Google’s new virtual exhibition is a shrine to electronic music, synths and rave culture

Google has launched a new virtual exhibition called Music, Makers and Machines. The virtual exhibition sees Google and YouTube team up with key labels, foundations, clubs and events like XL Recordings, Kompakt, Bob Moog Foundation, Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments, ADE, Barbican Centre, Black Cultural Archives, Sydney Opera House and many more to offer videos, interactive explainers, demos of synths, photo archives and historical records. There are also Augmented Reality features, showcasing some classic synths and drum machines placed in the real world using your device’s camera. 

There’s over 13,000 video and photo assets to explore, 3D scans of 22 synthesizers so you can explore them in more detail, 360º tours of iconic studios, exhibitions including phatmedia: Iconic Flyer Design, A Brief History of Early Dubstep and King Britt’s Blacktronika, which we recently discussed with him. 

Other themes include 'Electronic music is Black music', 'Turning the tables: How electronic music has influenced other music genres', 'Queer pioneers: Exploring the role of LGBTQ ravers in the history of electronic dance music' and 'The iconic machines: Sound production, man-machine interaction and forgotten instruments'. 

The whole exhibition is free and now live on their website – click here to explore.

Photo credit: Marcus Graham / Museum of Youth Culture