Gate (2000)
Night (2000)
E. A. Poe's The Raven (2000)
Whispers For the Dead Lovers (2000)
I Had A Dream Which Was Not All A Dream (2001)
Dagon (2008)

Organic, a bit tribal Ambient. This project is also known as "Viridian Green". There is an album released under that name titled Night (1999). Apparently, it's much more rock-influenced.

See also: Glaufx

 


Viridian Sun (USA)

Solar Noise (1997)
Perihelion (1999)
Live Paris Theater (2005)
Infinite In All Directions (2009)

Dark Ambient.

See also: Tollefson, David, Griffin, Mike.

 


Virke (Sweden)

Hovsjö 80 (2021)
II (2023)

Tuneful synths / mellotrons and twangy guitars accompanied by chirping drum machines. It has something of a slight new wave feel and influence, with some dubby moments as well. If you like Christian von Eschersheim's "sunny pop" type of EM, but also stuff like Bill Nelson, Moebius, Woo and Brian Eno, you may find this to your liking.

See also: Små Vågor

 


Virosa, Elizabeth (USA)

Inner World (2020)

Dark, pulsing, mysterious electronics that make use of processed voice and modular synthesis.

See also: Snowbeasts

 


Virtual Audio Project (Italy)

Into the Brain (1995)
Apocalypse (1995)
Mind Contact (1995)
Acceleration (1995)
Relax (1995)
Blue (1996)
Impact (1996)
Psychosis (1996)
Mystery (1996)
Genesi (1996)
Adrenaline (1996)
Exploration (1997)
Ego (1997)
Hot Sex (1997)
Alien (1997)
Dream (1997)
Flight (1997)
Hi-Tech (1997)
Love (1997)
Metropolis (1997)
Hypnotic (1997)
Cosmos (1997)
Genetics (1998)
Network (1998)
Jurassic (1998)
Nightmares (1998)
Time (1998)
Legend (1998)
Robots (1998)
Fantasy (1998)
Future (1998)
Discovery (1998)
Abyss (1998)
Virtual World (1998)

A project of Cybertracks label. Thematically sorted albums that represent some kind of samplers and although the names of the projects are given on the back of each CD, I have a suspicion that basically it's the same people who are responsible for all tracks. I've heard many of these, and some of them were very good. I can recommend the following: Cosmos, Jurassic, Flight, Metropolis, Alien. Others may be good as well. Here are some names of the involved musicians: Nat Amigoni (U.P.I.), Riccardo Ricchi (Explora, Realogic, Direct 2 Brain), Gian Luca Anniballi (J.L.A.), B. Helmer (The Sonic Theatre).

See also: Virtualmind, The Sonic Theatre, U.P.I..

 


Virtual Debris (Japan)

人と地球 (2020)
再生 (2021)
Beyond (2023)

Relaxing ambient compositions from Ryoma Tanaka. Sort of a utopian / cyberworld mood prevails here.

 


Virtual Dream Plaza (UK??)

夢市  (2016)
夢愛 (2016)

One of several vaporwave-related projects of this musician. This one is very influenced by drone / Ambient.

See also: 2814

 


Virtualmind (Italy)

Virtualmind (??)

A project of Nat Amigoni.

See also: Sonic Theatre, The, U.P.I., Virtual Audio Project.

 


Virusmoto (Russia)

◯ (2023)

Varied ambient, rhythmic, experimental electronics from Artem Dultsev.

See also: metra.vestlud

 


Vishudha Kali (Russia)

Unfinished Devastation Narrative (2005)
Ishopanishad (2008) (with Closing the Eternity and Velehentor)
Vorotsa (2011) (with Moon Far Away)

Atypical, ambient album from this powernoise / industrial outfit from Arkhangelsk (north of Russia). Real name of the artist is Andrei Bulin (Komarov). This is semi-electronic, quiet music with strong Pagan influences and a darkish Popol Vuh vibe.

 


Visible Breath (UK)

Fuse (2004)
Degrees of Light (2007)
Tropospheric (2010)

Varied melodic / sequencer music from synthesist and multi-instrumentalist Paul Jaffrey. He has collaborated with Systems Theory on a few of their releases.

 


Visible Cloaks (USA)

008 / Visible Cloaks (2015)
Visible Cloaks (2015)
Reassemblage (2017)
Lex (2017)
Serenitalem (2019) (with Yoshio Ojima and Satsuki Shibano)

Tropical ambience, new-agey synths, marimbas and sounds of nature from this duo of Ryan Carlile and Spencer Doran.

 


Vision Board (USA)

Unconscious Exchanges (2019) (S)
Standard Damage (2019)
Color Swipe (2019)
Electric Yachting (2020)
Each Deposit Year Evaporates (2021) (S)

A duo of Dominic Coppola and Matt Conzett. Ambient synth compositions, often with a bit of a lo-fi feel.

See also: Coppola, Dominic

 


Vision Liquida (Spain)

Impresiones (1997)
Beyond the Universe (1998)
Comix Live (1998)
Compress Collection Vol. 1 (1999)
Turbulences (1999)
Ad Noctum (2000)
Spheres (2000)
Compress Collection Vol. 2 (2000)
Maquin@rte 2001 (2001)
Cyborgsystems (2001) (EP)

Mostly Ambient material in the style of Steve Roach, Robert Rich and Vidna Obmana from this Spanish synthesizer duo comprised of Jose Miguel Abollado and Paco Butron. Turbulences has much more 70's-oriented material.

See also: Sound 99

 


Vision Reels, The (UK)

Eyes Open (2020)

Ambient music with a futuristic / dreampunk feel. A project of Adam O'Hara.

 


Visionary (Spain)

Atlantis 1 (2010)
Crystal City (2010)

A duo of Joseph Loibant and Toni Segarra.

See also: Loibant, Joseph

 


Visionary Hours (UK)

The Road To Basho (2011)
Still Point (2013)
Footfalls Echo (2015)
Beyond the White (2017)
Coalescence of Form (2020)

Unique Neo-Classical Ambient with a cosmic atmosphere.

