Countryman’s “Moog-Tastic” Pays Tribute
Moog-Tastic: A Tribute to Moog Instruments, Albums and Pioneers
By Dana Countryman
I am absolutely delighted to donate 20 copies of Moog-Tastic!, my new CD tribute to the many Moog synthesizer albums that inspired me when I was young, to the Bob Moog Foundation. It is my thank-you gift for your donation in support of this organization’s great work to ignite creativity at the intersection of music, science, history and innovation. After all, the Moog synthesizer had been a huge influence on my musical life since I’d been in high school (early ‘70s.)
In addition to Moog-Tastic! CD, you will also receive, thanks to my friends at Oglio Records, Destination Space, which I wrote and recorded with Jean-Jacques Perrey. PLUS, while supplies last, you will receive a color photo, personally autographed by Jean-Jacques and myself. Guaranteed to be a collector’s item! The entire Bob Moog Foundation Moog-Tastic package is my thank-you gift for your donation of $75 to support their work to educate and inspire through electronic music.
Moog-Tastic! Collector's Package: "Moog-Tastic", "Destination Space", Signed Photo
Click here to support the Bob Moog Foundation and get your Moog-Tastic Collector’s package today!
Moog-Tastic! features original melodies for synthesizer, composed especially for this project. The styles run from rock to ragtime to filmscore to classical. Guest stars include Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Fay Lovsky (theremin), Vinnie Bell (guitar), and Jean-Jacques Perrey (crazy tape loops!) Sound samples can be heard at http://www.reverbnation.com/danacountryman.
It had been a 30-year dream of mine to someday own a “Moog”, and in 2002, I was finally able to put together my own modular synthesizer, thanks to several new manufacturers who’d sprung up, making “tribute” synthesizers to the original Moog that Bob Moog pioneered in the ‘60s.
Dana's Rack Mount Minimoog Voyager and Moogerfoogers
It all came full-circle when Moog Music finally released the minimoog Voyager, and I was able to buy a rack-mounted version of it. I also purchased all the Moogerfooger pedals as they came out, and mounted them all together in a rolling studio rack. Once I actually owned all these magical instruments, something even more magical happened to my musical life. I was asked by electronic pop music pioneer legend, Jean-Jacques Perrey to collaborate on an album with him! Unbelievable! I’d been a huge fan of his, since the late ‘60s.
To cut a very long story short, our Happy Electropop Music Machine album came out on Oglio Records in 2006, and that led to Jean-Jacques and I touring all over Europe and America. Two years later, we released our “Destination Space” album, and we played two special concerts in NYC and Montreal to announce its release. Also, just this summer, Comedy Central’s “South Park” used one of the tunes that Jean-Jacques and I recorded, for one of their crazy episodes.
The importance of my great friend, music partner, and French electronic music genius, Jean-Jacques Perrey, really cannot be understated. Before he and Gershon Kingsley recorded their The In Sound from Way Out! in 1966, electronic music was anything but popular. In fact, most of it was downright unlistenable. The academia-minded enthusiasts of early electronic music, chose to record mostly noises and strange sounds – but not much that could be considered recognizable music. Perrey (with arranger Kingsley) harnessed electronic music’s melodic possibilities, and built an extremely lucrative career, recording four classic albums, and scores of commercials with the Moog. Perrey’s Moog-fueled songs were grabbed up by ‘60s TV shows, such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, Sesame Street and countless children’s programs.
Perrey and Kingsley’s Kaleidoscopic Vibrations – Spotlight on the Moog album was actually released before W. Carlos released the Grammy award-winning Switched-On Bach. Perrey and Kingsley’s original song from that album, Baroque Hoedown, managed to mix classical, Moog sounds and even a little Country! The tune was snapped up by Disneyland, and to this day can still be heard as part of the theme park’s delightful Main Street Electrical Parade.
Almost 30 years after it was written, Perrey’s 1970 song “E.V.A.” stormed the charts via a remix by Fatboy Slim. It hit Number One in England. Numerous hip-hop artists grabbed the same tune, and at last count it has been sampled by over 70 artists, including Ice T, Dr. Dre and A Tribe Called Quest. Guess you could say that Mssr. Perrey was truly ahead of his time. And he’s still with us, at almost 82 years of age. My biography of Jean-Jacques Perrey has just been released and is available here. I really feel that his life and legacy need to be preserved for the future generations to come.
In the same way, the Bob Moog Foundation is continuing the legacy of Bob Moog. I’m just one of many, whose lives have been touched by Bob, and I’m honored to be able to give something back.
In case you’re wondering, the Bob Moog Foundation is completely separate from Moog Music, Inc. and relies on donors and grants to carry the Moog legacy forward.
I am excited to offer the Moog-Tastic! Collector’s Gift Package to those of you who click here make a donation of $75 to help carry Bob Moog’s legacy forward to future generations.
My favorite part of the Foundation’s goals is their program to put teach through synthesis, to reach children with electronic music at an early age. A pilot program has already begun in the Asheville, NC area. It’s proven to be a successful way to engage children and excite them about the science behind sound and behind electronic music. Instead of the normal brass band instruments, usually found in traditional schools’ music programs, they get to play around with real Moogs! I can only imagine what an impact it would have had on me, if only the grade school I attended sat me down at a Moog synthesizer when I was ten!
Another compelling part of the Foundation’s mission their work to save and protect Bob’s archives. Many of Bob’s rare schematics and synth prototypes are being preserved, as well as voluminous notes and scores of his detailed notebooks. Long range plans include an interactive “Moogseum”, where people can learn about electronic music, and experiment with synthesis.
I hope you’ll consider making a $75 donation to the Moog Foundation, and receive my “Moog-Tastic!” Collector’s Package.
Your dollars will go to helping bring the Bob Moog Foundation’s mission to life. The future of electronic music is now, and the legacy of Bob Moog’s musical genius is alive.
Please support the Bob Moog Foundation.
Thank you,
- Dana Countryman, synthesist, composer
Oglio recording artist
MoogHistory: Brian Kehew Explores Rare Hockman Photos
Mark Hockman Donates Rare Photos Featuring Emerson, Lake and Palmer & Bob Moog
Post by Brian Kehew, Bob Moog Foundation Archive Historian
All photos by Mark Hockman
Last year, at the opening weekend of our Waves of Inspiration: The Legacy of Moog exhibit at the Museum of Making Music, someone approached Michelle Moog-Koussa carrying a medium-sized box. He introduced himself as Greg Hockman, former Moog employee; he had brought some photos and paperwork to donate to the Bob Moog Foundation! Inside was a treasure-trove of things Moog-related. At first glance, some of it looked familiar, but certainly much was new to us, and worth further investigation. There were carousel trays of color slides, all difficult to see without proper projection or lighting, but full of gear and people we knew – and some we didn’t. Greg’s brother Mark was a serious and upcoming professional photographer in the early and mid ’70s, so many of the items were Mark’s photos, although Greg did provide a lot of his own as well. Luckily, Greg and Mark preserved and maintained their collection of Moog memories, and they are now sharing this historical material with us, through the Foundation.
