The futures of electronic music

Sonic futures - or futures relating to electronic music - is an interesting look at how machines and AI are influencing the evolution of the music industry.

What really put a smile on my face watching this short film, is that even though the topic of the video is about 'how advancements in technology are affecting the making of music', what everyone ends up talking about is collaboration with those machines - and other human beings.

“In terms of the British history of electronic music we’re a nation of hobbyists and tinkerers and we like to build and make things,” says Manchester-based sound artist Vicky Clarke, whose DIY physical interfaces for controlling digital sound are part of a dialogue with the UK’s electronic music history. “I like to think how we can take from the past and look to the future and create these new performance systems.” - via

Electronic music and the increasing levels of empowerment that new technology is offering artists is liberating individuals and bring marginalised communities together.

So for all the threat that new technology poses to the music industry - what it has ended up doing is really giving people the space to create and collaborate more as artists and professionals.

As one of my mentors, Prof Philip Spies says; 'Competent people don't worry much about things like the future of work and the so-called threat of technology'