Ocean of Sound: Ambient sound and radical listening in the age of communication (Serpent’s Tail Classics)
£9.30£10.40 (-11%)
David Toop’s extraordinary work of sonic history travels from the rainforests of Amazonas to the megalopolis of Tokyo via the work of artists as diverse as Brian Eno, Sun Ra, Erik Satie, Kate Bush, Kraftwerk and Brian Wilson.
Beginning in 1889 at the Paris exposition when Debussy first heard Javanese music performed, Ocean of Sound channels the competing instincts of 20th century music into an exhilarating, path-breaking account of ambient sound.
‘A meditation on the development of modern music, there’s no single term that is adequate to describe what Toop has accomplished here … mixing interviews, criticism, history, and memory, Toop moves seamlessly between sounds, styles, genres, and eras’ Pitchfork’s ’60 Favourite Music Books’
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Additional information
| Publisher | Serpent's Tail, Main – Classic edition (2 Aug. 2018) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 320 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1788160304 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1788160308 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 2.54 x 19.69 cm |
by Russell J. Weston
I love this book. I bought it many years ago when I was living in London, but somewhere along the line, loaned it out & never got it back.
I read it not just for the information, but for the ambience of the writing itself. I feel the writer captures much of what I love about “ambient” music, in words – no easy task.
For anyone looking for a place to start exploring this ever-morphing and expanding genre, I would highly recommend this book. It’s one of the most interesting & enjoyable books about music that I have ever read.
by Amazon Customer
Still reading the book, but this is pretty amazing view about certain time when musical ideas seemed to appear from nowhere and synthesize into new sounds, songs, styles and genres. This book gives you very good overview they did already exist in global human mind.
by graham seaman
Essential reading for anyone interested in music/sound,very well written,I would highly recommend this book….
by Neil Morris
My music teacher recommended this book but I didn’t get on with it so much.
The book covers a lot of ground and if you don’t already know your music and music history you won’t learn much. David uses words [I think] to reflect how music makes him feel. He doesn’t describe the music or explain what he’s doing or where he’s going so if you don’t pick up on it (or agree) it’s all going to be rather garbled. Sometimes full stops are for other people.
I felt David says a lot without telling you anything, explaining anything or justifying anything. And when an author says, ‘The first time I met …,’ you know he’s showing off. He’s clearly well read, uses a lot of quotes but for me the book didn’t hang together into a digestible whole.
by A C
From someone who is far from an expert in this field of music, I would highly recommend this book. It sweeps through the different evolving strands in an accessible and anecdotal fashion and only made me want to explore the genre more. Written with a great deal of heart, his love for the genre is truly infectious.
by william ward
Alcohol is sound
by RobMo
the first couple of chapters really do act as a barrier to what ends up being a thoroughly engaging read.
by Mark H
What an astonishing book. David Toop’s restless agility takes the reader on an amazing journey down winding paths and switchbacks. So much more than a survey of electronic music. The author delights in sharing personal and considered insights in a book that explores the political, sociological and psychological avenues that explain great artists and music creations. You don’t hvr to be as clever as Toop to enjoy this book but you will feel cleverer after reading. Hugely informative, thought provoking and inspiring. A great read and one of the best music books of recent times.