| Description | The London Musicans Collective Archive (LMC) contains records from the early days of the organisation, 1976, up until 2008. These records trace a history of experimental and improvised music in London; the documentation reveals much about the political, social and economic conditions of improvised music and sonic arts activity in the UK. The following themes are present in the records: collectivity, feminism, DIY, critical art practice, improvisation and performance art. In the archive, users can expect to find office records, membership lists, newsletters, meeting minutes, interviews, articles, essays, concert posters, ephemera, photographs, scores, audio recordings, press, publicity, and documentation related to national and international musicians involved with the LMC, Resonance Magazine and Resonance FM. |
| Individual or organisational biography | The London Musicians Collective (LMC) was founded in the mid-1970's by a small group of experimental and improvising musicians. Over the next three decades it evolved as an open membership collective attracting successive generations of musicians, improvisers, sound poets, sound artists, instrument builders, performance artists etc. interested in pursuing their practice outside the commercial criteria of the music business. Many of the artists, musicians and improvisers involved in Musics Magazine (also founded in 1975, see LMC/4/1), were very active during the LMC's initial stage. In 1978 the LMC moved into its first space on 42 Gloucester Avenue (shared with the London Film Makers Coop) and members began programming regular concerts, events and workshops of improvised and experimental music. The LMC was forced to leave 42 Gloucester Avenue in 1988. Between 1988 and 1991, the LMC moved from one office to another and in the meantime organized concerts at venues like the Red Rose, Diorama, the Air Gallery and the Tom Allen Centre. This was a transitional period for the LMC: LMC members and directors began to debate whether to become a more formal administrative organization and the implications of that to the collective's culture. In 1991 a new board of directors was assembled and the LMC relocated to the Community Music House on 60 Farringdon Rd. Ed Baxter and administrator Phil England were key figures in launching the LMC into a new period of activity: more ambitious events with both international and national musicians were programmed. These attracted more attention from the press which helped create more funding opportunities and broaden audiences. In 1992 the LMC held it's First Annual Festival of Experimental Music and began publishing Resonance Magazine. In 1995 they relocated to Lafone House on Leathermarket Street and in 1998 opened a recording studio in Brixton (LMCSound studio) which allowed them to support musicians recording albums and comission radio programmes. In 1998 the LMC participated in John Peel's Meltdown Festival with a four-week broadcast of live and pre-recorded radio-art. This would be the beginning of Resonance FM, the world's first radio art station, which began broadcasting in 2002. The LMC was forced to discontinue its activities in March 2008, due to lack of funding. |
| Custodial History | When the LMC lost its funding in March 2008, the office contents were transferred to CRiSAP, at the London College of Communication. |