Pioneers

It could be argued were it not for Herb Deutsch, there would be no Moog synthesizer history to explore. It was Herb who made the initial request of Bob Moog for new electronic music components to apply in his experimental compositions. Their collaboration resulted in the prototype synthesizer used in the opening of this track, and would lead to an affiliation lasting for years.

"Jazz Images, A Worksong and Blues"

From Moog To Mac

Released 2012 by Ravello Records

• Herb's Moog prototype appears at the onset, stating a bluesy melody, heavy on melisma

• The prototype synthesizer relied extensively on frequency modulation, with one of Bob Moog's initial Voltage-Controlled Oscillator (VCO) circuits affecting the pitch of a second oscillator

• For this piece, Deutsch subtly applied the technique to create an electronic effect similar to the vibrato used by acoustic performers

If Herb Deutsch was the initial muse behind the Moog synthesizer, Wendy Carlos was the architect who laid the foundation for the music-changing instrument. Carlos' "Switched-On Bach" would firmly establish the sound of Moog in the popular sonic fabric, topping the Billboard charts, and winning the Grammy for Best Classical Album in 1970. The success of these early electronic re-imaginings would inspire numerous classical interpretations and "Switched On" albums in myriad genres.

As Wendy's catalog is among the most fiercely guarded in all of popular music, we cannot offer any musical streams in this exhibit. Luckily, you can hear a good bit of Switched-On Bach within the soundtrack for the following video. We encourage you to purchase Switched On-Bach for your personal collection, and to explore the rest of the Carlos canon. "Digital Moonscapes", her exploration of microtonality, is a particular favorite of ours.

While most early synthesizer artists had parallel careers in traditional music genres, Paul Beaver and Bernie Krause were early West Coast sales reps for Moog in addition to their musical pursuits. They had a booth at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival where they introduced performers and attendees to a Moog III modular synthesizer.

Krause's musical background is especially noteworthy, as he was first known as a tenor in The Weavers, holding the position originated by co-founder Pete Seeger. He moved to California to study electronic music at Mills College, and met Paul Beaver during this period, leading to their partnership. In 1968 Bernie created Wild Sanctuary, responsible for archiving audio recordings of natural soundscapes, and they have been a singular focus of his since 1979.

Beaver & Krause's collaborations skillfully combined acoustic instruments and natural sounds with both tonal and atonal sounds from their Moog hardware. Their palette of electronic sounds ranged from ethereal to edgy, and everywhere in between.

"Section 1, Peace Three"

The Nonesuch Guide To Electronic Music

Released 1968 by Nonesuch Records

• The track starts with classic in-your-face Moog bass, with a sustaining, resonant tone featuring the venerable Moog Voltage-Controlled Filter (VCF). The sweeping characteristic of the sound is achieved by using a sine wave generated by the synthesizer's Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) to constantly change the VCF's frequency setting

• A haunting, hollow wind-like tone enters (0:14), utilizing the Moog's Noise Generator with the VCF's resonance adding the wispiness to the sound

• Synthesized "chirps" appear (1:03), processed through an echo effect, adding some spaciness to the proceedings, with multiple reverberated Moog tracks creating the chord/melody passage

• A stark change in tonality (2:09) occurs with the entrance of another Moog sound featuring the LFO controlling the VCF's frequency setting, this time featuring a reedier quality and different tunings of the Moog's VCOs

• Multiple Moog tracks relying on square waves from the synthesizer's VCOs (2:14) carry through to the track's completion, which is accented by a final highly resonant sweep of the famous Moog filter (2:48)

Synth pop pioneers Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley were collaborators before becoming Moog solo artists. Their senses of humor and adventure could be fully realized with the expanded palette of sounds offered by the new instruments. Not surprisingly, most pieces were cast in a Sci-Fi vein, a perfect setting for the Space Race times of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

"Pioneers Of The Stars"

