vocoder songs

[Dave Michuda]

Hi,

I ran across a Boards of Canada tune that uses vocoder(in a beautiful place out in the country) & I got to thinking about doing a vocoder mix.

So do you guys have any suggestions for vocoder songs?

Here's a some of the ones I already have & might use...

Laurie Anderson - O Superman
Kraftwerk - several choices
Eno - and then so clear
Air - Sexy Boy
Peter Baumann - This this day
Trans Am - futureworld

Any other ideas would be cool.

Thanks

[Scott M2]

There's 2 or 3 on Neil Young's Trans album.

[judd stephens]

Criteria- exclusively vocoder, or are regular voices acceptable in a song that uses vocoder?

Not sure exactly what vocoder is, but I think I know the difference between that and the talk box, or autotune. 

At first the track "riversong" by Tonto's Expanding Headband came to mind.  Listening to it now I'd say it's probably the talk-box.  Same with most of Daft Punk's songs from their album Discovery.   They do use what sounds like Vocoder in their last album "Human after All"- songs like Television, Robot Rock, and the title track.

Speaking of Air another great one from Moon Safari in addition to Sexy Boy, is "New Star in the sky".  That's a classic.

Beastie Boys- Intergalactic
Earth Wind and Fire- Let us Groove (loved this song in my youth- still a fine song, if you continue to boogie on down that is)
Vocoder Bass- by DJ Icey (and he probably has more)

I'd imagine there are more old school hip hop and r & b examples out there too
   

[drone on]

Steve Kilbey-"Freaky Conclusions"

[False Mirror]

Anthony Rother - Biomechanik
(and many more of the older tracks from Anthony Rother)
Little Computer People - Little Computer People
IF - Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass
Jori Hulkkonen - Man From Solaris
Muzzfuzz - Like You
The Hacker - Fadin' Away (Dima Remix)
Robert Rich - Premonition Of Circular Clouds

[judd stephens]

Bent- Cyclons in Love 
another good Air song - Le Soleil Est Près de Moi from the EP Premieres Symptomes: 

[Scott M2]

Wendy C employs vocoder on some tracks on Clockwork Orange.
Beethoven's 9th comes to mind.

[Dave Michuda]

Thanks for the replies so far!

I really like the the Tonto's Exp. Headband tune, Le Soleil Est Près de Moi by Air and the Robert Rich recording from Bestiary.  All of the other recommendations are excellent & may make it into the final mix depending on what direction it takes.

Thanks again!

[judd stephens]

just thought of another with distorted vocals- maybe the vocoder, maybe not.  Brian Eno did short, sweet, and nearly perfect song from the "Passengers" project with U2.  The name of that 2 min. track or so is "A Different Kind of Blue".       Love the lyrics on this one...

[mgriffin]

Jean-Michel Jarre - Zoolook (featuring Laurie Anderson, as far as I'm concerned queen of the vocoder)

Klaus Schulze - Dune

[Dave Michuda]

Judd,

Holy crap I love that Passengers song.  I have it but never would have thought of it without your post.  Thanks!

Of course I was almost done with the mix & now I'll have to go back & find a spot for that tune.  But it'll be worth it.

[judd stephens]

Looking forward to the mix 

[Dave Michuda]

I just finished the vocoder mix.  Thanks so much for the suggestions.  I may have to do another vocoder mix someday to work in all the tunes I now have.

I'm not really sure how many of these songs use an actual vocoder and how many may be some form of auto-tune or just clever vocal manipulations.  But I think it all blends well together.

There are 2 ways to get the mix...

1) To stream it go to Mixcloud.

2) To download it go to Low Light Mixes.

    * 00:00 Bell Labs 1936 - Voice of Power
    * 00:23 Tonto's Expanding Head Band - Riversong
    * 03:33 Brian Eno - And then so clear
    * 08:15 Boards of Canada - In a beautiful place out in the country
    * 12:30 Air - le soleil est pres de moi
    * 16:30 Apples in Stereo - Vocoder ba ba
    * 16:45 Bjork - Possible Maybe(Lucy mix)
    * 19:30 Passengers - A different kind of blue
    * 21:10 Robert Rich - Premonition of circular clouds
    * 28:25 Laurie Anderson - O Superman
    * 35:40 Ricardo Villalobos - Easy Lee
    * 39:45 Trans Am - Futureworld
    * 42:33 Air - Sexy Boy
    * 47:30 Peter Baumann - This This Day
    * 51:54 Apples in Stereo - Hello Lola
    * 52:10 Black Moth Super Rainbow - Twins of Myself
    * 55:15 Holger Czukay - Ode to Perfume
    * 59:15 Brian Eno - Bottomliners
    * 03:04 end

[judd stephens]

Shit, man, I just remembered another one after hearing that Boards of Canada song.  It's called "We Rest" by Witchcraft   it was featured on the Waveform Records Slumberland Compilation.  Sounds good so far.... nice transition into the Air song, and good call on Bjork's Possibly Maybe- one of my favorite remixes.   

[saulstokes]

Don't forget Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek. This song was used to death in tv shows but it's still quite perfect:



This one is more of an autotune and pitch shift type thing but stunningly strange.  It's a band called The Knife.