Electrosonic

Electrosonic or Electro-Sonics is a general term for electronically processed and (or) generated sound signals intended to achieve alternative music explorative result.

Its closest categories are electronic, ambiental and experimental music, soundscape and contemporary DJ-ing.

Early traces of electrosonic approach to music and music related categories could be found in Feruccio Busoni’s Sketch for a New Aesthetic of Music.

The term itself is used as description for artwork of Franco Evangelisti (1926-1980) as well as the wide range of experimental sound projects from F.Trautwein's trautonium, Léon Theremin's theremin, H.Dudley’s vocoder, Robert Moog’s Moog synthesizer, performances of Varese and Russolo. phonograph and tape recorder produced acoustics by Ondes Martenot and Pierre Schaeffer to experimental music from Vladimir Ussachevsky to Vladan Radovanovic.

Theremin music was widely used in the soundtracks of 1950's science fiction movies such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951). "Forbidden Planet" (1956) was the first film to go beyond the theremin with music from primitive synthesizer, including ring modulators which were precursors to the Moog synthesizer.

Electrosonic experiences are widely used in the categories of popular and progressive music production from the Beatles to Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Klaus Schulze, the Velvet Underground, Sun Ra, Can, ELP, Rick Wakeman,Vangelis, David Bowie,Robert Fripp and Brian Eno,Einstürzende Neubauten, Laurie Anderson, Electrosonics (the band), to name a few.

Circa 1960, Philips published a vinyl record named THE ELECTROSONIC (ELECTROSONIKS,PHS 600-047,reprocessed stereo, PHM 200-047, mono), which referred to music of the future or space music.

In the arena of a new understanding of Electrosonic, the ELECTROSONIC FESTIVAL was established in Burgos, Spain to inroduce music beyond music, putting together authors like Christian Varela, Karl Bartos, Carl Cox , Phil Hartnoll, Chema Nox, Ben Sims, Dave Zee, Marko Carola, Rich and Kool etc…

In the terms of educational needs in the area of Electrosonic art, the pioneering move was done in Singapore, where the Diploma in Electro-Sonics is offered as a course in maverick Orita.Sinclair School of Art and New Media, covering a wide range of sound recording and processing and electro-acoustic related subjects.

Electrosonic is also the name of an Audio Visual Company with offices in the UK, US, Europe and Far East. It specialises in the supply of complex audio visual solutions in the Command & Control, Corporate, Leisure, Theme Park, Museum and Digital Signage markets. Electrosonic provides a range of its own products, systems and a range of support services.

With further development of technology and sound related industry towards digital and beyond, concepts of Electrosonic will increasingly become more present in new media and art as well as in the sphere of entertainment and media content development.

See also

* Orita.Sinclair School of Art and New Media