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innerspaceboy's review against another edition
5.0
Audio Culture is a magnificent collection of writings on music theorism, criticism, and analyses spanning the entire age of recorded sound to the present. These writings are offered in their respective chronology and organized into sections - Noise/Sound/Silence, Modes of Listening, Music in the Age of Electronic (Re)Production, etc. Authors featured include everyone from Italian Fututist (and author of the manifesto, The Art of Noises) Luigi Russolo, to Cage and Stockhausen, and on to contemporaries like David Toop and Simon Reynolds with his article coining the term, "post-rock."
Each chapter opens with thoughtful quotes relating to the section and each paper begins with a brief summary of the author's musical and theoretical sphere.
I found it most satisfying that by the final section, the book came full-circle to the visions of the Futurists from Section I in their anticipation of the role noises would play in the future of music and culture. The last section includes an interesting arrangement in which tapes of Aphex Twin and Scanner are sent to Stockhausen for his perspective on modern electronic music and the artists are then presented with his response.
But the circle was truly closed with the final paper - "The Aesthetic of Failure: Post-Digital Tendencies in Contemporary Computer Music" by microsound artist Kim Cascone. The article examines the nature of modern glitch music and speaks to its future artists.
Magnificently, the article closes with an excerpt from Russolo's Art of Noises:
"We therefore invite young musicians of talent to conduct a sustained observation of all noises, in order to understand the various rhythms of which they are composed, their principal and secondary tones. By comparing the various tones of noises with those of sounds, they will be convinced of the extent to which the former exceed the latter. This will afford not only an understanding, but also a taste and passion for noises."
A most engaging and inspiring read! Highly recommended.
Each chapter opens with thoughtful quotes relating to the section and each paper begins with a brief summary of the author's musical and theoretical sphere.
I found it most satisfying that by the final section, the book came full-circle to the visions of the Futurists from Section I in their anticipation of the role noises would play in the future of music and culture. The last section includes an interesting arrangement in which tapes of Aphex Twin and Scanner are sent to Stockhausen for his perspective on modern electronic music and the artists are then presented with his response.
But the circle was truly closed with the final paper - "The Aesthetic of Failure: Post-Digital Tendencies in Contemporary Computer Music" by microsound artist Kim Cascone. The article examines the nature of modern glitch music and speaks to its future artists.
Magnificently, the article closes with an excerpt from Russolo's Art of Noises:
"We therefore invite young musicians of talent to conduct a sustained observation of all noises, in order to understand the various rhythms of which they are composed, their principal and secondary tones. By comparing the various tones of noises with those of sounds, they will be convinced of the extent to which the former exceed the latter. This will afford not only an understanding, but also a taste and passion for noises."
A most engaging and inspiring read! Highly recommended.
ghostofyesterday's review against another edition
5.0
Essential reading for those interested in the contemporary and/or avant-garde world of music and sound.
c_reider's review against another edition
5.0
This is as good an overview of the evolution of experimental / avant-garde approaches to sound & music as you're likely to find, presented in perfect bite-sized chunks. This could / should be (and I'm told it has been) used as a textbook for a class on the subject of modern & contemporary sound practice.
Even if you've done a lot of reading on this subject, you're sure to find lots here that will be new.
Essential.
Even if you've done a lot of reading on this subject, you're sure to find lots here that will be new.
Essential.
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