Cherry coke zero, a Tombstone Pizza, and channel surfing. Not exactly my idea of a meaningful night, but, I did stumble upon an interesting find. Showtime was playing a documentary I've been wanting to see ever since I did a Digital Music project on the subject back during my senior year of college. The documentary is moog, a clever peek into the history and importance of one of the most widely used electronic synthesizers.
The documentary as a documentary is a bit cumbersome with some very improvised and, in many ways, awkward interview moments with artists and inventors alike. Not to mention the very creator of the device, Robert Moog, isn't the most eloquent of gentlemen, often times pausing mid-sentence creating unnerving silences. Nonetheless, to hear his stories of conceptualizing such a device and then see the lasting impact it's had on music today was genuine and compelling.

Check out wiki for a complete download on the Moog and read just how much the many electronic sounds of our favorite tunes today were directly inspired or even still created by the device. I was first turned on to the instrument during a Mates of State concert in High School. Kori Gardner (the young lady) plays on a Moog synthesizer teamed with vintage Yamaha keys and pulls out some amazing sounds. If you haven't checked out the band do so.

After doing a bit of research I realized many of my favorite bands used the device, or at least something directly related to it. The documentary touches on this too, as it does a few artist spotlights, my favorite being one on Stereolab, and amazing band from the UK and well worth a listen.

Not surprisingly, the documentary's soundtrack is completely Moog. I'm considering picking it up, as some of the melodies were fantastically dynamic and experimental. I often times found myself more focused on that then the documentary itself. The song at the closing credits is phenomenal. I tried digging it up for this post, but no dice.

I did dig something else up, which is equally as entertaining, but perhaps a bit more comical. Robert Moog began his career by building his own theremins. What's a theremin you ask? Well it's only the oldest and perhaps coolest electronic synthesizers out there! Think about running your fingers through open air and blank space and pulling out electronic audio with a wide range of pitches, notes, and personalities. For an idea of what I mean, check out the video below!

Labels: electronic, moog, music, synthesizers, theremin