Between Air and Electricity
Microphones and Loudspeakers as Musical Instruments
Author(s)
van Eck, Cathy
Collection
Knowledge Unlatched (KU)Language
EnglishAbstract
After the sound reproduction industry had claimed “perfect high fidelity” for sound recordings already at the beginning of the twentieth century, composers and sound artists challenged this perfection by tweaking microphones and loudspeakers to make them act as a musical instrument instead of a mere sound reproduction device. This book explores the instrumental use of microphones and loudspeakers in music beginning in the 1950s. The popular noise musician Merzbow, over-minimalist classic Alvin Lucier, cult instrument inventor Hugh Davies, and contemporary visual artist Lynn Pook made audible what was supposed to remain silent.
Keywords
Music; Instruction & Study; CompositionISBN
9781501327605, 9781501327605, 9781501327629, 9781501327612Publisher
Bloomsbury AcademicPublisher website
https://www.bloomsbury.com/academic/Publication date and place
2017Grantor
Imprint
Bloomsbury AcademicClassification
Theory of music & musicology
Theory of music and musicology