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brettworks

thinking through music


  • May 16, 2019

    Resonant Thoughts: Thor Magnusson’s “Sonic Writing” (2019)

    “Incarnated as a digital instrument…all your behavior can be redefined using a language of algorithms that can be written and rewritten to change your nature. Indeed you might not feel that you have a nature as such, as a new software upgrade might change your behavior so completely that it does not remind you of… Continue reading

    Resonant Thoughts, Uncategorized
  • May 15, 2019

    Brett’s Sound Picks: Plaid’s “Los” (2019)

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    Brett’s Sound Picks, Uncategorized
  • May 14, 2019

    Art About Music: John Singer Sargent’s “Study for Seated Musicians for ‘El Jaleo’” (c. 1882)

    Continue reading

    art about music, Uncategorized
  • May 13, 2019

    On Musical Manipulation

    manipulate—handle or control typically in a skillful manner If you zoom out far enough from the minutiae of music production, you see that the grand contours of your production moves are made up of unequal parts recording (audio, MIDI) and technology-assisted manipulation. As I practice it, recording is straightforward enough: at an acoustic instrument (yes… Continue reading

    musical manipulation, musical process, musical technique, Uncategorized
  • May 10, 2019

    Curating The Week: Distraction, Sublime Frequencies, Disco’s Influence

    • An essay on digital distraction. “The problem of concentration is recursive. Any strategy for sidestepping distraction calls for strategies on sidestepping distraction.”  • An article on Sublime Frequencies’ world music recordings. “The label Sublime Frequencies…was initially a response to the reigning approach of ethnomusicology, which they perceived as prizing a kind of detached, academic… Continue reading

    Curating The Week, Uncategorized
  • May 9, 2019

    Resonant Thought: Ferran Adria’s “Notes On Creativity” (2014)

      “The ‘why’ is the driving force of all of our work. It means to take nothing for granted, and to ask ourselves if everything, absolutely everything, can be changed, developed, or improved. The ‘why’ is a symbol that reminds us that we don’t know anything, that we have much to learn, and that this… Continue reading

    Resonant Thoughts, Uncategorized
  • May 8, 2019

    Brett’s Sound Picks: Caterina Barbieri’s “Fantas” (2019)

      Listen to Brett’s Sound Picks 2019. Continue reading

    Brett’s Sound Picks, Uncategorized
  • May 7, 2019

    Art About Music: Giovanni Cariani’s “A Concert” (c. 1518-1520)

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    art about music, Uncategorized
  • May 6, 2019

    On Nontypical Timekeeping Ways And Messing With Percussion Sounds

    “Beware of clichés…There are clichés of response as well as expression. There are clichés of observation and of thought—even of conception. Many novels, even quite a few adequately written ones, are clichés of form which conform to clichés of expectation.” -Geoff Dyer I’ve been enjoying messing with my percussion sounds to make them more interesting… Continue reading

    beat programming, Uncategorized
  • May 3, 2019

    Resonant Thoughts: Damon Krukowski’s “Ways Of Hearing” (2019)

        “In the digital studio…everything you do is provisional. That is, it can be redone, reshaped, rebuilt.” Damon Krukowski, Ways Of Hearing (2019), p. 1 Continue reading

    Resonant Thoughts, Uncategorized
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Thomas Brett is a musician and writer who holds a PhD in ethnomusicology from New York University. He is the author of Principles of Electronic Music Production and The Creative Electronic Music Producer, a book described by Sound On Sound magazine as “a deep philosophical analysis of the various creative inspirations, ideas and processes involved in producing electronic music.” His essays have appeared in the journals Popular Music and Popular Music and Society, as well as edited collections by Routledge, Oxford, and Cambridge University presses. Thomas has played percussion on Broadway since 1997 and writes about music at brettworks.com.

Recent Posts

  • Brett’s Sound Picks: Laura Cannell’s “The Water Had Carried Her” (2026)
  • Curating The Week: AI and Human Touch, AI and Writing, AI and Taste
  • Marimbafied 35
  • Pianola
  • Tuning

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