Electronic music Books

Book SynopsisAn Orchestra at My Fingertips is the first study of the history, activities, and legacy of the Canadian Electronic Ensemble. Covering the ensemble’s first fifty years, Alexa Woloshyn features musician biographies as well as analyses of the CEE’s compositions, improvisations, commissions, and performance practice.Trade Review“An Orchestra at My Fingertips is the definitive biography of this important ensemble. Well-researched and written with great care, the book offers readers a wealth of information that has never before been available to anyone outside of the CEE’s circle of collaborators and close associates. And Woloshyn’s insights and techniques of listening can easily (and usefully) be applied to the CEE’s repertoire and electronic music – indeed any music – in general.” Paul Sanden, University of Lethbridge and author of Liveness in Modern Music: Musicians, Technology, and the Perception of Performance

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Book SynopsisAn Orchestra at My Fingertips is the first study of the history, activities, and legacy of the Canadian Electronic Ensemble. Covering the ensemble’s first fifty years, Alexa Woloshyn features musician biographies as well as analyses of the CEE’s compositions, improvisations, commissions, and performance practice.Trade Review“An Orchestra at My Fingertips is the definitive biography of this important ensemble. Well-researched and written with great care, the book offers readers a wealth of information that has never before been available to anyone outside of the CEE’s circle of collaborators and close associates. And Woloshyn’s insights and techniques of listening can easily (and usefully) be applied to the CEE’s repertoire and electronic music – indeed any music – in general.” Paul Sanden, University of Lethbridge and author of Liveness in Modern Music: Musicians, Technology, and the Perception of Performance

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Book SynopsisTransfigured New York presents conversations with iconic, genre-bending artists who shaped the sounds of experimental movements like no wave, avant-jazz, and electronic music.Trade ReviewSince her WKCR radio show in the eighties, Brooke Wentz has been an inspiring explorer of global music and has also remained a devoted and curious fan, always looking for new sounds in diverse countries and cultures. Her excitement vibrates on every page of this engrossing read. Enjoy Brooke’s journey! -- Chris Watson, founding member of Cabaret VoltaireThe avant-garde artists Brooke Wentz so adeptly interviewed in the 1980s reveal how music of that decade defied genre limitations and categorization, introduced fresh perspectives and explored sounds as no one had before, truly transfiguring not only New York, but creative culture worldwide. There are rich stories here, informing how we listen today. -- Howard Mandel, author of Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz and Future JazzThis book is a one-of-a-kind account of one of the most exhilarating and inventive periods for art and culture in New York City's history. * NYS Music *My mind was blown on almost every page of this engaging, near-exhaustive collection. -- Mat Smith * Further *We should be glad that several decades later this material is available so we can reconsider how music was changing and had changed, who was playing where and when, and the part New York City played in nurturing new and challenging music. * International Times *Together, the collection represents a comprehensive look at an incredible era in New York’s artistic history, featuring an eclectic mix of acts that would go on to influence generations of artists to come. * Bad Feelings Magazine *As a picture of what was being done in the decade (perhaps for curious listeners who didn't live through it), its a broad cross section of what was new then. * The Wire *Table of ContentsLee Ranaldo on the SceneAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I. The Founding Theorists: Influential Figures of Contemporary Thought and Music Composition1. John Cage2. La Monte YoungPart II. The Materials Scientists: Pioneers of Tape and Electronic Music3. David Behrman4. Alvin Curran5. Mario Davidovsky6. Otto Luening7. Roger Reynolds8. Pril Smiley9. Morton Subotnick10. Joan Tower11. Vladimir UssachevskyPart III. The Composers: Notable Contributors of Contemporary Musical Repertoire12. Anthony Davis13. David Diamond14. Jacob Druckman15. Lukas Foss16. Philip Glass17. Steve ReichPart IV. The Iconoclasts: Eccentric Thought-Provoking Performers18. Kelvyn Bell19. Jean-Paul Bourelly20. Glenn Branca21. Fred Frith22. Wayne HorvitzPart V. The Vocalists: Experimenters with Voice and Words23. Laurie Anderson24. Joan La BarbaraPart VI. The Dissenters: Modern Jazz Innovators25. Andrew Cyrille26. Bill Frisell27. Ronald Shannon Jackson28. Evan ParkerPart VII. The Popular Avant-Garde: Pop Idiom Crossovers29. Living Colour30. Peter Gordon and Arthur Russell31. John Lurie32. Andy PartridgePart VIII. The Global Nomads: International Superstars of Western Thought33. Baaba Maal34. Astor Piazzolla35. Ravi ShankarPart IX. The Performance Artists: Art Meets Movement36. Eric Bogosian37. David Harrington38. Bill T. Jones39. Margaret Leng Tan40. Michel WaisviszNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisComposer, performer, instrument builder, teacher, and writer Gordon Mumma has left an indelible mark on the American contemporary music scene. A prolific composer and innovative French horn player, Mumma is recognized for integrating advanced electronic processes into musical structures, an approach he has termed ''Cybersonics.'' Musicologist Michelle Fillion curates a collection of Mumma''s writings, presenting revised versions of his classic pieces as well as many unpublished works from every stage of his storied career. Here, through words and astonishing photos, is Mumma''s chronicle of seminal events in the musical world of the twentieth century: his cofounding the Cooperative Studio for Electronic Music; his role in organizing the historic ONCE Festivals of Contemporary Music; performances with the Sonic Arts Union; and working alongside John Cage and David Tudor as a composer-musician with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. In addition, Mumma describes his collaborations witTrade Review"What counts here is the spirit of it, the inventiveness springing from an independence of imagination as well as the willingness and financial necessity to work outside the given conditions of the time. Mumma shows us how that spirit is in fact crucial and, always, of essential value."--Christian Wolff, from the foreword"An excellent and engaging book that can take its readers to a dizzying array of places, real and metaphoric. It is an admirable introduction to the mind and spirit of Gordon Mumma as well as a vivid and loving remembrance of an amazing time in the history of music."--ARSC Journal"The firsthand histories flowing from this book are precious, provided by one of the unsung heroes of the American electronic music scene, Gordon Mumma... A valuable resource."--Neural"Mumma's energetic perspectives on so many topics--as a scholar, inventor, technician, performer, composer, photographer, historian, and documentarian--richly enhance our perspective on this period of rapid change and fruitful innovation. A beautiful and much-anticipated achievement."--Amy C. Beal, author of Johanna Beyer and Carla Bley"Widely known as a multi-talented composer/performer and inventor of handmade circuits and various forms of electronic wizardry that revolutionized live electronic music, Mumma is far more than the prototypical American 'maverick.' His fierce dedication to his own artistic vision has always been coupled to a voracious interest in the work of the pathbreaking composers, performers, dancers, architects, and visual artists who inhabit his music world and with whom he has often collaborated. This elegantly edited and annotated book is thus not only an invaluable overview of Mumma's extraordinary creative output and ideas, but also an intimate insider’s telling of the history of experimental music during the last half century."--David W. Bernstein, editor of The San Francisco Tape Music Center: 1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde"A treasure trove of primary source material on American, and to a lesser extent Latin-American, music, especially of the experimental kind. The reader is repeatedly struck by the genuineness of Mumma's writing; whether in passages from his diary or accounts of now-significant events, he writes with the authority of one who was actually there."--Bob Gilmore, editor of Ben Johnston's "Maximum Clarity" and Other Writings on Music"A very wonderful collection of essays, with its first-person witnessing of a scene that was critical for the development of the music technology we have today, and I highly recommend it."--Soundbytes"A wonderful resource for music and the arts, the book can be read as narrative or used as reference. Highly recommended."--Choice "As all great books about music lead you to do, I couldn't help but reach up to my CD shelves, where various Mumma discs releases on lables like New World and Tzadik are housed."--Gramophone "Part memoir of a remarkable life at the center of 20th and 21st century American experimental music, and partly a collection of Mumma's thoughtful, provocative, and influential essays, the book introduces this pioneer to a new generation of sonic explorers"--Electronic Musician "A contemporary history of a particularly fertile and disruptive time in the advanced arts. . . . Mumma's book bears articulate witness to how this flexible discipline played itself out in concrete situations over the decades."--Avant Music News

