A History of Electronic Music

The history of electronic music goes back further than you may think. Here is a brief introduction into the genre and it's progression as a mainstream genre in our culture.

Electronic music started with the advent of recording technology, especially the tape. Thanks to tape, composers could immediately record something, and still layer other sounds on top of the original one, creating an interesting "collage" of sound. One of the first composers to attempt this was Edgar Varèse and his composition Poème électronique (1958)

What really changed the face of electronic music, especially as we know it, was the creation of the synthesizer. One of the first synths was created by Robert Moog and Herbert Deutsch (my own composition teacher at Hofstra!)

Very unique sounds never heard before could be created with this instrument. Bands such as The Beatles, The Who and Pink Floyd started to champion the instrument in their albums.

As the synthesizer's popularity grew into mainstream rock and pop music, it's techniques were also becoming more cultivated. Towards the end of the 70s the synthesizer had begun to replace conventional instruments of a typical rock/pop band (guitar, bass, piano, drums) with a technique known as "sequencing". A musician could program a synth to perform all these functions simultaneously. One of these pioneers was Italian musician/producer Giorgio Moroder who created many hits, particularly for pop musician Donna Summer.

This programming of the synthesizer opened up new configurations for bands; not everyone had to play guitar, bass or drums! In the 80s the synth became a dominant instrument, with some groups relying solely on just that instrument. The relationship between the 80s and the synthesizer is so intertwined and deep that you will have to stay tuned for next weeks blog!