Zabba Lindner And the Rhythm' Stix (Germany)
Extra Ordinaire (1982)
Obscure LP released on Sky records. The style is not known but considering that Zabba is a legendary "Krautrock" drummer and the fact that apart from drums and guitars, synthesizers are featured, chances are high that there's something of interest to EM fans as well.
See also: Eschersheim, Christian von
Promethee (1984)
Dr. Zab And His Robotic
Strings Orchestra (1992)
Epreuves D'Acier - Fragments D'Une Forge (1995)
Heartbeat
(1997)
India (1998)
Les Chants D'Alice Et Du Vieux Monde (1999)
Nebensonnen (2000)
Miniaturen: Zoydian Suite In 3 Movements (2000) (with others)
Dr. Zab II: The Fantomatick
Bands (2001)
Missa Furiosa (2004)
Iva Lirma (2007)
Voyage au Centre de la Terre (2008)
Thierry Zaboitzeff (born in 1953) used to be the bassist for legendary Art Zoyd. On his solo works he finds himself in the electronic mode.
See also: Art Zoyd
Mystery of the Third Planet (1981) (soundtrack)
Electronic soundtrack for animated cartoon series. Warm, floating, analogue, melodic.
Vie! (1993)
Synthesizer soundscapes. The above album was re-released in 2002 in a limited edition of 200 copies, but the new version consists of reworked and remastered material plus one bonus track.
Erebus (1982)
Electronic Music.
Independent Electronic Music Composer (1968)
Chicago-based "loner" who built his own electronic musical devices and released this little gem in 1968. Drones, chirping Moogs, cocrete textures, collage and astronaut's voices. What more could you ask for?
Green Ray (1976)
Moebius 256 301 (1978)
In Course
of Time (1983)
Nous Reprenous Notre Avenir (1984)
Classic Electronic Music from Pierre Zalkazanov.
Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect
Stranger (1984)
Francesco Zappa (1984)
Jazz From Hell (1986)
There's no need to tell who was Frank Zappa, because everyone with even basic musical knowledge is aware of this great musician and experimentator. The above releases are partly or completely electronic and may be interesting to EM fans. I have Jazz From Hell which is absolutely crazy, Synclavier-based music that sounds like... well, Jazz from hell! :-) Recommended! On the other hand, Francesco Zappa is totally crazy in its concept. The thing is that Zappa actually didn't write the music. From a dictionary he learned of an obscure composer named, you've guessed it, Francesco Zappa, who composed during the late 18th century. Thinking he might be an ancestor, Zappa re-arranged his works for the Synclavier digital system. Therefore, the music sounds like cheesy renditions of Classical works typical of the era they were composed in (although the harpsichord gives it a Baroque feel). The Perfect Stranger is half contemporary orchestral pieces (ala Stravinsky) and half Synclavier works that range from neutral to scary.
Patchwork One (1995)
A duo of Roland Benesch and Detlef Hommel.
Kronos (1983)
Travel (1986)
Adventure Games
(1987)
Lost Temple (1993)
Hallo California (1989)
Never Ending Dream (1990)
Atmosphere (1990)
Eden Coasts (1991)
Everlasting Youth Earth (1991)
Going After the Horizon (1992)
Valley of the Dreams (1992)
Solo Vae (1993)
Digi Dance (1993)
Lunar Evening (1994)
Computers Don't Cry (1996)
In the Silicon Forest (1999)
Digital Tales (1999)
Beside the Silence (2002)
Polish artist (and analog instrument builder) who makes classic, melody-oriented EM.
Around (1999)
Kosmos, Pustka i Ja (2000)
Soundwich (2001)
Sounds Like Pictures (2002)
Ex Civitate Copernici Ad Astra (2004) (with Slawomir Jedraszek)
Follow Me (2004)
Gorlice 2005 (2005) (with Slawomir Jedraszek)
Saved As (2009)
Polish synthesist with an original style and references to classic EM (not only the Berlin School).
Sahara Blue (1992)
Songs From the
Cold Seas (1994)
French (of Algerian origin) Ambient and ethnic musician . He started in the 70's as the keyboard and violin player in the chamber Jazz-Rock group ZNR. After leaving the group, he started his solo career that was based around him combining elements of Ambient and ethnic musics. Zazou collaborated with a host of musicians, among them: Dead Can Dance, Bjork, Lightwave, Harold Budd, Bill Laswell, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mark Isham and others. I am not really sure how much of his solo output could qualify as EM, but the ones listed above should be interesting. Hector Zazou died on September 8, 2008.
Spirit Soars (1982)
Very obscure electronic ensemble with five synth players based in North Texas State University.
Visions of Dune (1979)
Zed is Bernard Szajner. A classic of French electronic scene. Sometimes reminds on Heldon.
See also: Szajner, Bernard, Hypothetical Prophets, The.