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Book SynopsisExpanded, updated, and fully revised—the definitive introduction to electronic music is ready for new generations of students.Essential and state-of-the-art, The Computer Music Tutorial, second edition is a singular text that introduces computer and electronic music, explains its motivations, and puts topics into context. Curtis Roads’s step-by-step presentation orients musicians, engineers, scientists, and anyone else new to computer and electronic music.The new edition continues to be the definitive tutorial on all aspects of computer music, including digital audio, signal processing, musical input devices, performance software, editing systems, algorithmic composition, MIDI, and psychoacoustics, but the second edition also reflects the enormous growth of the field since the book’s original publication in 1996. New chapters cover up-to-date topics like virtual analog, pulsar synthesis, concatenative synthesis, spectrum analysis by atomi

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Book SynopsisThe essential reference to SuperCollider, a powerful, flexible, open-source, cross-platform audio programming language.SuperCollider is one of the most important domain-specific audio programming languages, with potential applications that include real-time interaction, installations, electroacoustic pieces, generative music, and audiovisuals. The SuperCollider Book is the essential reference to this powerful and flexible language, offering students and professionals a collection of tutorials, essays, and projects. With contributions from top academics, artists, and technologists that cover topics at levels from the introductory to the specialized, it will be a valuable sourcebook both for beginners and for advanced users. SuperCollider, first developed by James McCartney, is an accessible blend of Smalltalk, C, and further ideas from a number of programming languages. Free, open-source, cross-platform, and with a diverse and supportive developer community, it is often

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Book SynopsisThis is a music autobiography to remember. This is the story of Martyn Ware. The Human League and Heaven 17 were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, with Ware having played an integral role in each of their numerous successes. A young lad from the heart of post-war Sheffield, Ware formed The Human League a few years out of school in his early twenties. Described by David Bowie as ''the future of music'', it wasn''t long before the band become known for their innovative and infectiously catchy singles such as ''Being Boiled'', touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop before Ware''s departure. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several colossal hits. Ground-breaking icons in new wave and synth pop, both groups remain some of the biggest-selling bands across the UK and worldwide. In Electronically Yours, Martyn takes us through his incredible route to stardom; from his austere upbringing in various council houses and close teenage friendship with former-bandmate Phil Oakey, to the white-hot experimentation in the ''Synth Britannia'' era and his production career, which allowed him to work with some of the world''s greatest singers, including Tina Turner. But it''s not just his life inside the industry which is compelling; a proud socialist, Martyn writes poignantly about politics - how it can be a soulful, personal, moral duty - and its role in his music creation and Britain today. With charming meditations on culture, humour, travel and sport, Martyn also shares his love of 60s films, explains why Venice is the most beautiful city in the world, and reveals how Sheffield Wednesday has forever been his first and eternal passion. A huge page-turner and always warmly told, Electronically Yours sees Martyn talk candidly for the very first time about his extraordinary journey. Discover amusing anecdotes, raw confessions, and moving reflections of a life well and truly lived at the height of the music industry.Trade ReviewMartyn's memoir is at times hilarious, insightful, and bittersweet. He's a man who is owed much more credit for his contribution to the British electronic music legacy. -- Thomas DolbyWonderful, down to earth . . . a great story. From Heaven 17, to all of the miracles and magic that my life has seen. -- Sananda MaitreyaMartyn is trusty, encouraging, charming, helpful, musically skilled . . . [This is a] great book. -- Peter HookA man with a synthesizer trailblazing his way to some of the most innovative moments in music in a generation. -- Martin FryThis is a 100 per cent authentic Sheffield story. From the city's humble streets and football terraces to the very limit of the possibilities where the fearless creation of wonderful ground-breaking music can take you. F*ckin' brilliant story, brilliant book, brilliant Sheffield man! -- Richard HawleyEnthralling . . . An emotionally intelligent, honest book * Record Collector *

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Book SynopsisONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BEST BOOKS OF 2017Who better to tell the story of the gentrification of a musical genre than the man who started out as Jungle's most streetwise ambassador and went on to collect an MBE from Buckingham Palace? But Goldie's uncensored, hard-hitting memoir is far more than just the story of the house-training of drum 'n' bass. As one of Britain's most influential DJs, producers, promoters, and record-label owners - whose contributions to the UK rave scene in the 1990s defined the genres jungle and urban rave, Goldie is an iconic figure. Hugely addictive, this gonzo memoir is a vertiginous thrill-ride from the darkest depths of the West Midlands care-home system to the snowiest uplands of coke-crazed international celebrity. It is an explosive story of abuse, revenge, graffiti, gold teeth, sawn-off shotguns, car crashes, hot yoga, absent fatherhood, and redemption through reality TV.

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Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed author of Art Sex Music comes a vital meditation on womanhood, creativity and self-expression, and a revelatory exploration into the lives of three visionary artists.''A fascinating tale of the interlinking lives of three legendary trailblazers.''SALENA GODDEN''Re-sisters emanates an enthralling power.''JUDE ROGERS, MOJO''Cosey Fanni Tutti has lived the life and has the stories to tell: not just hers, but those of two other still unheralded female pioneers.''JON SAVAGEMyself , Delia and Margery a trinity of the sacred and profane , sinners and saints of a kind. Three defiant women with our individual, unconventional attitude to life. Untameable spirits, progressive thinkers living within the inherent societal constraints of our times.In 2018, boundary-breaking visual and sonic artist Cosey Fanni Tutti received a commission to write the soundtrack to a film about Delia Derbyshire, the pioneering electronic composer who influenced the likes of Aphex Twin and the Chemical Brothers. While researching Delia's life, Cosey became immersed in Derbyshire's story and uncovered some fascinating parallels with her own life. At the same time Cosey began reading about Margery Kempe, the 15th century mystic visionary who wrote the first English language autobiography.Re-sisters is the story of three women consumed by their passion for life, a passion they expressed through music, art and lifestyle; they were undaunted by the consequences they faced in pursuit of enriching their lives, and fiercely challenged the societal and cultural norms of their time.''An impeccably researched meditation on womanhood as viewed through the lives of three firebrands.''FIONA STURGES, GUARDIAN''Awe-inspiring. Read these revelatory portraits: this book is for anybody who wants to discover the work of three women who, without fanfare, have enriched our world.''ROBERT WYATT''Passionate, original and fiercely defiant.''RUPERT THOMSON

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Book SynopsisMusings on Birmingham's contemporary music cultureTrade Review"Brum Bastion champions the city once more!""King City celebrates Birmingham's contribution to the music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.""It's a 65,000 word love letter to the Birmingham music scene, and we love it!""With a nod to the past, the book also touches on the city’s prestigious history, as well as the more recent indie scene which emerged in Digbeth in the early 2010s."

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Book SynopsisIn 1987, Wayne Anthony and two friends established the legendary Genesis raves that were attended by the wide-eyed, loved-up youth of the late Eighties and early Nineties. Wayne and the Genesis team took Acid House to the masses and changed the face of British rave culture. Wayne then promoted a series of events around Europe, released a series of infamous compilation albums under the banner Havin' It'. Since then Wayne has been involved in Internet start-ups and tech companies. He spent the last ten years at the helm of LSD Magazine, one of Europe's biggest street art graffiti networks. He is currently in the process of launching the world's first dedicated street art graffiti channel from Los Angeles.

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Book SynopsisAn history of techno music, dealing with its roots in Detroit. It focuses on Detroit's role in the birth of techno and takes readers on an insider's tour of techno's past, present, and future in an account filled with firsthand anecdotes, interviews, and artist profiles. It examines the underground 1980s party scene in Detroit.

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Book SynopsisThis Element explores how 'tarab' lives on in new contexts through a focus on the work of Hello Psychaleppo, one of Aleppo's displaced musicians and the pioneer of 'electro-tarab', an eclectic style of urban electronic dance music that is conceived as a homage to Aleppo's musical legacy.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. 'Im al-Tarab': musical myths and afterlives; 2. 'Shahba': an aesthetic of displacement; 3. 'Radio Beirut': samples as codes; Conclusion; Epilogue.

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This Element explores the intersection of data sonification and musical composition. It offers an original model and insights for composers and science communicators. It explores techniques, models, translation, data fidelity, analogic and symbolic mapping, temporality, and listener experience, and how sonification can enrich composition.

