Blue skied an' clear (album)
Encyclopedia
Blue Skied An' Clear is a two-disc compilation
, featuring various artists from Morr Music
covering songs from the shoegazer
band Slowdive
on the first disc and composing songs "inspired" by Slowdive
on the second disc. It was released in 2002 by Morr Music
, and was the label’s 30th release. In addition to serving as a showcase of the Morr Music
roster, this release serves as a testament to the resurgence or revival of the shoegazing
sound in this particular realm of electronica
or IDM
. Whereas the initial wave of shoegazer rock had fuzzed out guitar
s (via distortion from effects pedals) as a central characteristic, the artists on this release combine that with (or abandon it for) glitchy
beats, synth
tones, and digital signal processing
effects. On this release, and with this indietronica
style of music in general, musicians composing with software housed in laptop computers often replace the conventional rock
band formula. Being composed of Slowdive
covers, the first disc has substantially more vocals than the second disc, which is more in line with the modus operandi
of electronica
or indietronica
artists, generally speaking.
The title of this compilation is taken from a track on Slowdive's
last album, Pygmalion. This track was covered by Manual
.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, featuring various artists from Morr Music
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste...
covering songs from the shoegazer
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
band Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
on the first disc and composing songs "inspired" by Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
on the second disc. It was released in 2002 by Morr Music
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste...
, and was the label’s 30th release. In addition to serving as a showcase of the Morr Music
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste...
roster, this release serves as a testament to the resurgence or revival of the shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
sound in this particular realm of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
or IDM
Intelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
. Whereas the initial wave of shoegazer rock had fuzzed out guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s (via distortion from effects pedals) as a central characteristic, the artists on this release combine that with (or abandon it for) glitchy
Glitch (music)
Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The glitch aesthetic is characterized by a deliberate use of glitch based sonic artifacts that would normally be viewed as unwanted disturbances reducing the overall sound quality and are thus...
beats, synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
tones, and digital signal processing
Digital signal processing
Digital signal processing is concerned with the representation of discrete time signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
effects. On this release, and with this indietronica
Indietronica
Indietronica is a music genre that combines indie, electronica, rock and pop music. Typical instruments used in indietronica music are electronic keyboard, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine...
style of music in general, musicians composing with software housed in laptop computers often replace the conventional rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formula. Being composed of Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
covers, the first disc has substantially more vocals than the second disc, which is more in line with the modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
or indietronica
Indietronica
Indietronica is a music genre that combines indie, electronica, rock and pop music. Typical instruments used in indietronica music are electronic keyboard, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine...
artists, generally speaking.
The title of this compilation is taken from a track on Slowdive's
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
last album, Pygmalion. This track was covered by Manual
Manual (band)
Manual is the performing name of electronic musician, Jonas Munk, from Odense, Denmark. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient dream pop and indietronica. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars , and various digital signal processing effects...
.
Disc 1 (Slowdive covers)
- Future 3Future 3Future 3 is a Danish ambient music trio, consisting of Anders Remmer, Thomas Knak and Jesper Skaaning. Their music is, like many other Scandinavian ambient artists such as Biosphere, characterized by a cold and bright sound...
— "Alison" – 3:11 - ISANIsan (band)Isan are an English electronic music duo. The name was initially explained as Integrated Services Analogue Network - a play on ISDN, reflecting their preference for analogue synthesisers....
— "Waves" – 6:54 - Lali PunaLali PunaLali Puna is an experimental electropop band from Weilheim, Germany . Founded in 1998 by Korea-born Valerie Trebeljahr , other members include Markus Acher , Christoph Brandner and Christian Heiß . The latter joined Lali Puna in 2003, after keyboard player Florian Zimmer had left the band...
— "40 Days" – 3:51 - Ulrich SchnaussUlrich Schnauss-Biography:Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of Kiel in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Chapterhouse, and early bleep & breakbeat tracks...
— "Crazy For You" – 6:31 - B. Fleischmann & Ms. John SodaMs. John SodaMs. John Soda is an indietronic band from Weilheim, Germany. Their members are Stefanie Böhm singing, and Michael Acher the main composer and programmer of the songs.A side project of sorts, Ms...
— "Here She Comes" – 4:24 - Limp — "Souvlaki Space Station" – 5:18
- SolventSolvent (producer)Solvent is the stage name used by electronic producer and remixer Jason Amm . Although his music has been included in the electroclash movement , many of Solvent's tracks fall under the intelligent dance music or electropop genres...
— "When The Sun Hits" – 3:59 - StyrofoamStyrofoam (artist)Styrofoam is a Belgian one man glitch electronica project on the independent record label Morr Music...
— "Altogether" – 3:57 - Skanfrom — "Here She Comes" – 2:29
- ISANIsan (band)Isan are an English electronic music duo. The name was initially explained as Integrated Services Analogue Network - a play on ISDN, reflecting their preference for analogue synthesisers....