 


Visionnaire (Italy)

The Grand Finale (2019)
A Dystopic Vision of A New Era (2019)
Eden (2021)

Cinematic electronic project of Massimiliano Lo Cascio.

 


Visions (Canada)

Lapse (2005)
Celestial Sphere (2006) (S)
Summoning the Void (2010)
Monad (2018) (with Phurpa)

Unique, hallucinogenic ambient worlds from Frederic Arbour.

See also: Instincts, Skorneg.

 


Visitor, The (Germany)

Imitation of Nature (2011)
Installationen (2019)
Polyrhythms (2022)

Solo music of Frank Bauer from Ai.

See also: Ai

 


Visser, Ad (Netherlands)

Sobrietas (1982)
No News From the Western Frontier (1986) (S)
Hi Tec Heroes (1987)
The Sound of Blue (1988)
The Hi-Tec Classics (1990)
A Cry of Blue (1995)
Brainsessions (1995)
Brainsessions 2 (1997)
Zap Cultures Buddha (1997)

Synthesist and multimedia performer born in 1947 in Amsterdam. Sobrietas had two editions - the original one and the 1990 re-release that, for some reason, had only 5 tracks and filled the rest with tracks from other albums. It is a complex work with singing (opera style). The instrumental tracks are easy and melodic. Hi Tec Heroes is synth-pop with a few instrumental tracks.

 


Vistas Fijas (Mexico)

Vistas Fijas (1985) (S)

Vinyl EP from this obscure band. The music is definitely prog EM, influenced by the German pioneers, but with some weird touches.

 


Visual (Finland)

Division By Zero (1986)

A project of Otso Pakarinen aka Ozone Player. This is an LP release with straightforward, dynamic EM.

See also: Ozone Player, Otso, Tapa Paha Tapa.

 


Visual Sequence (UK)

Brume (2022) (S)

A project of Rhiannon B. from Coventry. Using her trusty Soma Lyra-8 and Pulsar-23 synths, she crafts foggy, meditative ambient compositions.

 


Visualculture (USA)

Nereids (2020)

Short electronic tracks of varying moods.

 


Visvikis, Marios (Greece)

Psychedelia In Anatole (2012) (S)
Music For Jaw Harp (2015) (S)
Handmade Oscillators (2023) (S)

Greek artist with a unique style mixing acoustic / ethnic instruments and synthesizers.

 


Vital Durand, Martin (France)

Maquetas (2021)

French artist with a wacky, melodic style that mixes synths and guitars - a bit Cluster-like, but pretty unique-sounding overall. Martin Vital Durand is also known as Satis.

 


Vitale, Lito (Argentina)

Sobre Miedos, Creencias y Supersticiones (1981)
Kuarahy (1992)

First solo album by keyboardist of prog rock band M.I.A. It represents a melodic mixture of symphonic rock and some blistering synth solos and electronic moments. It's only related to EM, but fans of Vangelis and prog keyboard players (Emerson, Wakeman, etc) will like this one. It's amazing that Lito started to work on this album when he was only 18 years old. I don't know if there's any more interesting material in Lito's vast oeuvre from EM standpoint. Kuarahy is ballet music with orchestral emulations ala The Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis. Further investigation is needed.

 


Vitalic (France)

Disco Boy (2023) (soundtrack)

French deejay and techno / trance musician (Pascal Arbez-Nicolas) from Dijon. On Disco Boy soundtrack, he explores deeper and more progressive sounds. The upbeat tracks are still based on rave moods and trancey beats, but the atmospheric ones really nail that classic 1980's / 1990's synth soundtrack sound, perhaps adding a bit of extra grit and distortion. Best track: "Winter Is Coming" (more along the lines of symphonic EM).

 


Vitaly (Russia)

Looking At the Stars (2006)

Vitaly Zolotarev was born and grew up in Russia but now resides in Auckland, New Zealand. He composes Space Music.

 


Vitam Aeternam (Norway)

The Self-Aware Frequency (2020)
Revelations of the Mother Harlot (2022)

Bombastic, metal-related symphonic music based almost exclusively on the keyboards, including some neat use of the mellotron. Beware the vocals on some of the tracks.

 


Vitazek, Boris (Slovakia)

Amalgam (2023)

Experimental, chopped 'n' screwed electronics between contemporary digital-based styles and classic Prog EM sounds.

 


Vitoulis, Sam (Spain)

Le Voyage (2001)
April 14th 1984 (2003)
Leonard (2005) (with Sergio Koval)

Sam Vitoulis is the artistic name of composer Carles Mateu who was born in Barcelona, 1968. He makes music with sequential, melodic and orchestral electronic styles.

 


Viul (USA)

Bright Decline (2019)
Outside the Dream World (2019)
Konec (2022) (with Benoit Pioulard)
Secret Recess (2024)
Green Corridor (2024) (recorded in 2020 - 2023) (EP)

New York-based ambient composer who uses both guitar and synth loops.

 


Vive La Void (USA)

Vive La Void (2018)

Solo poject of Sanae Yamada, member of psych rockers Moon Duo. Dense synth tracks with motorik and some singing.

 


Viviankrist (Japan)

Cross Modulation (2019)

Eri Isaka aka Viviankrist is a Japanese noise artist residing in Oslo. With its sequences and pulses, Cross Modulation seems to be moving in the Conrad Schnitzler direction.

 


Vivona, Massimo (Italy)

Breathe (2018)
Travelling Alone (2021)

Berlin pulsations from this Sicily-born musician (currently residing in the USA). Pretty pleasant stuff to listen to.

 


Vixil (Spain)

Adulces (2023)

Varied EM from Spain. Nice sequences and melodies, but a bit heavy on shoegaze-y distortion and lo-fi feel for my taste. The vocals on some tracks don't work for me either.

