I have a favor to ask: I'm trying to find a song, and it's basically impossible to google.
So, think I was listening to it around 2014, but it could be older. Genre was post-rock, think explosions in the sky or godspeed you! black emperor

I specifically remember that the album was mostly instrumental, but at least one song had lyrics. they didn't start until like 2 minutes into a 9 minute song, though.

the song was named (or possibly just themed?) something like "transmission lines" or "generators". very industrial-electronics. I think it may have been called like Generators 1 because there was a Generators 2 song on the album

it was a man singing, in a mostly-spoken sort of style. Kinda vaguely reminded me of Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cute. I think he may have been english, or scottish?

and that's pretty much all I remember that might be helpful.
I do remember two things that probably aren't helpful:
For some reason I have the song associated with the game Lifeless Planet? Specifically KurtJMac's letsplay of it. possibly just because it's got big powerlines

I also for a while thought it was by the band VAST?
It's definitely not, I've listened to their other music and checked their albums and it doesn't match up at all.
But maybe I'm thinking of a band with a name LIKE VAST?

KurtJMac played Lifeless Planet back in 2014 so that does line up with my timeline, but it's entirely possible the album I was listening to was much older.

I'm now vaguely thinking that I may have heard of this album from @gravislizard. Does this sound familiar, Gravis?

it was definitely a slow electronic synthy sort of song, slowly building and then adding in vocals after a while.
I'm pretty sure the name was either short and meaningless or a common word, or I think I'd remember their name.

GOT IT! @slucy pointed me towards VNV Nation.
It's Teleconnect Pt 2, off Transnational.

now let's listen to that song from 2013 and see how wrong I described it.
It's futurepop/synth-pop, not post-rock, and the singer is irish, not scottish.