Blog

Saw this on someone else's journal and inspired me to write my first journal entry. List your top 50 artists and say how you got to know/listen to them.

This list favors any artist that I have listened to heavily since I got my iPod and joined last.fm so some of my all time favorites are not in the list.

#1 Mike Patton

See Faith No More for how i originally got into Mike Patton. After FNM split i already had some Mr Bungle and his experimental solo stuff which isn't bad but its the two movie scores that he has done that projected him to the top of my list, they explore genres all over the spectrum and add to that different genres of vocals that i would argue is unrivaled.

#2 Secret Chiefs 3

I chanced upon some early SC3 albums while exploring Mr Bungle members side projects and thought they were okay and when Book M was released I purchased it and was blown away, constant rotation on my CD player for weeks. BOH was a good album but it wasn't until Xaphan that I found another album that I could play over and over and over. The latest Traditionalists album is another that I have played many times.

#3 Fantômas

My favorite of Mike Patton's projects. When the first album was released I had it on pre order and was not disappointed one bit. Another constant rotation CD. When they toured for this album I saw the first Sydney concert and was so blown away that I went straight down to the theatre the next day to buy a ticket for the next nights concert, the only band I have ever done that for. The Directors Cut was again brilliant.

#4 Dert Floyd

Introduced to me by Pablobarnfather only recently, great beats that will probably stay in my top listened to list. Time will tell.

#5 Snog

See Black Lung for how I first got into David Thrussell. I found Snog when I was in my big industrial music phase in the late 90s on a random web page and it wasn't until after I heard and liked it that I found out that it was the same man behind this as Black Lung. As my industrial music listening started to go down so did my listening to Snog until the release of Beyond The Valley Of The Proles that went in a new direction which until this day has had me eagerly anticipating any new Snog release.

#6 Venetian Snares

This could have been introduced to me by a number of people whom I shared a house with in 2000/2001 or I could of found it on the hotline server Scum-N-Bass that I frequented around that time. After I heard it every bit of IDM I had ever heard seemed to pale in comparison. I don't like every release as much but always happy to hear a new release from Mr Funk.

#7 Bill Hicks

Can not remember at all how I got to know about Bill Hicks. I remember seeing a clip of him in the film Human Traffic before I was massively into him but know idea how I got fully into it. When I heard it he seemed to express a lot of opinions that I held already and I agreed with most other things he said also. A true legend.

#8 Richard Cheese

Another artist that I got into recently but when I did it was in a big way. His take on popular music and classic rock, metal and hip hop tunes is hilarious and very entertaining. I think it will slowly slip out of my top list but I still will enjoy a few tracks now and then. First heard it from an old high school friend whose musical taste I wouldn't normally consider.

#9 Amon Tobin

Introduced to me by agent_plang sometime around 1999/2000 I think. The greatest of Ninja Tune artists in my opinion.

#10 Messer Chups

I got into Oleg Kostrow which led to Messer für Frau Müller which then led to Messer Chups. Listened to a lot when I first got into it about 2 or 3 years ago. Glad to be able to add some Russian music to the collection.

#11 DJ Rainbow Ejaculation

Listened to some of his compilation tracks under the name 7u?, read some of his zines called No Frills and listened to a lot of the stuff on the label he helped run called System Corrupt. When this album came out I purchased it and listened to it a lot, its only a recent addition but a very fun album.

#12 Messer für Frau Müller

See Oleg Kostrow to see how I was introduced to him which led me to explore what else he has done and found this. Fantastic.

#13 Blood Duster

When I reached drinking age I found a local bar that happened to be part owned by a young guy that had some great taste in music. We shared many a beer and talk of extremely heavy music. He introduced me to Blood Duster as well as a few other great bands that I still listen to.

#14 Faith No More

Saw Epic and From Out Of Nowhere on Rage and when my brothers friend came around with the tape of The Real Thing I had to borrow it. Even with high speed dubbing I couldn't record it fast enough to not make him late to get home. Thanks I will always remember how I got into Mike Patton.

#15 Clutchy Hopkins

Introduced to me by agent_plang about six months ago and has quickly entered my top artists. I think it will stay here.

#16 Stunt Rock

I am reasonable sure that I found this on the Hotline server Scum-N-Bass. I love the Regret Instruction Manual Volume 1.

#17 Brian Wilson

I heard The Beach Boys growing up my mum used to play it a bit. Then when I watched a documentary film about them I learnt about Brian Wilson and this stayed in my mind for a long time until the Smile album was completed which I purchased and played it a lot. Great album from a genius.

#18 Aphex Twin

Introduced to me by Pablobarnfather when I was still mostly a heavy metal kid starting to listen to industrial music. Maybe I would of gotten here by myself but he helped me bypass a few steps and start to appreciate some electronic music. Thanks heaps Paul.

#19 Barry Adamson

Downloaded a few albums because he was on the Lost Highway soundtrack, didn't really think that much of them until I got Back To The Cat which I listened to constantly for a while and then started to really get into his back catalog also.

#20 Oleg Kostrow

Patric Catani whose music I like stayed at the warehouse that DannyTravels lived in and he gave him the Oleg album Lego 4 Four. Danny gave it to me and I listened to it a lot for a long time then I thought to search for some more and got into him in a big way.

#21 Mr. Bungle

After listening to Faith No More and Mike Patton's solo stuff I had to find out what else he had done. This was around the time that Disco Volante came out.

