The term musique concrète, coined and developed as a practice by composer Pierre Schaeffer in the mid-20th century, refers to music produced with manipulated sounds whose source is often obfuscated or obscured completely. Originally an area largely explored in an academic and compositional setting, the principles of musique concrète have been adapted by many independent sound artists who utilize them in a more guerrilla, do-it-yourself way – and if you’re anything like me, this is more up your alley. Here’s a mix of many artists who work with these methods in a modern context.
00:00. Valerio Tricoli – “Le Qohelet” from Miseri Lares (PAN, 2014)
08:17. Jérôme Noetinger – “La tirette à Paulette” from dR (PiedNu, 2018)
13:51. Grisha Shakhnes – “Utopia” from All This Trouble for Nothing (Glistening Examples, 2015)
21:58. Still Image – “Undercurrent” from A Finite Line (Throne Heap, 2017)
28:57. Dirch Blewn – “Day 4” from Care Work (Soft Error, 2018)
33:08. Giovanni Lami – “PPK1” from Bias (Consumer Waste, 2016)
40:33. John Wiese – “Superstitious” from Deviate From Balance (Gilgongo, 2015)
46:08. Max Kuiper & Thorsten Soltau – “I” [Excerpt] from Animi Sub Volpe Latentes (Chondritic Sound, 2016)
51:28. Frenchbloke & Son – Excerpt of side A of tape one from Société de radiodiffusion de l’homme et du fils français: bruit dans l’intéret de musique (Seed, 2010)
56:41. Vanessa Rossetto – “Fake Cheese” from Fashion Tape (No Rent, 2018)
Noise Not Music 