I'm a big fan of Merck and buy everything they release. I'll probably
get disappointed eventually, but I havent' been yet. BTW, I'm not on
their payroll or anything :P ...I just really like them.
If you're looking for something sounding similar to "classic IDM" with
AE-ish melodies & synths, I'd recommend the following highlights
(coincidentally, 10 releases, but not a "top-10", just 10 that probably
are a closest fit to what you described you were looking for) ...and
keep in mind that Merck has samples of everything on their website:
merck001 : Syndrone - Triskaideka
Syndrone's & Merck's first release, very reminiscent of mid-career
Autechre, but also unique. May be hard to find, unfortunately.
merck002 : VA - Squadron
Merck's first compilation, excellent melodic IDM, featuring some of
the artists that went on to do Merck albums (Proswell, MD, Lackluster)
and the excellent Machine Drum (aka Syndrone) track, "Izey Rael" ...
unfortunately this also may be hard to find. But it's worth it if you
can get it; I've seen a few people on the list mention it from time to
time as a compilation they go back to often.
merck003 : MD - Appelsap
Sweet finnish electrics, it glistens with melodies. Nice remixes too.
merck004 : VA - Aurora
No, I'm not just going to list every Merck release, but if you ever
have a taste for ambience, this compilation is excellent.
merck006 : Proem - Negativ
Some people don't like Proem's use of pads as his primary instrument,
but I like it, and anyway, he makes up for it in compositions & rhythm.
merck010 : Proswell - Konami
This is straight out video-game-ish melodies, but very murky,
mercurial, whatever you want to say to suggest undersea darkness.
merck013 : Blamstrain - Ensi
Another finnish artist, epic techno soundscapes. OK, bad
description, but check it out anyway.
merck014 : Esem - Serial Human
Esem's first album was on deFocus, and though his music has
progressed much here, it's still reminiscent of that singluar deFocus
sound...
merck015 : Lackluster - Showcase
Lackluster also debuted back on deFocus, and most everyone is
probably familiar with him already at this point, but this album is very
good, and worth highlighting.
merck021 : VA - Double Down
Another excellent compilation, my favorite recent Merck comp.
Brooding, a bit droney, a bit dubby, it keeps my interest every time.
I've probably gone a bit overboard, but those are the releases that are
closest to what you described.
If you like any sort of hip-hop-ish IDM, I definitely recommend
everybody's favorite Machine Drum (three albums so far and a collection
of other people's remixes of his work, all good), and also Deceptikon,
who I don't see mentioned much anywhere, but I can't stop listening to
his Lost Subject album. So sweet, pure ear candy.
Travis Stewart's second album as Syndrone (instead of Machine Drum),
Salmataxia, is absolutely excellent, but is also noiser and more
complex-sounding than his first, so if you're looking for the more
classic, simple-ish IDM sound with synths & stuff, you might try the
older one first.
MD, Proem, and Proswell also have good second albums on Merck.
And though it doesn't quite fit what you said you're looking for, you
simply must get Mr. Projectile's "Sinking" - it's perfect.
The same goes for Secede's "Bye Bye Gridlock Traffic"
Beyond that, everything else on Merck is good & worth checking out, save
perhaps the Jimmy Edgar album (under the names "Kristuit Salu vs. Morris
Nightingale"), and Tiki Obmar didn't quite do it for me either, being
more similar to Tortoise than anything else.
Greg wrote:
quoted 8 lines I've noticed that a lot of you have included at least one artists from the> I've noticed that a lot of you have included at least one artists from the
> Merck label. I have done some researching and found they are based in Miami!
> VERY surprising(one reason is there are hardly ANY electronic labels in the
> US). I can't believe I have never heard of this label until i joined this
> list. One reason why I joined was to learn about new IDM/synth stuff like
> this....what are the most melodic(old schoolish sounding) IDM type of stuff
> on the label(the syndrone cd sounds right up my alley, older AE melodies,
> etc). Thanks.
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