Beautiful Electronica: Recommended Masterpieces and Popular Tracks

OnAphex Twin

Aphex Twin – On

When it comes to the most important and truly genius artists in the techno scene since the 1990s, the UK’s Aphex Twin—Richard D.

James—surely stands at the top.

Under multiple aliases, he’s crafted innovative music born of sheer talent, spanning from astonishingly beautiful ambient pieces to runaway-hard tracks, boasting an originality that transcends both eras and genres, and continuing to be highly acclaimed well into the 2020s.

The track featured here, On, is an all-time electronica/IDM classic included on the EP of the same name released under the Aphex Twin moniker in 1993.

It presents a sonic world of such beauty that you can’t quite tell where it came from—quite different from his public image of borderline-grotesque face covers and hard drill’n’bass.

Alongside the masterful album Selected Ambient Works 85–92 released the previous year, it’s a crucial piece both for understanding the history of electronica and for exploring early Aphex Twin.

The remix version released the same day, On Remixes, is also a masterpiece—be sure to check it out together!

fahrenheit fair enoughTelefon Tel Aviv

Telefon Tel Aviv – fahrenheit fair enough

Arguably, among the lyrically inclined electronica of the 2000s with standout beautiful melodies, this is one of the most famous and popular tracks.

Formed in 1999 as a Chicago-based duo, Telefon Tel Aviv released three original albums before the passing of member Charles Cooper in 2009, and they have enjoyed high acclaim and popularity here in Japan as well.

The song introduced here is the title track from their brilliant debut album, Fahrenheit Fair Enough, released in 2001.

At the time, many rock-oriented music fans likely discovered the beauty of genres like electronica and IDM through this album.

Although it went out of print for a while and fetched high prices on the used market, a remastered edition with bonus tracks was reissued in 2016.

As you can tell just by listening to this track, the sentimental melody that leaps out from the intro, the freewheeling yet ear-pleasing electronic sounds, and the floating sonic world offer listeners a truly dreamlike experience.

It’s highly recommended both as background music for working from home and as a soundtrack for relaxing moments!

FlutterAutechre

Autechre – Flutter

The track that took first place in FACT Magazine’s 2015 “Best IDM Tracks” is Flutter.

It’s the closing track on Autechre’s 1994 EP Anti EP, released by the veteran UK techno unit that Björk, Radiohead, and other renowned artists and bands have cited as an influence.

The EP’s overarching concept was a protest against regulations targeting electronic music built on repetitive beats, and, as a satirical response, Flutter was conceived as a track that contains no repeating beats.

It also stands as a counter to facile dance music composed of repetitive beats created solely for hedonistic moments, and it fully showcases Autechre’s remarkable creativity.

With its intricately interwoven breakbeats that evolve step by step and its peerlessly beautiful, floating melodies, it’s a masterpiece among masterpieces that reveals something new every time you listen.

Endless SummerFennesz

Fennesz – Endless Summer

The very title “Endless Summer” itself evokes a certain nostalgic atmosphere.

This is the title track from the masterpiece album Endless Summer, released in 2001 by Austrian guitarist and composer Christian Fennesz—known under the name “Fennesz” and noted for collaborations with Japanese artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Glitch noise scattered throughout and acoustic sounds from live instruments fuse with astonishing beauty, creating a piece that seems to transport the listener to another world.

It’s a stunning classic.

It also stands as a pioneering work and track in the folktronica that spread after the 2000s, and there’s no doubt it’s one of the important songs in the history of electronica.

At the same time, we should note that it was released by Mego, Austria’s prestigious label known for putting out many works by experimental artists.

It’s essential not to overlook its avant-garde character that sets it apart from mere mood-driven electronica, as well as its innovations as noise music.

Its nostalgic lyricism is never saccharine; rather, it carries a certain dryness—and that, too, is wonderful.

HyperballadBjörk

Bjork – Hyperballad official video

A timeless masterpiece in music history by Iceland’s national treasure, Björk! Having made her album debut in 1977 at the age of 12, Björk went on to work with bands like The Sugarcubes before releasing her de facto solo debut, Debut, in 1993.

With her one-of-a-kind voice and cutting-edge sound incorporating house music, it became a global hit.

There’s no need to recount everything she has achieved across various fields since then, but Hyperballad, included on Post—released in 1995 and a worldwide success—is a genre-crossing favorite that many artists and bands have covered.

Recorded not in her homeland of Iceland but in London, the way she weaves elements of cutting-edge techno, ambient music, and folktronica into an exceptionally pop-forward song, in her own inimitable style, can only be described as genius.

The lyrical content, in keeping with the meaning of a “ballad” as a song with a story or moral, is also superb.

While it isn’t pure electronica, it’s worth knowing that there are masterpieces like this that incorporate elements of electronica.

Halcyon On and OnOrbital

Orbital – Halcyon On and On

Formed in 1989 by the Hartnoll brothers, Orbital rose to prominence as one of the most popular British electronic music duos representing the 1990s.

They broke up in 2004, reunited in 2009, announced a second breakup in 2014, and then reunited again in 2017—remaining active veterans well into the 2020s.

One of their early signature tracks, “Halcyon,” is especially celebrated in techno history as a remarkably beautiful masterpiece.

It’s a song I’d recommend even to listeners who aren’t particularly into techno but enjoy melodic electronica.

Blending elements of ambient music and acid house, the track is grounded in a danceable beat emblematic of their rave-scene roots.

By sampling the female vocals from OPUS III’s “IT’S A FINE DAY,” they crafted a flowing, ethereal melodic atmosphere that’s both soothing and elegant.

Personally, I recommend the album remix version “Halcyon On and On,” which runs over nine minutes!

roygbivBoards of Canada

boards of canada – roygbiv

Boards of Canada are a music duo well known to fans of electronica and IDM.

The Scottish two-piece were discovered by none other than Autechre, and their debut album, Music Has the Right to Children—released on the prestigious WARP label—garnered rave reviews and instantly drew widespread attention.

The track featured here, Roygbiv, appears on that debut.

Its curious title is a coined word derived from the initials of the seven colors that make up the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.

It’s one of their signature songs and a beloved favorite among electronic music fans, yet the piece itself is a short number of about two minutes and thirty seconds.

Within that brief span, their originality and creativity are indelibly stamped: a somewhat serious, unsettling bass line in the intro is layered with a beat that seems influenced by hip-hop, and the moment the floating melody line comes in, the atmosphere shifts dramatically—an absolutely masterful turn.

Rather than being simply bright or dark, the sound world evokes a nostalgic yet mysterious imagery, and the more you listen, the deeper you’ll find yourself drawn into its depths.