ESS’s Creative Audio Archive (CAA) is a Chicago based center for the preservation and investigation of innovative and experimental sonic arts and music.

CAA currently houses nine collections of 6,000+ recordings and sonic art ephemera documenting the experimental music landscape of the latter half of the 20th century. The collections provide a look into pivotal decades in the development of Western experimental cultural expression, the evolution of race and gender in independent cultural production, and the evolving interdisciplinary in sonic cultures.

As each archive is processed, transferred, cataloged and encoded, their respective finding aid is updated on this website. Access to the collection is open to the public by appointment. To schedule an appointment, request access to materials, or contribute context or information about materials currently in the collection email: caa@ess.org.

Materials from the Archive are activated by artists in public programs throughout the year. For upcoming events click here.