Elektronisk musik

Marking the fortieth anniversary of Please, the duo’s first album release, the instant Sunday Times bestseller Pet Shop Boys Volume presents their entire visual output to date in a contemporary literary format. Pet Shop Boys – Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe – are the most successful duo in the history of pop music. Three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy nominees, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, including No. 1 hits such as ‘West End girls’, ‘It’s a sin’, and ‘Always on my mind’, and platinum-selling albums Please, Actually, and Very. Uniquely spanning the worlds of music, art, film, theatre, design, and fashion, Pet Shop Boys have forged an identity as unforgettable as their sound. From the seminal graphic design of their record sleeves to their groundbreaking videos and innovative stage shows, they have set the bar for the visual presentation of pop. Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the release of their first album in 1986, Pet Shop Boys Volume is the definitive retrospective of the duo’s career. Expanding upon Pet Shop Boys Catalogue, published two decades ago, it presents their entire visual output to date, year by year. Sleeve artworks and packaging, stills from every video, film, and performance, stage sets and costume designs, photoshoots, publications, and even Christmas cards all feature, as does every collaboration with luminaries including Mark Farrow, Wolfgang Tillmans, Martin Parr, Bruce Weber, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Derek Jarman, Scott King, Zaha Hadid, Tom Scutt, and Es Devlin. Concise commentaries by Chris Heath and Philip Hoare provide illuminating insights into the genesis of each project. Hoare’s original introduction is accompanied by a new introduction from Libby Sellers who considers the importance of Pet Shop Boys within the history of design, while a new foreword by Jeremy Deller reflects on the enduring impact of their music and image. With a jacket designed by Farrow and a new conversation between Heath, Tennant, and Lowe, Pet Shop Boys Volume is a visual feast and a sumptuous tribute to four decades of creative innovation.

The first biography of a great American composer of the cinema ageJohn Williams is one of the most important film composers of all time, having almost singlehandedly revived the Hollywood symphonic scoring tradition and helped restore the livelihood of American orchestras through the popularity of film music programming. His film music, in the words of director Oliver Stone, "came to stand for the American culture."In John Williams: A Composer's Life, the first biography of the composer, author Tim Greiving offers an engaging account of a man whose body of work is well-known but whose personal life has consistently remained very private. Williams wrote the memorable scores and hummable themes for a staggering number of popular touchstones across multiple generations--among them Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and the Harry Potter series--and earned more Oscar nominations than any individual artist in the history of the motion picture Academy. He also composed dozens of concerti, fanfares, and other concert works and was a national presence as music director of the Boston Pops for more than a decade. He inspired countless children to pursue a career in the orchestra and won the respect of the classical community worldwide. Seeking to understand what drove Williams's musical productivity and its effects on the lives of those close to him, Greiving delves deeply into the composer's decades-long career, uncovering countless new stories and revelations. Throughout, he analyzes and describes Williams' film scores, recalling them primarily in narrative and emotional terms rather than purely musicological ones, and in doing so emphasizes one of Williams's principle strengths: his musical storytelling.With unprecedented interview access to Williams and those close to him, Greiving presents the definitive portrait of a beloved but famously private doyen of twentieth-century pop culture. Featuring 175 exclusive interviews--including with Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, George Miller, Mia Farrow, Hans Zimmer, Yo-Yo Ma, session musicians, family members, and friends--John Williams: A Composer's Life is the first and last word on the great court composer of the cinema age, the musical conductor of our collective memory.

An Irish Times Book of the Year 2025Liam Cagney is residing in a Berlin squat when one night he finds himself at Berghain. Fascinated by the strange techno and even stranger dance floor, he sets out to explore Berlin’s unique club culture in all its intensity. Berghain Nights is the result, the first major literary exploration of Berlin’s club scene.Blending essay and memoir, Berghain Nights features interviews with major electronic dance music artists like Ellen Allien, Rrose, Luke Slater, Eris Drew and Function, alongside other figures from Berlin’s night-time economy and the history of techno. From kinky parties at KitKat Club to the industrial gloom of Tresor, from the queer garden of Buttons to the gay psychedelia of Cocktail d’Amore, Berghain Nights not only captures the excitement of Berlin’s clubs, it explores how spaces like these can help one find a truer self.

