Stuff From Super Laezuli's Attic (Super Lazuli Reviews Music & Such)
So basically I started this thread because podcasting is hard, and because I had a thread like it once on TVTropes long ago, and I remember liking it.
Here I will recommend you albums, artists, or individual songs depending on what I'm thinking of right then.
So anyway.
Les Baxter, right? Probably the most well-known name in Exotica Music, but that's not really saying much considering it's such an obscure genre nowadays. The point of Exotica in its time was basically to emulate the exotic musics (hence the name) of what were considered "savage" cultures (read: African and Asian native musics). But, since much of Exotica was made by middle to upper class white men, it often ended up sounding nothing like the native sounds it was meant to emulate.
Now Baxy himself had a pretty prodigious career from the late 40's all the way up until the early 60's, and the guy was known for doing a ton of different kinds of music as well as several soundtracks (quoth the man himself: "I never turn anything down"). He's best known for his work in the Exotica genre, and is generally considered to have invented it. But Baxy's work is often pretty hard to come by nowadays, mostly because frankly, no one really cares about Exotica anymore outside of a handfull of enthusiasts and revivalists. It's also pretty heavily associated with Tiki culture (you know, tiki mugs, lava lamps, Hawaiian shirts) nowadays. Anyhow, here's a nice, soothing cut from his album Jewels of the Sea I found on Youtube, I don't actually have this album, but I've heard all the songs from it, and it's absolutely gorgeous. It's generally considered to be the most "classically influenced" of Baxy's albums.
It's a nice light, airy, and suitably aquatic cut, methinks.
Hope you enjoy. I will probably cover my other two Exotica favorites (Martin Denny and Enoch Light) at some point, and perhaps some of the revivalists if I find the time.
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However, I have to agree with you that it sounds nothing like the music it's intended to sound like.
Also, Tee hee hee.
Yeah there is noooo way that subtitle was not put there with full knowledge of how it would be read.
Anyhow, Exotica in general is an odd genre, though not an isolated one. I'll probably cover Space Pop (a related genre) and Beautiful Music (a precursor) at some point, too.
Oh, and if any of you are interested in Exotica music I may or may not have an album or two I may or may not be able to share with you if you do or do not PM me.
I am subtle.
As a followup to yesterday's post. I'd like to heartily recommend the Ultra-Lounge album series, they're compilations on assorted genres descended from Beautiful Music, and their first album was Mondo Exotica.
This in fact is the album I previously referred to myself as having. It's out there and easy to find if you're interested and it contains a number of really good cuts from a variety of Exotica artists. They've also got other entries on different genres, which I will cover when the time comes.
So tonight I am going to talk a bit about Portishead's self-titled 1997 album, which I am listening to right this moment.
It is somewhat similar to their debut (Dummy), but it's....flatter. Not in a bad way, mind you. Perhaps "murkier" is a better term, many of the instruments fade together, or only stick out at certain points in a given song. This gives the effect of much of the music being an amorphous violet mass of sound, and it's quite interesting to listen to. It rewards further attention, of course, and the instruments are easier to pick out on a re-listen. All in all, the sound value keeps up with Portishead's standard, where it sounds like most of the instruments have been recorded to a tape and then intentionally degraded (indeed, they likely were). It certainly contributes to the atmosphere.
The main instrument that will stand out regardless of how many times you've heard the album is the drums. They're just astounding, rattling, raspy snares provide most of the percussion here, and it works extremely well. Of course, leadwoman Beth Gibbon's strange wailing vocals are given front-and-center.
All in all, this is a good listening album, and I really recommend it. "Only You" is my personal favorite cut because of the cool turntable bit.