What is experimental music?

Experimental music covers work that looks for new ways to make or organize sound outside standard song forms. It includes musique concrète, which Pierre Schaeffer launched in 1948, electroacoustic music, drone, industrial and minimalism. The label spans very different records, from near-silent pieces to harsh, loud ones, so it helps to explore by scene or by label.

Why buy experimental music on vinyl?

Many of these albums were designed for the format, with two sides treated as two movements, careful artwork and small runs. The main caveat is condition: quiet passages reveal surface noise, so a clean copy makes a real difference.

Are experimental music reissues as good as original pressings?

Often they are, especially when they are cut from the original tapes and come with documented liner notes. Originals in this field are scarce and frequently worn, while a careful reissue gives you a quiet new surface. Check the master source and the reissue label before choosing between the two.

Which experimental records should I start with?

Start with something approachable before the most radical work. Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians", albums by Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Brian Eno's records are good entry points. If you come from rock, Throbbing Gristle or Holger Czukay connect experimental sound to more familiar territory. Then branch out label by label.

Experimental music

Experimental Music encompasses audacious sound creations that defy traditional conventions. This genre is characterized by the exploration of new techniques, the use of innovative technologies, and great artistic freedom.

Dive into our collection of Experimental Music vinyls to discover unique and avant-garde soundscapes.

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Experimental Music Vinyl: Pressings, Labels and Records Worth Knowing

What you'll find among these experimental music records

This page gathers experimental music vinyl: musique concrète, electroacoustic work, drone, industrial, minimalism, tape collage and projects that sit somewhere between rock, jazz and sound art. The catalog runs from Throbbing Gristle to Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Holger Czukay, Ben Frost and Bohren & der Club of Gore. Vinyl remains the natural home for this music: many albums are built as two sides, pressed in small runs, with artwork that is part of the piece.

Each record page lists offers from several partner stores, so you can compare a recent reissue, a limited edition or a color variant of the same title before clicking through to the store. That matters in this corner of the catalog, where the price of one album can vary a lot between stores depending on the edition and the copies left.

Buying experimental records: what to check first

A lot of experimental records are pressed in runs of a few hundred and never repressed, so if an edition matters to you, do not wait too long. For reissues, look at who is behind them. Labels such as Superior Viaduct, Soul Jazz Records and the Recollection GRM series from Editions Mego work from archives and document their sources. Quiet passages, common in drone and electroacoustic music, expose every bit of surface noise, so condition matters even more than on a rock LP.