Best Dance & Electronic
i. am, as well as 'For All Time', a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions that has been newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As with most new records these days, it has a slight warp; but with the proper tracking force it plays just fine."
"Item arrived quick and just as described!"
"Absolute classic, my little sis loves it!!"
"Specifically, the new versions of Wanna Be Startin Somethin (With Akon was really good), Billie Jean (Kayne West with a nice remix), Beat It (With Fergie which was a nice twist), P.Y.T (with Will.I.Am which is better than the original IMO) & even The Girl Is Mine (which was my least favorite on the original album but made better this time around). You get the original nine songs, the little Vincent Price rap and the 6 new versions PLUS a DVD of the Thriller videos (Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and the Motown 25th Billie Jean performance). With the exception of the original "The Girl Is Mine" (which I never really liked) this is the perfect version of Thriller released to date."
"One of the greatest albums of all time by one of the greatest artists of all time."
Random Access Memories is the new album from Daft Punk.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So when I first listened to Random Access Memories, my first thought was this: Finally, they made the album that really took us back into time, the time of when music was different. For fans of Daft Punk who love dance music, house, and techno, this is NOT an EDM album. So when you listen to Random Access Memories for the first time, go into it with a different state of mind than "House Music." I invite you instead to hop into your DeLorean, and take a plunge back to the year of 1979, when dance music was quite different... Random Access Memories is Discovery if Daft Punk had produced it 30 years ago. While Random Access Memories may not be as mind-blowing as Discovery was, this is a fantastically-produced album."
"So when this album came out, many people were complaining about how theg music wasn't their normal electronic style, things were different, it scared them, boo hoo hoo."
"The track "Beyond" is practically a sample of "I Keep Forgettin'" by Michael McDonald and there are definite influences from Joy Division, Tower of Power, and Chic (not a surpise as jazz/funk drummer Omar Hakim, Chic's very own guy, lays down the back beat on most of the tracks). Get Lucky, Lose Yourself to Dance, and others are as infectious as you'd expect them to be, but I found myself gravitating to the more groove oriented tracks like the opening Give Life Back to Music."
"Bewtween the robotic techno of Human After All, and then the orchestrated semi-robotic music from Tron: Legacy, the lush, gorgeous sounds on Random Access Memories are just stunning. Maybe that's just me... Other highlights: Give Life Back To Music, the best Chic song of the last 20 years, and featuring Nile Rodgers, no less! Slap this together as an EP with High Roller from the Crystal Method, Space Oddity from David Bowie, and Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling!"
"It's really like you are going on a journey through space, And it's so fun to dance to."
2014 release from the violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Before exploring her latest release, however, I'd like to make a couple of observations that may help anyone new to her music. (Full disclosure: when it comes to seventh graders, it is hard to beat flesh-eating zombies who can flat out dance.). I have received several notes from parents thanking me for introducing them to Stirling (and to a lesser extent, The Piano Guys, 2Cellos and some others). In addition to Stirling, we have The Piano Guys, David Garrett, Bond, Vanessa Mae, 2Cellos, and others producing music that doesn't readily fit into any current node. To my ear, they have the same basic rhythm and sound, but seem richer in supportive percussion and orchestration. "Roundtable Rival" has terrific guitar rifts, reminiscent of AC/DC and other classic rock groups."
"I tried the CD on two (2) different sound systems to eliminate the receiver/CD player as the problem and I bought an identical CD from Amazon and it has the exact same issue."
"This is a great way to get both the CD and the digital format."
"This music grows on you."
"Violinist Lindsey Stirling has once again combined classical music with electronic music, and she even included some vocals on a couple of tracks on this album!"
"If I could only pick my favorite two songs, they would definitely be tracks 1 & 4. Overall the album is good, I wouldn't say that it's better than her debut album but if she created more ballad songs like tracks 1-5 with a little drama, it would be ah-mazing!"
