Leonardo Music Journal, Volume 17
My Favorite Things: The Joy of the Gizmo
If, as Marshall McLuhan so famously suggested, the medium is the message, then the gizmo must be the one-liner. From baroque violinists to laptoppers, sound artists have long fetishized the tools of their trade, the mere naming of which can provoke an instant reaction: Shout "LA-2A," "TR-808," "JTM45" or "Tube Screamer" in a room full of musicians, and you will notice the eyes brighten, the breath shorten and the anecdotes pour forth. But only to a point: Many a "secret weapon" is held close to the chest. LMJ 17 addresses the significance of /physical objects/--- homemade instruments, effect boxes, pieces of studio gear, "bent" toys, self-built circuits and so on---in music and sound art in a time of increasing emphasis on software and file exchange.
LMJ17 Issue Contents
Introduction to LMJ17 by Nicolas Collins
"My Favorite Supplement: The Joy of the Gizmo": LEA Special Issue, Supplement to LMJ17
LMJ17 includes compact disc:
The Art of the Gremlin: Inventive Musicians, Curious Devices curated by Sarah Washington
Introduction to LMJ17 CD by Sarah Washington
CD Table of Contents, Tracklist and CD Contributors' Notes
The Leonardo Music Journal Series
The LMJ series is devoted to aesthetic and technical issues in contemporary music and the sonic arts. Currently under the editorship of Nicolas Collins, each thematic issue features artists/writers from around the world, representing a wide range of stylistic viewpoints. Each volume includes the latest offering from the LMJ CD series---an exciting sampling of curious and unusual, but eminently listenable, music. Independently curated and annotated by experts and aficionados, these CDs offer a feast for the ear and mind alike.
More info: http://mitpressjournals.org/lmj
Updated 15 July 2009
