Widely regarded as the first modern music studio, the Studio for Electronic Music in Germany became famous for using innovative techniques to create an entirely new genre of music.
Today’s Google Doodle is marking the 66th year anniversary of the the studio which was established at the West German Broadcasting facility in Cologne in 1951.
Drawn by Berlin-based artist Henning Wagenbreth, the colourful logo pays tribute to the studio’s remarkable impact on world music.
The illustration is made up of studio equipment that is now synonymous with electronic music, including a keyboard, mixing table and amplifiers.
Google said the doodle “celebrates the diversity of thought and imagination that built this studio and transformed the possibilities of music.”
What is the Studio for Electronic Music?
Composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer and Herbert Emert founded the the Studio for Electronic Music 66 years ago.
Google said: “The concept for a studio to create electronic music was birthed by composers Werner Meyer-Eppler, Robert Beyer, and Herbert Eimert, who for years had brainstormed the technical requirements of the challenge.
“Artists in the studio created breakthrough beats, editing and mixing sounds using new types of equipment and technical composition.
“Composers and producers came from far and wide as the studio became a breeding ground for musical innovation.”
Desperate to overcome the technological constraints of the time, the musicians developed new equipment capable of mixing beats and sounds electronically.
Among the most significant of these inventions was the Monochord, which led to the creation of the Melochord – an early precursor to the modern-day synthesiser.
Before long the studio became a breeding ground for up-and-coming artists and producers, who flocked to Germany to experience this exciting musical revolution.
WDR closed in 2000, but has gone down in history as one of the most important studios in music history.