Pre '60s electronic music ?

[knolan]

Hi -

I'd be very grateful for any pointers to books, CD's or WWW content for pre voltage control / pre 1960's electronic music.

I recently purchased the soundtrack to the film Forbidden Planet and have fallen in love with it. It's absolutely magnificent. So I'm keen to learn more about early electronic music and would be grateful for any pointers to books, CD's, composer and inventor names, pieces, films with very early synths, WWW content and so on. I’m interested in all pointers and recommendations, but less so on the Avant-Garde Music end of it and more on the RCA and more popular end of it (if that's a plausible way to describe it).


Thanks!
Kevin.

[Psy_Free]

This is quite a good intro set, includes stuff from 1948-1980



If you then look at the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" bit you'll see more music in this vein.

[nathanscribe]

There are some good compilations of BBC Radiophonic Workshop material too. At least two volumes of Dr Who stuff is on CD, and there's an overview of the history of the Workshop on a 2CD set.

[Sir Ruff]

This is quite a good intro set, includes stuff from 1948-1980



If you then look at the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" bit you'll see more music in this vein.

The Anthology of Electronic music A, etc. also includes a range of material from the 20s, onwards (to present). I would say that trying to find "popular" electronic music pre-1960 though is fairly hard though unless you want very simple versions of actual "music". Embrace the experimental and avant garde!

Oh, the Clara Rockmore (theremin virtuoso) album is very good - theremin versions of classical stuff. Almost certainly pre-'60.

[Phollop Willing PA]

This is a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_music#History

Then follow the adventure of links...

[cornutt]

Here's a page on the 1950s-era RCA Synthesizer, complete with some digitized recordings.

[Automatic Gainsay]

Thaddeus Cahill
Luigi Russolo
Edgard Varese
Pierre Schaeffer
Karlheinz Stockhausen
Raymond Scott
Hugh LeCaine

[Sexor]

I thought Daft Punk invented electronic music?

[digital octopus]

Some good podcasts here:

http://thetonegeneration.blip.tv/rss

[Mr Knesh]

Luigi Russolo

>Electronic


(Luigi Russolo used a methodology involving compositions performed with a variety of mechanical instruments)

Raymond Scott

I picked up a copy of 'Soothing sounds for baby' at a CD exchange not too long ago. That album is awesome!

[knolan]

Thanks a million for all the pointers - plenty to go through for sure. Some amazing pioneers for sure. Seeing what these people achieved and created is a real tonic and motivator; and astounding to think electronic music has been around for so long (don't worry - I haven't ignored avant-garde - just needed pointers to the rest of it). I'm following up on all links - thank you.

Cheers to all !
Kevin.

[rharris07]

http://www.discogs.com/Various-Acousmat ... se/1891514


Acousmatrix. Great box set of vintage electronic music. Most of it is probably tape looping stuff, but I'm sure there is some synth stuff in there too.

[Automatic Gainsay]

Luigi Russolo

>Electronic

Moron.

[Phollop Willing PA]

From Wiki:

Luigi Russolo (30 April 1885 – 4 February 1947) was an Italian Futurist painter and composer, and the author of the manifesto The Art of Noises (1913).[1] He is often regarded as one of the first noise music experimental composers with his performances of "noise concerts" in 1913-14 and then again after World War I, notably in Paris in 1921.[2] He is also one of the first theorists of electronic music.....

Luigi Russolo

>Electronic

.....

[mute]

I thought Daft Punk invented electronic music?

Why would you think that? Even sarcastically? There's not a kid on the planet with that thought, and even if Daft Punk introduced a bunch of new kids to electronic music thanks to Tron or their live performances, then kick a*s. Stop trying so hard to sound like a grumpy old man.

As for the OP, why cut it off @ 1960? Do you already know alot about electronic music in the 60's? Most of them were limited to the tools that were available in the 50's etc. too. I'll assume you already know about the Silver Apples and their peers?