Electronic and Experimental Music

Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture provides 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:

• Reader’s guides and summaries at the beginning and end of each chapter
• Innovations boxes providing a unique profile of an influential individual in the field of electronic music
• Listen playlists recommending key recordings in each musical genre mentioned in each chapter
• Milestones timelines summarizing the major technological and musical innovations discussed in each chapter.

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.