Spectralism

Spectralism emerged in the late 20th century, primarily in France, when composers decided that the best way to pitch a fit about pitch was to base music on the analysis of sounds rather than just notes. Characterised by an obsessive attention to timbre and harmonic texture, it often sounds like the musical equivalent of a science experiment gone wonderfully right, or deliciously wrong, depending on your tolerance for sonic oddities. This genre tends to favour computers over instruments, and whilst it might not get you tapping your toes, it’ll certainly have your ears perked up, as it tries to redefine what music can actually be.