Bob Moog (1934-2005) invented and built electronic musical instruments for over half a century. From his workshops in upstate New York and later in rural North Carolina, Moog shaped musical culture with some of the most inspiring instruments ever created.

Moog explains that he "can feel what's going on in a piece of electronic equipment... it's something between discovering and witnessing."

And he is convinced that many musicians come to "feel" a circuit in a similar way. "They make contact." In fact, musicians make such strong emotional connections with the electronics inside a Moog synthesizer that Moog himself has reached cult hero status.

Moog not only made prodigious contributions to modern music and culture, but he became a character within an unfolding "American maverick inventor" mythology. Moog certainly walked and talked the "mad scientist" part, complete with the fly-away white hair, intense eyes, eccentric mannerisms and a head full of stories.

This feature documentary film – by filmmaker/musician Hans Fjellestad and the producer team behind Frontier Life (2002) – explores Moog's collaborations with musicians over the years, and his ideas about creativity, design, interactivity and spirituality. The film was shot on location in Asheville, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and London, featuring appearances by Keith Emerson, Walter Sear, Gershon Kinsgley, Jean-Jacques Perrey & Luke Vibert, Rick Wakeman, DJ Spooky, Herb Deutsch, Bernie Worrell, Pamelia Kurstin, Tino Corp. with Charlie Clouser, Money Mark, Mix Master Mike, and an eclectic mix of performers.

Artists such as Stereolab, Meat Beat Manifesto, Tortoise, Money Mark, Luke Vibert & Jean-Jacques Perrey, 33, Moog Cookbook, Plastiq Phantom, Psilonaut, Bernie Worrell & Bootsy Collins, Roger O'Donnell, The Album Leaf, Pete Devriese, Bostich, Charlie Clouser, Baiyon, Suzanne Ciani, Gershon Kingsley, Doug McKechnie, Electric Skychurch and others created original music produced on Moog instruments for the soundtrack.

http://www.zu33.com/moog/
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Seen on the Showtime Beyond channel.

A co-worker just picked up one of the new...



...MOOG - Voyager Electric Blue units.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

wow, that looks incredible!

Aside said:

The documentary or the Voyager?


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

The documentary. I'm not a musician, so I don't care one way or the other what an instrument looks like

The Voyager sounds pretty damn good too.


[Edited 11/24/07 23:18pm]

This is my kinda thread!

Funny how a thread like this is bound to die as soon as it's started, whereas a thread about "REEL FONK" is bound to have dozens, if not hundreds of replies. What people don't realize is that Bob Moog played just an important role in the development of funk music as George Clinton did. You might think you have some sort of an idea what if feels like to play a real analog synth like a Moog, Arp or Oberheim just because you've played a Nordlead or a VSTi emulation. No chance in hell! The truth is, real synthesizers were brutally killed off with the onslaught of digital technology and capitalist bullshitting in the 80s and the 90s, and there has been no progress whatsoever in terms of sound quality, feel and musical adaptability since the Minimoogs (The Voyager is also a Minimoog, just has a digital surface for storing the preset). Mind you, the Minimoog was the first ever synthesizer brought to wider consumer market and it's still amongst the top synths ever made, if not even the very best.

Complain all you want about the state of funk music today, and wonder why the new bands don't sound as good as the old ones, but here's the real reason. You can play a stupid two-note ditty on a Moog, Arp, Oberheim or early Yamaha and it will be "right" just instantly.
[Edited 11/25/07 23:46pm]

How was the doc, t/A?

I gotta see that doc!!

A few years back, I went to a symposium on the history of synthesizers at the Smithsonian--I had seen a blurb about in the papers earlier that day, so I eventually decided to go, just on a whim (especially because it was free, lol!)--but I had no idea that there would be guest speakers...

It turned out to be a panel with Bob Moog himself, along with Malcom Cecil and Robert Margouleff!! The conversations included signposts ranging from Leon Theremin to Brian Wilson to Wendy Carlos, from Dick Hyman to Rick Wakeman, to Bernie Worrell, and of course, Bob building his first Moog, and Cecil and Margouleff's creation of the T.O.N.T.O. bank of synthesizers, and their first meeting and eventual collaborations with Stevie Wonder (and others)... they had many of the synthesizers on display, as well as providing audio and video examples....definitely a Kool day!! And I almost passed on it!!

I was sad to hear that Bob passed about a year after that, but I sure am grateful that I got a chance to meet the man in person!!!!






...
[Edited 11/26/07 8:53am]

Slave2daGroove said:

Unfortunately, this is the second time it's been on and I was distracted by something else going on at the time.

The small portion I did see was good enough to make it to my "To Buy" list.

It re-airs this Sunday (12/2 at 4:35am & 11:15am PT) on TMC (The Movie Channel)
If all goes as planned (and Slave you know what I mean) i'll have my satellite service moved and running by then.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

paligap said:

Check the re-air dates above you lucky dog.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

i gotta put this on my netflix queue! i keep forgetting. stereolab is one of my favorites, and they're nothing without moog!