Making me pick just 5 is cruel! So, I picked 6 smile My list is constantly changing, so I picked 6 for me that have stood the test of time. These are all artists that I've listened to regularly and been inspired by for many, many years now. These are by no means who I consider the most relevant artists of all time - they are just music artists I love a lot and have a special spot in my heart.

Radiohead - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LlfGrP4n6E
I absolutely love these guys. One of my favourite aspects to them is that they have so much variety in their discography. They have albums like "The Bends" and "OK Computer" that are basically just straight rock with a hint of an alternative edge. Then they have albums like "Kid A" and "Amnesiac" that are borderline experimental, and draw more heavily from electronic sources than rock. No matter my mood, I can count on Radiohead for providing something to please the ears.

Aphex Twin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihyQf8mww3o
Aphex Twin is an absolute beast of a producer. He revolutionized electronic music, and it is very understandable why. He created new techniques to make music that at the time were unheard of. Nearly all of the sounds you hear in his songs he created himself with a synthesizer. No guitars, no pianos, and no keyboards. The sounds that aren't synthesized, he recorded bizarre things to make a part of the song. For example, the percussion in the attached song "Alberto Balsalm" is made by rolling lighter flint and banging on a metal pipe. Due to the nature of his art, some of his songs are quite experimental and almost noise - but when he gets it right, boy does he ever.

Aesop Rock - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T10AqDxsE6E
This guy is a rapper and producer from New York, and he's been making hip hop music with the most dense lyricism you can imagine since the mid 90's. Much of it borders on being nonsense, and his songs go by so fast it can be tough to pick up on all the intricacies of what he's saying without reading into the lyrics. Aesop Rock is a strong contender for my favourite lyricist of all time. When I discovered his music, every new song I discovered made my mind melt just due to the lyricism alone. When you add in the perfectly textured beats he raps over - I fell in love with his art.

Sigur Ros - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAVgeCRKHXA
These guys put on the best live performance I've ever been lucky enough to see. They are an Icelandic band who make some of the most beautifully haunting music my ears have ever graced. Their songs are typically slower, and have these pulsing string sections that swell with such beauty they will easily make you forget about all the problems in your life. The raw, destructive power to their music is a force to behold, especially live. The attached song is one of their slowest, but also one of my favourite by them. When the falsetto harmonies kick in in the second verse, I melt every time.

Pink Floyd - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fku7hi5kI-c
I probably don't need to explain why they are great. They revolutionized music, we all know. I've been listening to these guys since I was like 5 or something, because they are one of my dad's favourite bands. I remember when I was 13, my dad gave "Animals" to listen to as a birthday present. He told me I was at the right age to fully appreciate it. So, I sat in a dark room with nothing except that album playing. He was right, and to this day I listen to Pink Floyd on a nearly daily basis. "Animals" in particular holds a warm place in my hear.

El-P - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNMFRyVfVI0
Disclaimer - I am not talking about Emerson, Lake & Palmer. El-P is a New York rapper and producer. And he is one of my favourite producers of all time, in any genre. He fits into the category of "rappers who swear more than they should" but I still absolutely love his music, and attached one of his instrumentals to avoid sharing some crude material. The thing that attracts me to his music is the instrumentation of what he creates and raps over. To this day, I haven't found anything quite like his debut solo album, "Fantastic Damage." The songs here are so dense, abstract, and heavy that they almost sound like they are going to just fall apart suddenly. A lot of it borders on noise, and is so dense that it can be abrasive on the ears. Not for everybody, but man do I ever love it.

Well, that is it. I could go on with many, many more but I will stop now. Very, very intrigued to hear other people's favourites!

Last edited by Deryk - PG Music; 04/12/18 06:22 AM.
Cheers,
Deryk