Do You Prefer Electronica With Or Without Vocals?
 

I have some friends that have to have different types of electronica (like drum and bass) with vocals and others who prefer no vocals at all. I personally like either. Does anyone else have a preference?

I don't know it really is a difficult question.


Sometimes it really works without vocals and sometimes the vocals make the whole song (I have an example of this but I'm on my phone) so much so it's actually crap without them.


Vocal trance is really popular aswell but then trance is mostly known for its long slow chill out beats with no vocals.


I preferably like something to sing along to but most justice songs don't have vocals and we all know how much I love justice!

Most of what I listen to that falls under the electronica moniker is purely instrumental, but there are the occasional few that I like that use vocals, like I,Monster.

I prefer tracks without vocals. There are definitely vocal tracks that I love (and feel the vocals almost make the track). A few classics that come to mind:

It doesn't really matter to me sometimes I'm in the mood for no vocals and other times the vocals are so excellent that they compliment the track very well.

I really like some tracks that have just minimal lyrics where it's just a word or maybe a phrase that gets repeated.

I never really thought about the presence of vocals in electronic music. I'm just going to go ahead and say I'm more into tracks without vocals based on what I have. 3/4 of the electronic music I have contains no vocals, but that's primarily because the artists I listen to put out more instrumental tracks.

Just for curiosity's sake, are we talking about sampled vocals too?

I think this is sort of subjective since I like a lot of Electronica songs that have vocals that would probably sound like natural **** without them. Yet, I like a lot of Electronica songs that I wouldn't like as much if it had vocals.

It would definitively have to depend on the song. But both styles are cool in my view.

Yes we are.

I'm finding it interesting the different perspectives, it really is varied on what people prefer. Of course people are right, there really are some vocals that are good and necessary and other tracks where they aren't appropriate.

I always prefer vocals, because in general if it's electronica I'm dancing to it, and if it has vocals I can sing along, too. In general, I find it difficult to get dancy to stuff that doesn't have vocals.

What about smoking a blunt and just lying down to enjoy it?

As a whole I think a song that pulls vocals off brilliantly is better to listen to than a purely instrumental track, but of course Electronica is such a stupidly wide genre that it's hard to answer something like that on such general terms. If you're going to kick back to some ambient Aphex Twin it would probably be better off without some high-voiced young girl singing over it but she might have a much better time if she went over to Skrillex's tracks. And as I have no taste and actually prefer the latter I'll just go with the lyrics are better option.

I can honestly say I've never heard any electronica with original vocals that appealed to me, I'm more jbtk instrumental stuff but mostly because I haven't been introduced to much electronica with singjng. I wouldn't mind some recommendations

Mostly without but sometimes with.

I´m a pretty picky listener, I´m afraid, and I find that electronica without vocals can feel a bit sterile after a while. On the other hand, lyrics can sometimes get in the way of enjoying the music because they become a focus for your conscious attention and can tie a song down to just one interpretation or mood.

So my real preference is for vocals that I don´t understand. That way, you get the best of both worlds; a human element which isn´t distracting. Does that make sense ? Here´s an example of what I´m thinking of :-

I intially came from the trip hop side of things so I prefer vocals, but even when I'm listening to say house or dark trance, I prefer the music to have vocal samples, but my friend is the total opposite, so I guess it depends on the person.

My preference is for instrumental with vocal samples here and there.

I've no real preference at all, electronica is one type of music that works well with and without vocals. That said sometimes certain tracks can lack dynamic or lack focus because of a lack of vocals, or sometimes vocals can ruin a potentially good track.

However I do love when an artist uses vocal samples rather than live vocals and really make it work. I'm not sure where vocal samples would stand in this poll, maybe somewhere half way.

I think in the case of electronica it's really necessary to differentiate between vocals and lyrics. There are a lot of producers who use vocal samples heavily just to be able to manipulate them into an instrumental facet of the track. I'd have to say that I love electronica with vocals, but I'm not too keen on electronica with lyrics.

I think good electronica doesn't need vocals as the melodies sing to you & tug at the heart strings.

Sometimes a good piece of electronic music says more to me than any song ever could.

does not matter too me but ehh I listen to mike patton with vocal or no vocals try .... option C

were he just makes a whole album with uhhh... breathing in and out noises and sounding like a rodent eating nuts LOL

To tell you the truth I want as little vocals as possible, just some vocal clips are ok but full out singing... Nahh

Majority of the time with vocals for me, but then again I mainly listen to commercial stuff.

Most of the time I prefer electronic music with no vocals. If vocals are sprinkled lightly through a song that's okay, sometimes, as long as the singing doesn't distract from the music. More than singing, I like spoken word vocals.

The new Matmos was pretty good with vocals for the first time.

Right this is a song with and without vocals, I'm not sure if the version with vocals is slightly remixed or not but it blows the version without lyrics out the water. I generally have no preference but definitely prefer this with lyrics.

Without:


With:

Depends on the sub-genre, but I'll usually gravitate toward something with beautifully done female vocals.

definitely, with vocals...

i prefer electric music without the vocals so you foguse on the melody and the beat without a singer who is distracting it

Sometimes the vocals make it... sometimes they break it.

Definitely with, it's not to say vocals are essential because they aren't, songs can be great without them. I just think vocals, even/especially minimal vocals used in the right way can add massively to a song in terms of atmostphere-or even make it. Example would be Angel by Massive Attack, about 12 lines on a 6 minute song and it's perfect. I'm a bit of a trip hop whore though so I guess I would say vocals..and I love things like the Nujabes/CYNE dynamic.

Plus, is anyone going to tell me they've never been put into top dance mode by Maxi Jazz?

I prefer vocals. Doesn't matter the type of music, I find it tends to be a little better with vocals.

I think vocals inspire and can be sexy. Even if they're stupid it's all gravy, it still adds to the emotion of the track.

Actually depends on the tune,how the vocals and what they are.As there are tracks with vocals on that you just want to listen to without the vocals,and others that sound like something is missing.Really depends a lot on the track itself.

Not sure, there are a lot of good songs with and without vocals..

I don't see any big dichotomy between vocal music and instrumental music, be it electonic music or any other form of music. About 50% of what I listen to is instrumental music and it's definitely more of a challenge to write good instrumental song. In vocalese, lot of poorly composed music is saved by first rate singer and well written lyrics. Sinatra could make the dullest song sound superb with his brilliant vocals.

With instrumental music, be it classical, jazz, rock or lounge music, I think it's important to have musical hooks to catch the listener's ear. Bach, Beethoven, Schubert & Mozart wrote concertos and sonatas with more musical hooks than the Beatles. Even an experimentalist like Stravinsky used musical hooks.

One of the challenges to instrumental composers of electronica is to get out of the drum and bass groove and write more music that has substance, instead of industrial noise. People will remember a techno song like Future Sound of London's Papua New Guinea fifty years from now because it transcends the drum and bass sound and it's truly a well written piece of music with lots of musical hooks.

It really depends on the melody of the song, the structure. Some songs are made to a point where vocals are necessary. It also depends on how the artist structures his/her song, they could make it where vocals don't really have to kick in.

I prefer vocals because they help drive the song with melody with harmonies

with vocals
But it depends

something to keep things moving suits me, but no overkill

I dont like vocals. Vocals make me feel like they interfere with the rhythm.