Listening to the Music the Machines Make is the revolutionary story of electronic pop from 1978 to 1983, a true golden age of British music. This definitive account explores how krautrock, disco, glam rock and punk inspired a new generation to rip up the rulebook and venture toward a new frontier of electronic music – one that laid the foundations for Hip-Hop, house, techno and beyond.
Including an extensive collection of archive images throughout, Richard Evans’s kaleidoscopic narrative draws on years of research, a plethora of archive press materials and the input of key figures, including Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure), Martyn Ware (The Human League, B.E.F., Heaven 17) and Daniel Miller (The Normal, Mute Records).
From the gritty and experimental to the camp and theatrical, this book charts the careers and impact of electronic pop’s earliest innovators and luminaries, from Devo, The Normal, Telex and Cabaret Voltaire to Soft Cell, Gary Numan, OMD, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode.
Richard Evans has worked in the music industry for more than 30 years and with Erasure for over a decade. In 2002 he set up www.thisisnotretro.com, a website dedicated to reporting the latest news from the bands and artists who helped define the 80s. His previous book was Remember the Eighties. His new book is Listening to the Music the Machines Make: The Electronic Pop Revolution 1978-1983. Richard is based in Dorset where he lives in perpetual fear of being asked what his favourite record is.
Evans meticulous research is synthesised into a lively and informative narrative that finally grants the genre the respect that it deserves Classic Pop 5*
Meticulously researched … this book is essential. SPIN
A thorough, well-executed delight for fans of the electronic music genre and puts together all the pieces of information together... in the correct sequence, with myths dissolved and facts confirmed We Are Cult
‘Highly anticipated… as a book which dissects the ‘golden age’ of British music between 1977-1983, it’s a must-read.’ Electronic Sound
[It] would have been a great read if it had only listed the achievements of the inventors and creators, but Evans has combined his authoritative research with his genuine passion for the records themselves. Outside Left, 4*
A scroll of chronological, interwoven but often disparate stories featuring every purveyor of synthpop you can possibly think of... a must-read.Record Collector, 4*
Cleverly combines impressive research with an effortless and enjoyable readability, and is surely destined to become the definitive final word on this subject. The Afterword
It’s the way that Evans weaves and knits these familiar names into such a rich and enormous tapestry that makes the book stand out … Highly recommended. Louder Than War
A comprehensive and highly readable overview of a once-future MOJO, 4*
Highly entertaining and obsessively brilliant. Required reading for all lovers of intelligent electronic pop music. Martyn Ware (The Human League, British Electric Foundation, Heaven 17)
Like going down a blissful rabbit hole into the electronic music revolution. Rusty Egan (Visage)
Fascinating and insightful. An essential read. Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure)
The definitive history of electronic pop. Thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating Andy Bell (Erasure)
