4 Early Electronic Albums That Made Me Want to Become a Music Producer

Every electronic music producer has a handful of albums they heard when they were young that basically reset their brains. For me, those albums were early electronic works that were performed decades before I was even born. And I still revisit these gems often. Let’s take a look at a few early electronic albums that have been inspiring music producers and electronic musicians for decades!

Videos by American Songwriter

‘Silver Apples’ by Silver Apples (1968)

I’ve written about Silver Apples before, and I’ll keep writing about them forever, probably. Simeon and Danny Taylor have since passed on, and I hope they both knew how groundbreaking their debut album was. This self-titled record is one of the earliest examples of synthesizers being used in rock music. In fact, around the late 1960s, early versions of synths were more or less unheard of in rock music. Complete with a mix of percussion, vocals, flutes, and oscillators, the entire album is truly unlike anything I have ever heard before.

‘Kraftwerk’ by Kraftwerk (1970)

German outfit Kraftwerk was one of the first bands to really become successful in electronic music. They helped popularize the genre in a big way, starting with their debut album in 1970.

The above video really exemplifies how groundbreaking Kraftwerk’s early work was. This performance took place sometime in 1970 and is the earliest concert video I could find of them performing. The looks on the audience members’ faces say it all. This was new. And maybe a little bit scary.

‘Switched-On Bach’ by Wendy Carlos (1968)

What would a list of early electronic albums be without at least mentioning the incomparable Wendy Carlos? You might know her best by her work on the haunting electronic soundscapes heard in the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining from 1980. However, her earliest album was Switch-On Bach from 1968, a collection of songs composed by Johann Sebastian Bach performed on a Moog synthesizer. Sadly, you’ll have to buy a physical copy of this album to hear it, as Carlos famously does not want her music on streaming services.

This album was incredibly important during the early years of synths. In fact, it bridged the gap between using synths in experimental, often academic spaces and showcased the potential of using synths in popular music. This record also features one of my favorite album covers of all time, complete with a Bach impersonator sitting in front of an early Moog synth.

‘Descending Moonshine Dervishes’ by Terry Riley (1975)

This minimalist experimental electronic album was inspired by classical Indian music, and in turn, it inspired countless rock musicians who followed in Riley’s footsteps in the late 1970s. It’s said that “Baba O’Riley” by The Who was named after Terry Riley, after all.

This fine example of early electronic albums is still inspiring musicians today, namely young EDM producers who are starting to discover Riley’s influence in the whole of music; not just electronica.

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