Over the last year, we’ve made a concerted effort to organize this donation and incorporate it into the Archive. For this December newsletter, we’ve selected some highlights from it, to show you small examples of the Hockmans’ collection. Many of the photos showed great things – unknown to anyone outside of that inner Moog circle of 1971-74. So, to help gather our own information for future use and fill out the story of the Hockman collection, we spent some time establishing a connection with Greg and his brother Mark. As their story unfolds here, you’ll see examples of the nice bits of Moog history they’ve captured:
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Greg Hockman had been a student at Lycoming College , and a fan of music and electronics, building their own tape-music lab (no synthesizers yet). Greg saw Bob Moog lecture at Penn State, and later met Bob walking the aisles at the NAMM Show in Chicago (the bi-annual convention where musical manufacturers hope to sell their instruments to music stores from across the nation). He asked Bob if there would be any opening for him to work at Moog, and was invited up to visit and interview. After a few such visits, Greg was hired, just as the small R.A.Moog company of the 1960s was sold to Bill Waytena of Musonics, October 1971. The new company “Moog/Musonics” was combining operations in Musonic’s large factory building in Williamsville, NY. Greg worked with the drivers who were moving all the product and equipment from Bob’s old location in Trumansburg.
He was trained on the synthesizers – the Minimoog had slowly begun to sell, and Musonics had their Sonic Five, soon to be redesigned as Moog’s Sonic Six. Greg’s assigned role was “Sales”, but he also picked up engineering and design practices at the factory, watching and later “stuffing” circuit board fulls of parts, and assembly of the final product. Still, it was a small company (only about 20 employees) so Greg often answered phones or made promotional lectures to colleges and schools. His territory was most of the NorthEast and upper MidWest, and he drove over 120,000 miles across 17 States in a little over one year. David VanKoevering was already selling the Minimoog to stores throughout the States, and Greg still had trouble “opening” new dealerships, as they felt a Minimoog synthesizer was too expensive and complicated.
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Photographer Mark Hockman (Greg’s brother) came to visit at the Williamsville plant a few times, and took many great photos. The quality and character make them strong promotional and historic photos, even to this day. (One of Mark’s photos of Bob at his bench that has been often used for BMFA events; now we finally know the source of it!)
Bob working at his tech bench calibrating a Bode Frequency Shifter module. Often Bob himself would setup and test the more complex modules, like the Bode or a ring modulator
Bob working with a Minimoog and the one of the new "Accessory" line - the Sample and Hold controller, which connected to the Minimoog to generate random and stepped voltages.
One of thousands: The Minimoog in mid-assembly on classic '70s shag rug workbench. This one has the smooth pitch and Mod wheels, and many of the knobs are not installed yet.
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As sales rep for Moog, Greg met a lot of resistance from music store owners; they didn’t feel that customers would want synthesizers, and thought they might be too hard to understand. After dogged determination, he got the Moog line into key stores, like Manny’s Music and Sam Ash in NYC. These stores eventually sold to many of Moog’s major clients; Herbie Hancock, George Duke, The Who, Chick Corea, and countless others. At the end of their first year with Moog, Manny’s Music was selling 24 Minimoogs each month – the most successful dealer in the world. Records with the Moog modulars and the new Minimoog had begun to influence more and more people; they wanted the Moog sound, and the famous name and sound helped Moog survive against strong competitors like ARP, EML, Oberheim, and EMS.
One of Mark’s photo sessions shows Keith Emerson and his wife visiting the Moog factory, with Keith’s modular system in the workshop for a check-up. Greg and Rich Walborn (Keith’s Moog tech for the 1973/4 tour) meet with Bob and the employees.
Rich Walborn, Keith Emerson and Bob Moog circa 1973 in the Moog factory.
Keith Emerson and Greg Hockman pose together, with Keith's Moog and programmer box just behind.
As the company grew, Greg moved his family to Kalamazoo, MI. and concentrated sales effort in the midwest. After the sale to Norlin, Greg left Moog Music and started his own company (Systems and Technology in Music) which both taught synthesis and sold synthesizers. Mainly, they began designing and outfitting electronic music labs for several colleges and professional musicians with custom-built professional touring gear; hot-rodded Leslies, custom amplification, effects pedals, etc. Shortening the name, Greg started his own product line, Systech, creating stomp-box pedals that were ultra-high quality and are quite collectible today.
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1974: The Systems and Technology in Music shop was the site of one of the photo shoots: for 2 days Bob Moog and Moog clinician/musician Roger Powell came to town. Roger gave a lecture/demo at the shop, and he and Bob posed with some of the very hip graphics on the walls there.
Roger Powell clinic at Systems and Technology in Music, Kalamazoo, MI.
Roger Powell clinic at Systems and Technology in Music, Kalamazoo, MI. Note Greg Hockman standing at the door and Bob Moog seated against the wall in the audience
Greg Hockman also donated posters from the Kalamazoo store and University seminars, 1974.
While in Kalamazoo, Greg arranged for a lecture and special television taping at the local college – Western Michigan University. They outfitted the stage with a colorful and decorative “Moog” background. Bob was interviewed and Roger gave a demo of the Moog modular/sequencer, the Minimoog (with Ribbon Controller), Sonic Six, and a small piano electrified with a pickup.
Roger Powell with performance rig for the taping.
As Roger played, the WMU video team treated the video with their most-modern graphic effects.
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1972-74: Both Moog and Greg’s Systech team provided tech support for Keith Emerson’s Moog systems on tour, usually sending Richie Walborn out, with Greg assisting now and then. They even designed and built special amplification and custom mods for Greg Lake’s guitars and basses.
Greg and Mark came to Rich Stadium in Buffalo, NY with Bob Moog. Mark photographed soundcheck and the show. One of these photos, showing Bob and Keith in front of the Monster Moog, has been seen countless times since the early 1970s as a Moog publicity photo. Often accredited to other photographers, it’s certainly one of Mark Hockman’s photos. Mark and Greg took photos of many ELP shows, often getting detailed photos of the equipment – detailed in a way that has never before been seen. We’re hoping to do something very special with the ELP photos in the future, but for now, here’s a sneak preview of some of the pictures.
This well-loved shot of Bob and Keith, taken by Mark Hockman at the Buffalo stadium during afternoon soundcheck
With Bob Moog in the background, and Carl Palmer looking on, Keith tests the Minimoog at soundcheck. Note the Hiwatt 100-watt amps powering four Leslie cabinets (2 top and 2 bottom). Keith's massive Moog sits on top of his customized Hammond C3 organ.
Greg Lake playing his Les Paul, with custom electronics by Systech. Pairs of Fender Showman and Concert amps keep the guitar as loud as the rest of ELP...
Mark's beautiful photo of Emerson in trance between the two keyboard rigs, the 1974 Brain Salad Surgery Tour.
