Prepared instruments. Noise as music. Field recordings. Randomization. Electronics, tape machines and record players as musical instruments. Even if you have never heard his compositions, it's hard to overstate the influence John Cage (who would have been 100 years old this week) has had on modern music.
Looking to implement some of Cage's pioneering ideas in your own music? Here's a great example of how it can be done: Melbourne-based musician Philip Jackson transcribed the instructive score for HPSCHD, a collaboration between Cage and LeJaren Hiller, for Ableton Live. Watch and hear the results: