Mars by 1980: The Story of Electronic Music

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Stubbs offers his trademarked wittiness, playful writing and thorough (!) research on the subject.

Overall I enjoyed Mars by 1980. I found much of the early 20th century history most interesting and illuminating. The first third or half of the book focuses much on musique concrete, which is undeniably a layer of bedrock in what we now call electronic music. The first half of the book also struck me as exceptionally well written, if not a little too well written at times - like Stubbs went out of his way to flex his vocabulary muscles. The second half of the book feels rushed, hastily written, reluctant even. I appreciate Stubbs respect for a wide array of styles, genres, and the artists and innovators therein. It would be a gargantuan undertaking to try to tell the "story of electronic music" in a more verbose format, hence Stubbs tells "the story" of electronic music, as he sees it. I appreciated his perspective and insights, and many of his recommendations are on my playlist now, if only to expand my range and understanding. The good news was, for me anyway, although the summary description of the book mentions the likes of Skrillex and Deadmau5, and EDM more broadly, these sections were quite brief and more of a footnote in his story of electronic music - to my relief. There are moments of brilliance in how Stubbs illuminates pivotal moments in the broader landscape and relationship of music and culture, from post-WWII, and the cold war, to Thatcher's UK and Reagan's US, and Stubbs lingers, but not for too long, in the early 1970s, writing beautifully of Sun Ra and others. He does an excellent job of tethering the more esoteric and experimental to how and when electronic music began to feature more in the mainstream through the 1980s, 90s and the turn of the millennium right up until today. Late in the book Stubbs even takes a position on the current state of electronic music, and perhaps the commoditization therein, as well as contemporary, arguably lazy, production methods, that is largely in defense of the broader story as well as the potential for electronic music. I appreciated his boldness here. Again, I enjoyed this book. It was well written, but it lacked continuity somehow. It's as if the first few chapters were more college thesis, with ambitions for a detailed and expansive history of electronic music, but segues into something that felt hasty and too ambitious. Nonetheless, I recommend this book and found it to be a worthwhile read.

Ah, the synthesizer! To some, it defined a generation adored by many and to others, it debased instrumentation. Either way, it completely changed the landscape of music and ruffled a few feathers along the way.David Stubbs takes a complex look at the history of electronic music in Future Sounds: The Story of Electronic Music from Stockhausen to Skrillex. Stubbs provides a disclaimer, which basically states that not every artist affiliated with electronic music are not incorporated. However, a range of genres (funk, new wave, EDM, classical) and decades are acknowledged. Don’t worry though – Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode are found in the pages.Future Sounds: The Story of Electronic Music from Stockhausen to Skrillex is encompasses an Introduction that provides a brief overview, Preface I and Preface II which offers a bit of insight behind the author and his fascination with the sounds emanating from his speakers, and four complete parts that dissect the history and future of the innovative invention. At the conclusion, there is a helpful timeline of Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Musical Technology and A Future Sounds playlist.Future Sounds: The Story of Electronic Music from Stockhausen to Skrillex takes some time to digest due to its size and a plethora of information, but interesting nonetheless. This is the perfect book for a musicologist or lover of electronica in general.

Fairly good history of electronic music. Sometimes Stubbs' colorful record reviewer metaphors seem intrusive and sometimes I'd have appreciated more historical detail, but he covers a wide historical period and will give the reader a lot of sounds to go research.

