Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music 3
Contents
Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music 3 is a comprehensive guide to the world of electronic music. It covers everything from the basics of electronic music production to more advanced concepts.
Introduction
Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music is back with a third edition, and it’s better than ever! In this latest installment, I’ll be covering some of the more recently developed genres of electronic music, as well as giving an overview of the scene as a whole. As always, feel free to skip around to whatever parts look most interesting to you – there’s no need to start from the beginning!
So without further ado, let’s get started exploring the wide world of electronic music…
The Early Days of Electronic Music
Electronic music is a genre of music that is produced using electronic musical instruments or digital signal processing devices. It emerged in the early 20th century, with the advent of electrical audio devices and technologies such as the theremin, synthesizer, and drum machine.
Pre-electronic music
Pre-electronic music refers to sounds that were generated using acoustic means, such as voices, instruments, or environmental sounds. These sounds were then captured on physical media, such as wax cylinders or punched paper rolls, which could be played back to recreate the original sound.
Early electronic music was created using a variety of different devices and techniques. The first electronic instruments were developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and include the theremin, phonograph, and Telharmonium. These early instruments were used to create music that was intended to be novelty items or sonic experiments rather than serious compositions.
In the 1920s and 1930s, composers such as Edgar Varèse and Karlheinz Stockhausen began experimenting with new ways of generating and manipulating sound using electronic means. This resulted in a number of groundbreaking works, such as Varèse’s Poème électronique and Stockhausen’s Gesang der Jünglinge. These early pieces demonstrated the potential of electronic music as a serious art form, and laid the foundation for the development of more sophisticated electronic instruments and compositional techniques in the years that followed.
The first electronic instruments
In the early 20th century, electronic music was produced using a variety of different instruments. The first electronic instruments were developed in the years before World War I, and they were used primarily in avant-garde music and experimental compositions. These early instruments included the Theremin, the Ondes Martenot, and the Trautonium.
During the 1920s and 1930s, a number of new electronic instruments were developed, including the VCS3 synthesizer and the Buchla synthesizer. These instruments were used by composers such as Edgar Varèse, John Cage, and Klarenz Barlow to create new soundscapes.
The first commercial electronic music synthesizers were released in the 1960s. These early synthesizers, such as the Moog Synthesizer and the ARP Odyssey, were used by pioneering artists such as Wendy Carlos, Gershon Kingsley, and Jean Michel Jarre.
The birth of electronic music
In the late 19th century, composers started experimenting with mechanical and electrical instruments as a way to create new sounds. These new sounds were unlike anything that had ever been heard before, and they quickly caught the attention of the public. This was the birth of electronic music.
The first electronic instruments were called theremins. They were invented by a Russian scientist named Leon Theremin in 1920. Theremins were originally used in symphony orchestras, but they soon found their way into popular music as well.
In the 1930s, German composer Kurt Graunke created an instrument called the Ondes Martenot. The Ondes Martenot was similar to a theremin, but it could produce a wider range of sounds. It became a popular choice for film scores and other types of background music.
In the 1940s, another German composer named Karlheinz Stockhausen started experimenting with tape loops and other electronic sound-making devices. His work paved the way for future generations of electronic musicians.
The 1950s saw the invention of several important electronic instruments, including the first synthesizers. Synthesizers are devices that can generate any kind of sound, making them extremely versatile tools for composers and performers.
The 1960s and 1970s were a golden age for electronic music. Composers such as Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis created some of the most iconic pieces of electronic music ever made. Other genres such as krautrock and disco also made heavy use of synthesizers and other electronic instruments.
Today, electronic music is more popular than ever before. Thanks to digital technology, anyone can create their own sounds and compose their own pieces of music. Electronic music has come a long way since its early days, but its spirit of experimentation remains alive and well.
The Development of Electronic Music
Electronic music has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the early 20th century. In the span of just a few decades, electronic music has evolved from a niche interest to a worldwide phenomenon. This section will explore the history and development of electronic music.
The golden age of electronic music
The late 1970s and early 1980s were a golden age for electronic music. Artists such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, and Vangelis were producing innovative and influential music with synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines. This was also a time when the first personal computers were becoming available, and musicians were beginning to explore the possibilities of computer-based music production.
