Unusual Sounds

Reviews / Votes

Unusual Sounds is more than just a look at a kind of music, but a way of making music which has essentially gone away. . . .a fantastic read. -Nick Spacek, Starburst Magazine The cult of library music is a fascinating one; anonymous musicians from the '50s through the '70s recording like an assembly line were, eventually, found to have done more than just jazzy widget assembly to fill space for film and television. The archivist David Hollander has devoted a lot of his life to this corner of music history, releasing some of its most notable tunes through his Cinemaphonic series, and writing about it in Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music. -Andrew Flanagan, NPR Featuring original art by Robert Beatty and an introduction by George A. Romero-whose use of library music in Night of the Living Dead changed film history- Unusual Sounds is mandatory reading for anyone interested in this enigmatic field and its hidden but pervasive cultural influence. - Vinyl Radar These LPs, the height of which appeared across the 1960's and 70's, but stretch from the earliest days of radio to this very day, carry descriptions which often give little clue to what they contain. In a nutshell, it is among the hardest arenas of music to crack, which is David Hollander's Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music, is about as valuable as books about records come. It brilliant piece of work, and an open door to a widely unrecognized and misunderstood world. - Soundohm "As a historical overview of this world, it would be simply impossible to top David Hollander's Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music..." - The Wire "A comprehensive must-read for those who relish and celebrate the expansive, often subrosa, world of Library Music, the work takes a deep dive into its varied history. With stunning original art by Robert Beatty, Unusual Sounds features histories and interviews, along with visuals from the field's most celebrated creators." - Aquarium Drunkard