Synthesis as visual art. Evgeny Murzin built a machine where the score is the sound itself. No keys — just glass, black mastic, and a stylus. An instrument that allowed composers to literally draw what was impossible to play by hand.
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While the West patched wires, Evgeny Murzin created a unique optical system named ANS. Its heart was five glass discs with 144 tracks. The score was a glass plate covered in black mastic: the musician scratched lines through it, allowing light to reach photocells. This allowed music to be literally drawn — wavy lines created glissandos, while broad strokes created noise textures.
The instrument's fate was dramatic: after the inventor's death, the world's only ANS was nearly scrapped. Composer Eduard Artemyev and engineers saved it by hiding it in a university basement.
node.music - an interactive map of the history of electronic sound
From the Telharmonium, which streamed sound over telephone wires at the end of the 19th century, to music written by AI.
Scroll down - that is how you move through time in a straight line. The [INFLUENCE] mode in the top menu shows connections: who begat whom and how concepts shaped each other. To explore the influences deeper, switch to [HORIZON VIEW].
The site makes sound - and you can even play on those sounds. If the sound gets in the way, just turn it off in the top menu.
Black lines are direct links: technology, descent, founding, rivalry.Grey lines are looser: ideas, techniques, collaborations.Hover over a line to see what it connects.
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node.music
Interactive timeline of electronic music history, from the 200-ton Telharmonium (1897) to neural audio.
> SEARCH — Find an event by title or author
> TAP — Tap on a card to learn details
> LISTEN — Listen to music and watch videos
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INTERACTIVE FEEDBACK ENGINE
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CLICK / PLAY / WATCH / NOISE / SWEEP — SYSTEM SOUNDS. CLOSING STOPS AUDIO.
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