This is quite a journey...it raises quite a lot of questions and certainly delves deeply into the subjectFor me...as I think others the writer does "boldly go where no man has gone before" with the subject.There are some what you might call detours which can be a little distracting, and in some cases I wasn't sure where we were headingUnlike Matt Damon and his potatoes, there are many layers and complexities and cross relationships with Electronic Music. When does it become "Music"?It was fascinating to discover that the roots of the technology and concepts went back so far in time....but then I've seen a few series of Dr Who so why would I be surprised..what a truly iconic "Theme Tune".So I guess that's what in my own mind I always considered ElectronicMusic....it sounded like "Machine Musik" perhaps cold and emotionless, but still atmospheric.I am after reading this ...wrong.The writer touches on all sorts of subjects and genres.I failed to recognise the "jazz" connection, and the somewhat lengthy appreciationof Miles Davis, and electrification. Electrifying music or instruments..does thatmake it electronic music and where does the stylophone fit in with all this.That David Bowie...eh?? I think everyone jumps onto Low and Heroes as being the Vorsprung durch Tecknik...but hey..what about Space Oddity ....or have you played his version of Lets Spend the Night together recently?This book did send me off again on a voyage of discovery, particularly some if the "Elektonic Pop" or was it..that had played a part in my "yoof" I was really fired up by Punk. But it was never just guitars and shouting for me. It encompassed things that were "different" and well more basic.So in my collection of singles were things like The Normal and Cabaret Voltaire as well. The Suicide album wasextraordinary!!! I didn't object to Tubeway Army or the Human League.... like it not, they went from "underground" to fantastic POPBut anyway..the eighties... popular "electronic" music..Depeche Mode Soft Cell...Soft Cell were pop but actually very edgy..subject matter wise. So ...Scritti Politti and The Art of NoiseWhen I play this stuff back (on CD) I find it "thin" ..the singles were massive when I was workingin record shops..they were around and heard them. Some of this stuff is just endlessly indulgent now. I'm a lover of Dub....and bass, this is missing from these electronic sounds for me. There are exceptions I guess DAF and Do the Mussilini is pretty full on. Even Dub started to get electronic....but it was never for me "Digi-Dub"....No No No.Ok ...yes "electronic music" did absorb itself into the mainstream....and alsowas able to keep itself underground and "out there"It became advert music , film music (Block busters as well as art films) Stubbs doesn't mentionthe soundtrack to Forbidden Planet...its got space ships and aliens and robots and the spookiestelectronic sounds going on!!!Stubbs takes us through the genres that have been and moved on or a new variant has come along....but I don't find much of it very interesting I'm afraid....I'm probably too Old (Art) School...oh and what about effects pedals?? WAh WAH Big Muff overdrive distortion boxes....do they count???Oh Man, wonder if he'll ever know.....

This is a bit of a mixed bag. If you’ve read a few books on the history of electronic music most of what you find in here is just going over similar terrain, but disappointingly here it’s told in a kind of tedious fashion. I got bored with it over half way through and started skipping chapters to try and find something interesting and eventually threw it aside, but returned to it a week or so later. Two highlights are pieces on Depeche Mode and the free festival/ raves of early 90’s.I like his political position. Anti-Capitalist. Mentions Mark Fisher ie hauntology et al and its relevance for the present cultural/political malaise.... Offers a glimpse of Communitarian Utopian futureNot as five star material as his Future Days

This is a particularly bad distillation of many of the faults shared by recent histories of music. There is almost no detail about how that music was made, and no technical detail about the technology that made it possible. In the brief section on the Human League's "Dare", to take just one example, there is zero discussion of how Martin Rushent actually made the recordings, or what he used to do so.Instead, it's a long list of "influences", backgrounds, political contexts and literary tropes which, over the course of the book, become incredibly tiresome; and which make up many similar books. It's also rather pointlessly politicised, with little paeans to Jeremy Corbyn. I wish I'd spent the money on something else. Not recommended if you're in any way serious about history, or music.

Not to sure about this book. According to the book, Arp released a synth called the 600 after the 500. Come on Mr author surely you know its the 2600 after the 2500? Stuff like this is picked up by people who know their synths. Annoying but an adequate read. He needs to work out what was the first true synth. At odds with the Telharmonium or is it some thing else?. Worth the price through.

For me, the mark of a great music book has you listening to the music that is the subject matter at hand. And disappearing down wormholes and new avenues. David Stubbs Mars By 1980 does just that. And it's a gripping, exciting tale written with intelligence, wit and love.Mars By 1980 is an utter joy of a book. It's by no means a comprehensive record of every electronic pioneer in music but a personal and eclectic journey and a dawn enjoyable one at that.