London Musicians Collective

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The London Musicians Collective (LMC) is a cultural charity based in London, England devoted to the support and promotion of contemporary, experimental and improvised music.

From its foundation in 1975{{Cite news |last=Fordham |first=John |date=2021-03-07 |title=John Russell obituary |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/mar/07/john-russell-obituary |access-date=2023-06-24 |issn=0261-3077}} until its reorganization in 2009, the LMC organized concerts,{{Cite web |last=Voce |first=Steve |date=2005-12-29 |title=Derek Bailey |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/derek-bailey-520911.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Davies |first=Rhodri |title=Gustav Metzger 1926–2017: Rhodri Davies recalls undergoing acts of self-cancellation with the artist - The Wire |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/essays/gustav-metzger-and-self-cancellation |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music |language=en}} festivals,{{Cite web |last=Maycock |first=Robert |date=1994-05-24 |title=On music: London Musicians' Collective |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/on-music-london-musicians-collective-1438268.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Cripps |first=Charlotte |date=2006-12-05 |title=Preview: London Musicians' Collective 15th Annual Festival, ICA London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/preview-london-musicians-collective-15th-annual-festival-ica-london-427183.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=1995-05-25 |title=Beatles in pot shock |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/beatles-in-pot-shock-1621067.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Potter |first=Keith |date=1999-06-02 |title=New Music: Blood on the keys |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/new-music-blood-on-the-keys-1097761.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Independent |language=en}} tours, workshops and publications in support of experimental music.{{Cite web |last=Fordham |first=John |date=2006-12-08 |title=Jazz preview |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/dec/09/jazz1 |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

The LMC grew from Musics and had overlapping membership. It had some of the same approach to division of labour as the magazine. While the latter chose financial independence, the LMC at its first meeting rejected this policy by 37 votes to 1. The LMC then applied to the Arts Council of Great Britain for funding.

Two LPs were produced, numbered LMC1 and LMC2, but they were independent productions not directly initiated by the main collective.

In 2002, the LMC was awarded a community radio licence to broadcast a new radio station, Resonance FM, in central London.{{Cite news |last=Tilden |first=Imogen |date=2002-05-01 |title=New arts-based radio station for London |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/may/01/arts.artsnews1 |access-date=2023-06-24 |issn=0261-3077}} It also produced a magazine, Resonance, and a range of CDs, including Your Favourite London Sounds in 2001, compiled by Peter Cusack.{{Cite news |last=Walters |first=John L. |date=2001-11-23 |title=Any more fares? |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/nov/23/shopping.artsfeatures5 |access-date=2023-06-24 |issn=0261-3077}}

The LMC is funded by donations, membership fees and grants. It was supported by Arts Council England until its funding was cut in 2008.{{Cite web |title=London Musicians Collective Archive |url=https://archives.arts.ac.uk/Calmview/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=LMC |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=archives.arts.ac.uk}}{{Cite journal |last=Biagioli |first=Monica |date=2014-08-30 |title=Fine art installations: Expressions of cultural identity and catalysts for intuitive business models |url=http://www.artofmanagement.org/copenhagen-2014/ |language=en |location=Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark}}

After the LMC ceased its initial programme of activities in 2008 the contents of its office were archived by CRiSAP (Creative Research in Sound Arts Practice) at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London in 2009.

An online exhibition Sound Traces, curated by LMC co-founder David Toop{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |date=April 2012 |title=Off The Page 2012: Simon Reynolds: Toopological Space: The Flow-motion Studies of David Toop |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/about/contributors/simon-reynolds/off-the-page-2012_simon-reynolds_toopological-space_the-flow-motion-studies-of-david-toop |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=www.thewire.co.uk}} for CriSAP, explored the legacy of LMC activities from 1975–2008.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=10 August 2009 |title=Sound Traces - The Wire |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/news/18442/sound-traces |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=The Wire Magazine - Adventures In Modern Music |language=en}} This ran from 2009 until April 2023{{Cite web |last=Toop |first=David |date=2009 |others=Angus Carlyle, Cathy Lane |title=Sound Traces : The LMC Archive |url=https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/1969/ |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk |language=en}} and an archive record of the exhibition is in preparation for late 2023.{{Cite web |title=Sound Traces |url=https://crisap.org/research/projects/sound-traces/ |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=CRiSAP |language=en-GB}}