 


VÍZ (Hungary)

Veils (2022)

VÍZ is an alias of Réka Csiszér. She is supposedly from Hungary, although her bandcamp page lists her as an artist from Transylvania, so the whole situation with her country of origin is a bit confusing. The music is dark and mysterious, though, with a definite horror vibe. Réka uses her voice (mainly spoken parts, with some singing also), acoustic instruments like the piano and cello, as well as synthesizers. A unique style for sure and pretty damn good stuff overall.

 


Vjazemski, Roma (Ukraine)

Golden Microphone From Rainy Sicily (2023)

A bit Cluster-like, a bit dubby music from this artist.

 


VLMV (UK)

Sing With Abandon (2022)

Crossover project mixing melancholic songs that sound like minimal, drumless Coldplay fronted by Jon Anderson (actually, the vocalist has his own unique timbre which is close to the above two but which I definitely prefer to both of them), neo-classical and instrumental Ambient. Also known as Alma.

 


Vocoder (Spain)

Vocoder (1987)

Although a techno-pop / italo-disco band, this quartet of Pilar Pellicer, Alfonso Olarte, Antonio Laval and Antonio Tenas has also made some instrumental tracks, at least one of which shows a notable prog EM (the melodic Jarre style) influence: the 8-minute closer "Radiotelescope" off their eponymous album. File under EM-related.

 


Vocoderion (Poland)

Biomechanical Structure (2005)

Female artist doing space disco music in the style of Koto and Laserdance with some Jarre touches in there as well.

 


Voder Deth Squad (USA)

1 (2011)
II (2012)

Stark modular synth compositions for fans of Experimental EM.

See also: Gengras, M. Geddes

 


Voegeli, Don (USA)

Oscillations (1972)
Oscillations 2 (1973)
Four Notes In Search of A Tune (1974)
Oscillations 3 (1974)
Oscillations 4 (1975)
Instant Production Music: Theme With Production Variations (1975)
Instant Production Music Vol.5: Classical Beds (1976)
Oscillations 5 (1977)
Instant Production Music Vol.10: Shorties (1978)
Instant Production Music Vol.12 (1979)
Instant Production Music Vol.15: Shorties II (1979)
Untitled (1979)
Instant Production Music Vol.18: Fine (1980)
Considerations On the Musical Theme From NPR's All Things Considered (1980)

Music designed as background accompaniment for radio shows played on synthesizers by Don Voegeli. The style is cheesy, easy on the ear and melodic.

 


Voetvolk (Belgium)

Bring It To Our Senses (2018)
The Sea Within (2018)

Voetvolk is a modern dance theater group. The Electronic Music on The Sea Within score was composed and performed by Maarten van Clauwenberghe, Bjorn Eriksson and Elko Blijweert.

 


Vogel, Mirko (Australia)

Deviations Live (1999) (EP)
LP1 (2016)

Australian ambient artist currently residing in London. Mirko Vogel is (was?) also a member of indie rock trio Sekiden. Pretty nice, flowing sound here, not flashy but fairly classy.

 


Vogel, Peter (Germany)

Improvisationen 1988 (1988)
Klangwand (??) (recorded in 1987 and 1989)
Schattenorchester (??)
Rhythmic Sounds (??) (recorded in 1996)
Polyrhythmische Variationen. Selection (2008) (recorded in ??)
Partitions de Réactions (2009) (recorded in 1975 - 1999)
Synthesizer Minimal Music. Konzert In Donaueschingen 1986 (2010)
Sequenzerstücke Nr. 1: Mit Synthesizer (2010) (recorded in ??)
Collagen. Polyrhythmische Variationen (2010)
Leipziger Stücke. Polyrhythmische Variationen (2010) (recorded in 197? - 198?)
Synthesizer Minimal Music. Konzert in der Galerie Baumgarten Freiburg 1986 (2010)
Minimal Music In Zürich. Rote Fabrik und Koprod Zürich 1985 (2010)
Rhythmic Sounds, 1996 (Techno Klangwand) (??)
Sympho / Mollpizz (2013) (S)

Peter Vogel (1937 - 2017) was an academic, minimal, experimental, avant-garde and electronic artist working with installations, stage productions, sound art, orchestras, improvisation and synthesizer composition. Vogel became involved in the creation of EM already in the 1970's. In 2010, he released a series of CDR's containing archived recordings, some of which were supposedly re-recorded or remixed. His synthesizer works are often repetitive and minimal, based on multiple sequences.

 


Vogelsinger, Hélène (France)

Contemplation (2020)
Reminiscence (2021)
Patch Notes #001 (2022) (S)

Extremely tasty modular synth compositions - melodic, flowing, pastoral and cosmic.

 


Voice of Canvas (Sweden)

Semaphore EKKO (2017)
Consequent Infrequency (2021)

Slow, ambient compositions, with many analog sounds and sometimes distant "vocals".

 


Voice of Eye (USA)

Isolation (1990)
Voice of Eye (1991)
Resonant Fields / Hot Gypsy Fink (1992)
Mariner Sonique (1992)
Sprocket (1994) (S)
Vespers (1994)
The Hungry Void Vol. 1 (1995) (with Life Garden)
The Hungry Void Vol. 2 (1995) (with Life Garden)
The Nature of Sand (1995) (with Illusion of Safety and Life Garden)
Live (1995)
Transmigration (1995)
Immersion (2007)
Seven Directions Divergent (2009)
Invivo (2009) (with Nux Vomica)
Substantia Innominata (2009) (S)
Fire of the Unitive Path :: Three Rivers :: (2010) (with Nux Vomica)
Primaera (2010) (S)
The Portland Improvisations (2010)
Anthology One: 1989 - 1991 (2010)
Anthology Two: 1992 - 1996 (2011)
The Unveiling of Darkness (2012) (with Thomas Dimuzio)
Anthology Three: 1996 - 1998 (2021)

Texan duo of Bonnie McNaim and Jim Wilson. They mainly use processed samples and various home-made instruments and are more or less within the realm of artists like Vidna Obmana, Paul Schutze and such, which means dreamy, hazy and sometimes dark ambience. Some of their works approach the territory of Steve Roach in his Tribal Ambient mode.

