Unofficial Release: Self-Released And Handmade Audio In Post-Industrial Society - Paperback

by Thomas Bey William Bailey (Author)

The culture of self-released music and sound art is one of the most vital, yet most overlooked, phenomena resulting from the 20th century revolution in communications technology. In this volume, Thomas Bailey surveys a fascinating realm of creative activity and identifies the key individuals and developments responsible for its continued relevance in the present age. From the networked "mail art" of the 1970s, to the home-taping boom, to the establishment of music labels dealing solely in digital sound files, this culture provides valuable insight into the evolution of the "official" art market and the artists who bypass it. Along the way, we are introduced to a world where networks are artworks in themselves, where blank tapes and recordable CDs are fashioned into elaborate art objects, and where relative freedom from creative supervision leads to both colorful innovations and violent aesthetic extremes. 'Unofficial Release' features material on mail art, cassette culture, industrial music, handmade packaging, releasing addiction, anti-promotion, net-labels, digital file sharing, circumventing censorship, extremist metal, sound poetry, imaginary music, 'outsider' art, tape nostalgia...and much more

Author Biography

Working with a number of different communications media, Thomas Bey William Bailey interrogates notions of utopia, anthropocentrism, and "the extreme," while refusing to reject any unpopular cultural manifestation as invalid until its parameters have been fully mapped out, and its more nuanced aspects brought to light. His writings have been published in numerous languages and in newsstand magazines (The Wire, HiS Voice, A2 Cultural Weekly, Plot) as well as the weblogs and online presences of arts and culture institutions (Rhizome.org, Vague Terrain, Perfect Sound Forever.) His first book Micro Bionic was released to acclaim in 2009. He has released numerous audio recordings under his name, and his lived and worked in Japan, Central Europe, Spain, and the United States. He is currently at work on a new title dealing with the cultural history of synesthesia. See www.tbwb.net for regular updates.