How electronic music evolved from ancient hydraulic organs to modern technology

¶ … musical genres. The research includes various examples of formats like Rap, Techno, Disco and other musical outreaches. By examining the likes of these various genres, we can get an insight into society's trends at the time the particular musical style was most popular. For example, the foundation of Rock and Roll was strongly influenced by the Vietnam War, Free Love and a drug experimentation era. Disco, Rap and techno are no exceptions. There were cultural situations that greatly increased the chances of these styles's success.

Development of electronic music up to 1970.

Many of us know that in 1997, the DVD-Audio standard developed but it comes as quite a surprise to most that the history of electronic music actually began long before there was even any electricity. "2nd century, BC. The Hydraulis was invented by Ktesibios sometime in the second century B.C. Ktesibios, the son of a Greek barber, was fascinated by pneumatics and wrote an early treatise on the use of hydraulic systems for powering mechanical devices. His most famous invention, the Hydraulis, used water to regulate the air pressure inside an organ." (Dr. Kristine H. Burns)

This may have been the foundation that all future music may have been influenced by. This small cistern that was placed inside a barrel of water formed the basis of an air reservoir that was later used to work an organ's actions.

These types of inventions are rarely associated with the likes of modern day Hip Hop but history is funny that way. Consider that numerical ratios that were discovered in the 5th and 6th centuries BC were very influential components of the intervals of today's musical scales. These ratios inadvertently are the beginnings of harmony.

The piano was the true foundation. "1500s, The first mechanically driven organs were built; water organs called hydraulis were in existence. Don Nicola Vicentino (1511-1572), Italian composer and theorist, invented Archicembalo, a harpsichord-like instrument with six keyboards and thirty-one steps to an octave." (Dr. Kristine H. Burns) But for modern music which is heavily computer generated or aided, we should also look at inventions such as Pascal's 1641 invention which was the first calculating machine and in 1644, it was a Nouvelle invention de lever which was recorded as a source for hydraulic engine produced musical sounds.

But moving into the twentieth century, the first radio broadcast during 1910 in New York City lead to an eventual radio station in 1920. But in 1912, probably the most influential but humble beginnings of today's electronic music was introduced. "The Italian Futurist movement was founded by Luigi Russolo, a painter, and Filippo Marinetti, a poet. Marinetti wrote the manifesto, Musica Futurista; the Futurist Movement's creed was "To present the musical soul of the masses, of the great factories, of the railways, of the transatlantic liners, of the battleships, of the automobiles and airplanes. To add to the great central themes of the musical poem the domain of the machines and the victorious kingdom of Electricity." 1914 The first concert of Futurist music took place. The "art of noises" concert was presented by Marinetti and Russolo in Milan, Italy." (Dr. Kristine H. Burns)

Where would electronic music be without our tapes and CD's? In the early 1930s, the original plastic audio tapes were developed and from that point on music could be recorded for later use. When Bell Labs developed and later produced the solid state transistor in 1947, an inventor named Milton Babbitt instituted the new technology to create the 'Three Compositions for Piano' which implemented new electronic versions of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and articulation.

Of course these before mentioned inventions do not even begin to touch upon all of the creators, inventors and musicians that contributed to the world of electronic music. For example, in 1935 Hammond and Wurlitzer held the first radio broadcast which was a three-minute electronic organ concerto. Electronic music could not have advanced had it not been for the invention of the electric guitar by Les Paul as well as Vladimir Ussachevsky and Otto Luening work with the synthesizer. Computing advances such as magnetic tape and the editing tools fro cutting and splicing were equally as important. Some other memorable examples of influences fro electronic music include:

Pierd Schaeffer Called "Etudes De Bruit"

Musique Concrete

Otto Leuening "Fantasy In Space"

Vladimir Ussachevsky "Piece For Tape Recorder"

Schaeffer And Henry "Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul"

But once mankind got the basic concepts down, the next thing we know is that John Travolta and the sound of the Bee Gees were helping to America's youth gyrate their hips.

Origins of Disco

Disco was by far the most prominent form of popular music in the 1970s. In my opinion, the genre never got the true credit that it deserved as a serious musical genre. The musical form has a history of being both scorned and ridiculed. Today's youth can only see the huge afro wigs and polyester suits as Disco's contribution to music and mankind.

Disco music incorporated an up tempo style which was ideal for dance. The disco beat was fast and moved at around 80 beats per min thus producing a positive survival style of music. The genre also introduced the concept of the female vocalist divas in to the lime light as well as the concept of the heavy bass line.

Therefore, disco can be considered simply as a dance music of the early 70's or an event in modern history that can be considered a as a major social influence. Various styles of disco migrated from the original format and they were considered as funk or soul music and they were very popular in the black community and later in the New York and later in the San Francisco gay communities. The genre definitely had a huge following throughout the larger United States cities and eventually migrated into all aspects of the nation including the farm belt. Disco derived its name from a French word for nightclub which was discotheque.

Discotheques were popular in occupied Paris throughout WWII because the German Nazis party banned all forms of jazz. Like prohibition and alcohol, stopping jazz made music lovers move to illicit cellars where they would listen to the banned recordings of jazz. It is thought by music historians that one particular club, rue Huchette, literally called itself La Discotheque.

Disco went through various stages by year. In the years 1970 through 1975 for example, the form of disco was called 'Deep Funk Begot Proto Disco.' This period was dominated by the likes of disco music spinners called disc jockeys who later went on to Hip Hop fame like Kool Herc. Disco 2.0 survived from 1976 to 1982. Because times had changed and the drugs and the AIDS virus in the gay community lead to the genre evolving from large crowded discos to more private settings and new clubs. Music was literally created for discos. These clubs were made popular by records that went from 45's and 33's to new 12-inch single song mediums.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper attempted to present more of an understanding of certain musical genres. The research included various examples of formats like Rap, Techno, Disco and other musical outreaches. By examining the likes of these various genres, we can got an insight into society's trends of the time just like we can relate to Rock and Roll and the 1960's. Disco, Rap and techno were the solution for the cultural situations of their times.