Modulations: A History of Electronic Music: Throbbing Words on Sound (Paperback)

~ Iara Lee (Author, Contributor), Michael Berk (Author), Tony Marcus (Author), Kurt Reighley (Author), Simon Reynolds (Author), Michael Rubin (Author), Chris Sharp (Author), Rob Young (Author), Peter Shapiro (Editor), David Toop (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this expansive history of electronic music, Shapiro (The Rough Guide to Drum 'n' Bass) chronicles the creative moment of generating sound through sampling, mixing, and manipulation. Written by musicians and aficionados, the articles assembled here form a fascinating account of innovators from John Cage to Miles Davis, thoroughly exploring this sprawling genre and its musical offshoots. Densely packed and meticulously detailed, the book makes some startling geographic and stylistic leaps in an effort to trace the comprehensive history of electronic music. Through interviews, vivid pictures, and crisp commentary, it illustrates how electronic music is now at work in the majority of today's musical styles. This work, a tie-in to Iara Lee's 1998 film of the same name, explores in greater detail some of the same ground covered in J.M. Kelly's The Rough Guide to Techno Music (2000). An essential tool for anyone interested in this music, whether mildly or deeply.DCaroline Dadas, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

It’s a handsome publication that would look equally at home on a hipster’s coffee table or a musicologist’s bookshelf. -- Metrotimes, December 12, 2000 –Timothy Dugdale

…an impressive and entertaining body of essays and interviews that prove how useless machines are without people... -- HX Magazine, December 2000 –Austin Downey

…great gift for the clubber who’s not too bleary-eyed to read. -- Time Out New York, Nov 30-Dec 7, 2000

…its extensive glossary…and discography suggestions make Peter Shapiro’s book a very fine primer. -- New Music Monthly, December 2000

…probably the most accessible and comprehensive electronic music reference book ever written… -- Ipropaganda, Fall/Winter 2000-2001

“Modulations” is a comprehensive and interesting view of electronic music from the 1900s to the present. -- Mixer, November 2000

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: D.A.P./Caipirinha (September 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189102406X
• ISBN-13: 978-1891024061
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #707,992 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, July 23, 2001

By	Adam A. Reed-erickson "AREA_One" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a tremendously informative book. Densly packed with info, and a fascinating read. My only complaint is that, since chapters were contributed by different writers, there's no style that really permeates the book. The chapter on Techno, for example, does a great job at contextualizing the Detroit sound, pointing out the influences that led to the evolution of techno, from a musical perspective, as well as from a social and even economic perspective. Unfortunately not all chapters are written the same way. The chapter on House, for example, is a bit dizzying for readers unfamiliar with the sounds and beats being described. But nevertheless... READ IT. (And Dance to it, more importantly!)

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Throbbing Words on Sound!, October 26, 2000

By	Mr D L Salter (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Arty package with good content, I even mostly agree with the selected discography recommendations. Covering a nice time line from Stockhausen to present but the focus is mainly from early eighties onwards.

A good read, that offers a reasonably balanced view. One of the best books on electronic music available today, not that there are many anyway.

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, January 8, 2008

By	Kurt Hoffman "supine" (nyc) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A light engaging read. the subtitle 'a history of Electonic Music' must be taken with a grain of salt -- really it's a pop book about the electronic dance music craze and it's arty offshoots in electronica, as viewed from the mid-nineties. Because of its focus on artists popular at the time the book was compiled and since, at this writing, a decade has passed, it's a bit of a period piece.

'Downtempo' anyone?