In November 2020, Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Dave Gahan, accepting the honour, said: “I’d like to thank Anton Corbijn who thank God came in at the right time and actually made us look cool.” Also in the fall of 2020, TASCHEN released the limited edition Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn (81–18) signed by Depeche Mode and Anton Corbijn, and it became one of the fastest selling collector’s editions in the publishing company’s history. This pocket-sized and wallet-friendly edition is a testament to Corbijn’s unique vision, and indeed “cool” as Gahan acknowledged so movingly in his speech; an illustrated history of how Corbijn, who became in 1986 the band’s de facto creative director, and helped cement Depeche Mode’s reputation as the biggest cult band in the world.Featuring over 150 photographs from Corbijn’s extensive archives, including formal and informal portraits from places such as Madrid, Hamburg, the California desert, Prague and Marrakech; a multitude of off-the-cuff, candid images; and stunning live shots from all their tours since 1988 right up to 2023. Created with the full collaboration of the band, who share some insights on working with Corbijn, Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn trumpets how one man’s original aesthetic, that has encompassed all of their photography, most of their music videos, album graphics and set designs, helped shape the band’s enduring popularity. Reflecting on his role in Depeche Mode, Corbijn recalls in the book’s introduction: “A lot of it came down to me, and I wanted it to be right for them. I wanted to think for them. To be great for them.” This book is a tribute to the depth and breadth of that greatness, a celebration of one of the most creative and enduring collaborations in rock history.

'Highly stimulating ... Kraftwerk is a pleasure to read' Jon Savage, New StatesmanThe story of the phenomenon that is Kraftwerk, and how they revolutionised our cultural landscape'We are not artists nor musicians. We are workers.' Ignoring nearly all rock traditions, experimenting in near-total secrecy in their Düsseldorf studio, Kraftwerk fused sound and technology, graphic design and performance, modernist Bauhaus aesthetics and Rhineland industrialisation - even human and machine - to change the course of modern music. This is the story of Kraftwerk the cultural phenomenon, who turned electronic music into avant-garde concept art and created the soundtrack to our digital age.

In November 2020, Depeche Mode were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Dave Gahan, accepting the honour, said: “I’d like to thank Anton Corbijn who thank God came in at the right time and actually made us look cool.” Also in the fall of 2020, TASCHEN released the limited edition Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn (81–18) signed by Depeche Mode and Anton Corbijn, and it became one of the fastest selling collector’s editions in the publishing company’s history. This equally epic, but more wallet friendly XL edition, is a testament to Corbijn’s unique vision, and indeed “cool” as Gahan acknowledged so movingly in his speech; a detailed illustrated history of how Corbijn, who became in 1986 the band’s de facto creative director, and helped cement Depeche Mode’s reputation as the biggest cult band in the world. Featuring over 500 photographs from Corbijn’s extensive archives, some never seen before, including formal and informal portraits from places such as Madrid, Hamburg, the California desert, Prague and Marrakech (some taken during the making of iconic videos such as “Enjoy the Silence” and “Personal Jesus”); a multitude of off-the-cuff, candid images; and stunning live shots from all their tours since 1988. In addition to the photographs, there are sketches and designs for stage sets and album covers, Corbijn’s handwritten captions throughout the book, placing the reader right in the middle of the shoots, and an extended interview with the Dutch master. Created with the full collaboration of the band, who share some insights on working with Corbijn, Depeche Mode by Anton Corbijn (81–18) trumpets how one man’s original aesthetic, that has encompassed all of their photography, most of their music videos, album graphics and set designs, helped shape the band’s enduring popularity. Reflecting on his role in Depeche, Corbijn recalls in the book’s introduction: “A lot of it came down to me, and I wanted it to be right for them. I wanted to think for them. To be great for them.” This book is a tribute to the depth and breadth of that greatness, a celebration of one of the most creative and enduring collaborations in rock history.

