Techno, house, dubstep, drum & bass, minimal… we live in a historical moment in which electronic music is the original source of a great diversity of genres and new technologies facilitate this musical creativity. But when did people started using electronic tools to create music? Nowadays, the use of synthesizers and electronics is common and wide known from the public, but the first songs created with these media represented the vision of the future for music.

The origin of electronic music took place in Western Europe at the end of the 70s, although one of the most important songs belonging to this genre was early created in 1973, a preview of what was going to happen. This song was Tubular Bells by one of the pioneers of electronic music – Mike Oldfield – and it became one of the most important soundtracks in the history of cinema, the one of The Exorcist.

At the end of the decade, the so-called music of the future began to emerge. The German band Kraftwerk released The model (1978), a song made with computers and synthesizers, although their recognition as pioneers of electronic music was achieved already in 1974 with the release of the album Autobahn. In the same year of the creation of The model, the French producer Jean-Michel Jarre released his second studio album Équinoxe, where he used synthesizers, sequencers and other technological tools, becoming one of the first producers of electronic music.

During the 80s, electronic music boomed throughout the European continent and gave rise to the opportunity to enter this new field and introduce electronic instruments in other genres. In the case of the British Ultravox, band of 1976, they experimented with different musical genres and launched in 1980 their new approach to electronic compositions with Vienne. In the case of Spain, two of the bands that joined the genre were Aviador Dro and Azul y Negro.

It is mandatory to also mention some of the most important bands of modern music that added electronics to their tracks such as Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, New Order, Soft Cell or Pet Shop Boys. The synthesizer has been a tool coming from the future for all of them, for us this role goes to the cloud and all the new technological advances.

With so many possibilities offered by electronics, what does the future hold?

During the 80s, electronic music boomed throughout the European continent and gave rise to the opportunity to enter this new field and introduce electronic instruments in other genres.

R: Victoria López – P: Everson Mayer