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Book SynopsisInnovations in music technology bring with them a new set of challenges for describing and understanding the electroacoustic repertoire. This edited collection presents a state-of-the-art overview of analysis methods for electroacoustic music, with analyses of key electroacoustic works from a wide range of genres and sources.Trade Review'The contributors share profound insights on a variety of subjects and demonstrate tools and methodologies that address the unique challenges of electroacoustic music analysis. Composers, performers, analysts, and educators will find this collection to be a valuable source of course readings, analytical examples, and creative inspiration. It is also an essential book for college and university library collections that support music technology, music theory, and electroacoustic music composition programs.' Joel V. Hunt, NotesTable of ContentsPart I. Setting the Scene: Introduction Simon Emmerson and Leigh Landy; 1. The analysis of electroacoustic music – the differing needs of its genres and categories Simon Emmerson and Leigh Landy; Part II. Ideas and Challenges: 2. Listening and meaning: how a model of mental layers informs electroacoustic music analysis Gary Kendall; 3. Forming form John Young; 4. Interactive and generative music: a quagmire for the musical analyst Michael Young; 5. Some ideas concerning the relationship between form and texture Raúl Minsburg; Part III. Harnessing New Forces: 6. Exploiting computational paradigms for electroacoustic music analysis Tae Hong Park; 7. OREMA – an analytical community Michael Gatt; 8. EAnalysis: developing a sound-based music analytical tool Pierre Couprie; Part IV. Analyses of Key Works: 9. Trevor Wishart's Children's Stories II from Encounters in the Republic of Heaven: an analysis for children of a sample-based composition Leigh Landy; 10. Analysis of Foil by Autechre (from Amber (1994)) Ben Ramsay; 11. Temporal recurrence in Andrew Lewis's Penmon Point Ambrose Seddon; 12. Michel Waisvisz: No Backup/Hyper Instruments John Ferguson; 13. Analysing sound art: Douglas Henderson's Fadensonnen (2009) Kersten Glandien; 14. Analysing the identifiable: cultural borrowing in Diana Salazar's La voz del fuelle Manuella Blackburn; 15. Kireek 2011 championship routine analysis Sophy Smith; 16. The analysis of live and interactive electroacoustic music: Hans Tutschku – Zellen-Linien (2007) Simon Emmerson; 17. Audio only computer games – Papa Sangre Andrew Hugill and Panos Amelides; 18. Some questions around listening: Vancouver Soundscape Revisited by Claude Schryer Katharine Norman.

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Book SynopsisMusicians are always quick to adopt and explore new technologies. The fast-paced changes wrought by electrification, from the microphone via the analogue synthesiser to the laptop computer, have led to a wide range of new musical styles and techniques. Electronic music has grown to a broad field of investigation, taking in historical movements such as musique concrÃte and elektronische Musik, and contemporary trends such as electronic dance music and electronica. The first edition of this book won the 2009 Nicolas Bessaraboff Prize as it brought together researchers at the forefront of the sonic explorations empowered by electronic technology to provide accessible and insightful overviews of core topics and uncover some hitherto less publicised corners of worldwide movements. This updated and expanded second edition includes four entirely new chapters, as well as new original statements from globally renowned artists of the electronic music scene, and celebrates a diverse array of techTable of Contents1. The origins of electronic music Andrew Hugill; 2. Electronic music and the studio Margaret Schedel; 3. Live electronic music Nicolas Collins; 4. A history of programming and music Ge Wang; Artists' statements I: Laurie Spiegel, Yasunao Tone, John Oswald, Mathias Gmachl (Farmers Manual), Erdem Helvacioglu, Pauline Oliveros, Chris Jeffs, Rodrigo Sigal, Mira Calix, Seong-Ah Shin, Carsten Nicolai, Warren Burt, Max Mathews; 5. Interactivity and live computer music Sergi Jordà; 6. Algorithmic composition Karlheinz Essl; 7. Live audiovisuals Amy Alexander and Nick Collins; 8. Network music Julian Rohrhuber; 9. Electronic music and the moving image Julio d'Escriván; Artists' statements II: Kevin Saunderson, Kanta Horio, Donna Hewitt, Alejandro Viñao, Bubblyfish Barry Truax, Lukas Ligeti (Burkina Electric), Christina Kubisch, Murat Ertel, Adina Izarra, CybOrk, Francis Dhomont, David Behrman, Kevin Blechdom (Kristin Erickson) Karlheinz Stockhausen, George E. Lewis; 10. Computer generation and manipulation of sounds Stefania Serafin; 11. Trends in electroacoustic music Natasha Barrett; 12. Electronic sound art and aesthetic experience Adinda van 't Klooster; 13. DIY and maker communities in electronic music John Richards; 14. Extending the instrumental sound world using electronics Monty Adkins; 15. The analysis of electronic music Mary Simoni; Artists' statements III: Éliane Radigue, Daniel Miller, Ikue Mori, Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, Holly Herndon, Vince Clarke, Ralf Hütter, Hasnizam Abdul Wahid, Elsa Justel, Beatriz Ferreyra.

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Book Synopsis''The best non-fiction book I''ve ever read. It''s magical. Stunning'' Dan Schreiber, No Such Thing As a Fish''A pop biography for people who don''t read pop biographies'' Dorian Lynskey, Guardian''Brilliant, discursive and wise'' Ben Goldacre''Utterly irresistible and totally brilliant'' The Quietus''A thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented genius'' Alexis PetridisThey were the bestselling singles band in the world. They had awards, credibility, commercial success and creative freedom. Then they deleted their records, erased themselves from musical history and burnt their last million pounds in a boathouse on the Isle of Jura. And they couldn''t say why.This is not just the story of The KLF. It is a book about Carl Jung, Alan Moore, Robert Anton Wilson, Ken Campbell, Dada, Situationism, Discordianism, magic, chaos, punk, rave, the alchemical symbolism of Doctor Who and the special poweTrade ReviewThe best non-fiction book I've ever read. It's magical. Stunning -- Dan Schreiber * NO SUCH THING AS A FISH *The best non-fiction book I've ever read. It's magical. Stunning * NO SUCH THING AS A FISH *A pop biography for people who don't read pop biographies. Higgs approaches the short career of the early 90s top 10 provocateurs like Adam Curtis brainstorming with Thomas Pynchon, exploring all manner of magical thinking and conspiracy theories. Touching on Dada, Doctor Who and Discordianism, it's as playful and sui generis as the KLF themselves, which is saying something * GUARDIAN *A pop biography for people who don't read pop biographies. Higgs approaches the short career of the early 90s top 10 provocateurs like Adam Curtis brainstorming with Thomas Pynchon, exploring all manner of magical thinking and conspiracy theories. Touching on Dada, Doctor Who and Discordianism, it's as playful and sui generis as the KLF themselves, which is saying something * GUARDIAN *Might well be the best music book of the 2010s . . . eccentric, bizarre, confusing, hilarious and more than a little pretentious but utterly irresistible and totally brilliant -- Cay McDermott * THE QUIETUS *Might well be the best music book of the 2010s . . . eccentric, bizarre, confusing, hilarious and more than a little pretentious but utterly irresistible and totally brilliant * THE QUIETUS *The book brilliantly captures the anti-establishment attitude of Drummond and Cauty, and makes you wish the pop charts were full of such madness these days * THE BIG ISSUE *The book brilliantly captures the anti-establishment attitude of Drummond and Cauty, and makes you wish the pop charts were full of such madness these days * THE BIG ISSUE *This wildly entertaining thesis speculates on how the KLF arrived at a crowning act of transgression even they did not understand, drawing together threads including practical magic, strange patterns of coincidence and punk * MOJO *This wildly entertaining thesis speculates on how the KLF arrived at a crowning act of transgression even they did not understand, drawing together threads including practical magic, strange patterns of coincidence and punk * MOJO *Succeeds by ignoring music for much of the story, in favour of the group's philosophical and psycho-geographical underpinnings in Discordianism, situationism, art and magic. Sometimes, the music is just a means to an end - in their case, a million-quid bonfire that Higgs suggests may be "a magical act that forged the 21st century". Well, maybe . . . * INDEPENDENT *Succeeds by ignoring music for much of the story, in favour of the group's philosophical and psycho-geographical underpinnings in Discordianism, situationism, art and magic. Sometimes, the music is just a means to an end - in their case, a million-quid bonfire that Higgs suggests may be "a magical act that forged the 21st century". Well, maybe . . . -- Andy Gill * INDEPENDENT *Book of the Century. Most pop biographies are a dull patchwork of clippings - this is something elseBook of the Century. Most pop biographies are a dull patchwork of clippings - this is something elseBy far the best book this year, brilliant, discursive and wiseBy far the best book this year, brilliant, discursive and wiseI am going to bang on about THE KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds rather a lot. Fascinating . . . Enthralling'I am going to bang on about THE KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds rather a lot. Fascinating . . . Enthralling'John Higgs's book about the KLF is - like its subject - a thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented geniusJohn Higgs's book about the KLF is - like its subject - a thing of endlessly fascinating, utterly demented genius