— "Celia's Dream" – 4:42 - Komëit — "When The Sun Hits" – 3:04
- ManualManual (band)Manual is the performing name of electronic musician, Jonas Munk, from Odense, Denmark. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient dream pop and indietronica. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars , and various digital signal processing effects...
— "Blue Skied An' Clear" – 5:32 - Herrmann & KleineHerrmann & KleineHerrmann & Kleine was a plinkerpop duo that formed circa 1997 and featured veteran DJ Christian Kleine and City Centre Offices label manager, Thaddi Herrmann. In addition to releasing a pair of EP recordings, the duo also provided remixes to tracks by various notable bands, including His Name Is...
— "Dagger" – 4:43 - MúmMúmmúm are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.- History :...
— "Machine Gun" – 3:50
Disc two
- ManualManual (band)Manual is the performing name of electronic musician, Jonas Munk, from Odense, Denmark. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient dream pop and indietronica. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars , and various digital signal processing effects...
— "Summer Haze" – 5:11 - ISANIsan (band)Isan are an English electronic music duo. The name was initially explained as Integrated Services Analogue Network - a play on ISDN, reflecting their preference for analogue synthesisers....
— "My Last Journey (Weather Balloon)" – 5:56 - Guitar — "House Full Of Time" – 4:46
- Ulrich SchnaussUlrich Schnauss-Biography:Ulrich Schnauss was born in the northern German seaport of Kiel in 1977. He became interested in a range of music: My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Tangerine Dream, Chapterhouse, and early bleep & breakbeat tracks...
— "Wherever You Are" – 6:38 - StyrofoamStyrofoam (artist)Styrofoam is a Belgian one man glitch electronica project on the independent record label Morr Music...
— "Fade Out Your Eyes" – 5:25 - Populous — "Clijster" – 4:22
- Future 3Future 3Future 3 is a Danish ambient music trio, consisting of Anders Remmer, Thomas Knak and Jesper Skaaning. Their music is, like many other Scandinavian ambient artists such as Biosphere, characterized by a cold and bright sound...
— "Stuff" – 3:50 - SolventSolvent (producer)Solvent is the stage name used by electronic producer and remixer Jason Amm . Although his music has been included in the electroclash movement , many of Solvent's tracks fall under the intelligent dance music or electropop genres...
— "Discontinued Parts (Instrumental Mix)" – 4:02 - Herrmann & KleineHerrmann & KleineHerrmann & Kleine was a plinkerpop duo that formed circa 1997 and featured veteran DJ Christian Kleine and City Centre Offices label manager, Thaddi Herrmann. In addition to releasing a pair of EP recordings, the duo also provided remixes to tracks by various notable bands, including His Name Is...
— "Leaving You Behind (Without Knowing Where To Go) – 6:32 - B. Fleischmann — "Take A Day Off" – 5:56
- Icebreaker InternationalIcebreaker InternationalIcebreaker International is an Electronic/Electronica band formed by musicians Alexander Perls and Simon Break. They have released three albums.-History:...
& ManualManual (band)Manual is the performing name of electronic musician, Jonas Munk, from Odense, Denmark. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient dream pop and indietronica. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars , and various digital signal processing effects...
— "Into Forever" – 5:06 - Komëit — "Same, Same" – 4:03
- Ms. John SodaMs. John SodaMs. John Soda is an indietronic band from Weilheim, Germany. Their members are Stefanie Böhm singing, and Michael Acher the main composer and programmer of the songs.A side project of sorts, Ms...
— "Solid Ground" – 3:27 - Limp — "Silent Running" – 4:34
Personnel
- Markus Acher – Producer
- Micha Acher – Interpretation
- Judith Beck – Vocals
- Stefanie Böhm – Interpretation
- Digital Jockey – Producer, Mixing, Vocal Programming
- Bernhard Fleischmann – Producer, Interpretation
- Thaddi Herrmann – Producer
- isan – Producer
- Günther Janssen – Programming, Engineer
- Regina Janssen – Vocals
- Christian Kleine – Producer
- Thomas KnakThomas KnakThomas Knak is a Danish electronic musician, producer, film composer and DJ. He lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Jack of all trades, he makes music for commercial , for various radio and TV programmes, for theatre plays, for choreography and films.He started in 1999 under the name Opiate...
– Producer - Jan Kruse – Cover Design
- Maja Maria – Vocals
- Jonas Munk – Producer
- Anders RemmerAnders RemmerAnders Remmer is a Danish electronic musician, producer and film composer. He was born and raised in Denmark.Now he is one of the key figures in the electronic community of Copenhagen...
– Producer - Ulrich Schnauss – Arranger, Producer
- Jesper SkaaningJesper SkaaningJesper Skaaning is a Danish electronic musician, producer and film composer.He started his career as a guitarist in various experimental punk bands in the early 1980s and was inspired by European electropop and early electronic Music, especially by Kraftwerk...
– Producer - Skanfrom – Arranger
- Solvent – Producer, Interpretation
- Mario Thaler – Producer
- Valerie Trebeljahr – Producer