Best Ambient
The album introduced Moby to a worldwide mainstream audience, not only through a large number of hit singles but also through unprecedented licensing of his music in films, television and commercial advertisements, making Play one of the most commercially licensed albums ever produced.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I lost this CD years ago and now I have it again it so worth it."
"Moby uses this link to create very coherent and effective songs, like "Honey", "Why does my earth feel so bad", "Find my baby", "Natural Blues", "Run on", "My Weakness". There are other are very good songs: "porcelain", "rushing" are slow and catchy: they make a good musical background and perfect soundtrack music."
"Great price, fast shipping."
"This artist must be some kind of genius!"
"When I first heard Natural Blues on the radio I thought to myself, "Now hear is something that will keep me from doing 100 in the 55 zone on my daily 45 mile commute to school.""
"CD is defective, but my printer's defunct, so I can't print a return label."
Best Big Beat
When Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland started distributing homemade singles around Los Angeles at the beginning of the '90s, their bass-fortified, hard-rolling techno concoctions perked up the ears of industry impresarios and local scenesters alike. Thick with layers of pounding beats and rock dynamics, it takes the typical club fare and beefs it up with a uniquely western slant. On blistering tracks like "Trip Like I Do" and "Keep Hope Alive," the Crystal Method confirm that America has become a force of contention in the electronica field.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But I hear things in this pressing I have never heard in the digital versions."
"Just picked this up on vinyl."
"Echoing the opinions of the other reviewers on this vinyl reissue of Vegas, it sounds spectacular."
"It was good buy."
"As someone coming from the less electronic, more funky mixes of Thievery Corporation, Tosca and K&D, I was a little hesitant to buy Vegas, but I'm glad that I did."
"This was the album that really brought electronic music into the top 40 in my eyes, and a must have for any collection."
Best Disco
i. am, as well as 'For All Time', a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions that has been newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As with most new records these days, it has a slight warp; but with the proper tracking force it plays just fine."
"Item arrived quick and just as described!"
"Absolute classic, my little sis loves it!!"
"Specifically, the new versions of Wanna Be Startin Somethin (With Akon was really good), Billie Jean (Kayne West with a nice remix), Beat It (With Fergie which was a nice twist), P.Y.T (with Will.I.Am which is better than the original IMO) & even The Girl Is Mine (which was my least favorite on the original album but made better this time around). You get the original nine songs, the little Vincent Price rap and the 6 new versions PLUS a DVD of the Thriller videos (Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and the Motown 25th Billie Jean performance). With the exception of the original "The Girl Is Mine" (which I never really liked) this is the perfect version of Thriller released to date."
"One of the greatest albums of all time by one of the greatest artists of all time."
Best Drum & Bass Electronic
When it was released, fellow electronic artists such as Orbital and Underworld had just begun to filter moderate amounts of drum n bass in their work, but the Richard D. James Album was more extreme than virtually all jungle at the time.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I give it 4 stars because it is so hard to listen to; however, it is a brilliant and bold statement made by one of the greatest musicians of recent times."
"What I wanted to point out was that the quality of the record itself is superb."
"Don't let the album cover scare you away this album is great!"
"it's all in the title. and apparently I need to put fifteen more words here..... one two three four five. Whey Hey!"
"The insistent rapid snare drum roll overwhelms the music."
Best Dubstep
Vinyl LP pressing of the 2007 sophomore release from the UK's mysterious and much-acclaimed Burial.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If there was a movie called "driving through a deserted city at night" this would be its soundtrack. walk through alleys, or drive at 4 am when there are no cars, and flashing lights every block."
"Whereas the previous album was a nice crossover of dub, Drum & Bass, and Boards of Canada (!? There are echoing synthesizers that seem lifted from AFX Ambient Classic II and early Autechre (say, Garbage)."
"Great music I have heard of this artist but I thought buying the album was and is well worth it."
"Love it."
"This is just the first purchase in the collection I plan on having of his music."
"For once one of the Village Vanguard's hipper than thou raves lives up to the hype."