See also: Asianova, Esoterica Landscapes 7.

 


Voice of Saturn, The (USA)

Shapeshifter (2017)
Gratitude (2021)

A project of Travis Thatcher who is also an instrument builder (making modules under the "Voice of Saturn" name). Varied EM. Mostly rhythmic and propulsive, but also melodic.

See also: Personal Bandana

 


Voiceless Narratives (Czech Republic)

Society Failure (2019)

A mixture of gloomy ambient and vaguely techno pieces recorded by Miroslav Medo & Martin Kokavec for an exhibition in Prague.

 


Voices of the Cosmos (Poland)

Solar Sequences (2020) (S)
Interstellar Space (2021)
Deep Fields (2023)
De Revolutionibus MMXXIII (2024)

Polish duo that combines processed signals received by radio telescopes with darkish electronics, using both analog and digital synths, as well as drum machines.

 


Void (Netherlands)

Void (1997)
Avoidance (2011)

Danyo Romijn aka Void started creating his own compositions influenced by Jarre and TD during the early 1990's.

 


Void, Bastian (USA)

Ported (2011)
Horicon Sketches (2011)
Fluorescent Bells (2012)
Phonics (2013)
No Dreams (2015)
Nippon CS (2016)
Canopy Process / Ray Tracing (2016) (S)
ADAPTER (2017)
Three Sides of Consideration (2017) (recorded in 2015 - 2016)
Acreage (2019)
Bastian Void & Errant Space (2020) (with Errant Space)
Topia (2021)

Bastian Void is the nom-de-plume of Massachusets-based sound artist Joseph Bastardo. He started more or less in the realms of vaporwave, but continued into the territory of Experimental EM and analog-based ambient soundscapes.

See also: Bastardo, Joseph, Homeowner, Looks Realistic.

 


Void of Sound (Norway)

Music From My Piano (2012) (S)
Black_White (2014)
Drifting Away (2015)
Tapes (2018)

Droning ambient compositions from this musician (Sigurd Borge Kristofffersen) who uses both guitar and electronics.

 


Void Stasis (USA)

Ruins (2022)
Viral Incubation (2023)

Collaborative project of Kristof Bathory, Scott Denman (both members of aggrotech bands Dawn of Ashes and Die Sektor, respectively) and Marie Ann Hedonia. Nice synth compositions, moody and focusing on the ambient side of EM, but also with some nice sequencing.

See also: Bathory, Kristof

 


Void*, The (Netherlands)

Values (2016)
Norwegian Disco (2019) (S)

Dutch trio (pronounced "The Void Pointers") of Roald van Dillewijn, Eric Magnée and Tijs Ham. They make their own instruments (both software and hardware), and their style is ambient and abstract, sometimes with piano, approximating the Eno / Budd style, sometimes noisier and more experimental, with a slight post-rock edge.

 


Void Wanderer, The (Russia??)

Empty World (2024)

Pretty foggy, massive, droning ambience.

 


Voidmorf (Hungary)

Beyond All the Light (2015)
Negative Corridor (2016)
Black Celestial Body Radiation (2019)
The Seven Sleepers the Seven Death (2019) (with Odour Sonour)

Dark soundscapes consisting of dark analog sequencing and layered drones. Voidmorf consists of Vinnui Varga Balasz and Mortum Exabyss (they sound like pseudonyms to me). Their aim is to explore sound that would reflect such concepts as the vastness of the Universe and other existing and not yet existing phenomenae.

See also: Mortum Exabyss, Odour Sonour.

 


Voigt, Wolfgang (Germany)

Rückverzauberung 4 (2011)
Rückverzauberung Live In London (2020) (recorded in 2014)
Rückverzauberung Exhibition (2021)

Minimal techno musician and founder of Kompakt label. The above recordings might interest fans of Ambient.

 


Voigthaus, Tilo (Germany)

Syngle Works Vol.1 (1998)
Syngle Works Vol.2 (1999)
My Part of Coral Cave (1999)
Syngle Works Vol.3 (2000)
The Collection 1998 - 2003 (2003)
The Wave Sequences (2005) (recorded in 1998 - 2005)
Life + Death (2006)
Analogos (2006)
The Space Music (2007)
Coda (2010)
2.0 (2018)

Member of Coral Cave. Same style?

See also: Coral Cave, Mikado 85.

 


Voin Oruwu (Russia)

Big Space Adventure (2018)
Etudes From A Starship (2019)

A project of Dmitriy Avksentiev in hybrid techno / Prog EM mould. Examples of the latter include "Contact", "A Part of Myself" and "Big Space Tragedy". Let's hope for a purely EM release in the future. Notes 30.05.2020: he did not disappoint - Etudes From A Starship is a complete turns towards the ambient / EM side.

 


Voiski (France)

Disconnections, Music For Clouds (2017)
Sick Parrots (2018)
At the Speed of Love (2019)
Halcyon Sleep (2021)

Voiski is Paris-based techno / trance musician and producer (real name - Luc Kheradmand) who is also interested in pure synthesizer sound (Disconnections is very interesting in this regard). Sick Parrots includes a short club version of a live-in-the-studio track called "Texture Poems For the Moons of Stars", whose full version can be found on Youtube and which is a fantastic sequencer trip. Hopefully, the full version gets released in the future. Halcyon Sleep is an excellent, sequencer-based EM album.

 


Volanen, Ilkka (Finland)

Konehuone - Teoksia Ajassa 1976-2011 (2013)

Electronic / electroacoustic works for television. The style is not known at the moment.

 


Volca, Anthony (USA)

Eolos (2022)
Kaleidos (2022)
Vestiges (2022)
Canyon Sequences (2022)

New York-based synthesist with a varied style - often with sequences and rich pads.

