Lauded by Details Magazine as "the metal machine music of Lou Reed's nightmares," Future Sound of London bridges the gap between the driving beats of techno and the pleasant waves of orchestral ambient music. Out from the trashbin of mid-'90s techno, the group's sound has emerged without a smudge.

Ambient, Citational, Dreamy, Hi-tech, Hypnotic, Layered, Techno/house/big beat

If you got tongue from David Bowie, it might change your life. It certainly brought one Japanese pop star-actor-composer-musician into the limelight. In "Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence," the slow-motion screen kiss between Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto was a turning point in his career. Of course, it

20th-century music, Abstract electronica, Ambient, Eclectic, Layered, Lyrical, Psychedelic

Some artists march to the beat of a different drummer, but Erik Satie wrote the melody to accompany that different beat, and then gave the whole piece a crazy name. Dismissed by many critics during his lifetime as an eccentric bohemian whose absurdist humor disguised a lack of talent, Satie is now cr

Ambient, Fantastic, Kaleidoscopic, Parody, Spiritual, Surreal

Like many electronica artists, Richard D. James chose a handle for his recordings because he believes the music is more important than the man behind it. But why "Aphex Twin?" Music buffs can chew on several clues: Aphex is the name of a company that makes high-end audio products frequently used by J

Abstract electronica, Ambient, Eclectic, Electronic, Intense, Layered, Moody, Surreal