Having discovered space as a tangible medium, English performance artist Peter Dockley developed a multimedia theatre piece in 1969. Gymnasts, kendo fighters and dancers create a dynamic energy zone full of colours, light and excitement. The soundtrack, recorded by Canterbury rock band Soft Machine, was inspired by techniques of musique concrète, laying the foundation for experimental industrial ambient music.
With 10k+ archived releases, Sounds Central's proprietor, Paul Paulun, tells a personal history of music and sound art
In India, the connection between the universe and sound has long been recognised and is emphasised in Dhrupad singing, the oldest known style of classical Hindustani music. Italian-born singer Amelia Cuni was so fascinated by this concept that she travelled to India in 1978 to learn the technique herself, studying with renowned masters for ten years.
The atmosphere becomes minimalistic and meditative when Eleh operates the controls and patch cables of his analogue modular synthesizers. The textures he creates with the machines convey a sense of precision, as if they were carved or sculpted. And they are characterised by a spiritual component that seems to be rooted in the cosmos itself.
A mix of ethnological recordings, found sounds and pirated material formed the basis for the performances of the radical theatre group Magazzini Criminali from Florence. In 1980, they used ambient music by Jon Hassell without permission. The composer was impressed – and collaborated with the group on an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's iconic beat novel ‘On the Road.‘
‘I want to put as many aspects of myself into music as I can, as much as possible of being alive, intensely conscious on all levels.‘ With this attitude, American composer Laurie Spiegel developed her concept of Slow Change Music in the mid-1970s at Bell Labs in New Jersey, using the prototype of a computer system to control synthesizers.
The stoic, almost machine-like drumming of many West German music from the early 1970s became the trademark of a new sound – different from British pop or American rock and in no way related to the country's horrible Nazi past. 45 minutes with Cluster, Faust, Harmonia 76, Wolfgang Riechmann and others.
War is eternal, but its accompanying phenomena changed in the 20th century. 45 minutes with artists who reflect on the presence of war in the media, their traumatic experiences, the home front and the utopia of world peace. With Ami Shavit, The Android Sisters, K Foundation, Sun Ra and others.
In the late 1960s, women composers began mixing different types of sound material. Their concept of intermedia art often had a connection to human life. 88 minutes with Christina Kubisch, Eliane Radigue, Frankie Mann, Ruth Anderson and others.
Known for his innovative studio techniques, unique production style and weird tunes, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry combined influences from soul, funk, reggae and dub in the early and mid-1970s. 46-minute mix with 14 tracks from the Perry orbit.
Whether conceptual or performance art, electronic music, counterculture, minimalism, drone sounds or Fluxus – New York City is a hotbed for all sorts of experiments during the Sixties. 54 minutes with Angus MacLise, Henry Flynt, La Monte Young & Marian Zazeela, Richard Maxfield and others.
The widespread electrification of music during the 1950s led to a multitude of new artistic concepts. 50 minutes of fieldwork and funny sounds with Alireza Mashayekhi, Delia Derbyshire, Else Marie Pade, İlhan Mimaroğlu and others.