 


Volcan (France)

Thysia (2016)

Analog, sequence-full music from Greg Vezon. Some driving rhythms give it also a synthwave flair.

 


Volcano Lazerbeam (USA)

Union (2023)
Dive 1: Refraction (2023) (with Robert Chamberlain, Sumner James and Saroon)

Synthesizer duo of Cristina Cano and Justin Longerbeam. Warm sparkles of sound, drones, pads, cosmic / relaxing melodies. Nice ambient EM in American style.

 


Voldarepet (Mexico)

Krol Voldarepet Knact Didactico (1977)
Voldarepet (1978)
Voldarepet (??)
Concerto en Vivo ENEP (??)
Ensayos (1978)
En Vivo Sala Frederico Chopin (1979)

Psychedelic, mysterious music. Sometimes like Fripp & Eno. Voldarepet are Marco Antonio Godinez, Arturo Meza, Juan Wolfgang Cruz and Victor Soto.

See also: Meza, Arturo

 


Volkaniko (UK)

Consumer Spirit (2010)
Hemispheres (2010)
Rise & Fall (2012)

Cinematic electronics similar to Vangelis and Jarre. Consumer Spirit is a reflection on modern society and is more experimental and whimsical.

 


Volkor X (France)

Badass Inc. (2016) (recorded in 2015) (EP)
This Means War (2016)
Heart Wired, Part 1 (2019)
This Is Our Planet Now (2020)
The Loop (2023)

Energetic sequencing, strong drumming, melodies and lots of synths / guitar riffs in a hybrid cosmic, melodic EM / progressive metal setting. For fans of Holle Mangler, Maxxess and likeminded artists.

 


Volt (UK)

The Far Canal (2003)
Star Compass (2004)
Through the Rings (2005)
Nucleosynthesis (2007)
HjVi (2008)
Circuits (2012)
A Day Without Yesterday (2016)

VoLt were a duo of Michael Shipway and Steve Smith. They played sequencer-based improvised Electronic Music. One of the best examples of their style is the album HjVi released on Dutch EM label Groove Unlimited. The music was recorded during "Hampshire Jam 6" Electronic Music festival, so what we get here is an unaltered live recording. "Primaeval" gets to a quick start with an intense siren-like sound. After a few seconds, an urgent sequence starts. Another sequence joins in, as melodic pads provide a comfortable blanket that wraps up the ubiquitous pulsations. A mournful solo cries on top. The backgrounds disappear, leaving us with sequences only. A reflective melody is heard, supported by gentle synthesized choir. Excellent experimental sounds provide that special bite, as the sequences become almost marimba-like. Bowed notes reminiscent of Robert Rich's lap steel guitar playing are heard. A rapid bass sequence emerges, accompanied by a blistering solo, taking the track to its conclusion on an energetic and upbeat note. Atmospheric effects serve as the transition to the next piece, titled "Atavistic". Soft pads soon take over, as gentle piano notes hang like a mirage in thin air. A bass sequence starts, joined by yet another one, all supported by melodic pads. A piercing solo is heard. The track has got great melodic content and a somewhat melancholic mood. A strange experimental rhythm starts and a reflective electric guitar weeps in the mists full of sequencer webs. Little by little the track becomes more relaxed and serene, while still retaining its rhythmic elements. The guitar sounds very much inspired by Edgar Froese's solos on Tangerine Dream's live albums from the 1970's and 1980's. The track ends with warm analogue pads and lonely sequences echoing into the distance. Another transition and we enter "Signals". Synth atmospheres give way for a growling synth sound and wind effects. Mysterious pads are greeted by a morse code sound. A rapid sequence starts, supported by yet another one, as twittering effects fill the jagged spaces left by the pulsations. Melodic pads remind on Gert Emmens' style. A steady bass pulse starts, as warm analogue pads are heard. The sequences mutate, as an excellent pad / choir combination appears, accompanied by an electric guitar solo. This is some exciting EM. The pads return for a brief spell, before the sequences end this upbeat piece in the most energetic mode possible. "Extinction" (the encore) begins with dark sounds and symphonic synthesizers. A very exciting sequence starts, arranged in cyclical patterns and supported by melodic phrases from synthesizers. A piano melody is heard. More sequences are added, greeted by the audience's applause. And yet another super-rapid sequence appears, and another one. How many of them are there already? Five? Six? It doesn't matter. What's important is that it's one hell of an EM piece, with multiple pulsations and a great melodic synth solo. A steady rhythm starts as the adrenaline levels go up with a melodic improvisation on a synthesizer. HjVi is a very enjoyable album and a worthy addition to any EM collection.

See also: Shipway, Michael, Smith, Steve.

 


Voltage (Russia)

Sabbat 33 (2004)
Nightmare (2006)
Lucifer Over Ptz (2007)

Mysterious project from Karelia. Sort of Dark Space music. Sort of...

 


Voltage Control (Canada)

Higher Power (1999)
Oscillation Over-Thruster (2001)

Industrial-tinged electronics. A project of Nebulous, Rod C. Dornian and Russ Magee.

See also: Nebulous

 


Voltage Controlled Music (UK)

Movements (2014) (with Eigenfrequenz)
Moments (2015) (with Eigenfrequenz)

Improvisational duo of Derek Williams and Mat Handley. They use analogue synthesizers and their music is strongly influenced by the Berlin School sound. Their albums represent live improvisations.

 


Voltage Controlled Organism (UK)

Resonance (2017)

Abstract synth fabrics and dark soundscapes. Some nice mellotron choirs give it a vaguely Berlin School feel.

 


Voltereta (Spain)

Cabezas Bien Altas (2016) (S)
Nubla (2020)

The 2016 release is a mixture of melodic, propulsive style between IDM and EM and calm ambience on the closer. Nubla continues in the same vein. A project of Felipe L. Navarro who is based in Cádiz.