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The donated collection of Greg and Mark Hoffman certainly has interest for most Moog/ELP fans, and it’s amazing that new materials are still out there to be found. We’re excited to have their things for future use, as well, for lectures, books, Moogfest, and newsletters like this. The Hockmans made this for their own memories, their own history – and it is – but sharing it with us certainly brings all of us closer to “being there” as they were. MANY THANKS to Greg and Mark Hockman for sharing this collection with us!
From a much earlier era, on the Tarkus tour in late 1971; Keith with his (much smaller) original Moog synth and the rare Moog programmer on top.
CALL TO ACTION:
If you’re a longtime Moog fan and have something of interest to donate, the Bob Moog Foundation Archive can use whatever you have – old newpaper reviews, vintage Keyboard magazines, Moog catalogs, photos from shows or college music studios, photos of your Moog/synthesizer rig, music you’ve written. These things can help us tell the story – keeping people interested will all facets of the Moog music world. With your permission, we can use the materials to teach people about the evolution of Electronic Music, and how the Moog Legacy still affects the world today. Be creative – and add your own history to the Foundation’s growing collection. Contact us at info@moogfoundation.org.
Please help us keep Moog history alive for future generations. These photos and so much more from our archives will form the basis of our traveling exhibits and eventually our permanent exhibit at the future Moogseum. DONATE TODAY to help our preservation efforts.
Brian Kehew: Dec 1, 2010
Voices: Toubab Krewe’s Connection to Bob & The Moog Legacy
Toubab Krewe’s One-of-a-Kind Connection to Bob Moog through the Network of Creativity
“They are such damn good musicians that I just wish I could dance with Ileana to their music”
– Bob Moog speaking about Toubab Krewe in the month before his passing
On August 21, 2005, Bob Moog succumbed to an aggressive brain tumor. His passing touched legions of people around the world. In the month prior to his passing, Bob discovered the music of Toubab Krewe, an new, local african/rock fusion band who was, at the time, managed by Bob’s longtime friend Steven Heller. One sleepless night Bob listened to the band’s new self-titled CD over and over again, and was deeply moved by the quality of the musicianship. This beautiful video, which features Drew Heller, guitarist for Toubab Krewe and Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation, explores Bob’s connection to the band and the reach of the Moog Legacy as it has touched Toubab Krewe and as it is manifested in the Bob Moog Foundation.
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We owe a huge thanks to many people who helped make this video a reality. The video was shot in the studio of world-class Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, North Carolina. The owner, Steve Wilmans and their manager, Jessica Tomasin, continue to be a wonderfully supportive to the Foundation’s mission. The exceptional filmmaking team that donated their services to make this video a possibility was a collaboration between David Bragg of Flying Pig Studio (located within Echo Mountain Recording) and the late Margaret Lauzon of Studio South, among other local talents.
Music photographer phenom Jon Leidel documented the making of the video. Here are some some of his stunning images:
The Making of “Bob Moog Live” (Part 4 of 5): “Electronic Music Should Always Be Changing”
[Leading up to our Bob Moog Live CD Release Party on October 10, 2010 at the LAB, we are presenting a series of blogs written by Dan Lewis. You can check out the first post "The History", here , the second post,
The Secret Behind the Music" here and the third post "Squalling Minimoog" here. Lewis is the only surviving member of the trio of Bob Moog, Mike Abbott and Dan Lewis who rehearsed and performed together for this recording. Dan will be performing and speaking at the release party.]
Mike Abbott, Bob Moog and Dan Lewis, Asheville Art Museum, 1980
Bob went on to consult for many of the world’s great synth companies,
eventually re-establishing Moog Music, while Mike and I went on with our separate
and occasionally joint music careers, frequently getting together to perform
everything from original work to 50s and 60s rock & roll for dances.
Whenever I would run into Bob in Asheville, he was always happy to see me,
as if we had just played last week, and always asked about Mike.
Michael Abbott passed away some years back, and Bob passed
a few years later, leaving me the one to tell the story; I hope they will approve.
Bob once told Mike and me something I’ve always remembered.
He said:
“Electronic music should always be changing, because it can”.
That seems as profound today as it did 30 years ago, when Bob said it.
ABOUT THE MUSIC & THE MUSICIANS…
Bob Moog in performing on the Minimoog in Concert, November 23, 1980
Robert Moog (1934-2005) was the internationally famous inventor of the Moog
synthesizer, and the many synthesizer variations and analog effects that bear his
name and that of Big Briar, Inc., which is the name of the cove where he built his
home and workshop in western North Carolina. Bob had performed on piano as
a young man, but rarely performed after the success of his inventions. It is
conservative to say that the fabric of modern music was forever changed and
expanded due to the work of Moog and his fellow synthesizer contemporaries.
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Mike Abbott at the synths, November 23, 1980
Michael Abbott (1953-2004) was the most accomplished professional musician
of the trio, having played and performed steadily since the late 1960s with bands
too numerous to list. Playing anything from a Fender-Rhodes to a Hammond B-3,
Mike was almost certainly the first in western North Carolina to own and perform
on a MiniMoog, and quickly picked up a MicroMoog and several polyphonic
synths as they became available on the national market. Mike was a huge asset
on any stage; on this recording, he provides the multi-timbral “glue that holds
the music together, and composed the instrumentals “Hannibal” and “Someone”.
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Dan Lewis on the Ukelin, with Mike Abbott in the background, November 23, 1980
Dan Lewis (1953- ) is a songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist since 1974,
with 12 albums of original music (6 of them instrumental synthesizer) to date, and
is producer/arranger/audo engineer at Acoustic Audio in Hendersonville, NC.
Most of the music offered on this CD are his original compositions circa 1980;
he began playing music in 1974, is entirely self-taught, and had been playing a
total of six years when this music was made.
Dan Lewis
Flat Rock, NC
October 2010
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The CD Release Party for “Bob Moog Live” happens on October 10, 2010 at the Lexington Avenue Brewery’s Music Venue in Asheville, NC from 3:30- 6:00 p.m.. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $7, with proceeds benefiting the Bob Moog Foundation. Performers include Dan Lewis, Mary Frances (Emyrael), Jeff Knorr (Funknastics) adn Ben Hovey (Asheville Horns) with other special guests.
Bob Moog Live will be sold exclusively through the Bob Moog Foundation online store (www.moogfoundation.org/shop) beginning October 11.
“The Making of Bob Moog Live” (Part 3 of 5): The Squalling Minimoog
[Leading up to our Bob Moog Live CD Release Party on October 10, 2010 at the LAB, we are presenting a series of blogs written by Dan Lewis. You can check out the first post "The History", here, and the second post,
The Secret Behind the Music" here. Lewis is the only surviving member of the trio of Bob Moog, Mike Abbott and Dan Lewis who rehearsed and performed together for this recording. Dan will be performing and speaking at the release party.]
