I just got an early techno album with works by Pierre Schaeffer (from the 1940s) and Karlheinz Stockhausen (from the 1950s) that set the stage for Revolution #9, Gershon Kingsley's "Pop Corn" (later covered by the cheekily named band "Hot Butter," Walter Carlos' "Switched-on Bach," Dickie Hyman's "The Minotaur," etc.

As for terrific albums released in 2014, here are five suggestions:

U2 - Songs of Innocence (U2 style obviously)
Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line (Newgrass)
Imogen Heap - Sparks (Indie acoustic/electronica)
Beck Hansen - Morning Phase (won the best album Grammy, FWIW)
Betty Buckley and T-Bone Burnett - Ghostlight (acoustic standards)