10 Bizarre Songs Which Prove That The 1950s Were Crazier Than You Think

Electronic music is usually associated with more recent times, but as early as the '50s musicians were experimenting with computer-based compositions. Dick Raaijmakers, aka Kid Baltan, was a Dutch musical theorist and musician who worked as a researcher in the field of electro-acoustics for many years. He met Tom Dissevelt at the Philips Physics Laboratory (Natlab), which is also where they set about recording a complete album exploring the possibilities of marrying new technology with music.

The Song Of The Second Moon (The Sonic Vibrations Of Tom Dissevelt / Kid Baltan) remains a fascinating listening experience and sounds decades ahead of its time. The gurglings, bloops, blips, warbling effects and electronic rhythms predate the '80s synth explosion by a good twenty years.

For other early pioneers of electronic music, it is also well worth exploring the works of Raymond Scott, Jean-Jacques Perrey, Delia Derbyshire and Silver Apples (the latter two most active in the '60s and '70s). The genre has a surprisingly long and interesting history.