Electronic Music, Writing, and Reviews

It would take far more space than what I have here to give even a short history of electronic music. Instead, I refer you to a good source site on the all-seeing all-knowing Web which can give you a fair idea of it. Dartmouth University's Electro-Acoustic Music program has this information-packed timeline on the use of mechanical, electronic, and computer technology in music.

Musical creativity has always been inspired by technical and material advances. This started with the first time some caveperson realized that they could get a sound out of a hollow bone or reed, and it hasn't stopped since. In the 19th century, for instance, developments in piano technology impelled Beethoven to write some of his later, great piano sonatas. The first electronic musical instruments started showing up in the 1920s, and were immediately used in both concert and film music. Pop music didn't start using electronics widely until the 1960s. An electronic milestone was the Beach Boys hit song "Good Vibrations" (1966) which used the sound of a theremin (see the Dartmouth site). This had been used in countless cheesy horror films in the 50s but here it was on a rock song heard by millions. The psychedelic era of the late 60s and the 70s witnessed a proliferation of electronic sounds in both popular and "serious" music. This sound explosion was generated by the invention of small portable synthesizers. Now any rock band or university electronic music studio could afford to make this kind of music.

Now here we are in 2009, the 21st century. It's the FUTURE and our music sounds futuristic! We wear pink and silver spandex suits and drive around in flying cars. Oops, wrong future. Well, at least we have electronic music—everywhere. Our sound-environment, wherever we turn, whether public or private spaces, is shaped by electronic devices. Even if you think you're listening to "acoustic" music, it's mediated by many layers of electronics, not only in reproduction but in processing before it ever gets played on the sound system. Most of the time, electronic sounds are mixed in with more "conventional" sounds played on familiar instruments (which may however be modified electronically). You can't escape it, unless you were to play your guitar or harmonica in your own private acoustic parlor or porch.

Again, to catalog how electronic music is used in films, rock, and pop culture would be far more than what I could do here. But you already have heard it, for instance the endlessly re-played soundtrack, by the Greek-French composer Vangelis, to CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981). Ads for luxury products on TV, for instance perfume, jewelry, or fancy cars, like to use electronic sound, and of course it continues to be a staple of science fiction culture everywhere except the romantic symphonic styling of John Williams in the STAR WARS series.

The obnoxious thumping bass which you hear from the SUV or sports car stopped next to you at the red light is electronic music. It's generated by a bass machine, not some guy actually playing the bass. Same with the drum rhythms and the repetitious but listenable hooks of "urban" music and rap, and the insistent beats of techno and dance music that you might hear in a fashion store. Just about any pop song now will have some electronic element in it. Another electronic innovation which has formed a large amount of the pop sound we currently hear is "sampling," in which snippets of any sound imaginable are digitized and made available for manipulation. In the old days of horse-drawn tape recorders, we did this by actually cutting up tape and splicing it back together. We also got our tape samples to repeat by splicing our tape into a loop and playing it through the machine. Nowadays the loop-repeating of samples is done completely digitally. Any DJ , or any amateur with a minimum of equipment, can do this.

Electronic music is still being done in the "serious" music field, but it's really obscure. To find it, you'd have to go to academic venues like Dartmouth (see above), University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, or Indiana University at Bloomington. The Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio where I worked with my father in the late 60s is still going strong. Nevertheless, you're probably not going to hear this music anywhere unless you make the pilgrimage to these places or to avant-garde theater and art spaces, usually found only in college towns or big cities.

There is, however, a whole other field of electronic music which is neither "pop" nor "serious." It has a wide variety of sounds, but has been classified unfortunately as "new age music" which turns most listeners away. Yes, back in the 1980s when this music first appeared, it was associated with altering consciousness, bodywork and massage, Yoga, meditation, "channeled" drivel, crystals, angels, rainbows, and other holdovers from the 60s. Some of it still is. But human creativity is an irresistible force, and since the 60s, forms of electronic music which are neither academic avantguardia nor commercial pop nor sticky karmic twaddle have emerged. This music defies classification, so naturally I'm going to classify it. The general term for it is ambient because it originated in attempts to create an audible "environment" for contemplative listening. In my next installment, I'll talk about ambient and its varieties, and lead you to some of its best practitioners.

This article was originally written in February of 2004. I've updated it a bit but it is basically the same as it was then. I mention that I was active in the Brandeis University electronic music studio in the 60s. In later entries of this Blog I will be republishing my accounts of my youth in electronic music, so as always, stay tuned.

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