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Book SynopsisWhen a small group of enthusiasts rebelled against the increasing commercialisation of the rave scene, converting a derelict meat store in London into a venue seemed the only option to stay authentic. The meat store became and remains a cathedral for undiluted dance music with a global following.    This book celebrates Fabric's phenomenal impact on club culture over the past quarter of a century. Using oral history, photography, archival ephemera and club night artwork, 25 Years of Fabric tells the story of the misfits and visionaries who made it happen, the curators and resident DJs who kept the pure beats pulsing, and the devotees who filled the floor week after week, year after year. Through highs, lows and a campaign against enforced closure, Factory stands tall as an independent, resilient international cultural icon.

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR BBC DRAMA, AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON BBC THREE NOW''An essential read for anyone with the slightest interest in the birth of Grime'' The Wire''Sharp and nostalgic'' The ObserverA group of kids in the 90s had a dream to make their voice heard - and this book documents their seminal impact on today''s pop culture. DJ Target grew up in Bow under the shadow of Canary Wharf, with money looming close on the skyline. The ''Godfather of Grime'' Wiley and Dizzee Rascal first met each other in his bedroom. They were all just grime kids on the block back then, and didn''t realise they were to become pioneers of an international music revolution. A movement that permeates deep into British culture and beyond. Household names were borne out of those housing estates, and the music industry now jumps to the beat of their gritty reality rather than the tune of glossy aspiration. Grime has shaken the world and Target is reveaTrade ReviewAn essential read for anyone with the slightest interest in the birth of Grime * THE WIRE *Sharp and nostalgic * OBSERVER *

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Book SynopsisSean Albiez is the Programme Group Leader for Popular Music at Southampton Solent University. He has been an active musician since the mid-1980s, and has published scholarly work about John Lydon, Krautrock, and Madonna. David Pattie is Professor in Drama in the Department of Performing Arts at the University of Chester, where he also taeches on the MA in Popular Music. He is the author of Rock Music in Performance (2007) and The Complete Critical Guide to Samuel Beckett (2001).Trade Review"No one but C-3PO makes love to Kraftwerk. No one liked them much to begin with - certainly not in Germany.Yet they eventually managed to attract sufficient critical mass to create a new star. And everyone else found themselves firmly in orbit.This book of original essays scrutinises their cultural influence from all angles. Here, Kraftwerk are cast as Cousins of Iggy Pop, Duchamp, Gilbert and George, Heirs to Hitler, Stockhausen, Gropius and The Beach Boys. Brothers of Beuys and Bambaataa, Kin to Kiefer, Godfathers of British Pop, Uncles of Rave, Midwives of Detroit Techno, Sperm Donors of Dance - as mysterious and potent as the monoliths in 2001, as daft as Punk, as indispensible to understanding modern culture as Musclebuilding, Warhol, or Strictly Ballroom.If this book were a film, it would move from macro to micro every scene, if it were a meal it would be prepared by Heston Blumenthal. It's a mutation waltz, a stumble rumba, a nimble mambo, a complex minuet - and proof that cultural critics can dance." - John Foxx, synthpop pioneer and multi-media artist"Overall, one comes away from Kraftwerk: Music Non-Stop with the impression of Hutter, Schneider and co creating a multifaceted oeuvre on a par with that of Andy Warhol's, a brief phase from either's artistic corpus capable of generating an entire career for lesser talents."-The Wire‘It is refreshing to encounter Kraftwerk: Music Non-Stop, a new collection of academic essays on the band, which spurns fashion and firmly returns the emphasis to ideas. Editors Sean Albiez and David Pattie have assembled a compendium of rigorously argued and illuminating discussions of the band, one that more than compensates for the shallower latter-day ramifications of what Alex Seago termed in 2004 the "Kraftwerk-Effekt".' -- The Oxonian ReviewTable of ContentsPart One: Music and Contexts; Part Two: Influence.

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Book SynopsisFlea, the iconic bassist and co-founder, alongside Anthony Kiedis, of the immortal Red Hot Chili Peppers finally tells his fascinating origin story, complete with all the dizzying highs and the gutter lows you''d expect from an LA street rat turned world-famous rock star.Michael Peter Balzary was born in Melbourne, Australia, on October 16, 1962. His more famous stage name, Flea, and his wild ride as the renowned bass player for the Red Hot Chili Peppers was in a far and distant future. Little Michael from Oz moved with his very conservative, very normal family to Westchester, New York, where life as he knew it was soon turned upside down. His parents split up and he and his sister moved into the home of his mother''s free-wheeling, jazz musician boyfriend - trading in rules, stability, and barbecues for bohemian values, wildness, and Sunday afternoon jazz parties where booze, weed, and music flowed in equal measure. There began Michael''s life-long jourTrade Review[Flea creates] a rhythm for his prose as curt and distinct as his bass playing. -- Jim Farber * The Guardian *Acid for the Children is not an as-told-to, nor is it written "with" someone. These are Flea's words-excitable, jazzy, regretful, disarming, popping and writhing away in his biological bass zone. Insecurities to the fore: He worries that he may be producing "a thorny jumble of trash." But he's actually a lovely writer, with a particular gift for the free-floating and reverberant. He writes in Beat Generation bursts and epiphanies, lifting toward the kind of virtuosic vulnerability and self-exposure associated with the great jazz players....Flea-elegant nutcase, funk-at-high-pressure bassist, wildly cultured and culturedly wild man-has written a fine memoir. You'll put down Acid for the Children with your human sympathies expanded; you'll feel less alone. * The Atlantic *Acid For the Children's closest analog is, somewhat surprisingly, Patti Smith's Just Kids...The prose frequently mimics [Flea's] playing: occasionally beautiful, occasionally outrageous, in conversation with a small group of predecessors but unwilling to follow anyone else's rules. This is what gives Acid for the Children its considerable charm... * AV Club *[An] electric, surprisingly moving memoir...Flea is an enlightened narrator, and this passionate, smart memoir will resonate with readers whether they're fans of the band or not. * Publisher's Weekly *A wild ride through the coming-of-age wilderness of the famed rock bassist...Relentlessly honest, untamed, and often revelatory. * Kirkus *He's the iconic bassist and co-founder of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The one you couldn't take your eyes off, despite Anthony Kiedis' enormous stage presence. Flea finally reveals his fascinating story, complete with everything you'd expect - the "highs" and the gutter lows from an "LA street rat turned world-famous rock star". A must for all music fans everywhere. * Creative Boom *Its hard not to warm to his openhearted embrace of jazz, funk and his eventual bromance with bandmates. * Best Music Books of the Year, Daily Telegraph *A frenzied, beat-ish telling of his pre-RCHP existence * Strong Words *

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Book SynopsisSTUDIO ONE FOR ENGINEERS AND PRODUCERS

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Book SynopsisAN AGE WITHOUT SAMPLES: ORIGINALITY AND CREATIVITY IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

