Elektro joins EMI in celebrating its Electrospective series, which pays homage to electronic music’s storied history and deep roots. We have combed through EMI’s massive 600-plus album catalog to pick out the best electronic music from years past; each week, we recommend classic albums that will open your eyes to the place of today’s stars in electronic music’s long timeline.

Adventure Club rose to fame in recent years thanks to websites like SoundCloud and Hype Machine... and, of course, the group's uniquely harmonic take on dub sounds. Montreal-based Christian Srigley and Leighton James have risen to the top of the crowded dubstep field with their artfully created basslines and creative deconstruction of vocals; their remixes of Flight Facilities' "Crave You" and Brand New's "Daisy" best exemplify the duo's simultaneous ear for melody and propensity for heaviness. Srigley and James have expanded into original productions as well with songs like the Krewella collaboration "Rise and Fall" and "Retro City." While these tracks are undoubtedly forward-thinking, they are clear descendants of Massive Attack's musical family tree.

Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall, known as "3D" and "Daddy G," respectively, are considered to be the forefathers of the trip-hop genre. Their sound is dark and heavy, equally reliant on ambient sounds, vocal samples and hard-hitting bass. Massive Attack's third album, 1998's Mezzanine, marked a new level of commercial and critical success for the group, and its tracks still sound fresh today. With diverse samples woven seamlessly into the mix—ranging from The Cure to Led Zeppelin and The Velvet Underground—Mezzanine takes the listener on a moody sonic journey. The album opens with the quiet guitar notes of "Angel," which erupt into a head-banging, dubby monster of a tune, and its title track is darkly sensual with deep bass and twisted samples. The female vocals on "Dissolve Girl" are ripe for an Adventure Club remix (even though the 2006 Mezzanine remix album is also worth a listen).

 

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