Wildfire tells the story of the first decade of The Prodigy from the perspective of original member Leeroy Thornhill, fully illustrated with entirely unseen photography from the earliest raves, to Japan and the United States in the late '90s, by which point the band were one of the biggest on the planet.Rave pioneers whose sound also encompassed hip hop, punk and rock, The Prodigy arguably had as much influence on contemporary pop culture as the Sex Pistols and these extraordinary images from Leeroy's personal archives capture the wild energy, ecstasy and abandon from the moment they dropped their first hit 'Charly' through the three albums which became the ubiquitous soundtrack to the decade: Experience, Music for the Jilted Generation and Fat of the Land. Beautifully designed in five colours with archival ephemera, and contextualised by Leeroy himself with candid and often hilarious stories describing the band's wild adventures and eccentric encounters as their fame and popularity spread 'like wildfire', this is the ultimate visual journey into the world of the original 'electronic punks'.

Rusty Egan, co-founder of Visage and resident DJ at London's iconic Blitz Club, helped define the New Romantic music movement. His autobiography captures the birth of British electronic music, 1980s London nightlife, and collaborations with Midge Ure, Steve Strange, and other pioneers.RustyEgan is one of the most iconic and influential figures in the electronic music industry. His career began in the music industry as a runner atDJM studios, followed by a stint at WEA Records. Rusty collaborated with formerSex Pistols member Glen Matlock, alongside Steve New and MidgeUre, to establish the new wave band Rich Kids. Their debut album, Ghostsof Princes in Towers, released in 1978, achieved both critical acclaim andcommercial success. During the Rich Kids tours, Rusty met Steve Strange.This encounter led to Rusty's concept for a club night at Billy's, a Sohovenue, catering to fashionable punks and showcasing the music they werepassionate about. In 1979, they moved their club night to the Blitz in CoventGarden. As the resident DJ at the Blitz, Rusty played a pivotal rolein introducing British, German, and Japanese electronica to the Britishclub scene, essentially curating the soundtrack for the burgeoning NewRomantic movement.Rusty Egan was instrumental in the formation of the band Visagewith Midge Ure. Steve Strange joined them as the frontman (face and voice), andthe lineup was completed by Billy Currie on keyboards, along with JohnMcGeoch (guitar), Dave Formula (keyboards), and Barry Adamson(bass), all from the band MAGAZINE.Beyond his band work Rusty co-founded the incredibly popular CamdenPalace nightclub in London with Steve Strange, where he continued tochampion and shape the development of electronica in the UK. He alsoestablished Metropolis Music, a publishing and production company,allowing him to create music as well as perform it.Inmore recent news, Rusty released his album Welcome To The Dancefloorin 2017, which featured collaborations with Midge Ure, Tony Hadley, and PeterHook. Furthermore, in June 2024, Demon Records Rusty Egan is stillregularly DJing and in September 2025 will be releasing his new album Romantic to coincidewith this autobiography and the Design Museum's Blitz Club Exhibition centred ofcourse, around Rusty.

In Generation Ecstasy, Simon Reynolds takes the reader on a guided tour of this end-of-the-millenium phenomenon, telling the story of rave culture and techno music as an insider who has dosed up and blissed out. A celebration of rave's quest for the perfect beat definitive chronicle of rave culture and electronic dance music.

Computer World was Kraftwerk’s most concise and focused conceptual statement, their most influential record and crowning achievement. Computer World transformed the way pop music was composed, played, packaged and released and, in the process, helped create entire new genres of music including hip-hop, techno, trance, electro, industrial and synth-pop. They influenced the influencers. Upon its release on 10 May 1981, the record was a revelation. It was unlike anything created for mainstream consumers of music at that time, an electronic suite of assured and industrious propulsive forward movement. Kraftwerk set off a sonic detonation that is still being felt today.This book explores Kraftwerk’s revolutionary sonic template, their conceptual and artistic preoccupations and lyrical obsessions to provide new insights into one of the greatest records ever made.

Pierre Schaeffer's "In Search of a Concrete Music" ("A la recherche d'une musique concrete") 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'etre 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.

