Recomposed - by Kyle Devine (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The major look at the environmental impact of the music industry and a brilliant exploration of how musicians are thinking about and being influenced by the climate crisis

Everywhere you look, music is changing--overhauling itself in response to climate crisis. There are records made of plants, stereos that run on sunshine, streaming services powered like hot springs. There are nonprofit and investment initiatives geared toward environmental concerns. There are sector-specific carbon calculators, literacy programs, and organizations that are sizing up (and drawing down) the environmental impact of music on every level. Top to bottom, we are witnessing a climate-oriented transformation of what music is and how it comes to be.

Review Quotes

"Kyle Devine understands that the connection between the climate and the material aspects of music goes beyond making LPs from potatoes (rumored) or the environmental impact of streaming (true, varied). Especially within circles of musicians, the social architecture or music-making is deeply under-discussed. Recomposed puts class at the center of the climate discussion, when it is sorely needed."
--Sasha Frere-Jones

About the Author

Kyle Devine is a professor in environmental studies and dean of graduate studies at the University of Winnipeg. He is the author of Decomposed: The Political Ecology of Music, an award-winning environmental history of the record industry.