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ONLINE RESOURCE CELEBRATING HISTORY AND LEGACY OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC TO FEATURE OVER 250 CURATED EXHIBITIONS FROM 50 INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
(March 10, 2021— Calgary, AB) The National Music Centre (NMC) is among over 50 partners from around the world that contributed to the online exhibition, Music, Makers & Machines, brought to you by Google Arts & Culture and supported by YouTube. Music, Makers & Machines is an interactive online resource highlighting the crucial role electronic music plays within wider culture, both past and present.
Over 50 archives, museums, collections, record labels, festivals and some of the music industry’s leading experts and pioneers from 15 countries contributed, including National Music Centre, Chicago History Museum, Moogseum, Philharmonie de Paris, Institute for Sound and Music in Berlin, UK label XL Recordings, Elektra Montréal, and more.
In over 250 curated online exhibitions, Music, Makers & Machines hosts an extensive archive of over 15.000 photos, videos, 360° tours and 3D scans along with bespoke editorial features delving into scenes, sounds and iconic cities. Learn about the Music genres that grew into movements such as Detroit Techno, House and Gabber, meet the Makers like Honey Dijon, Bob Moog, Ellen Allien or Suzanne Ciani, explore iconic studios like the WDR Studio for Electronic Music, and check out legendary synthesizers and Machines in 3D. In addition, a dedicated AR experiment will enable you to play with five famous synthesizers.
National Music Centre presents four different bilingual exhibitions and 35 collection pieces in the virtual resource, including some Canadian electronic inventions. The exhibitions examine the histories of TONTO (aka The Original New Timbral Orchestra), considered the first attempt at a multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer; Recording innovations and technology, such as the Helios console that was built into revolutionary studio on wheels, the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio; electronic Icons, including the Garnet Herzog Overdrive Unit, a Winnipeg-made amp known for its distinct tone and used and beloved by many rock musicians; and rare Oddities, like the one-of-a-kind E-mu Audity, which was the first digitally-controlled analog synthesizer.
“All of these items hold an important place in the evolution of electronic instrument design and music, and also help to illustrate the depth and breadth of the NMC collection,” said Jesse Moffatt, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, NMC. “With the launch of NMC’s digital platform, Amplify, last month, this new online initiative is another step forward in making the National Music Centre’s comprehensive collection accessible, globally.”
“Electronic music has always been a favourite of mine and has been present throughout my life,” said Amit Sood, Director of Google Arts & Culture. “For me, it's the soundtrack to growing up, meeting friends, or even studying or exercising. I'm proud that from today on, record labels and cultural institutions from all around the world are telling the history of electronic music on Google Arts & Culture. Learning about the music, the makers and the machines behind the tunes we love rekindle my appreciation for the movement's impact on our lives.”
Explore the history of electronic music now at g.co/MusicMakersMachines.
About the National Music Centre
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music and is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in Calgary’s East Village. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.
About Google Arts & Culture
Google Arts & Culture puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 2.000 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips. It’s your doorway to explore art, history, and wonders of the world. Discover stories about cultural heritage ranging from Museum Island Berlin, Puerto Rico’s heritage, Sports in Australia or the women's right movement to ancient Maya temples, Japanese Food and Indian Railways.
About Music Makers & Machines
Music, Makers & Machines is presented by Google Arts & Culture and YouTube, working with international cultural institutions and partners from the music industry on a project about the history of electronic music. The project presents an immersive online exhibition on the pioneers and the most legendary instruments as well as highlighting contemporary trends, places, artists and technological turning points. This is the first comprehensive overview of a music movement presented on Google Arts & Culture.
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Media Contact:
Julijana Capone, Senior Publicist
National Music Centre
T 403.543.5123
julijana.capone@nmc.ca | @nmc_canada