The development of digital technology in the 1980s and 1990s allowed for even greater advances in electronic music, as digital synthesis and sampling technologies became widely available. This period saw the rise of dance music genres such as techno, house, and drum & bass, as well as the emergence of IDM (intelligent dance music) and ambient music. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in analog synthesisers and other vintage electronics, as well as a growing trend towards experimentalism and DIY approaches.
The rise of disco
Disco was a music genre that emerged in the mid-1960s and early 1970s from the United States’ urban nightlife scene. It grew out of a combination of African-American, Latin American, and European-American musics, and became a worldwide phenomenon with the release of disco hits such as “Love Train” (1972) by The O’Jays, “I Will Survive” (1978) by Gloria Gaynor, and “Funkytown” (1980) by Lipps Inc.
Disco was very popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s in disco clubs, soul clubs, and funk clubs. It created a new type of club culture that was based around going out dancing rather than drinking or doing drugs. Disco also had a huge impact on fashion, with its signature style of glittery shirts, tight pants, and platform shoes.
The rise of disco coincided with the development of electronic dance music (EDM). EDM is a genre of music that is made using electronic instruments and equipment. It began to develop in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as new technologies such as synthesizers and drum machines became available. EDM was originally used as a term for disco music that was created using electronic instruments, but it has since come to encompass all genres of electronic music.
The birth of techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States during the mid-to-late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno in reference to a specific genre of music was in 1988. Many styles of techno now exist, but Detroit techno is seen as the foundation upon which subsequent genres have been built.
Techno developed as a fusion of African-American music and European electronic music, particularly that which originated from Germany and Belgium (e.g., krautrock and new beat). Pioneering producer Juan Atkins cites Toffler’s book The Third Wave and influences like Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra as early inspirations that led to his work with fellow producers Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson as Metroplex in the late 1980s. Atkins has stated that “we [he and his colleagues] thought using machines could liberate us from having to deal with record companies, promoters, clubs, everything”.
The foundation of techno is generally thought to be A Number of Names’ track “Sharevari”, released on the compilation album Hi-NRG Dance Classics Volume 1 by Hot Productions in 1981. This was followed by Atkins’ own tracks “No UFO’s” (1982) and “Cybotron” (1983), which were both commercial successes; Cybotron’s “Clear” was especially influential on subsequent techno productions. These tracks were included on Cybotron’s debut studio album Enter (also released in 1983).
The Modern Era of Electronic Music
It was the early 1990s. The Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union was in the process of dissolution, and the Cold War was winding down. In the wake of these momentous events, a new era of electronic music was just beginning to take shape.
The rise of EDM
The rise of EDM (electronic dance music) is often traced back to the club culture of the 1980s. In particular, the emergence of acid house and techno in Chicago and Detroit was hugely influential in shaping the sound of electronic music as we know it today.
However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that EDM really began to take off as a global phenomenon. This was thanks in large part to the growth of the internet, which made it easier than ever before for people to share and discover new music.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a huge boom in electronic music, with artists like David Guetta, Tiesto, and Armin van Buuren becoming household names. This period also saw the birth of some of today’s most popular EDM subgenres, including trance, house, and dubstep.
In recent years, EDM has continued to grow in popularity, with festivals like Tomorrowland and Ultra becoming some of the biggest events in the world. The genre has also begun to crossover into the mainstream pop world, with artists like Calvin Harris and The Chainsmokers finding huge success with their blend of electronic and pop sounds.
The popularity of electronic music
Since the early 2000s, electronic music has been growing in popularity around the world. In recent years, it has become one of the most popular genres of music, with festivals and clubs dedicated to it popping up in every corner of the globe.
There are many reasons for electronic music’s popularity. For one, it is incredibly accessible; all you need is a computer and some basic software, and you can start making your own tracks. Secondly, electronic music is incredibly diverse, with sub-genres ranging from hard-hitting techno to soothing ambient sounds. There is something for everyone within the world of electronic music.
Lastly, electronic music has become increasingly mainstream in recent years. Major artists such as Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Kylie Minogue have all incorporated elements of electronic music into their work, and the genre has been featured prominently in films, television shows, and video games. As electronic music becomes more and more visible in popular culture, its popularity is only likely to continue to grow.
The future of electronic music
What shape will electronic music take in the future? It’s hard to say, but it’s certain that the genre will continue to evolve and grow. As technology advances, new sounds and new opportunities for creativity will become available to musicians. We can only imagine what the next decade or two will bring.
