Johann Merrich – A short history of electronic music and its women protagonists

The majority of books covering the birth and development of electroacoustic and electronic music do seem to only give us a partial overview of this peculiar aspect of contemporary cultural production; essays and monographs provide an androcentric view on the subject, rarely mentioning the contribution of inventresses, female composers and theorists. The “young” age of electronic music – together with the traditional privilege granted by historians to the productions of North America and some European countries – contribute in obstructing the drafting of a paritary, diagonal and comprehensive view of this topic. This book aims to open a new perspective on electronic music history; If we want to write a new, more inclusive and equitable future, we will have to look at the facts by training a curious gaze, stripped of mechanically reiterated certainties. From the birth of the Theremin to the first commercial software intended for the production of computer music, from Japan to Russia passing through Europe and the American Continent, each chapter of this book deals with a specific moment of the history of electronic music narrated through the compositions and experiences of women composers. Addressed to lovers of electronic music, scholars and non-experts, A Short History of Electronic Music and its Women Protagonists discloses a new and vibrating universe of untold stories.