Browse Items (11 total)

The advent of the mechanical printing press (created by Johannes Gutenberg in 1439) is, without doubt, one of the most important technological advancements in the history of human civilization. Its creation lead to an explosive growth in our capacity…

Thomas Edison’s initial phonograph was comprised of tinfoil, which was then wrapped around a cylinder that needed to be hand-cranked and was not removable. Through further development with his 1878, he proposed numerous improvements, ranging from use…

Through the early 20th century, the Marcony Research Center’s New Street Works factory began broadcasting radio on their 2MT station, run by Guglielmo Marconi, in Chelmsford, England. Nellie Melba – an operatic soprano, from Melbourne (from which her…

Considered to be one of the most influential instrumental hip hop albums of all time, J Dilla’s “Donuts” is comprised of 31 tracks, ranging from roughly one to one-and-a-half minutes in length. Due to his lupus (which resulted in his death shortly…

The debut album of French electronic music act, Justice, permanently altered perceptions of electronic dance music, its future, and methods of its production. Released on Ed Banger Records in 2007 – the founder of which, Pedro Winter, managed Daft…

Originally invented by E. C. Wente – while working for Western Electric – condenser microphones – unlike previous microphones – were capable of capturing a much wider range of frequencies. Due to their compact designs and greatly increased capacity…

Featured on their first (of many) “Ultimate Breaks and Beats” collections (Cat #SBR 501), the “Amen Break” was a sample of a drum solo, cut from the Winstons’ 1969 single, “Amen, Brother.” The loop has been sampled at least 2,239 times (which only…

One of the most widely known and influential acts in electronic music history, Daft Punk embarked on a world tour, known as the “Alive 2007” tour. This was their first tour in 10 years, consisting of works from three albums released over roughly the…

Ableton – a German software development company – released the first version of their Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), Ableton Live 1.0, in 2001. The program is known for its complex audio analysis algorithms – which allow for vast manipulations in…

The American Standards Association – in 1936 – formally recommended that the note, A, above middle C, be tuned to 440 hz. Prior to this point, there were no standard representations of tuning, and could range anywhere from 400 hz to 480 hz, resulting…

English art rock band 10cc released what would become one of their most famous singles in May of 1975: “I’m Not in Love.” The track is known for its vast and ominous choral section. 10cc utilized an early form of sampling by having each of the three…