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Book SynopsisSo much, popular and scholarly, has been written about the synthesizer, Bob Moog and his brand-name instrument, and even Wendy Carlos, the musician who made this instrument famous. No one, however, has examined the importance of spy technology, the Cold War and Carlos''s gender to this critically important innovation. Through a postcolonial lens of feminist science and technology studies, Roshanak Kheshti engages in a reading of Carlos''s music within this gendered context. By focusing on Switched-On Bach (the highest selling classical music recording of all time), this book explores the significance of gender to the album''s--and, as a result, the Moog synthesizer''s--phenomenal success.Trade ReviewWendy Carlos’s Switched-On Bach is the type of entry that keeps me coming back to the 33 1/3 series. Khesti’s work has completely opened up my mind and understanding of what the Moog should be as a musical instrument and what Wendy Carlos hoped to accomplish by recording music as she did. * Bearded Gentleman Music *Roshanak Kheshti, the author of the new 33 1/3 book series entrant Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach, says Carlos was and remains a "foundational presence" to electronic music—and that the brief public acknowledgements she often garners today fall far short of the full story. * Reverb *Table of ContentsSwitched-On Prologue 1 Original Synth 2 Switching On 3 Switched-On Studio 4 Switched-On World Epilogue: Cats on Keys & Total Eclipses Acknowledgements Notes

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Book SynopsisMorton Feldman: Friendship and Mourning in the New York Avant-Garde documents the collaborations and conflicts essential to the history of the post-war avant-garde. It offers a study of composer Morton Feldman's associations and friendships with artists like John Cage, Jackson Pollock, Philip Guston, Frank O'Hara, Charlotte Moorman, and others. Arguing that friendship and mourning sustained the collective aesthetics of the New York School, Dohoney has written an emotional and intimate revision of New York modernism from the point of view of Feldman''s agonistic community.Trade ReviewThe book bears powerful testament to his proposal that in writing about friendships mediated through painting, poetry and music one can derive new insights into that painting, poetry and music. * Tempo *The book bears powerful testament to his proposal that in writing about friendships mediated through painting, poetry and music one can derive new insights into that painting, poetry and music. * Tempo *Dohoney’s graceful and affecting meditation on the plexus of Feldman’s relationships compellingly surveys Feldman’s dedication—and his dedications—to his friends, his love for poetry, painting, and for their makers, and the mourning and melancholy that ultimately tied them together. Feldman’s music becomes increasingly concerned, in Dohoney’s vivid account, with what survives, what endures, and what can still be heard, even as it ebbs. * Martin Iddon, Professor of Music and Aesthetics, University of Leeds, UK *Dohoney’s graceful and affecting meditation on the plexus of Feldman’s relationships compellingly surveys Feldman’s dedication—and his dedications—to his friends, his love for poetry, painting, and for their makers, and the mourning and melancholy that ultimately tied them together. Feldman’s music becomes increasingly concerned, in Dohoney’s vivid account, with what survives, what endures, and what can still be heard, even as it ebbs. * Martin Iddon, Professor of Music and Aesthetics, University of Leeds, UK *Ryan Dohoney's book distinctively illuminates and contextualizes Morton Feldman's modernist music. It is an account of Feldman's relationships, in particular, with the poet and art writer Frank O'Hara and the visual artist Philip Guston. Two large themes emerge, friendship and death. This is a new kind of musicology, with much detailed historical research that also finds emotional elements central to understanding the music, an affective account of what Feldman would call his life in art. It puts together the personal and what we have "out there," the music. * Christian Wolff, composer and Jacob H. Strauss 1922 Professor of Music, Emeritus, Dartmouth College, USA *Ryan Dohoney's book distinctively illuminates and contextualizes Morton Feldman's modernist music. It is an account of Feldman's relationships, in particular, with the poet and art writer Frank O'Hara and the visual artist Philip Guston. Two large themes emerge, friendship and death. This is a new kind of musicology, with much detailed historical research that also finds emotional elements central to understanding the music, an affective account of what Feldman would call his life in art. It puts together the personal and what we have "out there," the music. * Christian Wolff, composer and Jacob H. Strauss 1922 Professor of Music, Emeritus, Dartmouth College, USA *Ryan Dohoney's fantastic book on Morton Feldman points to a Copernican turn within studies of the social life of the arts: trapped for decades in the domain of theme and anecdote, friendship here emerges instead as the infrastructure or medium it in fact is. Friendship thus does not "contextualize" Feldman's music from the outside, but rather enables and structures it from within, like the charged gaps between his notes. * Lytle Shaw, Professor of English, New York University, USA *Ryan Dohoney's fantastic book on Morton Feldman points to a Copernican turn within studies of the social life of the arts: trapped for decades in the domain of theme and anecdote, friendship here emerges instead as the infrastructure or medium it in fact is. Friendship thus does not "contextualize" Feldman's music from the outside, but rather enables and structures it from within, like the charged gaps between his notes. * Lytle Shaw, Professor of English, New York University, USA *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction 1. Spontaneity, Intimacy, and Friendship in the 1950s 2. “Élan vital … and how to fake it” Intermission: The Necessary Other 3. The Elegiac Science 4. “We broke up because of style” Conclusion: Friendship’s Silence Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTami Gadir is Lecturer in Music Industry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Gadir's research addresses the social and political mechanisms of musical life.Trade ReviewAmidst a recent wave of books on dance music and club culture, Tami Gadir’s Dance Music stands out. Gadir celebrates the ways in which dance floors may be spaces of self-realization and community, but goes further than most in capturing the ways such spaces are fraught with risk, anxiety, and the violence of oppression. Commonplace ideas about club culture—like those claiming the ‘transcendence’ of dance floor experience—are scrutinized with care and a sharp sense of their political stakes. Well-written and impeccably researched, this is an important contribution to an expanding field. * Will Straw, Professor of Urban Media Studies, McGill University, Canada *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. Dance Music Histories 2. Dance Music Studies 3. Location, Regulation, and Night-Time Danger 4. Transcendence 5. “This One’s for the Ladies”: Gender Trouble in Sound and Dance 6. “It’s Not About Gender”: Merit, Talent, and Other Myths Conclusion: Dance Music is Ordinary Acknowledgements Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrip-hop described some of the 1990s' best music, and it was one of the decade's most revealing bad ideas. This book chronicles the music and its leading artists, packed with recommended listening, essential tracks, great remixes, and under-recognized albums. Your playlists will soon be overflowing. - Spectrum CultureThe music itself was an intoxication of beats, bass, and voice. It emerged amid the social tensions of the late 1980s, and as part of hip-hop's rise to global dominance. It carried the innovations of Jamaican soundsystem culture, the sweet refuge of Lovers Rock, the bliss of club jazz dancefloors and post-rave chill-out rooms. It went mainstream with Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, DJ Shadow, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and Björk; and with record labels like Ninja Tune and Mo' Wax. To the artists' despair, the music was tagged with a silly label and packaged as music for the boutique and the lounge; made respectable with awards and acclaim. But the music at its best stilTrade ReviewA detailed, authoritative, knowledgeable unpacking of a notoriously conflicting genre written by a diamond-keen cultural critic who's not afraid to tackle nuanced, difficult topics while still singing the praises of music he loves to the high heavens. . . . Your playlists will soon be overflowing. * Spectrum Culture *Table of ContentsPrologue: Beat Bop 1. Trip-Hop 2. Dub-Hop 3. Lovers Hip-Hop 4. Chill Out 5. Cut-Up 6. Contemplating Jazz 7. Abstract Hip-Hop 8. Lo-Fi 9. Blunted Beats 10. Subterranean Abstract Blues 11. Black-Hearted Soul 12. Exotica 13. Hip-Hop Blues 14. Canceled Futures 10 Essential Tracks Acknowledgments Notes

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Book SynopsisAram Yardumian is Assistant Professor at Bryn Athyn College, USA, specializing in the nexus connecting the Caucasus, Middle East, and South Asia. He has conducted fieldwork and research at multiple sites in these regions and has travelled worldwide. His publications include surveys of molecular genetics and ancient history, as well as intellectual history and critical reviews of arts and culture.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Dramatis personae Preface Introduction: 'Signal' 1. The Voice of the Resistance 2. Paris, 1947 3. The Voice of the Avant-garde 4. The Voice of Cyrus 5. Shiraz, 1967–69 6. Paris, 1971 7. Persepolis, 1971 8. The Voice of Khomeini 9. Afterlife Endnotes Index

