I guess it depends on what your definition of "easy listening" is.
Most ambient electronic music is certainly "easy" on the ears. But
if you're thinking of kitschy, 60's kind of instrumental music, the
first thing that pops into my mind is the Jake Slazenger (aka u-ziq)
album on Clear. That album, which is one of my favorites from last
year BTW, has some pretty goofy electronic sounds on it.
> Someone mentioned a band called Vampyros Lesbos (I think). What are they like?
Now this is the real deal: horror film soundtrack music from the
late 60's/early 70's by Manfred Hubler & Siegfried Schwab. The
music was featured in three Jess Franco films: Vampyros Lesbos,
Mrs. Hyde (She Kills in Ecstasy), and The Devil Came from Akasava.
(We're talking obscure exploitation stuff here.) Because I'm a
little bit lazy, and because the liner notes by Tim Lucas describe
the music better than I ever could, here's a quote:
"The Music of Manfred Huber and Siegfried Schwab - originally
released on two rare 1969 albums, PSYCHEDLIC DANCE PARTY and
SEXADELIC - had a style all its own: it was "acid jazz-pop,"
alternately electrifying, languid and effervescent. The surface
was often lively, with bold horns and laughing sitars, but beneath
this ocean of sound lay a dark and delerious undertow, conjured
by ominous swirls of Hammond organ and reverberating psycho-chords
which invited the listener to inhale and succumb."
Now if *that* doesn't make you run right out and buy this album,
I don't know what will! My copy is the American edition released
on Motel Records (Cat. # ROOM 1!), but it's also been released
in Germany on the "Crippled Dick Hot Wax" label. Highly recommended.
Now here's another item that's not out yet but sounds interesting:
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Various-Trunk Presents: The Super Sounds of Bosworth LP BARKED1
An hectic eclectic mix of electronica, jazz, ambient and funk from the
60's and 70's -some call it easy listening, some call it exotica, some
call it trip-hop, but it's 20 or 30 years old for chissakes and all
this terminology hadn't been invented yet! Cool antique tunage
discovered in vaults in London, Cologne and Vienna. Plans are afoot
for a remix album with reconstructions by Sandals and Stereolab's Timi
The first of a two-part "Sounds of Bosworth" series available on vinyl
only (boo-hoo) inna thick card sleeve with notes from the original
releases. (Trunk)
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That clip was from EAR/Rational Music's pre-order sheet for this week.
And it reminds me that Stereolab is another "easy listening" electronic
band you should definitely check out. I'm no expert on them but a
good starting point would probably be their album TRANSIENT RANDOM-
NOISE BURSTS WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS.
Well, I hope that helps!
-- Mark Turner mturner@netcom.com