PRX » Piece » Memories of Moog

Robert Moog

Memories of Moog

Series: Echo Location: Soundings for New Music
From: John Diliberto
Length: 00:03:30

On what would have been his 75th Birthday, we remember Robert Moog, creator of the Moog synthesizer with Roger O’Donnell, former keyboardist with The Cure, Redshift's Mark Shreeve, German synthesist Klaus Schulze, and Jimmy Lavalle of The Album Leaf. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Moog 75th Echo Location PRX

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Piece Description

Forty-five years after its creation, the name Moog is still synonymous with synthesizer for many people. His instrument was among the first that could be played on-stage in realtime. In the 1960s, Moog driven songs like "Popcorn" were commercial hits and Walter Carlos's Switched-On Bach created a fire storm of critical acclaim and controversy. In the seventies the Moog helped launch space music and the Mini-Moog became the instrument of choice for progressive rock and fusion keyboard players. Today the Moog is enjoying a revival with retro-space, ambient lounge and techno musicians. Robert Moog unplugged the final patchcord on August 21, 2005. In this tribute for his 75th birthday, we hear comments on Robert Moog and his invention from Roger O’Donnell, former keyboardist with The Cure, Redshift's Mark Shreeve, German synthesist Klaus Schulze, and Jimmy Lavalle of The Album Leaf.

Transcript

sonar sound] + This is an Echo Location: Soundings for New Music.

:14
IN THE FRONT ROOM OF HIS LONDON HOME, MARK SHREEVE OF THE ENGLISH SPACE BAND, REDSHIFT, HAS A MASSIVE MODULAR MOOG SYSTEM FULL OF PATCH CORDS AND BLINKING LIGHTS. SHREEVE IS FROM A GENERATION WHO GREW UP ON THE SOUNDS OF THE MOOG.

:16
3:29
mark Shreeve: I mean nothing sounds like that big Moog. Nothing in the synthesizer world can put out bass like that machine can, I mean it’s a real pain to use, it’s a pain to maintain, it’s difficult to operate, it’s always going out of tune, but in the end it’s driven by the sound.

MUSIK

:15
Robert Moog created the Moog synthesizer nearly 45 years ago. When the inventor died in 2005, the press coverage would have had you thinging his creation was an instrument of the past, trapped in cheesey pop songs and classical recreations.

Musik

:25
But as we celebr...
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

Incue: [sonar sound] + This is an Echo Location: Soundings for New Music.

Outcue: ROBERT MOOG would have turned 75 on May 23. His invention remains part of our musical vocabulary. I'm John Diliberto and this has been an Echo Location, Soundings for New Music.