Spotlight On The Moog - Kaleidoscopic Vibrations

Released 1971 by Vanguard Records

• Reverb (or lack thereof) is applied in different ways to different sounds to establish a sense of space

• The melody (0:07) and subsequent harmony (1:02) are reminiscent of the sound Herb Deutsch employed on his Moog prototype, as presented earlier in this exhibit

• A combination of tonal and atonal synthesized sounds abound in this spacy romp, which features some complex engineering techniques for such a simple sounding piece

• Panning, the movement of sound within the stereo field, is applied to the many Moog-generated sound effects, making them stand out in the mix

Perrey (née Jean Leroy) was a French medical student when he met George Jenny, inventor of the Ondioline, a precursor to the synthesizer. Perrey gave up medicine to travel throughout Europe, demonstrating the new instrument. He would release electronic music albums under his own name prior to the development of the Moog synthesizer, and through his partnership with Gershon Kingsley.

"E.V.A."

Mood Indigo

Released 1970 by Vanguard Records

• Perrey presents a masterful combination of acoustic, electric and electronic sounds in another pop creation with a space science feel

• Echoed sound effects kick things off, with the pitch of the oscillators being controlled by envelope generators and low-frequency oscillators

• After a theremin-like sound appears (0:06), a simple melody, stated with a simple synth sound, enters (0:23). Layering the synth melody with chimes (0:41) makes for an unexpected yet effective sonority

• The chimes reappear after a traditional rock band section (guitar, bass, drums, Hammond organ) (1:44), this time combined with a much different Moog sound than the first time around

• Multiple tracks of echoed Moog sound effects close out the tune when the guitar solo abruptly ends (2:54)

Kingsley (née Götz Gustav Ksinski) was a German-American composer who embraced Moog synthesizers from the very start. This video is the first iteration of the quintessential synth pop hit, with a second version recorded by his group, The First Moog Quartet. TFMQ alumnus Stan Free would release the third and most successful version in 1972, with his band Hot Butter, achieving international chart success

"Popcorn"

Music To Moog By

Released 1969 by Audio Fidelity Records

• Multiple tracks of staccato Moog sounds with varying amounts of echo percolate over a bubbly rhythm track comprised of both acoustic and electronic percussion sounds

• After a sustaining horn-like tone enters providing counterpoint (0:55), the melody is stated more prominently, with a brighter sound achieved by opening up the synthesizer's Voltage Controlled Filter (0:57)

• Single-note brassy tones from the Moog provide a rhythmic counterpoint (1:26)

Over time, many noteworthy jazz pianists would adopt synthesizers, including Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Jan Hammer, Josef Zawinul (Weather Report), and even Oscar Peterson. But legendary jazz performer and educator Dick Hyman was the first of them to embrace the new music technology. With some 30 albums to his credit prior to the release of his The Electric Eclectics, Hyman's involvement lent instant credibility to Moog instruments in the typically tradition-bound genre.

"The Minotaur"

Moog - The Electric Eclectics Of Dick Hyman

Released 1969 by Command Records

• A classic Moog drone provides the opening texture upon which this track is based, with the instrument's VCOs tuned to an interval of a perfect fifth. It is followed by the entrance of a drum machine (0:24)

• A mellower, square wave-based sound establishes an ostinato which continues throughout most of the track (0:36)

• Hyman improvises over the track with a Moog sound employing multiple oscillators with different octave settings and fine tunings (0:41)

• He employs varying amounts of portamento throughout the improv, both subtly and blatantly affecting the sound

Garson was a Canadian writer/arranger, and a pioneer in popular electronic music. Unlike most of his synthesizer contemporaries, he was responsible for several hit songs, including “Our Day Will Come”, by Ruby & The Romantics. His work covers the gamut of early electronic music, from academic explorations to more commercial interpretations of familiar pieces.

