Over the past century, an art form has emerged that draws from the worlds of visual art and music. Sound art’s roots can be found in the experimental work of Italian Futurism, Dada, and later the Fluxus group and the pioneering efforts of the American composer and artist John Cage. In the wake of this groundbreaking work, sound art began to mature into a movement, and artists explored the interactive possibilities of sound and in turn created entirely new modes of experiencing and engaging with art. In this volume, the complete story of sound art is told by one of the country’s leading critics and scholars. The author traces the history of this form of art–highlighting the convergence of the indie world bands such as Sonic Youth with the art world–looking at the critical cross-pollination that has led to some of the most important and challenging art being produced today, including work by Christian Marclay, LaMonte Young, Janet Cardiff, Rodney Graham, and Laurie Anderson, among many others.
ENGLISHThis book has been conceived as both a prism and a manual. Following the “traditional” arc of electroacoustic composition (listen—record—compose—deploy—feel), each of the contributions collected together here focuses in on a personal aspect, a fragment of that thrilling territory that is sonic and musical experimentation.Although the term “experimental music” may now have be understood as referring to a genre, or even a particular style, we ought to hold on to the original use of this term, which was based more on an approach than on any particular aesthetic line to be followed. The experimental is first and foremost a spirit, the spirit of the exploration of unknown territories, a spirit of invention which sees musical composition more as a voyage into uncertain territories than as a self-assured approach working safe within the bosom of fully mapped out and recognized lands.FRANCAISLe livre qui suit a été pensé comme un prisme et un manuel. Suivant l’arc « traditionnel » de la composition électroacoustique (écouter — enregistrer — composer —déployer — ressentir), chacune des contributions regroupées ici pointe un aspect personnel, fragment de territoire passionnant qu’est celui de l’expérimentation sonore et musicale. Si le terme de musique expérimentale a pu être assimilé à un genre, voir à un style, il ne faut pour autant pas oublier l’usage initial de ce terme, qui était basé plus sur la démarche que sur la ligne esthétique adoptée.L’expérimental, en effet, est d’abord un esprit, un esprit d’exploration des territoires inouïs, un esprit d’invention qui voit dans la composition musicale plus un voyage vers des terres incertaines qu’une démarche assurée produisant dans le giron de terres balisées et reconnues.CONTENTS / SOMMAIRE1. Chris Watson Recording Enregister2. Brunhild Ferrari The Microphone’s Gaze Le regard du microphone3. Espen Sommer Eide Exercises in Non-Human Listening Exercices d’écoute non-humaine4. Beatriz Ferreyra Perceive, Feel, Hear… Percevoir, ressentir, écouter…5. Drew Daniel Towards a Heterology of Sound: on Bataille and Musique Concrète Vers une hétérologie de son : à propos de Bataille et de la musique concrète6. Eliane Radigue Time Is of No Importance Le temps n’a pas d’importance7. Stephen O’Malley Sound Matters Sons élémentaires8. François J. Bonnet Underneath Listening En deçà de l’écoute9. Jim O’Rourke Chair and Table Une chaise et une table10. Régis Renouard Larivière Acousmatic Recreations Récréations acousmatiques11. Daniel Teruggi Spaces of Mind Les espaces de l’esprit12. Félicia Atkinson On the Patio: The Voice, Doubt, Perspective and Immersion Dans le patio : la voix, le doute, la perspective et l’immersion13. François Bayle Space in Question L’espace en question