Bob Moog and Dan Lewis Rehearsing in Bob's workshop in the country
Needless to say, Mike and I were thrilled and terrified at this totally unforeseen opportunity [to rehearse and perform with Bob], and spent weeks scrambling to come up with something that we could incorporate Bob into, and that we hoped might measure up to our amazing new line-up. The results were far different from whatever we had origin ally planned as a duo, and the rehearsals with Bob at his shop at Big Briar, some 25 miles outside Asheville, were always productive and memorable.
Bob played the most popular Moog synth, the MiniMoog. Mike played a Mini, a MicroMoog, a Wurlitzer electronic piano and an Oberheim OB-8, while I performed on acoustic guitar, a 32-string Ukelin (16 plucked, 16 bowed) a small harp and on one tune, a Moog Sonic Six.
Most of the original material was mine, with two songs by Mike Abbott. Mike and I collaborated by improvisation and experimentation until we had found what we liked and what worked the best, while Bob wanted his parts written out, so I had to invent a graph system quickly so I could write out his parts. It was amazing to me that 99% of my efforts were accurate; once in a while, I’d hear a “clam” when we tried out a new part, and I’d pull out my graph and find that I had misplaced a note and had to fix it. To this day, after 30 years in music and a dozen albums, I don’t read or write down music.
Our usual arrangement was this: I’d play the basic tune, Bob would play either a bass line or a melody, while Mike would provide all the middle part, the “glue” that brought the other parts together. Mike was always a great musical asset who anchored any gig we ever did; when we were on stage together, I could count on Mike to not only play brilliantly, but help cue musicians on the back line who may not have known the music as well.
Bob had a wonderful enthusiasm that was always a pleasure to be around, and even the most casual conversations were treasured by we two young musicians; we became friends, and at the same time, felt awed to be with him. He never gave you any impression that he was famous, nor thought he was. He was totally accessible, real and genuine. We spent many afternoons at Bob’s home in South Turkey Creek, rehearsing in his workshop at Big Briar. Afterwards he always invited us to stay for dinner with his family.
We rehearsed with the huge roll-up doors open, looking out across the valley. Once, Bob’s Minimoog started squalling like an electronic pig. Mike and I were shocked to see the inventor calmly turn it up on it’s side, give it three whacks with his fist, sending horrific electronic thunder cascading across the hillsides. Naturally, the Minimoog responded immediately to the master’s touch, and performed flawlessly the remainder of the evening.
Once the music started to come together, Mike brought his Tascam reel-to-reel recorder and taped the rehearsal, and later had a friend come and monitor the recorder during both concerts to capture our performances. Even then, we knew we were participating in something that felt historic, and Mike was wise enough to record it.
Our first performance at Bele Chere 1980 was a success, and the feeling was good for everyone, so we agreed to repeat the performance in more controlled indoor circumstances. I was able to arrange a concert some months later at the Asheville Art Museum, then located at the Asheville Civic Center. The concert on November 23 was well attended and the audience enthusiastic. From that event came the bulk of the recorded music on the Bob Moog Live CD, the rest from earlier rehearsals.
That was to be the second and last concert of Moog, Abbott & Lewis. As Bob often said, he was first and foremost an electronic musical engineer, and performing music was not his first priority. Mike and I realized that we had been incredibly fortunate to know and perform with Moog; thanks to Mike’s forethought, we also have the recordings.
Dan Lewis
Flat Rock, North Carolina
October 2010
The CD Release Party for “Bob Moog Live” happens on October 10, 2010 at the Lexington Avenue Brewery’s Music Venue in Asheville, NC from 3:30- 6:00 p.m.. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $7, with proceeds benefiting the Bob Moog Foundation. Performers include Dan Lewis, Mary Frances (Emyrael), Jeff Knorr (Funknastics) adn Ben Hovey (Asheville Horns) with other special guests.
Bob Moog Live will be sold exclusively through the Bob Moog Foundation online store (www.moogfoundation.org/shop) beginning October 11.
The Making of “Bob Moog Live” (Part 2 of 5): The Secret Behind the Music
[Leading up to our Bob Moog Live CD Release Party on October 10, 2010 at the LAB, we are presenting a series of blogs written by Dan Lewis. You can check out the first post "The History", here. Lewis is the only surviving member of the trio of Bob Moog, Mike Abbott and Dan Lewis who rehearsed and performed together for this recording. Dan will be performing and speaking at the release party.]
Bob Moog at the Minimoog with makeshift music stand, reading the music Dad so carefully wrote for him (Summer 1980)
The first challenge we faced before our trio rehearsed even once was massive. Mike and I played by ear and memory, so when Bob asked for charts (his parts written out in music) Mike and I were not only scrambling for material that we hoped would be worthy, but then had to somehow write part of it down. Mike had basic skills in reading and writing music, but I had none, and a fair amount of the music was mine.
Heart attack time. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I had to come up with something, so I made a graph of the 5 lines and 4 spaces, and spent countless hours leaning over my guitar playing my parts, humming what I hoped were harmonies, then trying figure out what note it was on the guitar, then painstakingly figuring where on the graph the note went and for what fraction of time.
Thinking back, it was crazy and would have been much easier had I had a keyboard, but I was too inexperienced to know how unlikely the whole process was, so I spent many entire days fiddling with my cobbled-up scoring system, and somehow pulled it off. I remember handing Bob my scribbled music notes that I literally couldn’t read myself, saying “Let’s just play it and see how far we get”. Unbelievably, the Muse of Music must have been smiling down on us, because about 95% of it worked. Every once in a while, on a first run-through, I’d hear a serious “clam” in my melody, stop the guys, run over there with my graph, red-faced, and fix the problem.
Bob seemed to enjoy the whole process; there was never anything but harmony between the three of us. We laughed and joked all the time. In retrospect, I’m amazed the whole thing worked as well as it did; there was only one part of all that music that was ever written down, that being Bob’s parts. Mike and I continued to “earball” our parts, but somehow, it all came together in a way that we all enjoyed, because after our first gig in the summer of 1980, we all agreed that we wanted to do a second one later that fall. This event is the one that is featured on the “Bob Moog Live” CD. To this day, some 30 years later, although I’ve created and recorded many songs and instrumentals, I still do not read or write music, and am still amazed that somehow collectively, we pulled that off.
Dan Lewis
October 2010
Flat Rock, NC
The CD Release Party for “Bob Moog Live” happens on October 10, 2010 at the Lexington Avenue Brewery’s Music Venue in Asheville, NC from 3:30- 6:00 p.m.. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are $7, with proceeds benefiting the Bob Moog Foundation. Performers include Dan Lewis, Mary Frances (Emyrael), Jeff Knorr (Funknastics) adn Ben Hovey (Asheville Horns) with other special guests.