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Book SynopsisFeaturing a foreword from Annie MacIn Welcome to the club, Manchester legend DJ Paulette shares the highs, lows and lessons of a thirty-year music career, with help from some famous friends.One of the Haçienda’s first female DJs, Paulette has scaled the heights of the music industry, playing to crowds of thousands all around the world, and descended to the lows of being unceremoniously benched by COVID-19, with no chance of furlough and little support from the government. Here she tells her story, offering a remarkable view of the music industry from a Black woman’s perspective. Behind the core values of peace, love, unity and respect, dance music is a world of exclusion, misogyny, racism and classism. But, as Paulette reveals, it is also a space bursting at the seams with powerful women.Part personal account, part call to arms, Welcome to the club exposes the exclusivity of the music industry while seeking to do justice to the often invisible women who keep the beat going.Trade Review‘Imagine the DJ is taking notes while everyone in the club is dancing. Welcome to the club is exactly that, notes of a DJ – the irrepressible sunlight of DJ Paulette. A fascinating insight into the music business by a northern Black woman.’Lemn Sissay, author of My Name Is Why'Icon. Trailblazer. Activist. Warrior. DJ Paulette has led the way for Black women and women everywhere in a global music industry riddled with racism and misogyny. She has blown apart the myths. This is a magnificent book. A manifesto for our times and a rallying call for the future.'Maxine Peake, actress and activist'Paulette continues to light the way for others, building in relevance and significance, wowing crowds, annihilating dancefloors. I would recommend Welcome to the club as an essential read for anyone and everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed it.'Craig Charles, actor, comedian, DJ, television and radio presenter ‘Paulette is someone I’ve always respected, admired and been inspired by. This book is beautifully written, incisive, dry, witty and real – true Mancunian honesty. What an adventure and a truly fascinating life.’Rowetta, member of the Happy Mondays'Paulette is a pioneer, a ground-breaker, a trailblazer and never afraid to hold a mirror up to the world to show that there is still so much more to do. A self-assured shimmy of a book that instantly transports you to the dancefloor and beyond. I love it!'Arielle Free, BBC Radio 1 presenter‘DJ Paulette's Welcome to the club is a testament to her ability to witness the dancefloor while blending memorable anecdotes that bring new life to the UK underground music scene. More than her fabulous landing in Paris, where she built a new world of listeners around her name and sound, it's the fact that Paulette turns notable moments in her thirty-year career into a close listening experience. There's a musical quality to this book that sounds like what Black women DJs have tried to tell the world – our unique experiences turn any party into a lively classroom. Paulette leaves curious students waiting for the next chapter so they can hear it like a song.’Lynnée Denise, DJ, writer and interdisciplinary artist‘When I first met Paulette, back in that pivotal space of early 1990s Manchester, I don’t think any of us really understood what we were getting out of nightlife beyond raw enjoyment. Now we've had a chance to re-evaluate those codes, to understand how much they meant in forming us as people. This book explains why nightlife matters, beamed in directly from a vanguard position behind the DJ booth. Paulette understands the philosophy of the nightclub because she was there when it was at its very best.’Paul Flynn, author of Good As You: 30 Years of Gay Britain ‘I arrived in 1990s Manchester, found a place to live and a job then got dragged up, went clubbing and there was DJ Paulette on the decks. She made being an outsider look hot, and I wanted in. Her energy and music were the soundtrack to my queer gender-bending dance floor years. Decades on I still want to be in her club. If music and clubbing played an important part in your life, then so will this book.’Kate O'Donnell, Artistic Director of Trans Creative'I now realise the weight of the obstacles and challenges Paulette overcame, her fortitude to compete in male-dominated arenas, the racism she undoubtedly encountered. Her mettle and contribution have clearly opened doors for the diversity and equality we strive for today.'Simon Dunmore, DJ and Founder of Defected Records & Glitterbox'With fierce resilience and passion, DJ Paulette’s travels through clubland reveal her personal triumphs over life’s adversities. A book filled with music and love, positivity and enthusiasm. 'Princess Julia, DJ, model and music writer‘Any list of the pioneers of the Manchester club scene, and the international scene it so heavily influenced, is not complete without the name of DJ Paulette. Ours is a city that celebrates those who challenge elites, break down barriers and open doors for others to walk through. Paulette has done all of those things and more and that is why we are so proud of her.’Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester‘A thrilling ride around the world through the lens of a Black female DJ. Covering the good, the bad and the ugly, DJ Paulette tells it like it is. There are few visible Black female role models in the music industry and DJ Paulette is a passionate advocate for racial, gender and LGBTQ+ equality, but most of all she’s a legendary DJ. If you want a fresh, original voice on electronic dance music, culture, politics and more, this is the book for you!’John Shortell, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, The Musicians’ Union‘A refreshingly honest and positive queer voice. DJ Paulette’s memoirs are everything that club culture needs at the moment: Written with warmth and passion, this book continues the trend of female professionals telling their stories – the good and the bad ones – so that we learn how clubs can once again become the places of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect.’Dr Beate Peter, The Lapsed Clubber Project'A true original of the UK club scene, Paulette has experienced the highs and lows of dance music culture, and this heartfelt and insightful book tells the story of what she saw and learned with her distinctive style, warmth and wicked wit.'Matthew Collin, author of Rave On and Altered State'DJ Paulette has written a story that needed to be told, and as only she could tell it. Rich with experience and careful research, Welcome to the club is a must-read for anyone interested in house music, DJing and the power of life narrative.'Audrey Golden, author of I Thought I Heard You Speak'Welcome to the club is joyful, funny and furious. DJ Paulette’s essential read doubles up as an alternative history of dance music, told from the middle of the dancefloor. It’s a sparkling and generous ride through international high times and low moments, documenting music industry racism, sexism and homophobia with fabulous clarity. This pioneering DJ and musical instigator has written a full-bodied celebration of the myriad ways music can save your life – and can also make your life. 'Emma Warren, author of Dance Your Way Home'This book made me dizzy in a good way! Paulette is a great story teller who brings her musical journey to life in a way which entertains and inspires, much like her DJ sets and radio shows.'Mr. Scruff, record producer and DJ'This is one of those books whose absence from the canon of musical history goes largely unnoticed until it is written.'Louis Cammell, The Skinny‘This book is a timely reminder that history or herstory is not written yet and never over. It gives a valuable and personal account of the development of DJing as a professional music career and its beginnings in the LGBTQ community in Manchester at the start of the 1990s. At moments it is a disturbing and hard read, but read it one must. This is a much needed and powerful account for anybody interested in the music business and the development of dance music internationally.’Sally Anne Gross, music industry practitioner and academic'Paulette’s rollicking memoir takes you through unmarked doors vibrating with bass to celebrate a life lived to the full in dance music.'Frank Broughton, DJ History -- .Table of ContentsForeword by Annie MacIntroduction: welcome to the club (Belleville or bust)1 Finders keepers: in the beginning2 London to Paris: Eurostar3 Bad behaviour: shit shags and crap hotels4 FAQs (female asked questions)5 How to kill a DJ6 Sane as it ever was7 Lifetime VIP: a manifestoIndex

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Book SynopsisA Guardian Guide Cultural Book of the Year 2023An Irish Times Music Book of the Year 2023'A deep, engrossing history' The Observer'A fascinating deep dive' Jeremy DellerFrom the illicit reggae blues dances and acid-rock free festivals of the 1970s, through the ecstasy-fuelled Second Summer of Love in 1988, to the increasingly corporate dance music culture of the post-Covid era, Party Lines is a groundbreaking new history of UK dance music, exploring its pivotal role in the social, political and economic shifts on which modern Britain has been built.Taking in the Victorian moralism of the Thatcher years, the far-reaching restrictions of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994, and the resurgence of illegal raves during the Covid-19 pandemic, Party Lines charts an ongoing conflict, fought in basement clubs, abandoned warehouses and sunlit fields, between the revolutionary potential of communal sound and the reactionary impulses of the British establishment. Brought to life with stunning clarity and depth, this is social and cultural history at its most immersive, vital and shocking.____'Excellent' The Sunday Times'Reminds us why the dance floor matters . . . fascinating' TelegraphTrade ReviewEd Gillett’s excellent history of UK dance culture, moves beyond the saucer-eyed clichés of the raver’s epiphany and towards a sharper sort of revelation . . . the politics of dancing expertly laid bare. * Sunday Times *A fascinating deep dive into dance music's uneasy relationship with the establishment. -- Jeremy DellerEngrossing history . . . a wide and deep undertaking -- Book of the Week * Observer *[A] well-researched, meaty account of dance music in the UK . . . an engrossing piece of modern social history. -- Books of the Month * Independent *A deeply-researched and engaging new understanding of the interwoven soundtrack to the turbulence of modern Britain. -- Luke Turner, author of Out of the Woods and Men at WarReminds us why the dance floor matters . . . fascinating. * Telegraph *A truly thrilling journey through the politics, culture and successive social revolutions of British dance music: a landmark book, and a reminder that the dancefloor is always political. -- Dan Hancox, author of Inner City PressureEssential reading. * Spectator *A passionately argued and intensively researched addition to the ever-evolving narrative of UK dance music culture. -- Matthew Collin, author of Altered StateIt has undoubtedly set a very high standard for other authors looking to write historical stories born out of the euphoria of rave and dance culture. * Louder than War *