"Several songs sound like they aren't separate songs while motifs and samples are reused again and again."
"definitely one of the best and interesting album of these years, deep, true, underground, daring,sweet and powerfull, melancholy but never depressing."
Best Electronica
Random Access Memories is the new album from Daft Punk.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"So when I first listened to Random Access Memories, my first thought was this: Finally, they made the album that really took us back into time, the time of when music was different. For fans of Daft Punk who love dance music, house, and techno, this is NOT an EDM album. So when you listen to Random Access Memories for the first time, go into it with a different state of mind than "House Music." I invite you instead to hop into your DeLorean, and take a plunge back to the year of 1979, when dance music was quite different... Random Access Memories is Discovery if Daft Punk had produced it 30 years ago. While Random Access Memories may not be as mind-blowing as Discovery was, this is a fantastically-produced album."
"So when this album came out, many people were complaining about how theg music wasn't their normal electronic style, things were different, it scared them, boo hoo hoo."
"The only two that I do that with on this CD are Motherboard and Within. A bit of time with the CD and what I initially was disappointed by I started to appreciate."
"The track "Beyond" is practically a sample of "I Keep Forgettin'" by Michael McDonald and there are definite influences from Joy Division, Tower of Power, and Chic (not a surpise as jazz/funk drummer Omar Hakim, Chic's very own guy, lays down the back beat on most of the tracks). Get Lucky, Lose Yourself to Dance, and others are as infectious as you'd expect them to be, but I found myself gravitating to the more groove oriented tracks like the opening Give Life Back to Music."
Best Freestyle
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great collection I would recommend it,to anyone who loves freestyle like I do."
"There are songs in here I haven't heard in years!"
"I have been able to find one or two songs here and there, and I just tripped over this accidentally and started having heart palpitations when I saw the track list."
"i love my freestyle collection."
"So even though I was a metalhead at the peak of Freestyle's hayday, I got into listening to it a few years after it was popular. I bought this set FREESTYLE EXPLOSION (Volumes 1-5) for my husband's birthday. This is a good "starter kit" featuring such freestyle artists like STEVIE B., CYNTHIA, THE COVER GIRLS, GEORGE LAMOND, NOEL, EXPOSE and CORO. I am a stickler for detail and work very hard on my personal mixes and repeating songs is a big no-no for me. NU SHOOZ was an 80s synthesizer group that had the hits I Can't Wait and Point Of No Return. I like NU SHOOZ but do I think they belong in the ranks with freestyle acts like NOCERA and NAYOBE?"
Best House
The materials used to create picture discs and color vinyl are not the same as traditional vinyl.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The one album that motivates me to exercise more than any other is Michael Jacksons "Thriller"."
"Love me some MJ and was really excited to add this to my vinyl collection."
"If you haven't dove into "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, you are doing yourself a disservice, as this album is CHOCK FULL of hits that were all over the radio in the 80s (and even today!"
"What's not to love?"
"It is excellent."
"It will get you through boring airplane rides, horrid snow-covered drives to work, and could even bring you closer to that special someone (dancing like a zombie has that effect on people)."
"For the record, I didn't join the "let's buy MJ's music posthumously" (in fact I was searching for the original version of this for years; without the filler that's in the 2001 reissue, or in Thriller 25 which has Jackson re-recording some of these songs with contemporary artists, most which that I don't listen to or care for.)."
"This record came scratched on both sides and low quality."
Best IDM
Also includes covers by The Shins and Iron & Wine as well as the remixes from "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" single.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Postal Service's freshman album "Give Up" is nothing short of a musical tour de force. Take the lyrical honesty of Death Cab and marry it with Jimmy Tamborello's "Nintendo-esque" keyboard sensibilities. The result is an absolutely smashing record that harkens back to the days of Depeche Mode and Yaz but with a more modern bent. Starts off slow in almost a dream-like fashion then steadily increases, it's tempo culminating in a climax awash in keyboards and catchy drumbeats. Brand New Colony - Finally....The Super Mario theme song with added vocals!!!"
