Hooverphonic anyone?


Yeah, Trip Hop. Definitely not a genre of music much mentioned on Audiogon.

The band Hooverphonic has made some sonically astounding music. They are a mix between ambient, hip hop, and psychadelic rock. Like a slowed down, cooled out Kraftwerk or Pink Floyd, but with better vocals and technology than these other bands old stuff. Hooverphonic puts out an electronic soundstage bigger and more interesting than almost anything I have ever experienced. Very cool sounds zipping around and around in 3D. Sounds from your extremem left or right or perhaps even behind you (only have I experience the behind you with my listening position very near the back wall). Great to vedge out with, or to be amazed at what your system can put out that you never knew it could. It is very interesting to me at least.

I suggest two Hooverphonic Cd's. A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular and Blue Wonder Power Milk. These two cd's are sonically magnificent for electronic music, check them out,

Ron
starsandseas
I visited their web site:

http://www.hooverphonic.com/

Must admit, they sounded very good to me, I will probably research them on the web and see what formats their music is available in. I had poor luck at AMG getting their songs to play. Could be server is clogged (Sun night, everyone bored) or maybe something else.

Anyway, their web site shows a bit of creativity and freedom and their sound is not clogged with "pop" culture yet.

Thanks for bringing up the topic, good find for me.
Hi Albertporter,

Actually their music after about 1998 became way more pop than their earlier efforts.

On their website maneuver to Blue Wonder Power Milk
and play the song Eden. Then listen to the cut Battersea. Really any of the songs on the two CD's I mentioned are winners.

Listen and let me know. I'm glad you llke them. They deserve some attention. I believe their female vocalists smoke almost all the folkes mentioned on this board...

Best,
Ron
I just looked them up at WIki, they are from Belgium. No wonder they are working out of the norm.

Too many USA groups are stuck in the same tired formula's for making music. Of course there are exceptions but it's nice to hear music that shakes up things a bit.

Bjork has been doing that for many years, I absolutely love her, much to the dismay of many of my audiophile buddies :^).
Ron,I will give them a listen ,Thanks!You are so right concerning the soundstage! A few of my fav;Air,Laltra,Stereolab,Mum,The Gentle People,Spacetime Continuum,Morcheeba,Massive Attack,Deep Forest,Zero One,Zero7.Ray
I just left their website and watched "Gentle Storm" ,,,very good! Albert,thanks for the link!And thanks Ron !.
I have "The Magnificent Trees." It's the only one I own by them. Where does it fit in the lineup? Honestly, I've only listened to it twice so don't have much of an opinion.
New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular- $6.99
Blue Wonder Power Milk - $6.99

At Circuit City.
magnificent tree is the third release by Hooverphonic. It actually has more similarities to the first release New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular in the samples it uses throughout. If you want the darker more melodic releases the first 3 - New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular, Blue Wonder Power Milk and Magnificent tree are the best. The release of Jackie Cane has them moving towards a more poppy sound similar to the transition Olive went thru between their 1st and 2nd albums. Magnificent Tree does have some more funk influences similar to Moloko, Vanessa Daou and Goldfrapp's later stuff.
If you want some good 3D sound listen to Laurie Anderson's "Life On A String." Beautiful music with wonderfully layered sound. Oh yeah, can't forget to recommend Sufjan Stevens, "Come On Feel The Illinoise."
Wow, that Laurie Anderson sure is cool. Very interesting effects swimming in lots of air. Very cool, thank you,

Ron
Yes Hooverphonic - wonderful music, have you listened to Sit down and listen to Hooverphonic - The live theater recordings? If not, you've missed something great. One of their best!
Peter
One of my audiophile buds introduced me to Hooverphonic back in 2000. A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular was our test disc we brought to the HE2001 show in NYC. Much time was spent listening to the 47 Labs gear with that disc. They were driving Vassen speakers (from Belgium). The designer behind Vassen was surprised we knew about Hooverphonic.

A great disc to demo gear with!
Based on this thread and a visit to the band's website, I just ordered on CD Blue Wonder, Power Milk and New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular - new - from a vendor on eBay at $4.99 and $5.99 respectively.

I don't know where my head was in the late 90's but I'm glad it is with me now. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Thanks and regards,

Jan
Anyone seen smokeys with ears on? :)

I love all the Hooverphonics, as well as all the DePhazz, Tricky, Waldeck, Basement Jaxx, Photek, Pieter K, Air, and Kruder & Dorfmeister albums.

Arthur
If you like Hooverphonic, try Future Sound of London... Lifeforms is a good place to start.
Jsmoller- I hope you were not charged to much for shipping from the seller on ebay? I am sometimes put off by charges of between $3-$7 per cd without delivery confirmation or Insurance that a lot of cd sellers want to charge.
Unless it is a 'must have cd'.
Martina-Topley Bird (has worked with Tricky) and the Skye solo work that just came out in 2007 are also excellent. Flunk, IVY, Moloko, Esthero's first album and DJ Zen are also excellent.
Hi Gawdbless...

Postage was U$6.50 for a single CD, with an additional $3.50 for the 2nd CD. Insurance was $1.65 for the entire order. It was just under U$24.00 (~A$27.50) for both titles - A bargain as this material is quite difficult to find in Sydney, AU.

