Dream Machines: Electronic Music in Britain From Doctor Who to Acid House

By Matthew Collin

An expansive and illuminating account of the development of electronic music in the UK, told with passionate enthusiasm by Matthew Collin, the critically-acclaimed author of Altered State and Rave On.

Dream Machines tracks the music’s evolution from early avant-garde experiments after World War Two through psychedelia, art-rock and synth-pop to electronic dance music, sampling and the techno era. As well as profiling the sonic futurists who pioneered new styles, it documents the scenes and underground movements that built Britain’s thrillingly diverse electronic music culture in its formative decades.

Based on interviews with key players and a wealth of in-depth research, Dream Machines explores genres as diverse as space rock, electro-pop, ambient, dub, industrial music, prog, electro, hip-hop, hi-NRG and house, highlighting how developments in British electronic music were shaped by changes in society as well as technological advances.

'Matthew’s obvious love for music, insight and meticulous research reflects the passion and fervour of those involved with the evolution of electronic music. A must-read for anyone interested in the influence and benefits of technology on music.' Cosey Fanni Tutti 

'A paean to all the originators and early adopters of electronic music … An incredibly rich and forensically researched history, exquisitely detailed and voiced by the many characters who comprise it.' Stephen Mallinder

'Immaculately researched and sympathetically written, steering clear of predictable and lazy clichés, which marks Collins out as someone who actually gets this, rather than someone who just writes about it. A welcome addition to my bookshelf, as it should be yours.' Outside Left

'A perceptive and highly entertaining breakdown of the crucial development of some of the most innovative music of my dreams. I couldn’t put it down!' Martyn Ware 

'No-stone-unturned history meticulously traces British electronic music's back history, backed up by interviews with movers and shakers.... he shows how technology - or its limitations - is transformative in the right hands, as a trail of unfancied outsiders turn mainstream game-changers' MOJO, 4****

'What Dream Machines gives you, alongside its deluge of new interviews and telling research, is a precise X-ray of modern music up to the 1990s, revealing the wires that held much of it together.' The Wire

'A comprehensive overview of postwar Britain's multifarious sonic innovations. A must-read for anyone seriously interested in the history of electronic music' Record Collector, 4****

'[A] decades-spanning story that can't help but fascinate. A shrewd, cogent study' 8/10 Classic Rock

'As a complete overview this is hard to beat.' 4.5/5 Classic Pop 

Publication Date: 11.04.23
ISBN: 9781913172558
Extent: 416 pages
Format: Hardback

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