“Bob Moog Live” CD Announced
Bob Moog Foundation and Dan Lewis Announce CD Release for Bob Moog Live October 11, 2010
Cover of "Bob Moog Live" CD
The Bob Moog Foundation and Asheville composer/musician Dan Lewis announce the world premiere and release party for a historic live concert recording, Bob Moog Live. The premiere event will take place on October 10, 2010, at the Lexington Avenue Brewery in Asheville, NC, from 3:30–6:00 p.m. Admission is $7, with proceeds benefiting the Bob Moog Foundation.
Bob Moog Live is the only known recording of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog publicly performing on his famous Minimoog, the best selling analog synthesizer of all time. Created in 1970, the Minimoog celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The Bob Moog Live recording took place on November 23, 1980, at the Asheville Art Museum and captured a performance by Moog, Abbott & Lewis. Local musicians Dan Lewis and Mike Abbott, an accomplished synthesist, rounded out the trio on keyboards, guitar, and ukelin. Lewis and Abbott performed with Moog twice in Asheville in the summer and fall of 1980. The CD features the latter performance along with sterling rehearsal sessions.
Lewis and Abbott composed all the music on the CD. Lewis, who preserved the recordings for the last 30 years, brought this project to the forefront. He produced the album to highlight a historic event and to create a fundraising mechanism for the Bob Moog Foundation. The CD, described as electronic neoclassical music, features excerpts from Moog, Abbott & Lewis’s live concert tape. Subtitled “The Gig Tape,” it was originally recorded on 1/4-inch analog tape, thanks to Mike Abbott’s forethought.
The CD will be available exclusively through the Bob Moog Foundation’s online store beginning on October 11, 2010. In addition to original music and instrumentation, the CD features Moog speaking candidly between songs about a variety of subjects ranging from the capabilities of electronic musical instruments to his life during that time period. At the time of the recording, Moog had recently left the company he started 25 years prior and moved from New York to North Carolina, where he started a new business, Big Briar, Inc.
Here’s a sample from the CD:
Hannibal Crossing the Alps with Bob Moog on the Minimoog
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Bob Moog passed away in 2005, and Abbott in 2003. Lewis remains in the Asheville area as audio engineer and arranger/producer at Acoustic Audio Recording in Hendersonville, North Carolina.
The Bob Moog Live event on October 10 will be a multilayered “happening” that includes listening to samples of the CD and brief informal lectures by Dan Lewis and by Bob Moog Foundation Executive Director Michelle Moog-Koussa. Live original music performed by Dan Lewis on guitar and synthesizers as well as an improvisational synthesizer jam featuring top area keyboardists performing on Moog synthesizers will provide live experimental synthesis as the musical backdrop for the evening. Jeff Knorr (The Funknastics), Mary Frances (Emyrael), Ben Hovey (Asheville Horns), and others will join Lewis on stage. A display of Minimoog material from Bob Moog’s Archives will be on display.
“While the recording is not 21st-century high fidelity, we realized it allows the listener to ‘attend’ a somewhat historic event and experience the only known opportunity to hear Bob speak, tell stories, and perform on his most famous invention, the Minimoog. In that sense, the recording is unique,” said Lewis. The CD will be available for purchase at the event.
Michelle Moog-Koussa states in the liner notes that it was rare to hear father at the piano when she was growing up and it was rarer still that he would perform. The Bob Moog Live CD is indeed a treasure and a unique glimpse into a time in Bob Moog’s life when he was taking a break from his professional life. He was relaxed, and that comes through in his commentary and playing The Bob Moog Foundation has embraced this project as an extension of its work in historical preservation.
The proceeds from the event and CD sales will support the Bob Moog Foundation, whose mission is to educate and inspire children and adults through electronic music. The Foundation is currently working on its educational goal of creating a curriculum with professors at UNC-Asheville that will teach K–8 children science through electronic music, and its historical goal of preserving and sharing Bob Moog’s extensive archives.
Online CD sales will be available after the event on the Bob Moog Foundation website at www.moogfoundation.org/shop.
Bob Moog’s Legacy in Photos: Reflect. Share. Listen. (Repeat)
August 21, 2010: Fifth Anniversary Tribute
New Photos From Bob’s Archives Speak to the Moog Legacy Itself
Reflect
There are many iconic photos of Bob out there. Many feature the stoic inventor with intense gaze surrounded by drool-worthy gear. Today, we look past the familiar and delve three rarely seen photos of Bob, taken at a lecture or training session of some kind back in the early 1970s. We think they exemplify some qualities that make the Moog legacy what it is. Here you’ll see Bob in three natural poses beside one of his modular instruments. We have given the photos one word captions: Reflect, Share, Listen. This series of human and intellectual engagements, which Bob repeated countless times during his long 50 year career, helped shape Bob’s innovative work and subsequently the world of music technology as we know it _________________________________________________________________________________________
Share
Bob thought deeply about his work, spending endless hours in his workshop day in and day out. Even when he took time away, his mind was often on the circuits. He had many breakthroughs, some groundbreaking, some much less so. As a testament to his humility and open creative spirit, he tested his ideas and asked for feedback from colleagues and musicians. Then he listened. It is perhaps Bob’s ability to listen and incorporate what he learned from listening that made his instruments so beautifully effective. He was constantly asking for feedback and improving on his ideas and designs.
This is an ethic that we carry forward with the Bob Moog Foundation in our work. Whether it’s science and music education, historical preservation or planning for a future museum, we seriously consider each step, seek feedback from experienced advisers and we listen.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Listen
Tomorrow, August 21, 2010, will be the fifth anniversary of Bob’s passing and the fourth anniversary of the launch of the Bob Moog Foundation. In that time, we have made great progress considering our small size. That progress is due in part to assistance and feedback from scores of people who have lent their expertise to help move our efforts forward. To all of you — volunteers, advisors, supporters — thank you for being part of the unique process of carrying Bob Moog’s legacy forward.
To Bob, from all of us at the Bob Moog Foundation, and countless others around the world —
Your physical presence is greatly missed, but your spirit remains with us as a source of great inspiration.
What is That Thing and Where Can I Get One?
August 21, 2010 – Fifth Anniversary Tribute
Seva David Ball, Preservationist on BMF GRAMMY Grant Reflects on Bob’s Impact on His Life
My introduction to the Moog was at Christmas 1968, of course through Switched-On Bach by Carlos. I thought, what is that organ record sounding thing, then when I wandered into the stereo room, finding the record jacket was an Acme Anvil moment. I didn’t even remove the shrinkwrap from the record because I didn’t want the picture to get dirty. Occasionally I’d sneak my fingers under the cellophane and touch the Picture of the Moog.
No kidding.
Seva David Ball, Age 12, Florida State University, 1968 (courtesy Seva Ball
My parents taught college and a colleague of theirs was an alumnus of Florida State. She foolishly offered to take me with her because they had a Moog IIIp. The die was cast, I turned into fluid, poured into the mold, then the mold was broken. The accompanying picture illustrates this moment of pre-hormonal ability of focus, sans prefrontal cortex development, where an experience is so indigenously saturating that after I exited the building, the feeling was as if I’d traveled with Dr. Who and really had no idea what planet or timeline I was entering. That’s what the Moog did for me, what Bob Moog did for me in this unleashing of Pandora with absolute value. It’s all a plus sign.
