From the makers of the documentary "Synthetic Pleasures" comes the first big scale documentary on electronic music; no, Trainspotting and Kids doesn't count- I said the MUSIC, not just the social bullshit that comes along with it. A lot of the big names are interviewed or covered all along the timeline of electronic music, from Luigi Russolo's writing of the Art of Noises in the 1913 to the present day. Finally, we have a documented history on film. Maybe now the music will be taken seriously.

      The film, directed by Iara Lee, includes the early influences of electronic music, some throughout the timeline that many people wouldn't have considered as such, and some who's contributions are felt (or more appropriately "heard") unbeknownst to most of us. It boasts the claim that even modern day acoustic music can be classified as "electronic" because of it being recorded, and/or transmitted via radio/television. This is more so to show the importance of technology to music in the modern day more than it is to include all styles into the classification of electronic music. Other early influences or catalysts and innovators covered include: John Cage's "imaginary landscapes" and his questioning of "is it music, or is it noise"; the first manipulable electronic instrument, the Theremin, which changes notes by moving your hands and arms within it's field; Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer's "Musique Concrete", the first use of magnetic tape "looping" of sounds and collages; that idea taken furthur by Karlheinz Stockhausen's use of microphones as musical instruments; the Moog synthesizers; and on through disco, industrial music, ambient, Kraftwerk, house music, electro, techno, jungle, turntablism, and even speculation about what's next.

      The production is top-notch, keeping the viewer interested for it's running time of about 2 hours. Over 60 hours of interviews were spliced down to their essence with people such as: Mixmaster Morris, Genesis P. Orridge, Future Sound of London, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, LTJ Bukem, Moby, Roni Size (looking like he's coming down from heroin i might add), Robert Moog, Bill Laswell, Prodigy (go superstars), Meat Beat Manifesto, Squarepusher, Invisibl Skratch Piklz, etc.

      My only beef is it didn't mention trance at all. And i think there should have been maybe some inclusion of that, as well as some interviews with Sven Vath, Oliver Lieb, or someone like that. But other than that, the film is overly thorough and concise. It seems to jump back and forth at times, but only so to backtrack the evolution of certain elements and ideas.