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Best EDM Artist ::FINAL::
Well, the finals have come about, and while I cant say I'm entirely thrilled with all the finalists, it is certainly tough to argue with a voting population.
I would ask that you vote on several characteristics when choosing your favorite, none of which is your personal preference or lack of exposure. I highly recommend searching out samples of each artist’s work before voting if you're not familiar with their productions. Some important things I think should be considered are:
-How much has this artist’s presence and out affected the development of Electronic music as a whole?
-How diverse was the artist's sound? Did they stick with one set of synths (hard or soft?) How many genres have they been able to touch throughout their career?
-Has the length and output of this artist been sufficient to be deemed "Best Ever"?
Here are some notes on each finalist (each artist's name is a link to their main Discogs catalogue). I admit I wrote these in a bit of a rush, so any missed facts, exaggerations or overt wrongness is fully acknowledged by me and will be changed upon confirmation. PMs regarding any of this are fully welcome:
Oliver Lieb
Rapidly approaching a career spanning 20 years, Oliver Lieb is one of the best known producers of electronic music. Producing tracks with a trancey feel, Lieb is also capable of adding Ambient, Electro, House, and other general aspects to his work. The man has a distinguished sound that seems never seems to linger in one place for too long, and he has defied most conventions in making sure his name will be long remembered by fans of electronic music.
Sasha (Alexander Coe)
If you haven't heard of Sasha, you have almost been certainly living under a rock. Involved in the Electronic scene for about 20 years, the man is literally a living legend: From his ever popular track Xpander, his memorable Global Underground recordings, and his teaming with John Digweed, Sasha has spared no time or effort in establishing himself as one of EDM's most notable artists. However, the man is almost certainly most known for his ear for perfection in the studio, and while many my argue that Sasha receives an inordinate amount of assistance from a variety of camps, to deny his place in Electronic music's history would be no more than a sham, as his volumous commercial success would suggest.
Kraftwerk (Florian Schneider-Esleben, Ralf Hütter and many others)*
Every revolution starts somewhere, and for many fans of electronic music, it all began with the German group Kraftwerk in the late 1960's. Their influence on music as a whole is undeniable: From the latest trance release, the craziest experimental tune and even the hottest American pop song, the influence of the work and efforts of this duo can be heard. Trying to reestablish a cultural identity in Germany, this classically trained duo (with several others, including Tangerine Dream and Can) began to experiment with "a mixture of sounds, feedback and rhythm". After a fruitful career, the rest is, as they say, history.
*I know very little about Kraftwerk, and had to do some research on them.This page is a good starting point.
Jean Michel Jarre
Jarre is perhaps the underdog of this poll, but by no means less deserving than any other candidate. Jarre, a Frenchman, is the son of a famous movie music composer (his dad composed the music for several successful films, including Lawrence of Arabia) and is infamous for his live performances, which helped defined the contemporary concert, full of lasers, lights, pyrotechnics, and other massively visual displays. His music is impeccable, touching on the ambient and minorly psychedelic, but he is also notable for his service to the world community and for his dedication to the Electronic music community as a whole. Jarre is easily one of the world's most innovative musicians, using samples and sounds others couldn’t possibly dream of, and rounds out our list of finalists.
Happy voting. I’m abstaining from voting for now, though I certainly will cast a vote or two before this is all over.
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