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| Electronic Musician | |
|---|---|
| Title | Electronic Musician |
Electronic Musician is a magazine and reference resource devoted to electronic music creation, instrument technology, production techniques, and artist profiles. It serves as a bridge between practitioners using synthesizers, drum machines, and digital audio workstations and the commercial ecosystems of instrument manufacturers, studios, and performance venues. Contributors and subjects often span Bob Moog, Pauline Oliveros, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Daft Punk and instrument makers such as Roland Corporation and Moog Music.
Electronic music encompasses works produced primarily with electronic equipment, including analog and digital synthesizers, samplers, signal processors, sequencers, and computers. Historically tied to institutions such as the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the Cologne Electronic Music Studio and academic centers like the Mills College and IRCAM, the field includes practitioners from experimentalists like Morton Subotnick to pop figures like David Bowie, Madonna and Madchester proponents such as New Order. The scope covers studio composition, live performance, sound design for film scores and installations at venues like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and festivals including the Glastonbury Festival and Mutek.
Electronic music's lineage traces to early 20th-century experiments by inventors and composers including Thaddeus Cahill, Léon Theremin, and Edgard Varèse. Postwar developments centered on studios such as the WDR Electronic Music Studio in Cologne and practitioners at Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center like Milton Babbitt and Vladimir Ussachevsky. The rise of portable instruments by companies such as ARP Instruments and Korg democratized access for artists including Wendy Carlos, Giorgio Moroder, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Jean-Michel Jarre. The advent of affordable samplers like the Akai MPC and software such as Ableton Live and Propellerhead Reason catalyzed scenes from Detroit techno featuring Juan Atkins and Derrick May to Chicago house with figures like Frankie Knuckles and Marshall Jefferson.
Key instruments include analog synthesizers by Moog Music and ARP Instruments, digital synthesizers from Yamaha (notably the Yamaha DX7), and workstation keyboards by Korg and Roland Corporation. Samplers and drum machines such as the Akai MPC series and the Roland TR-808 and Roland TR-909 shaped hip hop, house, and techno aesthetics for artists like Kraftwerk, Afrika Bambaataa, Satoshi Tomiie and Jeff Mills. Signal processing tools from Lexicon and Eventide and modular formats like Eurorack underpin modular pioneers and contemporary practitioners including Alice Coltrane collaborators and modular composers. Software environments—Max/MSP, Pure Data, VST plugin formats, Digital Audio Workstations like Pro Tools and Cubase—enable sound design workflows used by Trent Reznor, Armin van Buuren, Skrillex and Aphex Twin.
Electronic music branches into subgenres rooted in technology, geography, and scene networks. Pioneering minimalism and ambient styles are associated with Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream, while synthpop and new wave include Depeche Mode, The Human League and Pet Shop Boys. Dance-oriented styles—house music, techno and drum and bass—feature leading figures such as Larry Levan, Carl Cox, Goldie and The Chemical Brothers. Experimental and academic currents intersect with composers like Steve Reich and institutions like IRCAM, whereas crossover and pop producers include Pharrell Williams, Mark Ronson and Max Martin.
Production practices combine live performance, multitrack recording, sampling, synthesis programming, and mixing. Techniques pioneered in studios like Sun Studio and Abbey Road Studios—including tape manipulation, overdubbing, and multitrack mixing—were adapted by electronic producers such as George Martin collaborators and modern engineers at Concorde Studios. Sampling culture drew on releases by Public Enemy and The Bomb Squad and evolved with clearance practices tied to labels like Warp Records and Ninja Tune. Mastering and loudness workflows reference standards from organizations including the RIAA and broadcasters such as BBC Radio 1, while live electronic setups commonly integrate controllers from Native Instruments and Akai Professional with in-ear monitoring systems used by performers like Deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin.
Influential artists span academic, experimental, and popular spheres: Karlheinz Stockhausen, Wendy Carlos, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Underworld, Moby, Björk, Skrillex, Arca, SOPHIE and Flying Lotus. Producers and engineers such as Alan Parsons, Steve Albini, Flood and Rick Rubin have applied electronic techniques across genres. Labels and collectives—including Factory Records, Tresor, R&S Records and Ninja Tune—have incubated scenes and shaped aesthetics through releases and events.
Electronic music has influenced popular culture, visual arts, cinema, and technology industries, informing soundtracks for films like Blade Runner and The Social Network and shaping festival economies exemplified by Coachella and Burning Man. Reception ranges from early avant-garde controversy around works by John Cage and Stockhausen to mainstream chart success for artists like Daft Punk and Lady Gaga. Debates over authenticity, live performance, and technology's role persist in academic and media forums hosted by institutions such as The Royal College of Music and UCLA, while continued innovation in instrument design by companies such as Moog Music and Roland Corporation ensures ongoing evolution.
Category:Music magazines