• The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music

  • Written by: Thom Holmes
  • Podcast

The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music

Written by: Thom Holmes
  • Summary

  • Thom Holmes is your curator and guide to vintage electronic music recordings and audio experimentation. Drawing from his collection of vintage electronic music recordings spanning the years 1930-1985, each episode explores a topic or theme of historical interest. Holmes is the author of the book, Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, 2020.
    Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
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Episodes
  • Chapter 10, Earliest Experiments in Electronic Music (Pre- 1920)
    Feb 16 2025

    Episode 148

    Chapter 10, Earliest Experiments in Electronic Music (Pre- 1920). Works Recommended from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music

    Welcome to the Archive of Electronic Music. This is Thom Holmes.

    This podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. Each of these episodes corresponds to a chapter in the text and an associated list of recommended works, also called Listen in the text. They provide listening examples of vintage electronic works featured in the text.

    The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings.

    There is a complete playlist for this episode on the website for the podcast.

    Let’s get started with the listening guide to Chapter 10, Earliest Experiments in Electronic Music (Pre- 1920) from my book Electronic and Experimental music.

    Playlist: Futurist Music

    Time

    Track Time

    Start

    Introduction –Thom Holmes

    01:34

    00:00

    Antonio Russolo, “Serenata” (1924). A 78 RPM recording made using original intonarumori (noise intoners).

    02:38

    01:36

    Antonio Russolo, “Corale” (1924). A 78 RPM recording made using original intonarumori (noise intoners).

    02:01

    04:12

    Luigi Russolo, “Risveglio Di Una Citta” (1913). This recording was made in 1977 by Mario Abate, Pietro Verardo with reproduction intonarumori (noise intoners).

    03:52

    06:12

    Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.

    My Books/eBooks: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020. Also, Sound Art: Concepts and Practices, first edition, Routledge 2022.

    See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation.

    For a transcript, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.

    Original music by Thom Holmes can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.

    Show more Show less
    11 mins
  • Chapter 09, MIDI, Noise Reduction, and Audio Compression Technologies
    Feb 16 2025

    Episode 147

    Chapter 09, MIDI, Noise Reduction, and Audio Compression Technologies. Works Recommended from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music

    Welcome to the Archive of Electronic Music. This is Thom Holmes.

    This podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. Each of these episodes corresponds to a chapter in the text and an associated list of recommended works, also called Listen in the text. They provide listening examples of vintage electronic works featured in the text.

    The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings.

    There is a complete playlist for this episode on the website for the podcast.

    Let’s get started with the listening guide to Chapter 09, MIDI, Noise Reduction, and Audio Compression Technologies from my book Electronic and Experimental music.

    Playlist: MIDI Controllers in Electronic Music

    Time

    Track Time

    Start

    Introduction –Thom Holmes

    01:40

    00:00

    Robert Ashley, “Superior Seven” (1986). Used an early MIDI controller suite of instrumental sounds accompanying a live flutist.

    30:15

    01:42

    Michel Waisvisz demonstrates The Hands and Crackle MIDI controller-synthesizers. The No Backup Concert (2004) at STEIM.

    09:40

    32:08

    Thomas Wydler & Toby Dammit, “Ramwong” (2021). Features a treated Buchla Marimba Lumina synthesizer, a MIDI instrument and controller.

    02:15

    41:48

    Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.

    My Books/eBooks: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020. Also, Sound Art: Concepts and Practices, first edition, Routledge 2022.

    See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation.

    For a transcript, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.

    Original music by Thom Holmes can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.

    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Chapter 08, Tape Composition and Sound Editing
    Feb 16 2025

    Episode 146

    Chapter 08, Tape Composition and Sound Editing. Works Recommended from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music

    Welcome to the Archive of Electronic Music. This is Thom Holmes.

    This podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. Each of these episodes corresponds to a chapter in the text and an associated list of recommended works, also called Listen in the text. They provide listening examples of vintage electronic works featured in the text.

    The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings.

    There is a complete playlist for this episode on the website for the podcast.

    Let’s get started with the listening guide to Chapter 08, Tape Composition and Sound Editing from my book Electronic and Experimental music.

    Playlist: Classic Tape Composition Techniques

    Time

    Track Time

    Start

    Introduction –Thom Holmes

    01:30

    00:00

    1 Pierre Schaeffer, “Cinq études de bruits: Étude violette (1948). Early application of backwards sounds using a turntable

    03:19

    01:34

    2 Pierre Henry, “Le Microphone bien tempéré” (1950– 52). Used reverberation.

    24:48

    04:50

    3 Otto Luening, “Invention in Twelve Tones” (1952). Used tape echo.

    03:47

    29:37

    4 Morton Feldman, “Intersection” (1953). Used leader tape as a composition tool to add patches of silence.

    03:30

    33:18

    5 György Ligeti, “Glissandi” (1957). Extensive use of tape speed variation and backwards sounds.

    07:45

    33:44

    6 Henri Pousseur, “Scambi” (1957– 58). Explored white noise, filtering, and reverberation.

    06:34

    44:20

    7 Herbert Brün, “Anepigraphe” (1958). Tape music with voices edited into the mix, produced in the WDR studio in Cologne.

    07:46

    50:56

    8 Terry Riley, “Music for the Gift” part 1 (1963). One of the first uses of tape delay with multiple tape recorders.

    05:45

    58:42

    9 Pauline Oliveros, “Beautiful Soop” (1967). Used multiple tape echo signals.

    27:46

    01:04:24

    10 Violet Archer, “Episodes” (1973). Using two Putney synthesizers, a bank of 10 oscillators, mixer, reverb, ring modulation, and filtering.

    08:46

    01:32:10

    Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.

    My Books/eBooks: Electronic and Experimental Music, sixth edition, Routledge 2020. Also, Sound Art: Concepts and Practices, first edition, Routledge 2022.

    See my companion blog that I write for the Bob Moog Foundation.

    For a transcript, please see my blog, Noise and Notations.

    Original music by Thom Holmes can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 42 mins

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