PART TWO: DNTEL
With that wave of mom and pop record stores closing monthly winding down and completely gutting the support for physical music for people to discover, iPods building closed personal shells running mostly ringtone quality sound thru tiny white earbuds instead of record players playing aloud, and faceless torrents and file sharing sites handing out music like its those frickin’ free Auto Mart gazettes sitting in those bright yellow stands in front of your local closed down Blockbuster’s, i’d like to spend some of the young readers time by sharing how I got into electronic music. For what its worth I want to keep sharing what musicians first turned me from a casual listener to something that involves more time than people are willing to sometimes spend to keep up with something.
This music by Dntel was more emotional than any other electronic music I heard at the time, I feel like it almost paved the way for a ton of new genres to start. I really only listened to it when I worked or was falling asleep but then started sharing it on mixtapes and became a favorite of mine. I needed more and at that time in Detroit there was a flurry of solid record stores filled with enough employees to answer any of your questions happily with great suggestions, can you imagine that? well it was true especially one called Neptune Records which I was happy to drive the 45+ minute drive weekly to see what was new. I’ll prepare a 3rd playlist and share more, hope some of you can relate.
PART: ONE: Caribou
fyi the music you post with the streaming widget thing can be played in google reader now as well (and downloaded)
Great call, Jakub. I absolutely love “Anywhere Anyone” and it was formative for me as well.
My interest in electronic music wasn’t really in high gear until I discovered Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd in high school. They were the entree I needed that opened my eyes to everything else I ended up finding in college and thereafter. Tadd’s early stuff for Ghostly sealed it for me, too.
Tadd’s early stuff is why i’m addicted to electronic music.
Jakub, the fact that i identify with what you’re saying makes me feel very old. But more importantly; there is no such thing as too much Dntel. That album still stirs up every emotion I felt the first time I heard it. It definitely went a long way towards reviving my, at the time partially waning, love for electronic music.
Good call.
you just made me very happy mentioning Dntel!
I discovered Dntel last year after craving more of The Postal Service and reading up on them. He’s definitely one of my favourite artists and turns any day into joy when I stick the records on.
Can I also highly recommend these remixes:
If I Don’t Return – Dntel . Dublab Presents – Freeways
You’re Better Off (Dntel Remix) . Foundlings and Strays
Atlantis [Dntel Mix] – The Whispertown 2000. Done With Love EP
agreed.
Are you still in contact with the Neptune boys? I went there twice a week, more so when they were right on main street. They were pretty bummed about closing up, even bitter. I still can’t put a finger on why people prefer cd over vinyl, or mp3 even… after I left the states without my turntables, and tried to do the digital thing, I pretty much thru the towel in and started making music… it’s just more fun to have turntables. Please hit me back with the status of the Neptune boys, if you have a clue.
PS – I was trying to figure out just how old you are, and hey buddy, we share the same birthday… 0123. So with that, happy belated my good chap.
Thank you for this post, Jakub. When in high school, I listened to Dntel all the time: you’re absolutely right on the level of emotion to be found in his music.
I don’t know how things could have been different had I heard Anywhere Anyone back when it came out in 2001, but I know I would have loved it. What a great track, thanks for posting on this!
“Early Works for Me…” is also excellent, and sealed the deal for me as far as Dntel is concerned. Also, a bonus of being really into Dntel before the Postal Service is that I got to see the Postal Service play live at Bowery Ballroom. I didn’t even know what Death Cab sounded like until after I bought the ticket.
Glad people are liking it, its still pop record in my mind but going back to it I realized more details which was nice
Jakub.. repping Dntel! wooohoo I think I’ve recognized more artists this past week than I have in all of your other posts, keep up the good taste!
Also I find it funny that this album artwork rests right above Scott’s post full of van shots
@KevInSanSalvador: re: Neptune boys:
Michael is a freelance graphic artist and is in the band Bloodbird: http://www.myspace.com/bloodbirdmusic
Brett is a father.
Nathan moved to Colorado.
To all those that crate dig, flip through CD racks and scour the net for gems…those hours are hardly wasted. I love these posts, in fact, they have been some of my favorites. I appreciate how we all go through stages of discovery with both ourselves and subsequently, music. Glad to know there are others out there, and love hearing about all the first findings.
Jakub, always love these posts as well. I enjoy seeing what initiated others in discovering a much broader musical path. Dntel is great and I really connected with Caribou and had never heard of him before this…you’re the man. BTW has anyone heard of Throwing Snow?.. reminds me so much of Caribou and deserves some attention.
http://throwingsnow.bandcamp.com/
Thanks Slofu, I had a feelling that Jakub would overlook my inquiry…
Hey is your name a mashup of Tofu and Slow Food? If so, nice.
I really miss Neptune as well, I used to go there all of the time as I could hit it on the way home from work. Anywhere similar (in Ann Arbor maybe?) I don’t get out that way often as I’m an eastsider…
nice to see dntel up there! They were one of the first I got into in this genre, I was addicted to fear of corners as well it’s such a good name for a song.
Neptune Records in Royal Oak. What a time to be a teenage corner kid on 4th and main in the mid 90s.
the first time I listened to DNTEL I was in Paris and then some in london back in 2003. thank you for posting this.
also, I washed it all down with some tracks from “The Streets”- geezers need excitement to name one.
That’s funny, emotive DNTEL to sarcastic The Streets…
“…no it’s just the sex, and the violence at the same time that confuses me.”
paraphrasing Matt Dillon from that that one movie I forgets.
Music combinations that could only be so fitting for london.
man. i LOVED neptune. i spent HOURS in there every time i went. they always had the best recommendations, especially when it came to the experimental electronic/ambient stuff. after the announcement that they were going to be closing shop, i did my best to try to turn it around for them (as much as one person can), going on several wallet-emptying binges in those last few weeks. i think they really got screwed by having to move to their new location, a couple blocks off main. i’m sure that’s why they may have been bitter about it. it probably cost them a lot of casual customers that used to stumble in while walking around downtown and buy something off the cuff.