"Good Morning Starshine"

Electronic Hair Pieces

Released 1969 by A&M Records

• Garson employs myriad tracks of Moog in this remake of the hit song from "Hair"

• The tune takes on a Caribbean feel with electronic sounds reminiscent of marimbas, vibes and steel drums

• The percussive nature of the opening rhythmic structure is enhanced by a touch of the Moog's noise generator. It's also used in the creation of all the sounds comprising the "drum" track

• Several tracks of Moog are processed through echo effects for some spacey flurries at the beginning. Later a sustaining flute-like tone without echo provides some counterpoint to the vibe-like sound taking the melody (0:15)

• A marimba-influenced sound enters, with a low-frequency square wave creating an effect reminiscent of the source instrument's multiple mallet technique (0:43)

• At about the same point, multiple tracks of Moog create a fat horn section effect, while a dramatic, resonant filter sweep takes the melody. The sound pans back and forth on the sustained notes, adding a touch of humor

British jazz bassist Cecil, and Margouleff (an early customer and friend of Bob Moog), collaborated to assemble the unimaginably huge synthesizer known as TONTO (The Original New Timbral Orchestra), starting with a Moog IIIc at its core.

They would go on to considerable acclaim through their work with Steve Wonder. TONTO was featured on several of Stevie’s albums, beginning with Music Of My Mind in 1972, and highlighted by Innervisions, which won the Grammy for Album Of The Year in 1973.

"Cybernaut - Jetsex - Timewhys"

Zero Time

Released 1971 by Embryo Records

• The sheer number of modules in TONTO allow for the simultaneous generation of multiple complex textures

• Ring modulators are used for the bell-like sounds, with the circuitry's high quality reflected in the pristine tones

• Complex filtering and a vocoder combine for an other-worldly vocal quality applied to the sitar-like part

A true renaissance man in the electronics field, patent-holder Larry Fast, under his artist name Synergy, arrived on the scene in 1975, after working with Moog aficionado Rick Wakeman. His approach combined the orchestral palette of his predecessors with a decidedly rock-influenced edge, enhanced by his creation and use of electronic percussion sounds. Larry would go on to work with Peter Gabriel for many years while also contributing to the work of Foreigner, Nektar, and Hall & Oates.

"Classical Gas"

Sequencer

Released 1976 by Passport Records

• The listener's attention is immediately grabbed by a sound utilizing multiple oscillators, their pitches being modulated by different low-frequency waveshapes, immediately followed by winsome statements of the melody with a square wave-based sound

• The first of numerous percussion sounds, using the Moog's noise generators, appears (0:19)

• Fast skillfully combines multiple tracks of Moog, each with different pan positions and slightly different portamento settings, lending considerable presence to the main melodies (0:21)

• A classic Moog bass, with the oscillators tuned in octaves, establishes counterpoint (0:56).

• The character of the bass and of Larry's cymbal sounds really stand out in a brief breakdown (1:29)

• While most sounds used are obviously electronic, Fast displays his talent for more imitative approaches in a brief passage with an orchestral feel (1:47). The sound effect leading into the section was made by an oscillator whose pitch is being modulated by both a low-frequency square wave and the decay segment of the synthesizer's envelope generator

"Metropolitan Theme (Main Theme)"

Metropolitan Suite

Released 1987 by Audion Recording Co.

• In vivid contrast to the previous video, Fast displays prodigious skill as an imitative synthesist in this track resplendent with orchestral sounds

• One of the few, if only, obviously electronic textures, featuring a resonant filter sweep, appears briefly in a two-note line (2:51) before showing up more prominently as the piece nears its climax (3:45)

While many electronic classicists focused on new sounds applied to older litany, Tomita exercised a broader palette, using both purely imitative approaches and otherworldly textures, often combining the two. In addition to his masterful work as sound designer and engineer, he was a technological innovator. He embedded code in the vinyl of his Bermuda Triangle album that could be read by computers, and he presented a concert in 3D, with the top center speaker suspended from a helicopter.