"Like a soundtrack to a 16-bit video game mixed with the sensibilities of a John Hughes movie, Give Up's beats chirp and hum along happily while the singer sings tales of love and love lost."
"Sounds amazing on vinyl!!!!!"
"Came fast, and listening to the album while cleaning, with the windows open and the rain falling?"
"One of my favorite albums of all time."
"The Postal Service truly gets to the heart of the matter by fusing together several different types of music into one gorgeous collection with velvety vocals and sweet, captivating melodies, this album provides something different in each track, giving the listener the ability to select as he or she pleases."
"10/10 would cry to again."
Best Rave
2008 digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of the British Electronica band's 1992 debut album now including a bonus disc featuring 11 additional B-sides and remixes.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Too a while to get here but arrived in nice sturdy record shipper."
"I think this vas very worth value of purchasing download song, either its dance or chilll out or somewhat hard core dance floor, or Madonna I die another day."
"This is the kind of album that will grow on you - I didn't like it at all at first (because I was expecting another "Firestarter" or "Breathe"), but after a while you it grows on you. It's a rave album first and foremost, but they add so many other interesting elements to the mix that make the songs worthy of both analyzation and of your club or party mix."
"I was surprised to find a couple of very good songs by The Prodigy on an Urbal Beats Compilation. If you are looking for some very good, very energetic, hard techno, this album will be one of your favorites.All the power and energy of DJ Irene but with a totally different style."
"Great music only bad thing is that if you have it cranked in your car then you'll have the tendency to speed."
"If all you know about Prodigy is Breathe and Firestarter, then you might be disappointed by this album because it is nothing like The Fat of the Land."
"anyway this is a strong buy as its rerecorded in better techniqe and u get a second great disc with great mixes for free."
"Not what I expected but I will just add it to my collection."
Best Techno
Play 's concoction of breakbeat rhythms, ambient mixology, and inspired blues and gospel samples cry out across musical genres and histories, imparting a time-tested wisdom to beat-driven ears.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I lost this CD years ago and now I have it again it so worth it."
"Moby uses this link to create very coherent and effective songs, like "Honey", "Why does my earth feel so bad", "Find my baby", "Natural Blues", "Run on", "My Weakness". There are other are very good songs: "porcelain", "rushing" are slow and catchy: they make a good musical background and perfect soundtrack music."
"Great price, fast shipping."
"This artist must be some kind of genius!"
"When I first heard Natural Blues on the radio I thought to myself, "Now hear is something that will keep me from doing 100 in the 55 zone on my daily 45 mile commute to school.""
"CD is defective, but my printer's defunct, so I can't print a return label."
Best Trance
Play 's concoction of breakbeat rhythms, ambient mixology, and inspired blues and gospel samples cry out across musical genres and histories, imparting a time-tested wisdom to beat-driven ears.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Moby's "Play" is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's definitely my favorite electronica album, and there were so many hits ("Southside", "Run On", "Porcelain", etc...) off this album that it's easy to see why."
"I lost this CD years ago and now I have it again it so worth it."
"I purchased this CD a couple of years ago on a whim, after having read the reviews and being bombarded with his name during some election periods."
"Moby uses this link to create very coherent and effective songs, like "Honey", "Why does my earth feel so bad", "Find my baby", "Natural Blues", "Run on", "My Weakness". There are other are very good songs: "porcelain", "rushing" are slow and catchy: they make a good musical background and perfect soundtrack music."
"My copy came scratched up and has some skipping, even though the seller said it was very good."
"Great price, fast shipping."
"This artist must be some kind of genius!"
Best Trip-hop
After a long hiatus, Massive Attack returned in 1998 with Mezzanine, a record announcing not only that the group was back, but that they can create a masterpiece as good as their debut.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But this album is clearly better than the digital version and overall sonics are very good."
"Thank you Algorithms."
