Who is the Bob Dylan of the Electronic Music world?

[PofM]

The early Black Dog albums (involving the Plaid guys) are good too.

[Adelock]

Yeah I remember buying spanner’s I think it was, I think they were on the artificial intelligence stuff as well

[PofM]

@Adelock

I think they were on the artificial intelligence stuff as well

They were indeed

[Jdv]

For me Danny Howells

[Burn]

King Tubby to Adrian Sherwood. I think Eno said he felt like giving up when he first heard Dub and Im not talking about dubstep. I mean sound systems they should count in this disscussion … anyone agree

[ghostbuddy]

@the_PMO

Having said that if I was to try and draw some sort of analogue? I would look to the poetry of the lyrics, the effectiveness of the arrangement, the scope of the works, and the influence of said artist. I could only think of one and she hasn’t been mentioned.

Björk

Honestly I thought about this and saying Björk is the Bob Dylan of electronic music would be putting Björk down a bit. She’s much more interesting, curious, experimental and creative than Bob Dylan ever was. She’s more like the David Bowie of electronic music, or maybe David Bowie was the Björk of guitar music? Either way Björk rules and is kind of beyond any comparisons honestly.

[Fin25]

@ghostbuddy

Björk rules and is kind of beyond any comparisons honestly

Truth.

She is my fucking hero.

When I was going through a hard time years ago I just couldn’t put words to my feelings. In an effort to try to help my girlfriend (now wife) understand I played her Hyperballad and she got it immediately.

I don’t really listen to singers, I often find them quite annoying, but Björk can see inside my soul. It helps that she sounds amazing too.

[InTheAM]

@craig

@Octagonist

If we define a “Dylan” as “widely and powerfully expressive, meaningful to their broad audience, proficient, prolific, revered” then I propose Hanz Zimmer is the “Dylan of electronica”.

I would go with Radiohead in the Kid A and Amnesiac period, even if the majority of the lyrics were picked out of a hat, the sneering social commentary is very apparent throughout. And of course the band’s popularity is unquestioned. Kid A in particular tops many critics’ best album lists.

That’s an interesting pick. I dig it.

I was also thinking Beck could be a pick lyric-wise, but I’m not sure how “electronic” any of his work is as I’m not that familiar with his studio/production methods.

[Octagonist]

@InTheAM

I’m not sure how “electronic” any of his work is as I’m not that familiar with his studio/production methods

He definitely had (a) phase(s) of being very hiphop-influenced/sample-heavy. Aside from seeing him live a couple of years ago, I’ve not been keeping up with his work, so I can’t say more than that.

[Unifono]

@Fin25

I don’t really listen to singers, I often find them quite annoying, but Björk can see inside my soul. It helps that she sounds amazing too.

Funny, I find Björk really annoying.
The singer that can see inside my soul is Beth Gibbons.

[Joebas]

Interesting - I was just thinking of Björk on my way to work today, and how she is one of few contemporaries, I would call a genius.

[Castor]

imo Kraftwerk is No.1 in this story! Eno and Stockhausen of course, but…

What about:

• Bernard Parmegiani?

• Luc Ferarri?

• Pierre Schaeffer?

• Basic Channel?

• Autechre?

• Aphex Twin?

• Juan Atkins?

• Pete Namlook?

• Mika Vainio?

• Mark Fell?

• Cabaret Voltaire?

All of them are artists of the highest order and they were/are highly and deeply influential (for more than one trick)!
All of them significantly changed things!

[Tchu]

Dob Bylan

[craig]

@Castor

All of them significantly a-changed things!

FTFY

[the_PMO]

I agree that Björk is not comparable in the least. I was mostly attempting a good faith effort of OP topic which is so abstract as to be nigh impossible.

I do think this could make an interesting, if pedantic, series( who is the____ of ____ music?) as this query certainly has raised some hackles

[jeye_musik]

Solid list. Only minor amendments I would make is to include Ilpo along with Mika. Also Carsten Nicolai.

[ddiamond84]

All I’ve gathered from this is kraftwerk, musically, can be considered the Beatles of electronic music in some ways.

[NoiseLab]

Laibach made some masterful covers that even outperform the original version like this ’ Ballad of a Thin Man’

Laibach - Ballad of a Thin Man Live Ljubljana (Spectre Tour 2014)

[xidnpnlss]

. Pure entertainment. No comparison or list on music anywhere means anything.

[Castor]

Agree!