Summary
An expansive and illuminating account of the development of electronic music in the UK, told with passionate enthusiasm by Matthew Collin, the critically-acclaimed author of Altered State and Rave On. Dream Machines tracks the music's evolution from early avant-garde experiments after World War Two through psychedelia, art-rock and synth-pop to electronic dance music, sampling and the techno era. As well as profiling the sonic futurists who pioneered new styles, it documents the scenes and underground movements that built Britain's thrillingly diverse electronic music culture in its formative decades. Based on interviews with key players and a wealth of in-depth research, Dream Machines explores genres as diverse as space rock, electro-pop, ambient, dub, industrial music, prog, electro, hip-hop, hi-NRG and house, highlighting how developments in British electronic music were shaped by changes in society as well as technological advances.
Contents
Introduction
Journey into space
Musique Concrète and Radiophonic Sound
An electric storm
Space-age Prop and Psychedelia
Other side of the sky
Space Rock, Prog and Ambient
This is entertainment
Industrial Music and Post-Funk Futurism
Just can't get enough
Synth-Pop and Art-Rock
Coughing up fire
Dub Reggae and Sound Systems
Tearin' down the avenue
Electro and Hip-Hop
Unnatural history
Experimentalists, Industrialists and Noise-Musicians
Pump up the volume
Samplemania, Hi-NRG and Dance-Pop
Emotions electric
House, Techno, Acid.