Share artists whose sound has "evolved" over time

[AdamDam]

Are there any artists whom you enjoy listening to, whose sound has changed considerably throughout their career? Feel free to share, as well as to describe how their musical style has changed over time.

One band that comes to mind from my listening is the heavy rock band Elder:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1687IqXRdWmbRshgn194tT?si=5ZToc1mrSOO_hbKs44zA-w

I think that perhaps one of the reasons that I like Elder so much is that they have recorded albums in a relatively wide range of musical styles; and I nearly always enjoy their releases, despite each one sounding different from the last one.

The crushing stoner/doom metal sound of their eponymous debut album (released in 2008) was built upon further on 2010’s Dead Roots Stirring, which included more uplifting melodies and psychedelic elements amidst the fuzzy riffs, and became a classic album in the stoner rock community.

With the release of Lore (2015), the band explored more progressive-, post-, and space rock influences. And on 2017’s Reflections of a Floating World, the band blended elements of psychedelic- and progressive rock in their music, including keyboard as well as a second guitarist, which added new textures to the band’s sound.

On their experimental 2019 EP, The Gold and Silver Sessions, Elder’s music took to a more relaxed, hypnotic psychedelic/krautrock style. And on their most recent release, Omens, Elder’s music is perhaps most influenced by progressive rock, with their complex interwoven melodies incorporating keyboards more so than on previous releases.

I’m excited to hear what the next release by Elder will sound like; and I think it’s safe, based on how much their sound has “evolved” over time, to expect the unexpected!

Cheers!

[Sebasty]

Amon Tobin. 🙂

Started as Cujo in '94 or so with a little string of EP's that led to Adventures In Foam. The process was to take samples from various sources and put them together to see how they'd fit best. The result was this rather well-crafted sound full of jazzy breaks, slightly frayed around the edges.
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Then he got signed to Ninja Tune. Bricolage, which by sound is much more polished moody breaks and by many considered the best of his career so far.

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Permutation, Supermodified, Out From Out Where. Still sample-based, but he starts twisting the samples in various different ways, such as extensively pitch-shifting, filtering, chopping and other deformations and degradations applied. You could no longer tell where the sample was from.
Out From Out Where, I should add, is one of the most cinematic albums I've heard. The sound on all three albums is warm, lush. Jazzy brks. Cinematic sound.

spotify:track:10n0QaLvHieZ7OfFFiC4OQ:small  spotify:track:4C8GnT67x8TIdU0WGBGMi8:small spotify:track:3Thr46cX94rfPUo31w4uT7:small 

Chaos Theory and Foley Room. Former one is a game soundtrack, latter is made with the sample library of the former. For this he did a lot of field recording out in safaries, CD factories, with Kronos Quartet and so forth, and then later in the studio he modified the resulting sounds to his liking. The sound takes quite a turn towards bright, detailed soundscapes. Chaos Theory has insanely great spooky atmospheres too.

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ISAM. Amon does field recordings of everyday items and then goes full-nerd with sound morphing and synthesis, creating new playable instruments out of sounds. Result is explosive, intricate, full of alien sounds. This record divided fans in two.

spotify:track:1crZjm3JxiLcDGv1ecWjaS:small 

It's now time to mention his first alias named Two Fingers, Completely separate from music on the albums mentioned above. Naughty bass music with huge level of influence and appreciation for hiphop, drum&bass and bass music in general.

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The release of Stunt Rhythms (Two Fingers) and Record Store Day exclusive Dark Jovian EP. One is seriously banging bass music with gritty sound. The other contains flowing outer-space soundscapes, slow, but constantly changing.

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Silence for 8 years followed.

The hiatus was ended when Amon emerged again with Fear in a Handful of Dust, which has heavy amount of influence from modular synths. Warmth of Buchla. Atmospheric and reminiscent of wandering in nature in dusk.

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His new alias - Only Child Tyrant. Electric guitars, hefty amount of wicked drumming, sounds of rock music. With the exception being that none of the electric guitars and drums exist in physical form.

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His another new alias - Figueroa. Folk music, HIM SINGING!!!, soulful, honest to himself and the world. The guitar playing is insane. Again none of the guitars and instruments exist in a traditional way - all synthesized. man..

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Long Stories is a magical-sounding album, much sunnier and more shimmery than Fear in a Handful of Dust.

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Two Fingers is a collection of rather refined stomping dancefloor beats. They remind me of Ivy Lab a bit now.

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(the only TF vinyl I have. man they're so sought after...)

Two aliases still yet to be introduced. I have no idea what to expect.

So.. from patched samples to.. all this. That's an entire evolution in one man.

[AdamDam]

Thanks for sharing, @Sebasty! I was listening to the Amon Tobin tracks that you linked, and it’s great to hear how his music has varied so much in terms of musical style.

I especially enjoyed hearing “The World As We Know It,” from his Figueroa album; the synthesized acoustic guitar melodies sound quite nice, and remind me of a more folk-influenced version of the guitar playing from some of Mastodon’s songs on their Leviathan album, especially these tracks:

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spotify:track:5ZwXpxkFA2qW0nGCXwpIx4.small

Cheers!