 


Voltolux (Germany)

Voltolux (1997)

Obscure LP from Germany, between jamming krautrock and experimental electronics.

 


Volume Groop (UK)

Electronic Music (2014) (S)

Strictly analog.

 


Volunteer Coroner (USA)

Obsidian Relic (2022) (S)
Scars Burn Together (2022) (S)

Texas-based noise / drone artist with some Prog influences on Obsidian Relic (the closer is a nice, filmic dark synth piece).

 


Von Bingen (Canada)

Von Bingen (2009)

Krauty electronic / guitar droners, sometimes like Ashra mixed with 1960's electronic music. Von Bingen are Daniel Presnell, Richard Smith, Jenni Pace Presnell and Joshua Stevenson.

See also: Magneticring, Shasta Cults.

 


Von Daniken (UK)

New Worlds (1990)
Transient (1999)

Electronic Music. Von Daniken is the project of Chris McMahon, with Warren Jacques providing guitar, percussion and vocals.

 


Von Dänikenn (Finland)

Uusi Aika (2016)

Looks like this guy (Rolf Jacksen) decided to marry Giorgio Moroder and German EM / krautrock (sometimes the cheesier, 1980's aspects of it). Fine analog overdose.

 


Von Deyen, Adelbert (Germany)

Sternzeit (1978)
Nordborg (1979)
Atmosphere (1980)
Eclipse (1981)
Planetary (1982)
Inventions (1983) (with Dieter Schutz)
Live (1984)
Impressions (1985)
Dreamdancer (1987)
Painted Black (2006)
Roseg@rden (2007)
Old Fashioned (2009) (with Dieter Schutz)

Born in Lübeck, Adelbert (Kraak) Von Deyen started in the 70's, going parallel route to Klaus Schulze, playing classic-style Electronic Music, but focusing on a bit shorter pieces on later releases and with less sequences. There was a bit of a controversy about Adelbert's work, as he not only played music in Schulze style, but even the covers of his albums looked similar to the surrealist covers by Urs Amann used by Schulze for his early releases. However, Adelbert never really hid his admiration for the Master. He played several concerts, some of them in unlikely locations. Sadly, Adelbert died on 13.02.2018.

 


Von Duesz, The (Germany)

Dynamo (2011)
Garant (2012)
It's All (2013) (S)

Krautrock-influenced trio that plays drums, synths and sax.

 


Von Hallgath (Germany)

Intersection (2013)

Analog modular music from one half of EFSS.

See also: Erren, Fleissig, Schöttler, Steffen, Erren, Jörg.

 


Von Heiden, Erik (USA)

PKS 2000-330 (??)

Early 1980's private cassette release from California.

 


Von Himmel (USA)

Florid Pagoda (2012)

One of the many projects by Greg Garbage. This one explores the realms of digital drone and unclassifiable lo-fi structures so abundant these days. This album may be interesting for prog EM fans, though, especially the gentle, cosmic sequencer trip that is "Luminous Inertia".

 


Von Oswald, Moritz (Germany)

Silencio (2023)

Diverse composer (and ex-member of Basic Channel), with Silencio representing a mixture of choral and electronic music (made with the use of classic analog instruments).

 


Von Sleight, Sean (USA)

Fringe Biology (2005) (with Brian Younker)
Signs of Life (2006) (with Brian Younker)
Scandinavia Darkly (2007) (with Brian Younker)
Sieves & Cyphers (2008) (with Brian Younker)
Disassemble Everything (2008) (EP) (with Brian Younker)
New Kraut (2010) (with Brian Younker)
Drop the Space Needle (2013) (with Brian Younker)
Life Under Quarantine (2020)

Seattle-based musician. Life Under Quarantine is a solo ambient synth session. Repetitive, propulsive, experimental...

 


Von Spain, Joy (USA)

Seeking Stockhausen's Moustache (2007)

Vocalist and experimental composer (from dark soundscapes through noise and power electronics to symphonic and choral music). The above is an electronic work (analog synths, drum machines) in experimental but quite listenable and unmistakably progressive style.

 


Von Spar (Germany)

Von Spar (2007)
Foreigner (2010)
Garzweiler (2017) (EP)

Great forays into EM from this Cologne-based pop band. Rich sequences, some rhythms, symphonic synths, it's all there, as well as influences from Kraftwerk, Vangelis, Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Neu! and more.

 


Von Till, Steve (USA)

A Deep Voiceless Wilderness (2021)

Steve Von Till is guitarist and vocalist of hardcore / psychedelic punks Neurosis. A Deep Voiceless Wilderness is a surprising diversion for him - recorded without the use of guitar with just piano, cello, mellotron and analog synths, it's an album of neo-classically-tinged ambient compositions. Nice one.

 


Von Wieding, Alexander (Germany)

MagiR - Klangspiel (2021)

German illustrator and musician.

 


Vonbank, Juergen (Austria)

Trial & Eros (2018)
Cabin Takes (2021)

Although some material on Trial & Eros is influenced by minimal techno and related styles, the ambient numbers, such as the title track, have an unmistakeable Cluster quality to them. File under EM-related.

 


Vond (Norway)

Selvmord (1993)
The Dark River (1996)
Green Eyed Demon (1998)
Aids To the People (2017) (recorded in 1993 and 1995)

Dark Ambient by Mortiis.

See also: Mortiis, Fata Morgana, Cintecele Diavolui.

 


Voodoo Chile (Australia)

Look Beyond Today (1987)

One of Rainbow Generator offshoots.

See also: Mojo, Rainbow Generator, Generator, The.

 


Voodoo Organist, The (USA)

Organeddon (2012)
Synthesis (2018)

The name The Voodoo Organist refers to Scott Wexton from California who plays Hammond organ. Every now and then he would put his organ apart and experiment with analog and circuit-bent synths. Both the second part of Organeddon (subtitled "The Form Destroyer", for which he originally used the "Voodoo Synthesist" moniker) and Synthesis are exactly these type of experiments. The music is wacky and easy-listening, inspired by "esoteric" electronics from the 1970's of people like Bruce Haack and Mort Garson, and maybe also library music.