A rich and revealing examination of the legendary pop duo Soft Cell.Soft Cell are not your average pop band. Marc Almond and Dave Ball may be best known for the string of hits they released in 1981, but the powerful first phase of their collaboration embraced a staggering array of sounds, influences and innovations that would change the face of music to come.In Bedsit land, Patrick Clarke plunges into the archives and interviews more than sixty contributors, including the band members themselves, to follow Soft Cell through the many strange and sprawling worlds that shaped their extraordinary career. They lead him from the faded camp glamour of the British seaside to the dizzying thrills of the New York club scene. From transgressive student performance art to the sleaze and squalor of pre-gentrified Soho. From the glitz of British showbiz to the drug-addled chaos of post-Franco Spain.

The Pet Shop Boys are one of the most successful and unusual bands of the last five decades. They are the pop duo that proves pop music can be modern, ecstatic and playful as well as serious and intelligent, winning them legions of devoted fans throughout the world.In 1989, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe invited journalist Chris Heath and photographer Lawrence Watson to shadow them around Hong Kong, Japan and the UK as they embarked on their first-ever tour. This book is the result: an immersive portrait giving access into the duo’s inner sanctum, showing them in brilliantly observed detail as they work, relax, gossip, argue and occasionally try to make sense of what they do.‘As clear a picture as could be wished for of the seething mass of elegant contradictions that is the Pet Shop Boys’ on-the-road experience.’ Independent on Sunday‘This superbly reported book transcends tired rock journalism cliché. It’s about what it means to be a pop star, what it means to be a Pet Shop Boy… how to love pop, hold it to a higher standard and subvert its expectations.’ Laura Snapes

'Incredibly detailed' - The GuardianAs a core member of Kraftwerk, some of the most beautiful, era-defining music has been co-composed by Karl Bartos. From ‘The Robots’ to ‘Computer Love’ and ‘Tour De France’ to Kraftwerk’s 1982 number-one single ‘The Model’, Bartos’s deft hand has shaped the contemporary musical landscape we know today.In The Sound of the Machine, Bartos speaks candidly about his life in Kraftwerk. He recalls his experiences in the Kling Klang studios during the recording process and the joy, passion and synergy of the group.Cerebral and witty, Bartos’s narrative journeys through his post-war childhood in Germany, his early musical ventures and his parallel career as a teacher. Offering a fascinating insight into both a band and a man at the forefront of musical innovation over the last 55 years, Bartos looks to the future, sharing his hopes and fears for today’s musical culture.

This is a music autobiography to remember. This is the story of Martyn Ware.The Human League and Heaven 17 were among some of the most pioneering bands of the 1980s, with Ware having played an integral role in each of their numerous successes. A young lad from the heart of post-war Sheffield, Ware formed The Human League a few years out of school in his early twenties. Described by David Bowie as 'the future of music', it wasn't long before the band become known for their innovative and infectiously catchy singles such as 'Being Boiled', touring with the likes of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Iggy Pop before Ware's departure. Heaven 17 followed suit, with their soon-to-be classic albums, Penthouse & Pavement and The Luxury Gap, featuring several colossal hits. Ground-breaking icons in new wave and synth pop, both groups remain some of the biggest-selling bands across the UK and worldwide.In Electronically Yours, Martyn takes us through his incredible route to stardom; from his austere upbringing in various council houses and close teenage friendship with former-bandmate Phil Oakey, to the white-hot experimentation in the 'Synth Britannia' era and his production career, which allowed him to work with some of the world's greatest singers, including Tina Turner. But it's not just his life inside the industry which is compelling; a proud socialist, Martyn writes poignantly about politics - how it can be a soulful, personal, moral duty - and its role in his music creation and Britain today. With charming meditations on culture, humour, travel and sport, Martyn also shares his love of 60s films, explains why Venice is the most beautiful city in the world, and reveals how Sheffield Wednesday has forever been his first and eternal passion.A huge page-turner and always warmly told, Electronically Yours sees Martyn talk candidly for the very first time about his extraordinary journey. Discover amusing anecdotes, raw confessions, and moving reflections of a life well and truly lived at the height of the music industry.

