Science Museum unveils lost gem of electronic music

Science Museum unveils lost gem of electronic music

On Friday 29th July, the Science Museum reveals a lost and unique gem of early electronic music when it opens the ‘Oramics to Electronica: Revealing Histories of Electronic Music’, an exhibition dedicated to the birth of electronic music and how it’s influenced our music world.

The exhibition displays:
• The Oramics Machine*
• Rarely seen archive footage
• A new interactive that allows you to recreate the sound of the Oramics machine

The Oramics Machine is a unique synthesizer - invented in the1960s by Daphne Oram - who established the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. This extraordinary device, long thought lost, is groundbreaking in the history of electronic music and has recently been added to the Museum’s collections, through co-operation with Goldsmiths, University of London.

Tim Boon, Chief Curator, Science Museum, said: “The new exhibition is all about the birth of electronic music and its many influences on today’s music scene and we’re
so pleased to be able to showcase the amazing Oramics machine at the Science Museum – few people have been able to see it since the 1980s and this is a great opportunity. Our new interactive also allows you to recreate the sound of the Oramics machine – so you can compose and arrange your own music.”

Mick Grierson, Director of the Daphne Oram Collection, Goldsmiths,  University of London, said: "The Oramics machine is a device of great importance to the development of British electronic music. It's a great shame that Daphne's contribution has never been fully recognised, but now that we have the machine at the Science Museum, it's clear for all to see that she knew exactly how music was going to be made in the future, and created the machine to do it.”

A new iPhone app called ‘Oramics’, has also been developed by soundandmusic.org and Goldsmiths, University of London, to recreate the sound of the Oramics machine.
On 10th October, a second stage of the exhibition will showcase an array of electronic music and sound reproduction equipment - co-created by a range of individuals working with electronic music today. The Museum is also working together with employees of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and Electronic Music Studio (EMS), who produced the first commercial British synthesizer: VCS3.

A programme of Electronica, Radiophonics and Oramics associated events, workshops and performances is to accompany the exhibition in late October and early November.

The exhibition involves collaboration with organisations including contemporary arts organisation soundandmusic.org alongside Goldsmiths, University of London and Anglia Ruskin University.

Ends

*The term used by Daphne Oram, founder of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, to describe the music she made, including using her unique synthesizer.

For further information please contact, Science Museum Press Office – Nicola.ryan@sciencemuseum.org.uk / 020 7942 4328

Visitor Information:
Science Museum, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2DD
Open daily 10.00 to 18.00, except 24-26 December
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk / 0870 870 4868