Soon I had built my studio, replete with a IIIp, MiniMoog, and a PolyMoog, and drilled down into the soft surreal forms I’d heard in my head; now able to realize them. Vintage Moog, classical training, surrealistic music dreams: finally. Search iTunes if you want to find out what happened.
At some point I wrote to Bob Moog and asked if he had any room for my skills in his business in North Carolina; this was before the rebirth of Moog Music, and he simply replied “we have no need for someone with your skillset at this time”. It was the most wonderful rejection letter ever, and certainly the only one I have framed. Now, I sit every day with tapes of Bob Moog and witness small splintered fractal subsets of audio, windows into that time as he was building, creating, innovating, his Moog Synthesizer. I remain as grateful as any human is capable of feeling, to him, Bob Moog, for giving me tools which set me free, musically, beyond my wildest imaginings.
Seva
August 2010
Keep an eye out for Seva’s upcoming post on some of the 40+ tapes that he has been restoring this summer.
Click here to see more about Seva’s work with the reel-to-reel tapes from Bob’s Archive.
Ileana Grams-Moog Reflects on Bob and Giving
August 21, 2010 – Fifth Anniversary Tribute
Ileana Grams-Moog Pays Tribute to Bob’s Legacy and to the Significance of Giving
(Posted on CaringBridge.com)
This is Ileana Grams-Moog, thinking about the fifth anniversary of Bob’s death, this coming Saturday. I am touched that so many people still log onto this site to read the tributes to Bob, and my yearly reflections on his life and death. This year, as always, I am thinking about the joy Bob brought into my life through being the wonderful person that he was, and the joy he brought into the lives of so many others who were privileged to meet him, hear him speak, ask him a question, or spend time with him in some way. The warmth, kindness, humor, and human presence that characterized him communicated themselves even in the briefest encounter with him, from what so many of you have told me.
He brought joy to many more through the instruments he designed and built for others to play. And of course, through those musicians, millions were, are, and will be touched by his work. What a legacy! I know that it is a living legacy not only from the continued popularity of his instruments, but from the feedback the Bob Moog Foundation gets from its activities and appearances. People still care and are moved by his work and his memory.
It is a bit ironic, and sad, therefore, that all of this love and devotion has not translated into a more stable operationg budget for the Bob Moog Foundaton, which still struggles daily to continue doing things that people seem to enjoy and care about.
My mother and father had few things in common (they separated when I was five). But they did share a commitment to supporting good causes, and they passed that commitment on to me. Giving to a cause you believe in feels good. It feels meaningful and empowering. Our consumer culture is focussed on convincing us that life is about the acquisition of things that will entertain us, save us work, or give us more power. But our hearts–as well as lots of research–tell us the truth: Life is about loving and connecting to others, and knowing that they and the world are better off because of us.
Bob really lived the truth of that. He supported many causes he believed in. I would like to ask you to do the same. I believe that giving to others is part of a worthwhile life. I hope you will feel moved to give some amount to an organization you believe in, in honor of Bob. If that organization is the Bob Moog Foundation, that will help to continue to make his presence felt in the world. But wherever you give, choosing to make a difference for good is a fitting tribute to Bob Moog. I can’t think of one he would like better.
Visit the CaringBridge.com to see all of Ileana’s posts over the past five years, as well as thousands of tributes to Bob in the Guestbook section.
Moog-Inspired Art Auctioned on eBay
The Bob Moog Foundation Launches Auction of Moog-Inspired Art
Asheville Area Artists Donate Moog-inspired Art to Pay Tribute and Raise Funding
The Bob Moog Foundation announces the launch of six eBay auctions featuring visual art inspired by the legacy of Bob Moog. The link to the auctions can be found here.
The eBay auctions will run for 7 days, and will end during the Foundation’s spring fundraiser, Moogus Operandi, to be held on May 27th from 7-11pm at the Orange Peel in Asheville. The event will feature local musicians performing with a virtuoso synthesist from California, Erik Norlander, and a legendary Moog modular synthesizer from 1967, the release of Moog Filtered Ale from Asheville Brewing Company, and a MoogLab interactive exhibit. Those who attend the event will have the opportunity to see the Moog-inspired art in person, as well as to bid on the items via computer workstations provided by City Mac. The unique format of the auction gives the participating artists an opportunity to showcase their work to an international audience of Moog enthusiasts. Featured items range from large scale paintings to smaller pen and ink designs and mini-synth sculptures.
All proceeds from the auctions and the event will go to benefit the projects of the Bob Moog Foundation, which is a registered 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Through this opportunity artists are given a chance to become part of the Bob Moog Foundation’s effort to bring innovative science and music programs into the schools and to create a Moogseum in Asheville, NC.
Many thanks to all of the participating artists who are donated their works of art to help us further our mission. It’s wonderful to see visual artists who are inspired by the intersection of music, technology, innovation and creativity that Bob Moog represents. We love seeing this creativity help us raise funding to teach science and music in the schools!
The artists participating in the auction include:
Gabriel Shaffer - www.gabrielshaffer.com
Gabriel Shaffer is a visionary artist who is internationally recognized for is attention to detail, vibrant color palette and intriguing concept.
Auction Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140409639580&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123#ht_611wt_1139
Phil Cheney - www.dynamicartgallerie.com
Phil Cheney is a musician and an artist who is known for his whimsical, eclectic designs. He designed the label for the Foundation’s Moog Filtered Ale, which was based on the image that is being auctioned.
Auction Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140409621113&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_560wt_1139
Dustin Spagnola – www.dustinspagnola.com
Dustin’s striking image of Bob Moog is inspired by the contemporary urban landscape. His images reference the texture, depth, and color of structures in decay and the visual language of graffiti.
Auction Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140409631595&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_729wt_1139
ArtYes / Marie Knight – www.artyes.net
Marie Knight combines flattened, distorted, embellished, and scaled-up representations of all manner of life forms with scaled-down signmaking to make arresting and occasionally nerdy graphic art.
Auction Link:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140409636486&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_639wt_1139
Seja Vogel -www.etsy.com/shop/pulsewidth
Recently referred to as the “synth whisperer” by Mess and Noise magazine, Australian Seja Vogel is probably better known as a musician more than anything else. However her recent solo album features a cover of handmade felt synthesizers created by Vogel. She is the only artist represented in the auction who does not call Asheville home. Her donation of two felt synths to the foundation was the inspiration for the art auction.
Auction Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140409637689&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_643wt_1139
Moog Guitar Raffle Winner Announced
March 30, 2010
Inventor Paul Vo Announces Winner of Lou Reed’s Moog Guitar
Paul Vo, the inventor of the Moog Guitar, has agreed to announce the winner of the Bob Moog Foundation’s raffle for Lou Reed’s Moog Guitar. Robert Cranfield of Illinois is our very lucky winner!
