Ask Lemmy

I'll nominate Deep Forest's 1992 self-titled album.

• CocoRosie - Grey Oceans
• Cornelius - Point
• Opeth - Pale Communion

Extol's "Burial". Very smooth sounding record considering its bordering on Technical Death Metal.

Decapitated's "Nihility". I don't know if drums have ever sounded more violent, tonally.

Suffocation's "Pierced From Within". Unique in that IMO that level of brutality and density has still never been matched.

Ulver's "Nattens Madrigal". Bees in a tin can.

Literally anything by Ad Nauseum.

Man, I could go on and on about this. So many metal records have one of a kind production.

How is it possible that I'm the first to mention Days of Future Past?

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Nothing sounds quite like it

I've been trying to find something similar to Holly Herndon's Proto, but haven't succeeded yet.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWGJxgOf-Z3CW7tJoN9f4lzIf8CEuMgne

Loving and saving this whole thread, I'll add in

Ones & Zeros, Vol. 1 - 3rdegree, not SUPER unique, but it's instrumental and commitment to they're concept album's theme of uploading your consciousness into the internet gives it a ton of charm!

Larks' Tongues In Aspic - King Crimson , very surprised I haven't seen this one in the thread, a classic weird ass prog album by the Kings of Prog themselves (IMO of course). They got a guy to do a bunch of random sounds for the album and he left to become a monk days before they started the album tour lol.

Cocteau Twins: Heaven Or Las Vegas

Animal Collective

This thread showed up like it was meant for me in this very moment as I'm currently laying in my sofa and blasting this on high volume and drowning in the vibe:

Afro Celt Sound System - Volume 2: Release (Real World Gold)

Haven't heard anything truly like it so I think it fits the thread.

This album has been with me since my childhood.
My mom used to house sit this crazy special house during the summers around 1998-2005 that belongs to a clay sculpture artist, my mom discovered this band there and loved this album especially.
It was mostly my mom, me (born 1990) and my little sister (born 1992) in the middle of the woods all summer break in this absolutely dream like house, it's something out of a movie really.
A lot of the house was built by the artist dude, with tons of handmade clay sculptures, mosaics, wooden details of animals and twisted tree logs built into the structure. The sides of the road through the woods to the house was filled with totem poles, human-ish figures and other sculptures.
We just enjoyed the woods and the house, made clay art and nice food, went bathing in the river and took care of the garden.
There are so many deeply connected smells, sounds, sights and feelings in me to that house, it really affected me in a great way.
I so wish I could post photos of it but I have no contact with the owner and don't want to do it without his permission.

Gustav holst - the planets

Makaveili - the don killuminati the 7 day theory

Madlib - beat konducta vol 5-6 in india

Scientist - rids the world of the evil curse of the vampires .

There are many more artists that come to mind with unique sounds but that have more than one album with that sound.

possibly Speak for Yourself by Imogen Heap but I'm not sure

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUfQzCvWRPGdjZQR2Snca0k275TIaJ8Qh

"In kommer Gösta" is my favourite proto-progg track!

Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun. It's a mix of drone, post-rock, and folk that is unlike anything I've ever heard (NSB's other albums have similarities, but this one stands out to me)

Honorable mentions:

Boris - Flood

Agalloch - Ashes against the grain

Grace Cathedral Park - In the evenings of regret

Neil Young, Le Noise is amazing on a good system. The sub sub octave acoustic efffect is very unique.

Protomen volume I - they purposely went against arbitrary recording "laws"

Rush-2112, moving pictures

Also a rare one: Burlap to Cashmere, ,is there anybody out there. Its soooo clearly mixed. Hard to find any in depth info on this album.

KLF - Chill Out

Astounding album. Nothing quite like it.

One that comes to mind is Hella - Hold Your Horse Is

There have been 'Math Rock' bands before and since but these guys were on another level IMO, especially the drummer.

I would also say anything by Melt Banana.

Gorguts - Obscura

Death metal band takes death metal and flips it on its head. I forget the exact phrasing from an interview with the frontman Luc Lemay, but he said they wanted to make their instruments speak in a new way. It's highly experimental and maybe tough to digest even for death metal fans, but it's undeniably unique and brilliant.

There are some greats listed here (Ween, Jarre, FSOL, Lovage, Aphex, Shpongle, Air, etc.)

However my pick is Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn The only thing similar to this is his own album Incantations a few years later, but there just isnt anything like it from start to finish.

Aleks and the Drummer — May a Lightning Bolt Caress You

It no longer seems to be easily streamable anywhere online, but it's an absolutely insane EP. You needs to listen to it either on good headphones or in surround sound, and that's a fraction of the live experience. When those thunderous drums roll in and the electric organ starts wailing... shivers.

Little Man by Little Dragon

Didn't see that accordion coming.