Korngold in America offers new ways of listening to the film scores and post-Hollywood concert works of Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897--1957), a Viennese-raised Austro-Hungarian composer who left Europe for Hollywood in the mid-1930s to write for Warner Bros. It reassesses Korngold's place in twentieth-century music historiography and dismantles many of the myths that have obscured a proper understanding of his work. Drawing on previously unpublished archival materials, Korngold in America reveals Korngold's commercial and artistic relationships with studio processes and staff, highlights aspects of his compositional practice, and traces the way in which he adapted his skills as a musical dramatist and experienced opera composer to the demands of film. The book presents a more complete picture of Korngold's artistry than has hitherto been possible, showing both the important role played by his music in the Hollywood films of which it is a part and the importance in turn of Hollywood films for his compositional identity. In so doing, it challenges assumptions about the relationship between Korngold's film scores and his works for the concert hall and opera house in ways that draw attention to the significance of Hollywood for histories of twentieth-century music.

Recorded in England, Denmark and Italy between May and September 1989, Depeche Mode’s seventh studio album ‘Violator’ was a landmark record beloved by fans and universally regarded as the band’s creative highpoint. Eventually selling 7.5 million copies following its release in March 1990, ‘Violator’ gave the cult British band – Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher and Alan Wilder – the critical acclaim they finally deserved. The adventurous, highly experimental approach that the band took for ‘Violator’ recording sessions also yielded two of the band’s most recognisable and successful singles in ‘Personal Jesus’ and ‘Enjoy The Silence’. Produced by the band with the influential studio guru Flood and mixed by the legendary François Kevorkian, ‘Violator’ is viewed as a hugely groundbreaking body of work by countless musicians and DJs, such was its progressive synthesis of electronic, rock, dance and pop music. The album revealed a new maturity and sensitivity to Martin Gore’s songwriting and allowed the band’s inquisitive Alan Wilder to come to the fore as a principal architect of the band’s approach to studio production. This period in the band’s history also found them forging a deeply trusted and influential partnership with photographer and designer Anton Corbijn, often viewed as the fifth member of Depeche Mode at this time. Corbijn’s work with the Area creative agency for the ‘Violator’ project delivered iconic, integrated artwork, photography, videos and short films across the album, its singles, and tour design. Written by uber-fans Kevin May and David McElroy, with ‘Halo’ we find ourselves shadowing the band in the studio, on an intense, pivotal worldwide tour and on the sets of arty Super 8 vignettes. We watch as samples and sounds are painstakingly wrought into rhythms, as flights are missed to secure additional seconds of mix time, as label executives in boardrooms deliberate over the order of the album’s singles. We find ourselves in downtown LA at the scene of an apocryphal riot as fans clamour to get their copies of the album signed. We observe the often misunderstood but hugely important role that the late Andy Fletcher played in the band and witness the tumultuous emotional pressures on the band’s frontman, Dave Gahan. During an intense and pivotal two-and-a-half years in the life of the group, we follow Depeche Mode as they complete their metamorphosis into one of the most significant bands of a generation, and place the success and innovations of ‘Violator’ at the dead centre of the rapidly-changing late-80s, early-90s musical zeitgeist. More than an album biography, ‘Halo’ goes deep behind the scenes of the band’s ‘Violator’ period. The book takes the form of a detailed oral history from those who were there in the studio with the band, working behind the cameras, designing sleeves and appearing in the videos; support acts, tour managers, publicists and fans.The book features detailed interviews with central figures involved with the band as they transitioned their sound and image to a stadium-friendly aesthetic, as well as those whose trusted contributions were essential for the creation of ‘Violator’.With ‘Halo’, authors Kevin May and David McElroy have produced an essential guide for Depeche Mode fans and anyone inquisitive about the making of a classic, genre-defining album.

