The Evolution of Electronic Music in the 1960s
The 1960s was a decade of change and innovation in many aspects of life, including music. Electronic music began to gain popularity in this decade, with artists like Kraftwerk and Gershon Kingsley creating new and exciting sounds. This blog will explore the evolution of electronic music in the 1960s, and how it has influenced the music of today.
Introduction
The 1960s was a time of change and evolution, not just for music, but for the entire world. This was the decade that saw the birth of electronic music. Although it was only in its infancy, electronic music would go on to have a profound impact on popular music in the years to come. In this article, we’ll take a look at the origins of electronic music and how it evolved during the 1960s.
What is electronic music?
Electronic music is created using electronic musical instruments and sound recording equipment. It was first developed in the early 20th century, and became widely popular in the 1960s.
Early electronic music was often made using tape machines, which allowed for the manipulation of sounds by splicing together different recordings. In the 1970s, electronic music began to be made with synthesizers, which could create new sounds from scratch. These new instruments allowed for a much greater range of expression, and led to the development of new genres of electronic music, including disco and techno.
Today, electronic music is made using a variety of digital tools and software, and can be created by anyone with a computer. It has become one of the most dominant and influential genres of popular music, and its impact can be heard in everything from pop to hip-hop.
The birth of electronic music
The first electronic music instruments were created in the late 19th century, and the genre began to take shape in the early 20th century. By the 1960s, electronic music had come into its own as a distinct genre, with a number of pioneering artists exploring its potential.
One of the earliest and most influential figures in electronic music was German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. In the 1950s and 60s, Stockhausen created a number of groundbreaking works that demonstrated the potential of electronic music. His 1963 composition “Coupling” was one of the first pieces of electronic music to be created entirely from synthesized sounds.
Another early innovator was French composer Pierre Henry. Henry’s 1960 work “Messe pour le temps présent” used a range of novel sound-making techniques, including feedback fromlectronic microphones and sound manipulation through tape recorders. The work was hugely influential, and cemented Henry’s reputation as one of the leading figures in early electronic music.
By the mid-1960s, electronic music had begun to enter the mainstream. In 1965, British band The Beatles used an oscillator to create the distinctive opening riff on their song “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The following year, American composer Steve Reich made use of phasing techniques in his influential work “It’s Gonna Rain.” These and other pieces showed that electronic music could be accessible and appealing to a wide audience, and not just a niche interest for avant-garde composers
The 1960s
The 1960s was a decade of political and social change. In the United States, the 1960s was a time of great social and political upheaval. The country was divided by the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Women’s Liberation Movement. The music of the 1960s reflected the changes that were taking place in the world. Rock and roll, soul, and folk music all became very popular during this time.
The early years
The early years of the 1960s saw the creatives hands of artists like Pierre Henry and Karlheinz Stockhausen begin to experiment with new ways of manipulating sound. Using tape machines, they were able to cut, paste and loop sounds to create new textures and rhythms that had never been heard before. This new sound caught the attention of popular musicians like the Beatles, who began to experiment with it in their own recordings.
The middle of the decade saw electronic music begin to move out of the avant-garde and into the mainstream. Enter Brian Wilson, who used electronic instruments like theremin and glissando guitar on The Beach Boys’ classic album Pet Sounds. This signaled a new era in which electronic music was no longer just for experimentalists; it was now being used by pop artists to create hits.
The late 1960s saw artists pushing even further into new sonic territory. Jimi Hendrix turned heads with his wild use of feedback and wah-wah pedal, while Miles Davis made waves with his jazz-rock fusion masterpiece Bitches Brew. This decade was truly a turning point for music as a whole, and electronic music played a major role in its evolution.
The rise of synthesizers
By the early 1960s, composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio were beginning to experiment with electronic music and musique concrète, using tape recorders and other electroacoustic devices. These composers created works that were intended to be listened to, rather than danced to, and their experimentation was influential on subsequent electronic dance music.
The first commercial Moog synthesizer was introduced in 1964, and while it was initially intended for use in rock bands, it quickly found its way into the hands of avant-garde composers such as Steve Reich and Walter Carlos (later known as Wendy Carlos). In 1968, Carlos released Switched-On Bach, an album of Bach compositions played on the Moog that became a surprise best-seller.
Synthesizers soon became an integral part of electronic music, appearing in works by artists such as Yellow Magic Orchestra, Vangelis, Jean Michel Jarre, and Kraftwerk. By the end of the 1970s, electronic dance music had emerged as a distinct genre with its own characteristic sounds (often created with the help of synthesizers), styles, and subgenres.
The influence of the Beatles
The Beatles were not just a pop phenomenon: they were also one of the most important groups of the 1960s in terms of their influence on electronic music. The Beatles’ use of backwards effects, looped tapes, and distorted sounds on tracks such as “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “I Am the Walrus” was a major influence on the development of electronic music. In particular, the work of producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick in creating these effects was highly influential.
The 1970s
While the 1960s saw the rise of electronic music with the help of new technology, the 1970s is considered the decade where electronic music truly came into its own. This was the decade where artists experiment with new sounds and technologies, and the genre began to Branch out. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most important electronic music of the 1970s and how it shaped the genre as a whole.
