micro bionic: radical electronic music & sound art in the 21st century
As the title suggests, the unifying theme of the book is that of musicians and sound artists taking bold leaps forward in spite of (or sometimes because of) their financial, technological, and social restrictions. Some symptoms of this condition include the gigantic discography amassed by the one-man project Merzbow, the drama of silence enacted by onkyo and New Berlin Minimalism, the annihilating noise transmitted from the humble laptop computers of Russell Haswell and Peter Rehberg and much more besides. Although the journey begins in the Industrial 1980s, in order to trace how the innovations of that period have gained greater currency in the present, it surveys a wide array of artists breaking ground in the 21st century with radical attitudes and techniques. A healthy amount of global travel and concentrated listening have combined to make this a sophisticated yet accessible document, unafraid to explore both the transgressive extremes of this culture and the more deftly concealed interstices thereof.
Part historical document, part survival manual for the marginalized electronic musician, part sociological investigation, Micro Bionic is a number of different things, and as such will likely generate a variety of reactions from inspiration to offense. Numerous exclusive interviews with leading lights of the field were also conducted for this book: William Bennett (Whitehouse), Peter Christopherson (r.i.p., Throbbing Gristle / Coil), Peter Rehberg, John Duncan, Francisco López, Carl Michael von Hausswolff, Bob Ostertag and many others weigh in with a diversity of thoughts and opinions that underscore the incredible diversity to be found within new electronic music itself.
"It is continually surprising how detailed it is, knowledgeable I mean [...] with your book, it's a whole curriculum that it inspires."
- David Schafer, author of Separated United Forms
"Wow! Impressive...I've never before seen such a thorough, clear understanding of my work and my perspective. I'm used to childish music reviews and very nerdy statements about CD covers etc...so this is like another level, and one that definitely is largely missing in this environment of so-called experimental music."
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR RE: EXISTING SALE COPIES, AND CREATION BOOKS' BUSINESS PRACTICES
Although this book is still available for purchase from Amazon.com and other booksellers, I strongly advise you not to buy the copies currently available.
The book's publisher, Creation, is in breach of contract with me, owing to non-payment of royalties earned from past book sales, and other forms of deceptive behavior. They continue to sell and distribute my book without my permission, and to profit illegally from my work. Several authors have recently alleged the same of Creation.
When time permits, I will be offering the entire text of Micro Bionic in a expanded / revised edition that will significantly improve upon the editing and layout job done by Creation, and will add the index / appendices that Creation refused to add in the original edition. Please be warned: there is a high possibility that other authors on Creation Books (or their offshoot imprints, such as Glitter Books and Solar Books) will not benefit from your purchasing of their material.
- Thomas Bailey, winter 2011
book excerpts
These are now available in .html form, due to popular demand. Contents may differ slightly from the original 2009 publication. Table of contents (.pdf)
'Silence is Sexy: The Other Extreme Music' (.html)
'Vox Stimuli: John Duncan's Unrestrained Explorations' (.html)
'Beyond The Valley Of The Falsch- Mego And Friends Re-Invigorate Computer Music' (.html)