Vo, who spent years conceptualizing and designing the guitar, brought the idea to Moog Music, Inc. in 2006 and the guitar was released in 2008. Lou Reed was an early proponent of the innovative instrument.
On March 9th, 2010, the Bob Moog Foundation launched the raffle for Reed’s donated guitar, releasing only 200 tickets. The raffle was closed on March 23rd when the last ticket was purchased. The winner was chosen by an automated random selector provided by random.org on March 29, 2010. Participants in the raffle can verify their entry here.
In this video, Paul Vo announces the winner and talks a bit about his work on the guitar and reflects on the importance of innovation and the Moog Legacy.
Many thanks to Moog Music and Lour Reed, and to all who participated in the raffle. The funding raised will assist the Foundation’s projects of educational outreach and historical preservation.
From the Archives: Moogtonium Discovered
Uncovering the Moogtonium
Michelle Moog-Koussa
In January 2009, while combing through Bob’s archives, searching for just the right items to bring to Winter NAMM for our small showcase previewing our upcoming exhibit, Waves of Inspiration: The Legacy of Moog, I came upon a light blue folder with several pockets loaded with documents – letters, schematics and notes. The upper right hand corner of the cover of the folderwas simply marked “Brand”. Inside was a treasure trove of information, much of it coming from meticulously written and technically detailed letters written on translucent typing paper with the name “Max Brand” printed in the top margin, with dates beginning as early as March 1966. A slew of schematics in Bob’s hand were interspersed among these letters, as well as notes describing specifications for what would become known at the Moogtonium, and in some circles, the Max Brand synthesizer.
Document Photos: Bob Moog Foundation Archives
Bob's Moogtonium Specifications
Brand's Mixture Trautonium Specs
Brand's Mixture Trautonium Specs page 2
Bob's Schematic for Subharmonic Gen. Switch Card
Bob's Mixer Schematic
Max Brand, was an Austrian avant-garde composer living in New York City, was searching for someone to build him a version of a Trautonium, an early electronic musical instrument invented in 1929 by Friedrich Trautwein and later perfected by Oskar Sala. Sala’s instrument, the Mixture Tratonium, was famous for its subharmonic oscillators and ribbon controller interface (instead of a keyboard). You can read more about the instrument here and see a fantastic video of Sala playing the instrument here.
It was Sala’s version that interested Max Brand.
Brand learned of Bob Moog’s early work in creating synthesizer modules, and contacted him about building a version of this rare instrument. Bob, still in the early phases of developing the Moog modulars, agreed. The two men worked for two years to develop the instrument, with Bob building and Brand honing needed specifications and capabilities. The instrument was ultimately delivered in 1968.
Moogtonium Photos: Uli Kühn
Moogtonium Setup
Moogtonium Close-up
Subharmonic Generator
Moog Modules
Keyboard/Ribbon Controller
In the year since the initial discovery of the Moogtonium documentation, I shared the collection of notes and schematics with a few trusted industry gurus, who agreed that this was indeed an important discovery, as it demonstrates the variety of work that Bob took on outside of the world of his more well-known creations. Ever the toolmaker, he was intrigued and inspired by new projects.
It was our archive historian and investigator extraordinaire Brian Kehew who discovered a group of musicians from the Austrian record label and platform Moozak who have been followers and fans of Max Brand. Incredibly, they had recently gained access to the Max Brand Archives in Austria, and to the Moogtonium or Max Brand synthesizer as they commonly refer to it.
Brian began a correspondence with Clemens Hausch, one of the members of Moozak, only to find out that the group was in the midst of producing a CD with music composed on the Moogtonium. Clemens has generously shared information from the Brand archives, thanks to the support of Dr. Helmuth Schwarzjirg who is in charge of the Max Brand archives. Together we have pieced together what must have transpired between the musician and the toolmaker in this instance. Below, you will find a more detailed history of Max Brand and the Moogtonium, written by Clemens.
In August, Moozak released “Kabelbrand: Sounds from the Max Brand Synthesizer”. This CD of experimental music composed for this custom instrument includes both the music of Moozak resident artists (Clemens Hausch, Benedikt Guschlbauer, Gerald Krist and Uli Kühn) and, thanks to the support of Dr. Schwarzjirg, of Max Brand himself. This is one of the very few times that Max Brand’s music has been made available for distribution and the first time other musicians have performed on this prototype instrument. Moozak has generously donated 25 of these CDs to the Bob Moog Foundation and they are now available as a gift with a $30 donation here.
Here’s Brian Kehew’s review of the CD:
“I discovered Max Brand and his music just this year, through our connection with Clemens and Dr. Schwarzjirg. I’m actually a fan of experimental music, but I’d never heard of him before. If you’re a synth fan (especially Moog modular) and enjoy creating unique experimental sounds, you may also be pleased to discover Max Brand. His music is really exceptional, but almost unknown ’til now.
Brand is a great synthesist – making a wide variety of sounds. He really knew how to work the synthesizer, far beyond the simple melody and bass sounds people commonly made. The Moogtonium’s unique harmonic dividers made a rougher and more complex source sound than standard oscillators. Musically, it’s not traditionally tonal music, but I think it’s very
Kabelbrand CD Cover
musical; you can hear his orchestral ideas in the parts he writes. He’s not just fiddling with oscillators, but writing and recording parts that fit together, they answer each other, contrast and move. There is no imitation of acoustic sounds – these are weird and wonderful patchworks of tone and pitch. There’s lots to hear, if you’re into sound exploration.
It’s interesting that such a significant instrument remained unheard for so long a time. His piece “ilian 4″ is wonderfully long and complex – it would have filled one full side of a vinyl record. It has a great play of distant sounds, panning and reverb, and almost seems organic sometimes. If this had been released, it’s likely he would have become a renowned composer/synthesist. If you enjoy analog-synth pioneers Morton Subotnick or Pauline Oliveros, this may please you even more – I think it’s better work. It’s one of my favorite synth discoveries in many years.”
Many thanks to Brian, Clemens and Dr. Schwarzjirg for the collaborative spirit they have all shared in exploring this fascinating story.
In the coming months, we will continue to share more information and documentation about the Moogtonium and the collaboration between Bob Moog and Max Brand as we uncover and are able to interpret it. Please check our website for new blog posts on the subject!