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Book SynopsisA thrilling, filmic immersion into Berlin's legendary club scene - a skillfully told novel about the fragility of life.Berlin, Görlitzer Park: The body of a young woman in a white wedding dress floats in the canal. Who is she, and where does she come from? Suspended drugs investigator Tommy trawls Berlin's clubs and criminal clans to uncover the woman's story.On his odyssey through the city, he meets survivors and fighters, the lost and stranded from all over the world: from the Japanese tattoo master to the Indian fire-eater. Wide awake and dead tired, suspended between a dreamscape and reality, Tommy dives deeper and deeper into the Berlin underworld and into his own past. A breathless noir novel that is as hard-hitting as it is emotional, exploring the fragility of life and our longing for community.PRAISE FOR One Clear, Ice-cold Morning at the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century"A highly original and often hypnotic work . . . exactly the type of book that readers in search of striking European voices should embrace" John Boyne (author of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS), Irish Times"A brilliantly kaleidoscopic morality tale"- Eileen Battersby, Financial Times"A magnificent achievement, a novel of terrific originality" - Charlie Connelly, New European"The exhilarating narrative is wonderfully concise, and the imagery is intensely cinematic" - Barry Forshaw, GuardianTranslated from the German by Jamie BullochTrade ReviewTells an unaffected, gritty, exciting story that you can immediately imagine as a film -- Felix Mueller * Berliner Morgenpost *The panorama of characters is intoxicating -- Margarete Affenzeller * Der Standard *Schimmelpfennig the novelist, like the playwright, succeeds in making his characters lively and believable with just a few strokes -- Monika Wolting * literaturekritik.de *A restless novel written in clear language by a dramatist used to condensing events into vivid scenes. -- Anne Fritsch * Munich Feuilleton *An intoxicating sequence of scenes, with the sober realization that nothing can end well here -- Maike Schiller * Hamburger Abendblatt *A breathless noir novel full of fragile characters, an a powerfully compelling read - the pages practically turn by themselves -- Angelika Grabher-Hollenstein * APA *

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe arrival of a new style of music and a new type of drug in 1988 ignited a revolution. To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the second summer of love, this is the definitive story of the seismic movements in music and youth culture that changed the cultural landscape forever. Luke Bainbridge is uniquely positioned to tell this story, having connections both in the industry, through nearly two decades as a music journalist, and on the dancefloor, through two decades of dancing, promoting and DJing. Bainbridge has interviewed most of the protagonists who led the revolution, from the DJs and musicians to the promoters, gangsters and ravers, and built up a relationship of trust and mutual respect. This will be true story of acid house, from the DJ box to the dancefloor. He examines the legacy and lasting impact of acid house, and how the second summer of love is viewed 25 years on. How has acid house been assimilated into mainstream culture? How did the change in drugs, away from ecstasy towards other drugs, affect the music and the party scene? Why has the free party scene never really been replicated, despite new technology greater capacity to organise events and disseminate information? Did the summer of 1988 leave us with a generation of drug users? Has there been any lasting effect of such an explosion in drug use? Who were the real winners and casualties in the story? Do the world's current biggest DJs - Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta have any connection to the original scene? Where next for house and dance music in general?

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Book SynopsisIn the age of global capitalism, vaporwave celebrates and undermines the electronic ghosts haunting the nostalgia industry. Ours is a time of ghosts in machines, killing meaning and exposing the gaps inherent in the electronic media that pervade our lives. Vaporwave is an infant musical micro-genre that foregrounds the horror of electronic media's ability to appear - as media theorist Jeffrey Sconce terms it - "haunted." Experimental musicians such as INTERNET CLUB and MACINTOSH PLUS manipulate Muzak and commercial music to undermine the commodification of nostalgia in the age of global capitalism while accentuating the uncanny properties of electronic music production. Babbling Corpse reveals vaporwave's many intersections with politics, media theory, and our present fascination with uncanny, co(s)mic horror. The book is aimed at those interested in global capitalism's effect on art, musical raids on mainstream "indie" and popular music, and anyone intrigued by the changing relationship between art and commerce.

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Book SynopsisUpdated to include details of the group's recent concerts under the direction of Ralf Hutter. David Buckley examines the cult enigma that is Kraftwerk, including their beginnings in the avant-garde musical terrain of late-Sixties Germany and their Anglo-American breakthrough with Autobahn in 1975, as well as their astonishingly prescient work, which drew the musical template for techno, ambient, dance and all manner of electronic pop.Includes an interview with former member Wolfgang Flur.The inner workings of this most secretive of bands are revealed through interviews with friends and close associates, whilst the story of their incredible impact on modern music is traced up to the present day using interviews with a host of musicians, from original electro pioneers such as Gary Numan, the Human League, OMD and John Foxx, to contemporary acts still in awe of the original Man Machines.Trade Review'...manages to get to the clockwork heart of the group, working out what makes them tick.' Record Collector ****

