The look of dance music may have started for some in the masks of Deadmau5 or the helmets and pyramids of Daft Punk, but a new show at London's Design Museum reminds us that the relationship between visual opulence and electronic sound has been a long one.
Starting this April to 26 july 2020, Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers is the museum's first music-themed exhibition, encompassing not just classic sleeves but also the light beam sights of Jean-Michel Jarre's laser harp and the more extreme end of Aphex Twin's videography.
Featuring elements of the dance duo's legendary live show, visuals and lights interact to create a 3D immersive experience as inspired by the psychedelic duo’s acclaimed No Geography tour.
The Electronic show also delves into the extreme visual world created by Weirdcore for Aphex Twin’s. There's also a celebration of a half century of Kraftwerk history through a half-hour 3D experience, which'll no doubt be familiar to those who've seen the German group's amazing live performances. Featuring over 400 items, Electronic is divided into four sections: Man and Woman Machine, Dancefloor, Mix and Remix, and Utopian Dreams and Ideals.
On the show, curator Gemma Curtin remarks that "sound is only part of the story when it comes to this category of music: it has built communities on and offline, democratised music technology and provided a safe space for free expression."
