ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC

 

It is commonly said that electroacoustic music is a form of contemporary, often hardly understandable music. This is not true : not because contemporary music is particularly understandable, but because the very definition is wrong. Let's try another definition.   Electroacoustic music : anything that includes electric / electronic equipement in the creative process. Concerning instrumental music : - when it comes to recording music - see "the four steps of the recording process" - electroacoustic music begins at step 4 - when it comes to live music - see "the four steps of the sound reinforcement process" - electroacoustic music also begins at step 4 Most pop/rock music is electroacoustic music : live or in the studio, pop/rock music often takes advantage of the machinery it use

 

There are kinds of music that are, by essence, electroacoustic : techno, musique concrète, acousmatic music... But other styles are often more difficult to qualify - particular examples : - a Cure album is electroacoustic music - a standard Cure concert is electroacoustic music - an unplugged Cure concert is not electroacoustic music - a Pink Floyd concert is evidently electroacoustic - Water's performance of "Pigs on the Wings" during the heavily electroacoustic Animal tour is not electroacoustic (only amplified acoustic guitar + vocals) - Mozart music amplified with PA equipment is not electroacoustic music - Mozart music recorded on a CD is not electroacoustic music - Live music with prerecorded playback is electroacoustic music, as soon as the playback serves other purposes than replacing live instruments that, for some reason, cannot be onstage (practical production problems etc.) - For instance, a Goran Bregovic concert, though including at least 20 mikes, a huge PA, and a vocal + drum playback track, is not electroacoustic : mikes and PA only serve the purpose of making it louder & brighter, and the playback track replaces instruments / musicians that would have been too difficult to include in the tour - the use of the equipment is not a creative one...   Back to main index