#22 Dr. Octagon

Had been listening to Cypress Hill and Ice-T a little for many years but around 2000 I decided I wanted to check out more of this music called hip hop. Someone recommended Dr Octagon which I found one day at a second hand store and I loved it straight away. It was like an epiphany for me, I then spent a lot of time searching for more hip hop I liked, While I have found some more this I still consider the best. Kool Keith, Dan the Automator and DJ QBert are amazing together.

#23 Black Lung

Another one introduced to me by Pablobarnfather around 94/95 while I was still mostly into metal and industrial. This led to my major interest in David Thrussell music.

#24 Nine Inch Nails

I had Head Like A Hole on a video taped off Rage for a few years before I read about The Downward Spiral album which I got and loved, then Broken and Fixed. I cant say I have liked much he has done in the last ten years however I was a major fanboy from about 95 till The Fragile came out. Fixed also introduced me to some very experimental stuff.

#25 Dert

After being blown away by Dert Floyd I tracked this down and was into it equally as much. Another recent addition to the list.

#26 End

I purchased The Sounds Of Disaster mainly because it was on Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings. It then stayed on rotation for a long long time. Sadly he has not managed to live up to the standard that this album set in my opinion. Still think the album is so original sounding.

#27 MF DOOM

Originally found in my search for Dr Octagon like hip hop. Listened to on and off over the years but wasn't until Danger Doom and the most recent MF Doom album that I have listened to him a lot. A recent addition to the list.

#28 Insane Clown Posse

Got given The Great Milenko on tape by a friend that I went to TAFE with. I am no longer in contact with him but will always remember him for giving me this. Only like a few of their other tracks but love this album still.

#29 RZA

Loved the film Ghost Dog so I downloaded the soundtrack and though it was great also. Try to keep an eye out for RZA instrumentals when I can.

#30 DJ Shadow

Can't remember who introduced me to this, most likely DannyTravels. Listened to it on and off until I got In Tune And On Time when I really started to call myself a fan.

#31 Ministry

when I was just a heavy metal kid back in the early 90s I started to read about Ministry in all the metal mags. Who were these guys? I then heard Just One Fix on the radio but couldn't find Psalm 69 anywhere, I got The Land Of Rape And Honey which is a different sound altogether but it was when I was being awakened to other musical sounds and I fully accepted it as awesome. When I got Psalm 69 I was a fully fledged industrial music junkie.

#32 Tomahawk

Another Mike Patton project that I got because he was involved. The first album is great and the others have been okay.

#33 Fantômas Melvins Big Band

Another Mike Patton project that I embraced fully and like a lot but liked even more when they released the live DVD.

#34 Mickey Avalon

My brother was listening to this in his car while giving me a ride somewhere and I thought it was okay so I copied it and can now sing a long to every track.

#35 Marilyn Manson

I read that Trent Reznor produced his album so I got Portrait Of An American Family and thought that it was great. When Antichrist Superstar came out I was blown away, such an awesome album for me full of so many interesting ideas for a young man to think about. Sadly it was all downhill from there in my opinion.

#36 Slayer

My brother listened to it a little bit, that's how I heard of them. Then when Seasons In The Abyss came out a few friends had it and I was hooked. One of the few pure metal bands I still get into from the old days.

#37 The Enemy

Another great project from David Thrussell. Highly underrated I think.

#38 Boards of Canada

Introduced to me by DannyTravels when he was a bit of a Warp fanboy. Music Has The Right To Children I enjoy a lot.

#39 Assjack

A very recent addition to the list. Followed the career of Hank Williams III through reading about him occasionally and got some Assjack bootlegs that were not bad. When the self titled album was released only last month I got it and listened to it a lot. This is saying something because there are very very few metal bands I can get into nowadays.

#40 Peeping Tom

Another Mike Patton project that I had been hearing about for years. I refused to listen to the demos and when the album dropped the anticipation was worth it I was not disappointed.

#41 General Patton vs. The X-Ecutioners

Another Mike Patton project that was highly original and very different for him. Excellent album.

#42 Fear Factory

Heard Scumgrief I think it was on JJJ Three Hours Of Power and got the Soul Of A New Machine album and the rest is history.

#43 David Bowie

Pablobarnfather introduced me to the album 1.Outside which I thought was great which led me to explore some of his other works. Still find that album and Earthling my favorites.

#44 DJ Pica Pica Pica

I think I got this one from the Scum-N-Bass Hotline server. Great mix album that then led me to explore more of Yamataka Eye's projects.

#45 Nasenbluten

First heard them on a compilation called Industrial Fucking Strength' under the name Bloody Fist but didn't think much more of them until I moved to Sydney and heard about this great music coming out of Newcastle from the Bloody Fist label. Went to some of their parties and got some music and they eventually stopped releasing but I got to see their final performance in Newcastle.

#46 David Thrussell

After getting into Black Lung, Snog and Soma it was only natural that I would like the stuff under his own name. Soundtrack and spoken word stuff, its great and thought provoking.

#47 Kid606

Can't recall how I got into him but it is highly likely that I got it from the Scum-N-Bass Hotline server.

#48 Frank Zappa

First heard thorough Pablobarnfather and not thought of much after that until I downloaded a lot and didn't know what to listen to and a friend I made recently was able to recommend some stuff and I have been listening to more and more lately.

#49 Handsome Boy Modeling School

I was already on to the fantastic production work of Dan the Automator before this came out and when It did I got into it a lot.

#50 Beastie Boys

It was when Sabotage came out that I got into these guys and then I explored their back catalog. Sabotage was played a lot on the radio and some girls at school played it a lot in the common room. Haven't liked much of their stuff after Hello Nasty.