This fine collection of essays and interviews casts light on, through, and around the fabric of experimental music, woven as it is from threads first spun by John Cage in the 1950s. Whether tracing single lines or analyzing complex patterns, the authors”composers and performers, more than scholars”write with a clarity and focus that derives from decades of practical experience. ... Read moreTheir work illuminates not only a half-century of invention but also the present and future of what has become, paradoxically, an experimental 'tradition'. William Brooks, University of York, UK ’Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.’ Choice ’British composer and experimentalist James Saunders has produced an excellent Companion... the result is an extensive, non-prescriptive resource, ideally matching its subject-matter.’ The Wire ’This is fascinating, with artist statements coming from the likes of Phill Niblock and Chris Hobbs discussing his radiophonic 'MERZsonata' in two different chapters, not to mention the interest in soundscape, phonography, and so on.’ Organised Sound ’A central strength of this book is the obvious engagement of the authors in the experimental tradition. All, in some way, are active in the creation and performance of experimental music and their observations are clearly informed by their practical experience and personal familiarity with the subject. Their insights allow for rare glimpses into a scene that is often marginalized and not fully understood.’ Canadian Association of Music Libraries Review Show Less