Experimental composer Alvin Lucier has died aged 90

Experimental composer Alvin Lucier has passed away aged 90.

Lucier, best known for his experimental approach to sound, passed away due to compilations following a fall - according to his daughter Amanda Lucier.

The New York Times has reported that he died on Wednesday December 1 at his home in Middletown, Connecticut.

A post on Facebook penned by his ex-wife Mary Lucier says: "The great Alvin Lucier has died. Long live Alvin Lucier."

The location is tagged at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut - where Lucier has been teaching for the past few decades.

Lucier's work focused less on traditional musical elements such as harmonies and melodies and concentrated on the scientific and mathematical elements of music.

Rather than his primary focus being on evoking emotion or creating a certain mood or atmosphere, his main goal was to be experimental in sonic soundscapes.

Lucier was born in New Hampshire and had an impressive musical education - attending both Yale and Brandeis universities.

He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and went to study in Rome where he saw a concert by John Cage, David Tudor and Merce Cunningham, who were exploring the possibilities of chance within music.

This sparked Lucier's own creativity in method as a composer. Over his career he has used technology such as brain sensors and echolocation to generate sound.

His experimental techniques have been pioneering in music production and composition.

His philosophy and ideas have been adopted by many in the Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) scene. His techniques have been said to pioneer the way for the likes of Aphex Twin.

Lucier's legacy lives on in the music industry and he is survived by his daughter Amanda and wife Wendy Stokes.

[Via: New York Times]

Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter