For the average rock fan, there’s nothing like heavily distorted guitars and screeching vocals. Diehard fans often find interest in all of the evolutions of rock music, and one can’t deny that electronic music has at least some roots in rock and roll. If you love rock music and want to get into electronic music but don’t know where to start, these four albums are essential listening!
1. ‘Mezzanine’ by Massive Attack
For rock music listeners who want to get into electronic albums, this 1998 release from Massive Attack is perfect. Not only is it full of hits (“Teardrop” and “Angel” are just a couple), but it has a sense of darkness to it found in genres like trip-hop and gothic rock. It also features the kind of lyrics you’d expect from the likes of The Cure or The Velvet Underground, both of which are sampled on Mezzanine as well.
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2. ‘Autobahn’ by Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is one of the most loved European synth pop outfits for a reason. One could say Autobahn is one of the most important records in the electronic genre of all time. Even if it’s not your cup of tea as a rock fan, it is essential listening if you want to get a feel for the best electronica has to offer. And if you love drawn-out rock tracks that go well past the 22-minute mark, you’ll love the opener to this album.
3. ‘Psyence Fiction’ by UNKLE
UNKLE is still around today, though notably without founder Josh Davis a.k.a. DJ Shadow. Psyence Fiction was quite the debut back in 1998, and it’s still quite a relevant alternative rock and trip-hop album today. If electronic music isn’t really your thing (yet), this blended-genre album is definitely a gentle introduction to electronic compositions without getting too crazy.
4. ‘Moon Safari’ by Air
There’s a reason Air is huge in France and also huge everywhere else. In 1998, the electro-duo released their debut album Moon Safari. It’s a glittering, engaging piece of work that pulls from the best of electronic genres, from space pop to downtempo to psychedelic to dream pop. In fact, this album is considered a pioneering one during a time when downtempo was just getting big. There are some rock elements that are noteworthy on this record, too.
Photo by Richard Lewis
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