"Snowflakes Are Dancing (Children's Corner, No. 4)"

Snowflakes Are Dancing

Released 1974 by RCA Records

•Tomita's earliest albums each focused on a single composer, and Debussy's impressionistic compositions were perfect for the synthesist's broad palette and considerable engineering skills

• His use of echo, panning and level combine for a flurry of notes with remarkable depth and movement at the onset of this track

• One of Tomita's signature synthetic chimes enters (0:33), its metallic character produced by a ring modulator while an inverted envelope generator manipulates the pitch of one of the oscillators, making the sound decidedly not from the acoustic realm

• Tomita's typical approach to string-like sounds was a painstaking one, with individual tracks of single-oscillator sounds combined to create an ensemble effect

• His use of single oscillator settings for individual horn-like sounds makes them stand out in contrast to the ensemble tracks (1:14)

"Pacific 231"

Kosmos

Released 1978 by RCA Records

• This piece, a tone poem about a steam locomotive, benefits greatly from Tomita's broader electronic palette, presenting more literal imagery than just an orchestra can provide

• His masterful use of reverb creates depth and space between the initial train sounds and first entrance of an instrumental sound (0:51)

• Another hallmark of Tomita's work was his array of sounds featuring vocal-like qualities (1:47). His meticulous approach was quite time-consuming, with each note being recorded individually after parameter adjustments were made to impart different inflections to the sound

• Tomita's uncanny ability to effectively combine imitative sounds, not-quite-real sounds, and the unreal is on constant display as the intensity ramps up through the train's journey until it ultimately winds down

Tangerine Dream is the quintessential German electronic music band, founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese, who would go on to be the only continuous member up until his death in 2015. The best-known lineup of Froese, Christopher Franke, and Peter Baumann garnered Top 20 placements for their mid-‘70s albums Phaedra and Rubicon. While they would eschew the terms, they were considered to be at the forefront of the genres that would become new age, and later electronic dance music (EDM) as well.

"Ricochet, Part one"

Ricochet

Released 1975 by Virgin Records

• Moog’s presence is immediately felt with a drone that turns into a series of notes. The monophonic synthesizer fills the sonic space until the entrance of a pre-recorded percussion track (0:46)

• After a transition with an echo effect, a second synthesizer briefly appears before a sequencer playing a Moog ostinato enters, using a sound based on square waves (1:32)

• As the song builds additional synthetic layers appear, along with electric guitar, and string sounds from a Mellotron

"Love On A Real Train"

Risky Business soundtrack

Released 1984 by Virgin Records

• A more recent example of Tangerine Dream’s penchant for and skill with combining machine-generated parts with additional synthetic layers and real instruments

• The first of several synthesizer ostinatos appears at the start, enhanced by an echo effect, and anchored by a Moog bass drone

• A fretless bass joins the mix, then a second ostinato provides a layer of counterpoint (0:44)

• A third ostinato, with a cymbalom-like sound, joins the proceedings (3:36)

Wendy Carlos got the ball rolling when it came to ingraining Moog synthesizers in popular culture, but it was Keith Emerson who knocked it out of the park. His rare combination of dazzling technique and virtuostic showmanship made him an unstoppable force, and he forever changed the role of the keyboardist in the rock idiom. The iconic "Lucky Man" synth solo from Emerson, Lake & Palmer's debut album was often heard in the burgeoning days of FM rock radio's dominance of the airwaves.

"Lucky Man"

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Released 1970 by Cotillion Records

• The earliest, and still one of the best examples of that massive Moog sound, with gut-shaking low-end whenever Emerson plays in the bottom range of the keyboard (0:13)

• Keith's patch, relying mostly on square waves from the Moog's oscillators, is rich, deep, and emotive, especially when he exploits the synthesizer's portamento (0:27)

• As legend has it, the solo that made the record was just Keith mucking around with his new acquisition. Luckily the tape recorder was running, as it became a sound heard throughout the rock world, changing it forever