"Richly varied in percussive qualities, with voice and other sounds blended so seamlessly, this album transports the listener onto into a quasi transcendental plane. The voices never seem to interfere with the mood, rather they become fused with it perfectly--the percussion and varied sounds, never the "thump-thump" of dancey trancy crap. Sinead O'Connors political content loaded lyrics on the Irish-English conflict totally overshadowed the musical gift of Massive Attack."
"great if you like something out of the ordinary."
"Favorite Trip-hop record with Dummy being a close second."
"How have I never heard of these guys?"
"Love it!"
Best Turntablists
Endtroducing... is the debut studio album of American music producer DJ Shadow, released on November 19, 1996 on the record label Mo' Wax.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have not listened much to the bonus disc material but for a few spins, it's pretty good, but can't really judge it; it's an alternate version of the album basically, mostly alternate takes of the album songs."
"DJ Shadow's undeniable sampling masterpiece."
"I guarantee that if you do not get into it in the first listen, you will catch on with one song....then the next song......then you will figure out that you liked that one song....then you figure out that the album is meant to be listened to in one go."
"DJ Shadow's Endtroducing is without a doubt the crown achievement in sample based instrumental break beat music."
"My favorite tracks are: #2 "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt". #4 "Changeling". #6 "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4)". and, the best song on the album, (#13) "Midnight in a Perfect World"."
"Basically, anyone who's interested in turntablism ought to check this out along with Coldcut's "Journeys By DJ - 70 Minutes Of Madness" and Kid Koala's "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" (though this one not as much)."
"This is the best album by DJ Shadow."
"You'll see certain comparisons pop up again and again: The Dust Brothers produced Beastie Boys' album Paul's Boutique, Tricky's Maxinquaye, Aphex Twin. Of course, it is also different than each of those albums--lacking vocals for the most part and much more musically lush and dense than the sparse and etheral Selected Ambient Works Volume 1. As late great British DJ John Peel said in his intro to the Diminishing Returns import, "you may find this hard to believe but you stand poised on the brink of hearing the mix of the year, fronted by command much given to frank and furious and usually accurate condemnation of the awful beings that inhabit the world of popular music--DJ Shadow--the celebrated San Franciscan weirdo.""
Best World Dance
The musical style they create is now part of the fabric of Hawaiian history and their contribution to Hawaiian music and dance has continued to show outsiders to these islands as well as indigenous people how important these components are to the past, present and future of Hawai'i.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you are seeking tranquility and peace for your drive or a bit of quiet time at home with the TV off...listen to them."
"I like very much the background and multi layers of music. In some of their music, you will hear, the surf in the background in the beginning."
"Hawaii is paradise on earth, and the Cazimero Brothers make the music that complements and typifies that beauty."
"Relaxing Hawaiian music that relives my childhood soundtrack."
"Several years ago while on a trip to Kauai, I was in a store and overheard a clerk offering assistance to a middle-aged lady asking for recommendations for Hawaian vocalist music."
"We love the music of the Brothers Cazimero and this album does not disappoint."
Best Dance Pop
i. am, as well as 'For All Time', a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions that has been newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As with most new records these days, it has a slight warp; but with the proper tracking force it plays just fine."
"Item arrived quick and just as described!"
"Absolute classic, my little sis loves it!!"
"Specifically, the new versions of Wanna Be Startin Somethin (With Akon was really good), Billie Jean (Kayne West with a nice remix), Beat It (With Fergie which was a nice twist), P.Y.T (with Will.I.Am which is better than the original IMO) & even The Girl Is Mine (which was my least favorite on the original album but made better this time around). You get the original nine songs, the little Vincent Price rap and the 6 new versions PLUS a DVD of the Thriller videos (Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and the Motown 25th Billie Jean performance). With the exception of the original "The Girl Is Mine" (which I never really liked) this is the perfect version of Thriller released to date."
"One of the greatest albums of all time by one of the greatest artists of all time."