Electronic and Experimental Music

Technology, Music and Culture

By Thom Holmes

Price: $115.00

Add to Cart

About the Book

Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture is a revised and expanded edition of this classic work, providing a thorough treatment of the relevant history behind the marriage of technology and music that has led to the state of electronic music today. Beginning with an early history of electronic music before 1945, the book outlines key composers, inventions, and concepts, ranging from Edgard Varèse to Brian Eno; musique concrète to turntablism; and compositional techniques used in both analog and digital synthesis.

The third edition’s reader-friendly writing style, logical organization, and features provide easy access to key ideas, milestones, and concepts.

Features:

Table of Contents

Preface Part I. Early History—Predecessors and Pioneers (1874 to 1960) 1. Electronic Music Before 1945 2. Early Electronic Music in Europe 3. Early Electronic Music in the United States 4. Early Electronic Music in Japan Part II. Analog Synthesis and Instruments 5. Tape Composition and Fundamental Concepts of Electronic Music 6. Early Synthesizers and Experimenters 7. Principles of Analog Synthesis and Voltage Control 8. The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer 9. The Evolution of Analog Synthesizers Part III. Digital Synthesis and Computer Music 10. Early Computer Music (1953 to 1985) 11. The Microprocessor Revolution (1975 to 1990) 12. Principles of Computer Music 13. The Evolution of Computer Music Instruments and Software Part IV. The Music 14. Classical and Experimental Music 15. Live Electronic Music and Ambient Music 16. Rock, Space Age Pop, and Turntablism

About the Author(s)

Thom Holmes is a composer and music historian. He studied composition with Paul Epstein in Philadelphia, was the long-time publisher of the magazine Recordings of Experimental Music (1979-1985), and worked with John Cage.