‘An Individual Note of Music, Sound and Electronics’
Now in its third reprint
Five decades out of print, Oram’s technical and philosophical treatise on music, sound, electronics is available again in a glorious, new hardback edition.
An Individual Note – of Music, Sound and Electronics
Daphne Oram (first published in 1972), new edition with an introduction by Sarah Angliss, 2016.
176pp + 4pp covers, hardback, 220 x 165 mm, c. 25 b/w images
The Daphne Oram Trust and Anomie Publishing
ISBN:-13: 9781910221112
Update spring 2020: Third reprint now available
Due to popular demand, ‘An Individual Note – of Music, Sound and Electronics’ is now in its third print run. We’re delighted to say that since republishing, Oram’s book has been an Amazon bestseller and the top selling book on electronic music (and is also available at online bookshops The Wordery and Hive).
Congratulations and thanks to the former chair of The Daphne Oram Trust, Richard Whitelaw, publisher Matt Price of Anomie, editor Frances Morgan, writer Sarah Angliss, the Oram family and all in Goldsmiths Special Collections & Archives for their great work on this project. And a huge thanks to every one who supported our Kickstarter campaign to bring this important book back into print.
About this book
‘An Individual Note – on Music, Sound and Electronics’ is a remarkable book.
When Oram was commissioned to write about music, she was keen to avoid writing a conventional manual or how-to guide, preferring to use the opportunity to muse on the subjects of music, sound and electronics and the relationships between them. At the time, more musicians than ever were starting to get their hands on the tools of electronic music – equipment which formerly had been in the hands of large music studios, universities, and corporations. Oram’s approach to electronic sound and music was innovative and inspiring, encouraging anyone with an interest in music to think about the nature and capabilities of electronic sound and the new possibilities it offered. Her discussion wasn’t limited to the future of the orchestra, synthesizer, computer and home studio. She also ventured, with great spirit and wit, into other realms of science, technology, culture and thought.
‘An Individual Note’ is a playful yet compelling manifesto for electronic music. It highlights our individual capacity to immerse ourselves in this form as creators, listeners and philosophers.
The Daphne Oram Trust are delighted to republish this book which has been out of print for four decades. Their new edition features rarely seen photos of Oram from The Daphne Oram Collection and the Oram family archive. The introduction is a short biography of Oram written by Sarah Angliss, a British composer, performer, roboticist and sound historian.