See also: Voodoo Synthesist

 


Voodoo Synthesist (USA)

Post Industrial Music For Post Industrial People (2020)

What was started on Scott Wexton's Synthesis album from 2018 continues here. Upbeat, intense, aggressive, sometimes noisy synth music. Pretty unique EM style here.

See also: Voodoo Organist, The

 


Voorbogt, Johnny (Belgium)

Planet One (1980) (S)
Sky (1989)
Mare Liberum (1992)
Wonderland (1993)
Pearls (1999)

Melodic EM.

 


Vorhaus, Dave (UK)

The Vorhaus Sound Experiments (1980)
Sleight of Mind (1982)
Electro-Graphics (1982) (with Dave Bradnam)
Sound Conjurer (1983) (with Dave Bradnam)
The Quest (1984) (with Dave Bradnam)
Out of the Dark (1985)
Atmos 6. Water / New Age (1991)

Music from the mastermind behind White Noise. These are all library LP's where Fairlight CMI predominates.

See also: White Noise

 


Vornhagen, Paul (USA)

Whispers In the Wind (1987) (with Paul Sihon)

Early LP by this new age composer. It's still new agey, but could be interesting to those who prefer the more sedate and meditative side of electronics. It mixes synthesizers with real tablas and flutes for a dreamy, Ariel Kalma sort of sound.

 


Voronda (USA)

Trials In the Forest (2019) (S)
Reclaiming the Sign (2019)
Blood & Sorcery / Reclaiming the Sign (2020)

Dungeon synth-related project from Vermont. This one has more of a children's fable / winter's tale atmosphere to it, with some cosmic edges. Not bad, but rather samey.

 


Voronin, Alexander (Russia)

Ñëåäû ïðîðîêà èëè ïî÷òè ðåêâèåì (1998) (recorded in 1990 - 1992)
Ãåîãðàôèÿ (??)

Late minimalist composer and flute player. The above album was recorded with just a Prophet-610 synth and represents a series of melodic sketches. Alexander Voronin died in 1998 as a result of an accident at home.

 


Vorski (France)

Prophecies (2020)

Upbeat, melodic, flashy, sequence-full EM.

 


Vortex (Germany)

Phanopoeia (2008)
Stille / Silence (2009)
Rockdrill (2011)
Kali Yuga (2013)
Moloch (2016)
As Gods Fall (2018)
Nag-Hammadi (2022) (with Nam-Khar)
H​ä​xan (2022)

Ritual Dark Ambient from member of apocalyptic folk band :Golgatha:.

 


Vortex Mechanic (Russia)

Constructor (2016)
Wired (2017)

Another alias of Berlin School musician Alexey Markov.

See also: Radio Silence, Quantum Mechanics.

 


Vortice Mortale (France)

Memento Mori (2019)

Solo synthwave-like music from Herbert West.

See also: Hunt, The

 


Vorus, John (USA)

Transmuting Currents (2006)
Foot of the Crow (2017)

Tribal / atmospheric soundworlds. Co-produced by Steve Roach and very much influenced by his Tribal works.

 


Vorvadoss (Australia)

A Pulse From the Shimmering Beyond (2019) (S)

Dungeon synth-like music but with sort of a cosmic synth / EM vibe. Not bad, although I hated the irritating distortion / overdrive on higher notes.

 


Vos Voisins (Canada)

Le Martien de Noël (1972) (soundtrack)

Vos Voisins was a Quebecois psychedelic / progressive rock band that released one album titled Holocauste à Montréal in 1971. Now, few people know about it, but they also did music for children's sci-fi television show that was available in French and English languages at the time. Here they seem to experiment with electronics quite a bit.

 


Vourtsis, Tom (USA)

Mothhunting (2011)

Dark Ambient from this New-York-based artist.

 


Vox Populi ! (France)

Introduction a la Theorie de la Subjectivite Relative (1982)
Ectoplasmies (1983) (S)
La Cathedrale Morte (1985)
Myscitismes (1985)
Sucre de Pasteque (1986)
Half Dead Ganja Music (1987)
Vox Populi! (1988)
Aither (1989)
Soft Entrance To Nature's Camino De Luz (2007) (S)
Mystic Entertainment (2009) (recorded in 1984 - 2009)
Aramesh (2009) (with Pacific 231)
Imaginary Myscitisms & Alternative Watermelons (2014) (recorded in 1983 - 1988)
Magiques Creations (2017)
Alternatif Réalisme (2019)
Psyko Tropix (2022)

Industrial-like Ambient music by this French project (basically an artist named Gnouf Tap with help from other musicians). Has some similarities to Brian Eno.

 


Voyag3r (USA)

Victory In the Battle Chamber (2013) (S)
Doom Fortress (2014)
Are You Synthetic? (2016)
War Mask (2019)

Voyag3r is a three-piece (Steve Greene, Greg Mastin and Aaron Greene) keyboards / drums / guitars band from Detroit. They are influenced by progressive rock, vintage horror scores (GoblinCarpenter, etc) and EM in general. Their style is flashy and driving, mixing real drums with melodic guitars and that typical horror synth vibe. Aaron Green also plays guitar in a sludge / thrash metal band Panzer.

See also: Greene, Steve

 


Voyage Futur (Austria)

Secret Earth (2019)
Inner Sphere (2020)
Virtual Moonlight (2021)
Wellen (2023)
In Constant Change (2023)
Wellen (2023)

Vienna-based project in a relaxing electronic mould, with shades of new age. Some sequences, lots of pads, etc.

 


Voyager (USA)

Contact (1984)
Horizon of Hope (1985)
Sound Dreams (1987)

Arizona-based duo of Charles Thaxton (Char-El) and Tom Moore (The guy of Crystal fame, I guess) whose music was featured on the Hearts of Space radio show. The group also did a few live gigs, including some planetarium shows, playing music influenced by classic Tangerine Dream.