Sunja (2003) (with Alio Die)
Raag Drone Theory (2007) (with Alio Die)
Waves From the Sky (2008)
Tommaso Cimo, known as a collaborator of Alio Die, with his own vision of Ambient music.
Space Does Not Care (1995)
Zero Gravity is a solo project of synthesist Len Del Rio (of Spiral Realms and Nik Turner fame).
See also: Spiral Realms
Trans Spheres
(1998)
The Glass Bead Game (1999)
Atma-Spheric Surfaces (2000)
Supreme Infinite Essence (2000)
Sweven (2001)
Ecstatis (2002) (with Gordon
Rhyne)
Unafraid
of the Impending Silence (2002)
Soundfall To the Infinite (2002) (with Brannan
Lane)
Immense Distance (2003) (with Brannan Lane)
True Degrees of Freedom (2003)
Spacial Glacial Nebulous (2004)
Path of
Least Resistance (2005) (with Craig Padilla)
Beyond the Portal (2009) (with Craig Padilla and Skip Murphy)
Zero Ohms is Richard J. Roberts who started experimenting with sound already during the 1970's. By the late 1980's, he got involved in the whole New Age scene, subsequently releasing several project in that style. However, they were not very successful, contrary to his ambient sets he played live in various coffeehouses. Little by little his style changed and became what we know today, i.e. Ambient music with a huge wind-synth presence.
Zero One (1998)
Prototype 2 (2000)
Psy-Fi (2005)
ozOne (2007)
Ambient with slow rhythms by Northern California-based synth player Kevin Dooley. Kevin became interested in Electronic Music during the 80's, after hearing Autobahn by Kraftwerk.
Zielinska-Van, Barbara (Poland)
Wizje (1995)
Koledy (1999) (with
Sabina Borner)
Muzyka Ilustracyjna (1999)
Secret Garden (2002)
City Songs
(2002)
Polish Landscapes (2002)
Miracles
(2003) (with Sabina Borner)
Melodic, even twee music. In my view, it's more like Electronic New Age rather than real EM. Receiving academic musical education (piano), Barbara gained some interest in electronic instrumentation and in 1993 she founded the "Diaton" studio (the name was changed to "B&T Records" in 1999). Inspired by Keith Jarret, Oscar Peterson, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre etc. she started recording electronic-based instrumental music, releasing her first cassette (Wizje) in 1995. After that, many more releases followed as well as appearances on several samplers.
Paperhouse (1988) (soundtrack)
Backdraft (1991) (soundtrack)
Famous film music composer born in Frankfurt in 1957. By the beginning of the 1980's, he had already started his career of a composer of jingles and soundtracks. In 1980, he collaborated with The Buggles on their Age of Plastic LP, establishing himself as a force in the world of analogue synthesizers. Since then, he has assembled a giant collection of various synthesizers (both modular and compact) and worked with several bands, including Ultravox. Apart from Parerhouse (done exclusively with synthesizers), he has some other purely electronic works, as far as I know. There are also soundtracks where he combines electronics with orchestral scores. Further investigation is needed.
No Snaildance, Please (1994)
Lovely Night
Creatures (1995)
Plexus Andromeda (1997)
Circus Maximus (1999)
Underwater (2001) (with
Alquimia)
Dance Music For Insects (2002)
The Temptations of St. Anthony (2004)
Anton Zinkl is German synthesist born in 1960 who is often refered to as Techno-influenced EM musician. Well, I've heard parts of Dance Music For Insects and it's simply great stuff. Very original and interesting music that is highly recommended. I cannot see the Techno connection whatsoever. I admit that maybe some of his other works (that I haven't heard) are more Techno-ish. In any case, it is quite clear that we are dealing with real talent, not just another amateur or Schulze wannabe. Anton Zinkl started experimenting with electronics in the 1970's, using a Farfisa organ and processing devices. The 1980's were devoted to playing with a band before he resurfaced a decade later as a solo musician and started releasing his music on CD.
Gipfelstürmer (1984)
The first album of Hartmut Zinn was called Heiles Land and it featured music strongly inspired by Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. All music was played on electric and acoustic instruments. However, on Gipfelstürmer he turned to a more sraight / easy-listening / synth-based sound, incorporating lots of Jean-Michel Jarre (in his more accessible mode) influences.
Star Autopsy (2005)
The Triplex Bestial (2006)
Soundscapes / Dark Space from Jaakko Vanhala.
Freizeit (1987) (with Jorg
Thomasius)
Falscher Hase (1989) (with Jorg
Thomasius)
St. Vitus's Dance (1992)
Teilbotzer (1992) (with Lord Litter)
East German musician and experimentator who is very much into unique electronic compositions and processed guitar sound.
Spherics (1991)
Spirits (1993)
I.C. (1994)
Melodic music by Frans Ramakers and Ruud Grothauzen. Sort of average.
