Sonic Explorers brings together a unique mix of experimental music and sound exploration from the archives of Minnesota Public Radio. It features audio recordings that capture artists who push the boundaries of music—using unusual sounds and creative techniques to explore what listening can be.
From early electronic experiments to profiles, live performances and soundscapes, these recordings offer a glimpse into the vibrant world of music experimentation. Whether you're a curious listener, a fan of the unusual, or someone on a journey to discover new music, this collection invites you to experience rich and creative artists that have pushed music-making in bold new ways.
March 8, 2015 - MPR’s Euan Kerr reports on a group of internationally acclaimed rock artists visiting St. Paul for a unique new music collaboration sponsored by Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music Series. The musicians are coming to perform with Helado Negro, an electronic music group led by Roberto Carlos Lange.
March 16, 2016 - MPR’s Euan Kerr interviews experimental composer and musician Laurie Anderson, who has been on the forefront of musical experimentation in the U.S. for more than 40 years. The two discuss the sounds, imagery, and juxtaposition.
December 19, 2016 - Composers Notebook host John Zech highlights composer Wendy Carlos’ musical development for Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange. As in his earlier hit, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick used classical music. This time, however, in keeping with the film's futuristic storyline, the classics were adapted and arranged for Moog synthesizer by Carlos.
August 15, 2020 - When a flying saucer circled over Washington, DC, in the classic 1951 sci-fi film The Day the Earth Stood Still, it did so to music played on an electronic instrument known as the “Theremin.” On this episode of Composer’s Datebook, a look back at its Russian inventor, Leon Theremin.
December 20, 2023 - Synthesizers are revolutionary instruments, using knobs, buttons, and sliders to make different sound. You can hear them in all sorts of music, from pop to hip-hop. But that wasn’t always the case. APM’s Forever Ago explores the history of these electronic devices.
June 24, 2024 - MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two women local professional DJs, Brittany Wright and YASMEENAH. Companies, sports teams, families, and non-profit leaders hire them to plan music for events and get the party going. The program goes behind the scenes of the DJ world, from the gear they use to the secrets of reading the crowd.
July 19, 2024 - In 1961, a new and difficult work for strings announced the arrival of a composer with a new and difficult name for non-Polish speakers to pronounce…Krzysztof Penderecki. This episode of Composers Datebook looks back at the unique music figure.