The New Sound Of Music 1979 (part 4)

The New Sound of Music is a fascinating BBC historical documentary from the year 1979. It charts the development of recorded music from the first barrel organs, pianolas, the phonograph, the magnetic tape recorder and onto the concepts of musique concrete and electronic music development with voltage-controlled oscillators making up the analogue synthesizers of the day. EMS Synthesizers and equipment are a heavily featured technology resource in this film, with the show's host, Michael Rodd, demonstrating the EMS VCS3 synthesizer and it's waveform output. Other EMS products include the incredible Synthi 100 modular console system, the EMS AKS, the Poly Synthi and the EMS Vocoder. Most of the location shots are filmed within the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop studios as they were in 1979. Malcolm Clarke demonstrates the Synthi 100, also known as the "Delaware", Michael Rodd demonstrates musique concrete by tape splicing and manipulation and Paddy Kingsland demonstrates tape recorder delay techniques (also known as "Frippertronics"). The Yamaha CS-80 analogue synthesizer is demonstrated by both Peter Howell and Roger Limb. The EMS Vocoder is also expertly put to use by Peter Howell on his classic "Greenwich Chorus" for the television series "The Body in Question". Dick Mills works on sound effects for Doctor Who using a VCS3 unit, and Elizabeth Parker uses bubble sounds to create music for an academic film on particle physics. Peter Zinovieff is featured using his computer music studio and DEC PDP8 computer to produce electronic variations on classic vintage scores. David Vorhaus is featured using his invention, the MANIAC (Multiphasic ANalog Inter-Active Chromataphonic (sequencer)), and playing his other invention, the Kaleidophon -- which uses lengths of magnetic tape as velocity-sensitive ribbon controllers. The New Sound of Music is a fascinating insight into the birth of the world of recorded and electronic music and features some very classic British analogue synthesizers creating the electronic sounds in this film. The prime location for these demonstrations is the BBC Radiophonic Workshop where much creativity and invention took place during the period the workshop was in operation in the latter part of the twentieth century. Electronic music today is used everywhere, and many musicians gain inspiration from the past, as well as delving into the realms of sonic structures and theories made possible by the widespread use of computers to manipulate sounds for the creation of all kinds of musical forms.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• BBC
• Radiophonic
• Workshop
• EMS
• VCS3
• synthesizer
• sequencer
• analog
• analogue
• digital
• AKS
• Synthi
• 100
• Delaware
• vocoder
• DEC
• PDP
• computer
• music
• musique
• concrete
• tape
• recorder
• electronic
• experimental
• splice
• loop
• Michael
• Rodd
• Malcolm
• Clarke
• Paddy
• Kingsland
• Peter
• Howell
• Roger
• Limb
• Dick
• Mills
• Elizabeth
• Parker
• Zinovieff
• David
• Vorhaus
• Yamaha
• CS-80
• piano
• keyboards
• Doctor
• Who
• studio
• sound
• effects
• manipulation
• process
• multitrack
• mixer
• electronics
• waveforms
• recording
• documentary
• history

[krackfoxtube]

I want to watch Nuclear Nightmares now? where is it?

[JeffreyPlaide]

I'm afraid I don't have the programme "Nuclear Nightmares" . The recording was done in 1984 in Sydney, Australia by sheer chance, but it remains one of my all-time favourites. "Nuclear Nightmares" sounds like it could be a BBC-made programme though.

[definty]

how many times does that bloke blink??

[auro1001]

The melodies coming out of that sequencer sound like modern techno melodies.

[SpiritualRasta]

Anyone happens to know anything about the melody that starts around 11:30 ??? :O

Track, Artist name? Anything...?

Or is it just something random...?

:D

[therealKINDLE]

@Shanawolfo1 I see. Sigh. It's a terrible shame that our decrepit, degenerate & corrupt culture of living (that I often call "The Art of Avarice"!) coerces so many to defy what's as natural as breathing which lies within them. As it clearly does in U.

You've intrigued me. Not many on here do that! "Intricate & Structured" - Now you're talking my language! You say that you have dabbled with Sound or Music? Is there anyway I can listen? Or show some support? Or help in any way I can?

[Shanawolfo1]

@therealKINDLE I fully agree, and do produce what I love. But you still have to eat.

Trying to tell the kids that the music they are dancing and trancing to has roots beyond the 80s is like trying to speak Shakespeare to birds.

I introduce what I can, and hope to lead them into something more intricate and structured. This is why I am watching these old documentary vids, to reconnect with the origins and experimentation. To re-kindle the fire I had when I first started dabbling.

[therealKINDLE]

@Shanawolfo1 Oh come on man! Sod the market! Haven't you heard? The Industry is Dead. (Documentary - PressPausePlay) Art does not decorate itself, or care how others perceive it; It's Self Expression. I consider DJs/Clubs a separate matter because they will always need music that subsumes a constant flow of energy. You wouldn't have Delia Derbyshire's 'pot au feu' played in clubs! This is about Art, & the future of electronic music. With, or Without the industry. Real Music. :D

[Shanawolfo1]

@therealKINDLE What is hard for the modern musician coming from an acoustic background, who actually knows a trick or two of music theory and wishes to go back and try some electronic music ala the old synth masters and actual orchestration.. well, there just isn't a market for that. The clubs and DJs look at you and ask you to remove %80 of the subtlety and increase the bass %100. Pretty be damned they want a beat and something sparkly or a drop in the middle. No ears to hear.

[realbleamer]

@therealKINDLE what does "retracting" mean in this context?

[therealKINDLE]

This is what gets my goat up! There's no interest in "Sounds" anymore. Even The Prodigy have forgotten about trying 2get a good sound now, to join the "Who can get their music the Loudest" competition. Any1 can produce any sound now on a laptop with cracked free software. Where's the Creativity in that? Just sitting there, looping samples with each other. No matter how hard you try, you will fail now. And the quickest way of retracting a girl is 2tell them you make electronic music. It's a Joke.

[brennanyoung]

David Vorhaus!

[commanderkruge]

@smleonard55 Growing up in the 70s and 80s was quite interesting in that regard - starting with Kraftwerk's Robots I became fascinated by the new sounds that came out of synths. :)