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Book SynopsisNo other pop group in recent history has faced fame with such intelligence, humour and shrewdness as the Pet Shop Boys. In 1991, the band toured North America for the first time shadowed by journalist Chris Heath and legendary rock photographer Pennie Smith. They visited fourteen cities in one month, confronting the American music industry and colliding with the likes of Liza Minnelli, Steven Spielberg and Axl Rose. This is more than a documentary of a tour; it is an unusually intimate portrait of two maverick British musicians always reluctant to compromise.‘There was a time when the Pet Shop Boys seemed to exist entirely on radio, television and in magazines. This is the other world of the Pet Shop Boys in concert, travel and backstage, as they bring their art and glamour to America. It’s funny too.’ Johnny Marr‘A brilliant book, to be read over and over again. How could anyone not love these men?’ NMETrade ReviewOne of the best biographies in pop history. A phenomenal piece of observational journalism. Heath's books offers unprecedented access. -- Mark Savage * BBC News *Candid, hilarious and revealing...gloriously gossipy. [They set] a benchmark for music biographies. Engrossing stuff. * Classic Pop Magazine *Candid, insightful and frequently hilarious dispatches from the front line of pop stardom. An astonishingly intimate and honest portrait of the maverick duo. Page turners of the highest order, saying more about their subjects than any “straight” biographies could ever hope to achieve.- * Record Collector Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe Pet Shop Boys are one of the most successful and unusual bands of the last five decades. They are the pop duo that proves pop music can be modern, ecstatic and playful as well as serious and intelligent, winning them legions of devoted fans throughout the world.In 1989, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe invited journalist Chris Heath and photographer Lawrence Watson to shadow them around Hong Kong, Japan and the UK as they embarked on their first-ever tour. This book is the result: an immersive portrait giving access into the duo’s inner sanctum, showing them in brilliantly observed detail as they work, relax, gossip, argue and occasionally try to make sense of what they do.‘As clear a picture as could be wished for of the seething mass of elegant contradictions that is the Pet Shop Boys’ on-the-road experience.’ Independent on Sunday‘This superbly reported book transcends tired rock journalism cliché. It’s about what it means to be a pop star, what it means to be a Pet Shop Boy… how to love pop, hold it to a higher standard and subvert its expectations.’ Laura SnapesTrade ReviewOne of the best biographies in pop history. A phenomenal piece of observational journalism. Heath's books offers unprecedented access. -- Mark Savage * BBC News *Candid, hilarious and revealing...gloriously gossipy. [They set] a benchmark for music biographies. Engrossing stuff. * Classic Pop Magazine *Candid, insightful and frequently hilarious dispatches from the front line of pop stardom. An astonishingly intimate and honest portrait of the maverick duo. Page turners of the highest order, saying more about their subjects than any “straight” biographies could ever hope to achieve. * Record Collector Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Love this book! It triggers so many memories of the rave era. Thoroughly recommended.' - FATBOY SLIM 'Captures the hedonism and humour of the nineties with a laugh-out-loud honesty. The perfect Ibiza holiday read...if you can get it through customs!' - JUDGE JULES As a humble barman at the M25 Orbital raves, Kirk Field witnessed the moment acid house exploded. Inspired by media lies to start writing the truth about what he saw unfolding, Kirk became a 'raving' reporter for the clubbers' bible Mixmag, covering the historic parties from the inside and sending sweat-soaked dispatches from distant dancefloors as the scene expanded across Europe and beyond.With a cast of characters including Diego Maradona, Timothy Leary, the KLF, Michael Eavis, Genesis P-Orridge, Brigitte Nielsen, Boris Yeltsin, Boy George, Saddam Hussein's wife, the president of Tunisia, the CIA, the KGB, Dave Courtney, Norman Lamont's dominatrix and even Her Majesty the Queen, Kirk's whirlwind account of the golden age of clubbing tells the story of what really happened in the 'naughty '90s', exposing the seedy underbelly of rave culture while also capturing the nostalgic spirit of the era.Told through a mixture of vivid first-person narrative, surreal insider anecdotes and incisive social commentary, this honest, hilarious and uncensored postcard of hedonism will appeal to anyone who's ever put their hands in the air like they just don't care.Trade Review'Funny, intelligent and never sensationalised. Whether you're into the rave scene or not, this is an irrepressible read...starry-eyed and laughing rather than glazed and crazed. 4/5.' -- Record Collector'Never a dull moment.... packed to the eyeballs with vivid anecdotes and a five-star cast list.' -- Electronic Sound'(A) Fantastic account of the dance revolution...documented in exhilarating fashion. Rave New World is an intoxicating love letter to one of music's most misunderstood eras. 4/5.' -- Classic Pop'Love this book! It triggers so many memories of the rave era. Thoroughly recommended.' -- Fatboy Slim'Captures the hedonism and humour of the nineties with a laugh-out-loud honesty. The perfect Ibiza holiday read...if you can get it through customs!' -- Judge Jules'Like myself, Kirk was there right from the start of the 'rave new world', reporting and recording our revolution as it happened. This book is full of great tales and laughs - the perfect balance of history, hedonism and humour.' -- Slipmatt'There are quite a few books covering our culture, but THIS is the one.' -- DJ Fergie'Kirk Field took a fathoms deep dive in to the chaotic, curious, and sometimes highly ridiculous world of DJ's and nightclubbing and lived to tell the tale. And what a tale it is.' -- Richard Norris, The Grid'The rave era was a time of exploration and new possibilities and here Kirk Field documents his discoveries and experiences with skill, humour, and warmth. Whether you were there too, or just interested to learn more, this is a great read.' -- Nick Halkes, XL, Positiva Records'A wonderful first-hand account, direct from the front-line Kirk Field was right there in the eye of the storm of those early, incredible, halcyon days of Rave. His wide-eyed enthusiasm lights up every page as he blazes through anecdote after anecdote from a truly pivotal time in the UK's cultural history.' -- Dave Seaman, Mixmag editor, DJ, producer'Such an enjoyable book. I loved Kirk's playful style of writing and finding out about all his lively antics in clubland. Kirk is one of the most interesting people I've met in clubland, so it was a joy reading all the mischief he's got up to over the years.' -- Lisa Pin-Up, producer'An excellent insight to what it was like to eat, sleep and breathe the vibes of the original raves. I feel like I've been transported back in time and reliving the journey!' -- Aston Harvey, The Freestylers"Lively and relentless...Like a Forest Gump of clubland. A funny, insightful, exciting read that comes highly recommended.' -- Mixmag'Fascinating. A refreshing reminder that the scene was built on creativity, passion and a love of music and unity on the dance floor. A must read.' -- John Digweed'This book proves that time travel is possible. Every page will transport you back to the bass line that was the heartbeat of a revolution.' -- Gok Wan MBE'The book is honestly ace, proper laugh out loud stories.' -- James Atkin, EMF

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Book SynopsisThe emergence, evolution and global spread of nightclubs and electronic dance music.

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Book SynopsisA cultural history of global electronic dance music countercultures, "Technomad" explores the pleasurable and activist trajectories of post-rave. The book documents an emerging network of techno-tribes, exploring their pleasure principles and cultural politics. Attending to sound system culture, electro-humanitarianism, secret sonic societies, teknivals and other gatherings, intentional parties, revitalisation movements and counter-colonial interventions, "Technomad" investigates how the dance party has been harnessed for transgressive and progressive ends, for manifold freedoms. Seeking freedom from moral prohibitions and standards, pleasure in rebellion, refuge from sexual and gender prejudice, exile from oppression, rupturing aesthetic boundaries, re-enchanting the world, reclaiming space, fighting for 'the right to party', and responding to a host of critical concerns, electronic dance music cultures are multivalent sites of resistance. Drawing on extensive ethnographic, netographic and documentary research, "Technomad" details the post-rave trajectory through various local sites and global scenes, with each chapter attending to unique developments in the techno counterculture: example Spiral Tribe, teknivals, psytrance, Burning Man, Reclaim the Streets, Earthdream. The book offers an original nuanced theory of resistance to assist understanding of these developments. This cultural history of hitherto uncharted territory will be of interest to students of cultural, performance, music, media, and new social movement studies, along with enthusiasts of dance culture and popular politics.Table of ContentsIntroduction; The Rave-olution? 1. Sound System Exodus: Tekno-Anarchy in the UK and Beyond 2. Secret Sonic Societies and Other Renegades of Sound 3. New Tribal Gathering: Vibe-Tribes and Mega-Raves 4. The Technooccult, Psytrance and the Millennium 5. Rebel Sounds and Dance Activism: Rave and the Carnival of Protest 6. Outback Vibes: Dancing Up Country Conclusion: Hardcore, You Know the Score

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Book SynopsisA cultural history of global electronic dance music countercultures, "Technomad" explores the pleasurable and activist trajectories of post-rave. The book documents an emerging network of techno-tribes, exploring their pleasure principles and cultural politics. Attending to sound system culture, electro-humanitarianism, secret sonic societies, teknivals and other gatherings, intentional parties, revitalisation movements and counter-colonial interventions, "Technomad" investigates how the dance party has been harnessed for transgressive and progressive ends, for manifold freedoms. Seeking freedom from moral prohibitions and standards, pleasure in rebellion, refuge from sexual and gender prejudice, exile from oppression, rupturing aesthetic boundaries, re-enchanting the world, reclaiming space, fighting for 'the right to party', and responding to a host of critical concerns, electronic dance music cultures are multivalent sites of resistance. Drawing on extensive ethnographic, netographic and documentary research, "Technomad" details the post-rave trajectory through various local sites and global scenes, with each chapter attending to unique developments in the techno counterculture: example Spiral Tribe, teknivals, psytrance, Burning Man, Reclaim the Streets, Earthdream. The book offers an original nuanced theory of resistance to assist understanding of these developments. This cultural history of hitherto uncharted territory will be of interest to students of cultural, performance, music, media, and new social movement studies, along with enthusiasts of dance culture and popular politics.Table of ContentsIntroduction; The Rave-olution? 1. Sound System Exodus: Tekno-Anarchy in the UK and Beyond 2. Secret Sonic Societies and Other Renegades of Sound 3. New Tribal Gathering: Vibe-Tribes and Mega-Raves 4. The Technooccult, Psytrance and the Millennium 5. Rebel Sounds and Dance Activism: Rave and the Carnival of Protest 6. Outback Vibes: Dancing Up Country Conclusion: Hardcore, You Know the Score

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