Regards,

Jan
My Hooverphonic CDs arrived today - Blue Wonder Power Milk and Stereophonic Sound Spectacular along with a few other items. Which should I listen to first?

Jan
Now that I have caught my breath... OMG! OMFL! Holy Bats**t, BatMan!

The CD, "Stereophonic Spectacular" finished. Friends, I was literally pinned to the sofa listening to this recording.

The soundstage! Huge, enveloping, deep 3D. The sonics! Soaring and roaring, yet gentle and caressing at times. The compositions! Melodic with a mean bite. The precision! At the breath of a beat and on target. The mixing! Accolates to the engineers. They really outdid themselves. Absolutely blew me away!

I want MORE!

This would be an incredibly amazing recording in 5.1 SACD!
This band got it right...

(Wiping the sweat from my brow). I am actually pleasantly exhausted from listening to this album. Like sex 30 years ago, I want to do it all over again!

Thanks SO MUCH for those participating in this thread. Without your discussion I would never have even known that this band existed.

Kudus Everyone,

Jan
Hooverphonic is superb. Been a fan for years.

And if you like them, check out...

Mono - Life In Mono
Esthero - Breath From Another
Snooze - Man in the Machine (amazing!!)
Hefner - Residue
Abraham - Blue for the Most
Bent - Programmed to Love

And no trip hop list would be complete without Portishead - Dummy.

I could go on and on. :)

Oh and this doesn't have much to do with Hoooverphonic, but I never pass up a chance to plug my alltime favorite band, Elbow, who is coming to NYC 4/26/08. Any album you check out will be a sonic treat.
Good call on the Snooze album - I had not heard them before. If you dig them then Telefon Tel Aviv is a must own. Also Robokoneko, and Disjunction Reunion from CDBaby are great.
I can't seem to find any recent or back catalogue of Snooze recordings. Could someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

Jan
Peace Orchestra-s/t album is a great listen and is one of the few "electronic" albums constantly name-checked in TAS and Stereophile to demo equipment with.
Jan,
The snooze cd's are on amazon. i go a used copy of man in the shadows for about $3.00 plus 2.98 feight.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Orb. This group has some serious sonic mastery going on. I have never heard a soundstage like they project. Stunningly 3d. Kind of esoteric, with little vocals and very long "songs" wrapping into each other and morphing into something else. Hypnotizing is a word I'll use to describe them.

Best and thanks for all the ideas,
Ron
Hi Starsandseas...

What is their discography and what IYO is their best recording?

Thanks and regards,

Jan
I was just fixing to talk about the Orb. I mean they are legends in the electronic music world who have been making this kind of stuff for 20 years. The soundstage on UFOrb is just downright scary. Jah Wobble on bass, Steve Hillage on guitars...everyone needs UFOrb, Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld & Orbus Terrarum in their collections. I am a huge Orb fan and have almost everything they've ever done.

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Orb%2C+The
Thanks for the info Synthfreek,

Just bought "Beyond the Ultraworld" import new on eBay. There is an amazing difference in price ($22.00) between CD Universe, Amazon and eBay sellers. 10 daze to AU.

Regards,

Jan
I'm sure you'll love it. UFOrb is my very favorite as it has a ufo theme to it. If anyone buys it be sure to get the 2disc version that has a 40 minute version of the song Blue Room on the 2nd sic.
Another thing is that Adventures Beyond...should only be purchased as a 2cd set as well. There was an edited down/condensed 1cd version that kind of ruined the experience.
There's something vaguely familiar about that name.....from Belgium and not Hooverville. Hmmm, I may have to check them out.
MORE Trip-Hop suggestions, PLEASE!

The more I listen to this genre, the more I want! It reminds my of the Story-Rock daze of the late-70's.

Regards,

Jan
Wagon Christ-Throbbing Puch
DJ Shadow-Endtrodicing
Sabres Of Paradise-Haunted Dancehall
Massive Attack-Mezzanine
Portishead-Dummy
Nightmares On Wax-Smoker's Delight
Peace Orchestra-Peace Orchestra
Tosca-Opera...Suzuki...Suzuki In Dub
Kruder & Dorfmeister-K & D Sessions...G-Stoned EP
The Irresistible Force-It's Tomorrow Already
Higher Intelligence Agency-Freefloater(more of an ambient-electro album but still really good with tsome wicked beats)
Massive Attack Vs Mad Professor-No Protection
Future Sound Of London-Lifeforms...Dead Cities
I've just heard some material by Kinobe from their Soundphiles album. Brilliant!
Hello...

After a few months of searching, I decided to bite the bullet and buy U.F. Orb - 2 discs, re-mastered from CD Universe. Looking forward to Blue Room 40 minute mix.

CD with a few others arrived today.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is their best outing, although I enjoyed Orbvs Terrarvm and Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld.

But WOW... UF Orb is amazing! Sounds coming out of nowhere and making me jump in my seat.

Thanks to those of you who who have recommended Trip-Hop! I am searching for a number of the arcane titles that have been suggested.

BTW: In the same shipment, Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane and 2 Diana Krall SACDs.

Portishead 3rd arriving later this week...

Regards,

DaVet - Aka Trippy Jan

Regards,

Jan
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