See also: Char-El, Crystal.

 


Voyager Project, The (Germany)

Edition Electronique (2012)
Turn of An Unexpected Way (2021)

Varied rhythmic / melodic EM.

 


Voz, Dominic (USA)

Right To the City (2022)

Portland, Oregon-based musician. A mixture of collage and ambient electronics. Pretty unique and wacky stuff overall.

 


Vrachliotis, Nikos (Greece??)

Space Lines (1992) (S)

 


Vraja, Benjamin (USA)

Anthology (2020)

 


Vrayance, Hubert (France)

Landscape 80 (1986)

Hubert Vrayance is a French synthesist, church organ player and an ex-member of electronic duo Eden (along with drummer Allan Lys). Hubert worked as a chief officer and later a police commissioner (1985 - 2006). He had been working as a secret agent on political investigations until being freed from his post somewhere in the 2000's. Landscape 80 is a monumental 2-CD set with varied styles (composed in 1980 - 1985), but with floating electronics in Vangelis vein predominating.

See also: Eden

 


Vresnit (Russia)

Stalist Lik Sveta (2008)
Vjuga.Ljet.Duj (2009)
Tunvet (2009)
TaeT (2009) (with Kshatriy)
Kalen Ven (2009)
Seed Solar (2010)
Inej Senju Kornej (2010) (with Hladna)
Kornej Senju Inej (2010) (with Hladna)
Zhatva (2011)
Laatokkalla (2011) (with YAO 91404 D)

Ritual Ambient and nature-inspired soundscapes from Yaroslavl-based artist Sergey Ilchuk.

See also: Siyanie

 


Vrije (UK)

Duin' Tha Whitehouse (1981)
Azazel Eblis (1982)
Third (1983)
4 (1983)
Transmission (1983)
Six, Retrospection I (1983)
Contaminate (1983)
New Life (1983)
Blitzkrieg (1983)
Gravamina For Uxoricide (1983)
Alchemy (1983)
Diabolik Trepidation (1984)
Terminus, Retrospection 2 (1984) (recorded in 1983)
Old Wounds, Vol. 1 (1985)

Early incarnation of Alto Stratus.

See also: Alto Stratus, Freeman, Alan, Biomechanoid, Endgame, Region 5, Adhara, Electric Junk, Scorpio, Triax.

 


Vromb (Canada)

Origami (2020)
Polygonie (2022)

Pulsing, rhythmic, experimental EM from Mario Girard. Further investigation is needed.

 


Vronski, Anastasia (Russia)

The Spell (2009) (S)
The Drowner (2010) (S)
Untitled (2016)
Ñèãíàëû çàáûòîãî êîðàáëÿ (2017)

Perm-based Anastasia Vronski (Àíàñòàñèÿ Âðîíñêè) is a noise artist who on Ñèãíàëû çàáûòîãî êîðàáëÿ created subtle and at times slightly more intense / in-yer-face Noise Ambient (or Ambient Noise) compositions. Dark, cold, lo-fi...

 


Vrtačky Po Desáté Hodině (Slovakia)

Lullabies (For Stela) (2016)

Noise Ambient with some classic Prog EM touches.

 


VRTX Motion (Finland)

Dystopian Utopia (2017)

Varied cinematic music from Ville Pallonen.

See also: Olio Tähtien Takana

 


VTL (USA)

Icestorm (2014)

Varied soundscapes, from experimental, to melodic and emotional. VTL is Jonathan Baker from Pittsburgh.

 


Vuagniaux, Anthony-Cédric (Switzerland)

Souvenirs Electroniques (2010) (S)
La Bobine Magique (2010)
Mes Machines Me Parlent (2011) (S)
La Virago (2012)
Marisa (2013) (S) (soundtrack)
Le Sabreur Fou (2013) (S) (soundtrack)
Le Maître Nageur (2013) (S) (soundtrack)
La Cougar (2013) (S) (soundtrack)
Le Clan des Guimauves (2014)
Le Bal des Faux Frères (2016) (S) (soundtrack)
Les Indicatifs de l'Institution Genevoise (2016) (S)
Le Magnétiseur (2018)

Multi-instrumentalist and soundtrack composer with an extremely wide range of influences, mostly of French origin, from vintage soundtracks (both funk / jazzy and electronic like Francois de Roubaix) to French folk, classical music and the melodic EM tradition (Jarre et al).

 


Vujanic, Daniel (Germany)

Paramnesia (2021)

German artist of Serbian (I think) descent. He usually gets lumped with the post-rock genre, but on Paramnesia, you will hear nice, beepy electronic pieces with a Cluster feel (and indeed a clear post-rock influence). Further investigation is needed.

 


Vulcanizadora (France??)

Halos (2020)

Quirky electronics a bit similar to Moebius' solo work in feel.

 


Vulkov, Ivan (Bulgaria)

 


Vullum, Eivind (Norway)

Ohms Love (2022)

Eivind Johansson Vullum is a Norwegian artist with a floating, melodic synth style.

 


Vulse (UK)

Inside (1995)

It's basically Dark Ambient, albeit influenced by Vangelis. Vulse is the project of Martin Lee Stephenson.

See also: Bluewater School, Sundew.

 


Vuolo, A. & Grande E. (Italy)

Desert (1979)

Library album with diverse funk / fusion / progrock / EM tracks. The most interesting one is the TD-like "Transvesuvian".

 


VYRYV (UK)

Lyutak Caldo (2021) (S)

Described as "analogue synth horror". Given the soundtracky quality of this music, as well as its grating, sawy synths and low pulsations, this is a pretty accurate description. A project of Lee Stokoe.

 


Vysoké Čelo (Poland)

Űrutazás (2017)
Wzium! (2018)

Melodic / rhythmic EM with folk elements from this duo.

 


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