Electronic Music and Innovations

         The technical innovation that I am choosing to discuss is modern minimalism discussed by Bjork. It is a documentary featuring Arvo Pärt, Alasdair Mallory, and Mika Vainio. The impact I feel that modern minilalism has had on eletronic music would be by the simple sounds it produces, how the sounds are produced or what are the things that produce these sounds, and above all, how these sounds are turned into music. The sounds produce when hear put you directly in the mind of electronic music. It’s that organic everyday industrial or natural sound that is the basis of electronic music; for instance in the very beginning of the documentary, when it showed a man playing the glass harmonica. What struck me is the sharpness and tone of this instrument. It is that simple ambient sound produced by the playing of this instrument that is noticeable in electronic music.  How the sounds are produced is I feel another element that has impacted electronic music. This can be seen when Bjork met a man by the name of Mika Vainio in Barcelona. During her meeting him, she saw the various things he used to produce these “electronic” type sounds in which one of them were made by turning a old wooden cigar box into some type of bass synthesizer. It was very interesting. All these sounds like I mentioned are produced in simple ways. And I think after looking at this documentary, I feel that in a way, a lot of electronic music is simple and not that complex. Two characteristics of this innovation are simplicity and its organic qualities mentioned frequently above. The impression this innovation has made on me is that you can make music out of the most basic and “non-musical” things. It makes me as a listener and industry professional have more of an appreciation of sound no matter where it comes from.