The intimate biography of the iconic DJ who was lost too soon. Tim Bergling was a musical visionary who, through his sense for melodies, came to define the era when Swedish and European house music took over the world. But Tim Bergling was also an introverted and fragile young man who was forced to grow up at an inhumanly fast pace. After a series of emergencies resulting in hospital stays, he stopped touring in the summer of 2016. Barely two years later, he took his own life. Tim - The Biography of Avicii is written by the award-winning journalist Måns Mosesson, who through interviews with Tim's family, friends and colleagues in the music business, has intimately gotten to know the star producer. The book paints an honest picture of Tim and his search in life, not shying from the difficulties that he struggled with.

FOREWORD BY JAMES MURPHY'Literally changed the course of my life' James MurphyWhen someone says, 'You have to know your history...' this is it. A pop culture classic for over two decades, now fully refreshed and updated as part of White Rabbit's Deep Cuts series, Last Night a DJ ... is the whole unruly story of dance music in one volume. It recreates the dancefloors that made history, conjuring their atmosphere with loving detail and bringing you the voices of the DJs and clubbers at their heart - from grime, garage, house, hip hop and disco, to techno, soul, reggae, rock'n'roll, and EDM. Whether musical outlaw, obsessive crate-digger or overpaid superstar, the DJ has been at the spinning centre of nightlife for a century, making parties wilder, pushing clubbers harder, and driving music into completely new shapes and styles.'The chapter on Larry Levan alone transformed me into wanting to be your favoUrite DJ' Questlove'We can't tell the story of dance music without speaking the names of Sharon White and Judy Weinstein, so I welcome this vital update' The Blessed Madonna

A GUARDIAN, OBSERVER, PITCHFORK, NPR, METRO AND HERALD SCOTLAND BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2018 ‘The definitive grime biography’ NME ’A landmark genre history’ Pitchfork The year 2000. As Britain celebrates the new millennium, something is stirring in the crumbling council estates of inner-city London. Making beats on stolen software, spitting lyrics on tower block rooftops and beaming out signals from pirate-radio aerials, a group of teenagers raised on UK garage, American hip-hop and Jamaican reggae stumble upon a dazzling new genre.Against all odds, these young MCs will grow up to become some of the UK’s most famous musicians, scoring number one records and dominating British pop culture for years to come. Hip-hop royalty will fawn over them, billion dollar brands will queue up to beg for their endorsements and through their determined DIY ethics they’ll turn the music industry's logic on its head.But getting there won’t be easy. Successive governments will attempt to control their music, their behaviour and even their clothes. The media will demonise them and the police will shut down their clubs. National radio stations and live music venues will ban them. There will be riots, fighting in the streets, even murder. And the inner-city landscape that shaped them will be changed beyond all recognition.Drawn from over a decade of in depth interviews and research with all the key MCs, DJs and industry players, in this extraordinary book the UK’s best grime journalist Dan Hancox tells the remarkable story of how a group of outsiders went on to create a genre that has become a British institution. Here, for the first time, is the full story of grime.

The must-read memoir from the visionary figure behind Manchester's legendary music scene, from The Haçienda to The Warehouse Project. Tales From the Dance Floor is an electrifying journey into the heart of Manchester’s music culture with its most influential promoter.Over the past three decades, Sacha Lord has hosted countless iconic parties, booked legendary DJs, and shaped an underground scene that influenced a generation. Working with iconic acts including the Prodigy, New Order, the Chemical Brothers, Snoop Dogg, Fat Boy Slim, Andrew Weatherall, Aphex Twin, Four Tet, the Gallagher brothers and Jamie XX, he has thrown some of the biggest parties that the UK has ever seen.But it wasn’t an easy road to get there. As this no-holds-barred account makes clear, Manchester’s music revolution was fuelled by raw energy, creativity, enterprise and a number of other unidentified substances. From drive-by shootings to gang turf wars and nights out that never ended, Sacha Lord reveals, at 130bpm, the highs – and lows – of life bringing some of the planet’s biggest stars to the world’s greatest city.Featuring makeshift helipads, oysters with Grace Jones and more drugged-up rats than you could shake a big stick at, Tales From the Dance Floor is an absolute banger of a book.