Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture [Paperback]

Thom Holmes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415957826 | ISBN-13: 978-0415957823 | Publication Date: April 2, 2008 | Edition: 3

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The book is a superlative intersection of history and practice. With its charts, pictures, historical antecedents, and well-explained concepts, Electronic and Experimental Music is an essential resource for anyone interested in extraordinary sound.' Chris DeLaurenti, The Stranger

'This third edition effectively replaces both previous editions due to substantial additions and a well-executed reorganization... Holmes does an excellent job of avoiding unnecessary technical jargon while providing specific information on the analog techniques and digital software and hardware that have driven the development of this genre... This well-known history remains an invaluable guide for those hoping to gain a firm grounding in the history and culture of electronic music...  Highly recommened.' - CHOICE

About the Author

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 3 edition (April 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415957826
• ISBN-13: 978-0415957823
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #318,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thom Holmes is an author, music historian, and book editor living in New York City. Holmes studied composition with Paul Epstein at Temple University and was a member of Epstein's improvisation group in the early 1970s. He was the publisher and editor of the magazine Recordings of Experimental Music from 1979 to 1985. Working with John Cage, Holmes created and maintained the only discography of Cage's music authorized by the composer. His experience in composing electronic music began with tape composition when he was a teenager, extended to real-time performance works on the Moog Modular synthesizer and currently encompasses works created using software synthesis. A student of contemporary music history, he has written books about the history of electronic music, jazz, rock, classical music and music technology.

Holmes is also a recreational paleontologist and science author of more than 20 books about evolution, dinosaurs, and other prehistoric life.

Thom Holmes has also published books under the name, Thomas B. Holmes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A high-quality textbook on electronic music, November 21, 2010

By 

Ronald M. Carrier (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture (Hardcover)

Thom Holmes's third edition of this book is divided into four parts: a history of electronic music up to 1960; an explanation of the techniques and tools used in analog synthesis; a discussion of the principles and techniques behind digital synthesis; and an exploration of various genres of electronic music. Because this book is a textbook, the coverage of what Holmes chooses to discuss is admirably thorough. However, because it is a textbook, meant for use in the college classroom, Holmes focuses almost entirely on non-popular music, i.e. "classical" and experimental music. There is only one chapter on electronic popular music, and it seems to me the one he spent the least amount of time updating. It's hard to write about electronic popular music without discussing electronic dance music, yet, apart from a sidebar featuring Gary Numan (!), Holmes manages to do it. Holmes focuses exclusively on "avant-garde" popular music in this chapter, and while that's understandable and perhaps acceptable for a college textbook, it's also a little misleading as far as gaining an understanding of electronic music in general is concerned. Despite these points, this is a very well-written book and a solid introduction to electronic music.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, November 14, 2010

By 

Anthony Cornicello "Post-modern composer" (West Hartford, CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture (Paperback)

This book is excellent! It covers a wide range of electronic music, from avant-garde to hip-hop. There's an interesting mix of technical details and general information, making the book a good choice for classroom use as well as casual reading.