Disco Alliance (1980)
Music In the Universe
(1981)
Music From the Films (1982)
3: In Memoriam (1988)
Dedication (1996) (recorded in 1989)
Danceable electronic Pop, sort of like Space but without the vocals. Ironically, it was the first 'electronic' group that I listened to, back when I was a kid. Ok, there are of course some nice tracks, like the first track from Disco Alliance, for instance. The line-up for the first album was: Janis Lusens - ARP Omni, ARP Odyssey, celesta; Zane Griva - piano, ARP Omni, vocal; Andris Silis - guitar; Ainars Asmanis - bass guitar; Andris Reinis - percussion. Later Zodiac's music aqcuired a more focused sound. If you like general melodic EM, you may like In Memoriam, which is a nice LP, somewhat comparable to Tangerine Dream from around the same period, but also with Baroque / Classical influences. It's still nothing to write home about, of course, e.g. lots of obligatory and dreary thin digital synths of the time. The above albums were re-issued on CD by Russian 'Boheme' label.
Cosmic Pirates (2003)
Strong Laserdance-influenced music. Not an exact copy, but a good extension of the well-known style.
Zombi (2002)
Twilight Sentinel (2003) (S)
Cosmos (2004)
The Zombi Anthology (2005)
Surface To Air (2006)
Digitalis (2006) (S)
Spirit Animal (2009)
Sapphire (2009) (S)
Analog horror synth soundscapes with bass and drums, inspired by Goblin's soundtracks, John Carpenter's style and 70's EM artists like Tangerine Dream, Synergy and Jarre. Goblin was formed in Pittsburgh by Steve Moore and A. E. Pattera.
See also: Moore, Steve, Majeure.
A Journey To Planet Elektra (1998)
An early incarnation of a band that would become known as Carboneids.
See also: Carboneids, Nattefrost, Jeppesen, Bjørn.
Wyrd (2002)
Bloed en Bodem (2003)
Channeling the Essence of Wuotan (2003) (S)
Epic Pagan Ambient.
Ouroboros (1975)
Glastonbury Live
(2001)
UK synth band formed by former Gong member (Basil Brooks) somewhere around 1972 - 1974. The line-up consisted of Brooks and Gwyo Zepix. They gave several dazzling shows (with light projections by John Andrews) during the 70's and released the album Ouroboros that was recorded in Peter Zinovieff's EMS studio.. Their music was classic analog synthesizer stuff, very driving, cosmic, free and... well, synthetic. The band is now reformed and already gave several performances, one of them documented on Glastonbury Live.
Zoreya (1996) (recorded in 1989 -
1995)
Quando o mal Estava ai (1998)
Cosmic electronics in complex blend with some traditional instruments like viola, sax, clarinet...
Soviet France (1981)
Untitled (1982)
Garista (1982)
Norsch (1983) (S)
Mohnomische (1983)
Eostre (1984)
Gris (1985) (S)
Popular
Soviet Songs And Youth Music (1985)
Misfits, Looney Tunes And Squalid Criminals (1986)
Gesture, Signal, Threat (1986)
A Flock of Rotations (1987)
Assault And Mirage (1987)
Loh Land (1987)
Shouting At the Ground (1987)
Look Into Me (1990)
Just An Illusion
(1990)
Vienna 1990 (1990)
Shadow, Thief of the Sun (1991)
Collusion (1992)
What Is Not
True (1993)
Digilogue (1995)
In Version (1996)
Mort Aux Vaches: Feedback (1998)
The Decriminalisation of Country Music (2000)
Music For A Spaghetti Western (2005) (recorded in 1985 - 1986)
Someone described it as a mixture between Throbbing Gristle and Tangerine Dream. Others have compared Zoviet France to Current 93 and Nurse With Wound. Definitely worth checking out for lovers of experimental Industrial music.
See also: Rapoon
Trip, Flip Out, Meditation (1970)
Weird, weird sounds here, way beyond early Ash Ra Tempel. It's a trippy 3-LP concept album released by Philips.
See also: Doucet, Suzanne
Virtual Realities (1991)
Electronic 'Jazz' ensemble created by Neil Ardley and John L. Walters in 1988. The music is based on their unique 'Zyklus Midi Performance System' that enables each player to control up to four synths / samplers simultaneously.
See also: Ardley, Neil
Callisto (1989)
Moment of Totality (1990)
Europa (1991)
Io
(1991)
The Xyl File (1991)
Ganymede (1991)
The Sound Museum (1991)
(with Peter Gulch and Andrew Rath)
The Relic (1991)
Celestial Mechanics (1993) (recorded in 1989 - 1990)
Regeneration Mode (1994) (with Peter
Gulch)
Chuck van Zyl (born in 1958 in Philadelphia) is best known as the host of "Star's End" - a radio program dedicated to "spacemusic dreamscapes". He is also one of the coordinators and organizers of The Gatherings concerts. Since 1985, Chuck has been performing his own Electronic Music. He is also known from the Xisle project and The Sound Museum is basically a Xisle album.
See also: Xisle, Ministry of Inside Things, Xyl.