Over the weekend I watched the film Modulations. It is a brief history of electronic music that mainly focuses on the development of modern electronic dance music. Modulations touches on pioneers such as Pierre Henry, John Cage, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. There is also a segment dedicated to Afrika Bambaataa and how developments in electronic music in Germany (Kraftwork) bleed into the Bronx’s evolving hip-hop scene. Another artist who is mentioned briefly is Japanese ambient musician Tetsu Inoue. The filmmakers show him walking around his apartment recording his microwave, door latch, and other everyday sounds that he incorporates into his compositions.
The film primarily examines the development of techno, jungle, house, industrial, and chill and how it ebbed and flowed along with the rave culture. There is also discussion about how the technology and in some cases economic access to technology shaped how the music was performed and designed. This aspect of the movie made a less interesting part of the film watchable.
There are some great interviewees, notably Bill Laswell, DXT, members of Can, and DJ Spooky, but with the exception of Genesis P-Orridge they just aren’t featured enough. If you are interested in late twentieth century dance music I would recommend this movie for you. But if you are looking for a real history electronic music I would advise you to keep on looking.
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