The advent of disco
The early 1970s saw the emergence of a new form of popular music, disco. Disco was a style of dance music that was characterized by a strong beat, repetitive patterns, and often sexually suggestive lyrics. It became extremely popular in the United States, particularly among African American and Latino communities.
However, disco was not limited to the United States. It also became popular in Europe, particularly in England and France. The popularity of disco led to the development of a new form of electronic music, known as disco house. This style of music combined elements of disco with elements of house music, resulting in a more upbeat and danceable sound.
Disco house became extremely popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly in clubs and bars. It remains popular today, although it has evolved somewhat since its inception.
The birth of punk rock
Punk rock was a music genre that developed in the mid-1970s. Punk rock was a reaction against the bloated and overblown rock music of the time. Punk bands were often characterized by their DIY ethic, simple song structures, and stripped-down instrumentation.
The most important band in the punk rock scene was the Ramones. The Ramones were a four-piece band from New York City who played fast, loud, and concise songs. The Ramones helped to codify the punk rock aesthetic and their influence can still be felt today.
Punk rock quickly spread from America to Britain where it gave birth to the subgenre of Britpunk. Britpunk bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols were influenced by both punk rock and other genres like reggae and ska. Britpunk would go on to influence many punk scenes around the world.
The influence of Kraftwerk
As the 1970s dawned, Kraftwerk’s influence was being felt in all corners of the music world. In Britain, musicians were using synthesisers to create new, unique sounds that had never been heard before. Groups like Pink Floyd and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were using them to create huge, sprawling pieces of music that took the listener on a journey. Meanwhile, in America, artists like David Bowie and Brian Eno were using synthesisers to create more atmospheric and experimental sounds.
Kraftwerk’s influence can also be heard in the rise of electronic dance music. DJs and producers began to experiment with synthesised sounds to create new and exciting party tracks that would get people moving. This new style of music quickly became popular in nightclubs and soon spread to the mainstream. Today, electronic dance music is one of the most popular genres in the world.
The 1980s
The 1980s saw the rise of electronic music and the use of synthesizers. This was a time when new wave and synth-pop were born. The 1980s also saw the rise of the house music and techno genres.
The rise of synth-pop
The second half of the 1970s saw the rise of disco and what would become known as “electropop”: Kraftwerk’s Autobahn (1974) became a surprise hit in North America in 1975, while Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygène (1976) and Vangelis’ Blades of Athena (1977) found success in Europe.
The birth of house music
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, several disco clubs in Chicago began experimenting with a new style of music that was influenced by hits from earlier in the decade like “Good Times” by Chic and “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer. This new style, which would come to be known as house music, was characterized by a heavy 4/4 beat, synthesizer-based melodies, and often sexually explicit lyrics. The first house tracks were made using reel-to-reel tape decks and simple drum machines like the Roland TR-808, which gave the music its signature sound. House music quickly caught on with clubgoers in Chicago, and soon spread to other major cities in the US and Europe. By the mid-1980s, house music was one of the most popular genres in the world.
The influence of Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is a Hip Hop DJ from the South Bronx, New York. He is credited with helping to pioneer the electronic music genre known as Hip Hop. In the early 1980s, Bambaataa created a new style of music by fusing together elements of Funk, Soul, and Electro. This new style of music quickly gained popularity in the underground clubs of New York City. Bambaataa’s music would go on to influence future electronic music genres such as House, Techno, and Drum & Bass.
The 1990s
The 1990s saw the rise of electronic music, with a new genre of music being created every day. This was the decade that saw the birth of techno, house, and trance. Electronic music was now being created by artists all over the world, and the 1990s was the decade that saw it become mainstream.
The rise of techno
The 1990s saw the rise of techno, a form of electronic dance music that had its origins in Detroit, Michigan in the 1980s. Techno was characterized by a heavy use of synthesizers and drum machines, and its popularity spread throughout Europe and the United States in the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, techno evolved into a more commercial form of dance music known as trance, which became hugely popular in Europe and the United States.
The birth of jungle music
The birth of jungle music can be traced back to the early 1990s in the UK. At that time, a new style of music was emerging that would come to be known as jungle. This style of music was a fusion of Reggae, Hip Hop, and Dancehall, with elements of Electronic Dance Music (EDM). Jungle music was characterized by its fast tempo (usually around 160-180 bpm), heavy basslines, and complex drum patterns.
The influence of the rave culture
In the United Kingdom, the 1990s saw a significant advance in the popularity of electronic music, with a strong influence from the rave culture of the time. The genre became known as “electronica”, and experienced a boom in popularity with the release of albums such as The Prodigy’s Music for the Jilted Generation (1994) and Leftfield’s Leftism (1995).Other influential artists of the time include The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Underworld.
Conclusion
The 1960s saw the birth and rise of electronic music, with groundbreaking artists like Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, and Giorgio Moroder changing the landscape forever. This decade was a time of immense creativity and experimentation, and the music that came out of it has had a lasting impact on popular culture. Electronic music has come to dominate the world of pop music, and its influence can be heard in everything from hip-hop to EDM. The 1960s were a crucial time in the history of music, and the revolution that took place in this decade laid the foundations for the electronic sounds that we all know and love today.
