Schaeffer est mort! Long live Schaeffer!

This paper examines two groups of composers and discusses the commonality in their approach to using concrete sound materials and rhythm in their works. As a result of this commonality an examination of the ways in which these composers have expanded the electroacoustic language through the hybridisation of electronica and musique concrete techniques is undertaken. It will then be demonstrated how these works, whilst pushing at the boundaries of electroacoustic music can nevertheless be discussed and analysed with reference to Emmerson’s language grid as originally proposed in The Relation of Language to Materials (1986: 17-39). It will be demonstrated how, with the advent of the sampler and proliferation of works utilizing concrete materials, Emmerson’s language grid can be used as the basis for a wider discussion of electronic works.