UbuWeb publish brief history of conceptual and “anti-records” from Thomas Edison to Christian Marclay and John Cage

Avant-garde online resource archive UbuWeb have published a chronological history of conceptual records across the 20th century.

To appreciate this history as “brief” is to see it in the context of UbuWeb, the archive for the more erudite internet user of this world. Beginning with Edison’s development of the Phonograph cylinder, the history takes in the developments in sound production and it’s evolution into differing fields of art, science and technology.

As author on the piece Ron Rice writes, “The beauty and “value” of anti-records and conceptual records is to be found not in the timbres they reproduce, but in their ability to make us aware of the entire ‘”apparatus” surrounding music.”

Among the milestones is Christian Marclay’s 1988 release of “Footsteps” which contain the sound of footsteps from one-sided discs that carpeted the floor of his exhibition.

Marclay’s 1982 recording “Groove” is being released on vinyl for the first time this year by The Vinyl Factory. Click here to find out more and here to order a copy.

Read the full ‘brief’ history at UbuWeb.com

Photo by Dan Kassem.