electronica Archive
20 Jan 2019
“Descent” is Metal and Darkwave Coexisting
In creative and entertainment media, the “alternative” label is tossed around so freely that it risks losing its meaning. Hidden away in the basement of a building on West Asheville’s […]
17 Jan 2019
Asheville’s Top 10 for 2018
2018 has brought forth a bumper crop of superb albums in every genre from artists local (or with strong connections) to Asheville and the surrounding region. Any of these 10 […]
22 Dec 2018
A Vinyl Roundup to Round Out 2018
So much good music has found its way into my ears in 2018. As the year winds toward its close, I’d like to share words on a few of these […]
02 Nov 2018
Todd Rundgren’s ‘No World Order” at 25
Todd Rundgren has long made a career out of alternatively (and sometimes simultaneously) confounding and delighting his most ardent fans. Resolutely following his muse wherever it takes him, Rundgren is […]
14 Sep 2018
Album Review: The Orb — No Sounds Are Out of Bounds
Whether it was an association they originally wished for or not, the Orb were pegged early on as a sort of modern-day answer to Pink Floyd. Though the project (Alex […]
03 Sep 2018
Album Review: All India Radio — Space
From the outset, All India Radio is all over the map. The name suggests a group from the Indian subcontinent, and the music draws clear inspiration from British late-period psychedelic/space […]
24 Jul 2018
Album Review: Klaus Schulze — La Vie Electronique Vols 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2
Over the years, there have been a number of massive archival releases that all but define the phrase “for the completist.” In 2011, the Grateful Dead went back to the […]
19 Jul 2018
A Noisy Celebration in Asheville
Asheville, N.C.-based inventor Tony Rolando founded Make Noise in 2008 to develop and sell analog synthesizer modules. The company has thrived and grown and moved into development of complete modular […]
16 May 2018
Jean-Michel Jarre on Making the Most of Music Technology
Jean-Michel Jarre built his music reputation on the strength of a series of groundbreaking 1970s albums. His second release, 1977’s Oxygène pioneered the use of analog synthesizers in a melodic […]
16 Apr 2018
Album Review: Gary Numan – Dance
Casual listeners’ knowledge of Gary Numan’s body of work often doesn’t extend his hit single “Cars,” a track from his 1979 solo debut The Pleasure Principle. And that’s unfortunate, because […]