[sdiy] musical offer: Early Dutch Electronic Music from Philips Laboratories 1956-1963

[Wout Blommers]

Hi,

And there is the interesting thing in these investigations during that 
time. While Paris was 'inventing' the techniques, in Cologne the same, 
Phillips asked itself how the electronic could function in music 
practice. Germany (and France in a way) believed electronic music would 
be broadcasted on the radio, while Eindhoven wanted to distribute it by 
gramophone discs. The WDR believed it would be 'serious, music, Phillips 
wanted popular songs... Varèse was a side way in their philosophy. When 
sales didn't worked out, Phillips abandoned their plans.

Wout

Theo wrote:
> I have a copy of a old Dissevelt& Baltan EP on tape, kind 
> of ballroom-music with space FX. Interesting stuff cause its from the '50s.
>  
> But these pp where not really DIYers, this where pp working at Philps 
> NatLab (similar to Bell-labs in the US) using lab gear and tape decks to 
> make sound.
> There existed a sound laboratory at NatLab even in the '30s.
> There is a photo of this lab in a DIY radio book from the '30 that my 
> dad owns.
> No tape decks, but wire recorders!, 78RMP record players and a ton of 
> unidentified lab gear. 
> According to the text this lab was also used by composers to explore the 
> possible use of electronics in music.
> Don't think what they did then was as ground breaking as the work of 
> Trautheim (sp?), Martenot or Termen around the same time.
>  
> During the '50 Philips ordered their lab to do research on electronic 
> music for "commercial" use.
> The result where a number of EP and LP productions and also music for 
> (Philips) commercials.
> Most famous production of NatLab is probably 'Le Poème Electrique' by 
> Varèse, a multimedia installation for the world exhibition in Brussels 
> in '58.