In Search of a Concrete Music

Pierre Schaeffer s In Search of a Concrete Music ( la recherche d une musique concr te) has long been considered a classic text in electroacoustic music and sound recording. Now Schaeffer s pioneering work at once a journal of his experiments in sound composition and a treatise on the raison d tre of concrete music is available for the first time in English translation. Schaeffer s theories have had a profound influence on composers working with technology. However, they extend beyond the confines of the studio and are applicable to many areas of contemporary musical thought, such as defining an instrument and classifying sounds. Schaeffer has also become increasingly relevant to DJs and hip-hop producers as well as sound-based media artists. This unique book is essential for anyone interested in contemporary musicology or media history.