About Max Brand, His Music and His Instrument
Clemens Hausch, Moozak
Max Brand was an Austrian composer, born in 1896 in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. He studied composition in Vienna and Berlin when Schönberg and Webern were dominating the field. He was particularly interested in non-musical sounds and machine music and incorporated these in his works. His biggest success – the opera “Maschinist Hopkins” (1929) – is highly eclectic; it consists of atonal parts, romantic turns, and even parts that can be considered orchestral industrial music – and even jazz. “Der Maschinist Hopkins” was very successful. If the political events in Europe had been different, Max Brand would likely have gained widespread recognition and would be remembered today. Yet, the situation for Austrian contemporary artists suddenly darkened in the early 1930s, and he fled from the Nazi regime in 1937 because of his Jewish decent. He emigrated to the United States with his second wife, Anna. There in the early 1950s, he decided to pursue the path of electronic music…
Max Brand and Electronic Music
As indicated by his early manuscripts from 1946, Brand imagined an electronic keyboard instrument that was capable of imitating the sounds of a piano. Within a decade, he had realized that new instrument technology demanded a new musical language; he understood that the pure imitation of conventional instruments was foolish. At the time, most early synthesizers were located at universities and research facilities. Brand was a big admirer of electronic music, but had no personal connections to these hallowed halls, so he had no access to these machines and studios. He was a difficult character at times; we know from his biography that he lived quite isolated socially as well as artistically. By the mid 1950s, he had decided to build a personal studio to create electronic music. In a letter from 1955, Brand asks German composer Herbert Eimert for advice on the matter. Eimert describes various techniques to Brand, such as tape-cutting and layering of sine waves and sends him some tapes with contemporary electronic music.
Equipped with this (and later with the help of his friend Fredrick Cochran) he started building his studio. There is little information left about this early experimental electronic phase of Brand’s life, though there are some electronic pieces as early as 1958. Some of his early tracks are incredibly advanced, such as the short piece “Notturno Basilerio”; which could easily translate as a late ‘70s industrial music track. Other pieces, like the “French Folk Songs” carry a naïve romantic feeling.
Technicians would design Brand circuits to his specifications, but he sometimes lacked skilled people around him (or an ability to get along with them) he often had to solder the circuits himself. Although he developed sufficient skills to build his first studio alone, he did not achieve the sounds that he wanted and he lacked sufficient knowledge to build the more complex designs he envisioned. However, technical advancements were happening, and by the early 1960s new solid-state synthesizer designs showed up, cheaper and smaller than the room-filling machines at universities.
Brand was certainly familiar with the works of Oskar Sala, creator of the Mixtur-Trautonium (and composer of the sound effects for Hitchcock’s The Birds). According to Dr. Helmuth Schwarzjirg (head of the Max Brand Archive in Langenzersdorf, Austria) it’s likely that Brand’s friend Fredrick Cochran was probably the connection, as he was working as a Sala’s technician. Brand must have wanted to own a Mixtur-Trautonium, as he sought to create some way to copy the instrument…
The Birth of the Max Brand Synthesizer (aka “Moogtonium”)
Max Brand eventually met Bob Moog, who was working in upstate New York. How Brand met Moog is not documented, but there are some letters that indicate that Herbert Deutsch visited Brand in his studio in 1964, so he probably put Brand into contact with Moog.
Moog, by then, was still in the phase before his commercial breakthrough, and in 1965 happily accepted to build the instrument, according to Brand’s close specifications. Brand even supplied Moog with the original patent papers of Oskar Sala, but Moog, afraid of violating Sala’s design rights, pursued his own methods to imitate the workings of the Trautonium. Design and delivery of the new instrument was estimated to be a few months but, in reality, it took almost 2 years to complete. It may have been the difficulty of designing much of the instrument “from the ground up” or the growing popularity of Moog’s instruments that caused the delay. Finally after much prodding from Brand, in 1968 Moog delivered the first version of the instrument (now called the “Moogtonium”). Brand had very strict ideas of how the instrument should work, so he continued to ask for further modifications and repeatedly sent it back to Moog to have these changes performed, which ultimately lead to their split.
Although Brand kept on working and continued to produced electronic pieces exclusively on Moog’s machine (serviced by Frederic Chochran after Brand’s and Moog’s split), he did not achieve the desired success and deserved respect. He produced some very diverse and skillful pieces, like the ballet “ilian 4”, but failed to reach his audience, as these electronic pieces never left his studio.
In 1973 “Maschinist Hopkins” was to be performed in Austria. Brand saw a chance for recognition and decided to move back to Austria. However, the opera was performed only once, and in a shortened form. Success alluded him, and Brand’s equipment suffered damage during the trip back to Austria: The synthesizer was transported by ship, left in a leaky cargo container in the harbor of Hamburg for many months. Water entered, and damaged the machine severely. Afterward, it was finally restored and installed in his new home in Langenzersdorf, a small village near Vienna (where the Brand Archive is located today).
The change from U.S. to European electrical standards (60Hz to 50Hz) turned out to be the next problem. Brand found competent technical support from Hans Wolf and Dieter Kaufmann, but it took 3 years to return the system back to its original state. When the machine was ready again, Brand was 82 years old, and his health had faded. He started to suffer from dementia and though he had still clear moments, he destroyed a lot of his own work unintentionally; in his weak moments he confused tapes and boxes, overwriting finished pieces, eventually destroying most of his work. There is still a vast tape collection in the Max Brand Archive, but it’s almost impossible to identify what is meant to be a finished piece from the sketches and accidents.
Brand died in 1980, and his wife died 5 years later. In his will, he directed that his inheritance be used to support younger artists, thus the Max Brand Prize was founded (given away until 2003). The Moogtonium, just as Max Brand left it, is a patchwork of parts from different eras, and no longer one complete conceptual instrument. For Bob Moog, it was a memorable (if difficult) project, and one of the very few synthesizers he kept full notes on. The Moogtonium has totally unique custom-built features, and it can create sounds unheard on any other Moog synthesizer. Today, it sits as unfinished and full of promise as the life and career of Max Brand. It is a rather unique piece of synthesizer history, a special instrument finally being heard publicly for the first time.
Technical Details of the Synthesizer
The machine is unique in various respects, since it was built to order, and has a good percentage of prototype modules. The Moogtonium was built as two monophonic synthesizers, arranged in a symmetrical fashion. It is controlled by two keyboards, each with a ribbon/linear controller above. Each keyboard and ribbon control one side of the machine; providing a duo-phonic machine overall. The heart of the Moogtonium is two subharmonic oscillators which can synthesize a basic frequency, as well as 4 additional partials, generated by dividing the base frequency harmonically. Though functionally similar to the Mixtur-Trautonium, its circuitry was a unique design by Bob Moog. There is an array of standard and not-standard Moog modules above the main sound generating area of the machine. This is an important aspect that makes the machine different from the Mixtur-Trautonium, as Sala’s machine did not have any modular-patching capabilities.
Moogtonium Photos: Uli Kühn
Subharmonic Generator
Top Mixer
Duo Keyboard/Ribbon Contoller
Ribbon Controller Knobs
Moog Synth Modules
Pedal Controllers
Front View Keyboard Manuals
About the modules (as they are today):
Bears No Moog Logo
- subharmonic generator x2 (left & right) contains a mixer for 4 individual subharmonic frequencies)
Moogtonium Close-up
- 3 subharmonic “preset banks” are switchable through left-right turning of the foot pedals
- lfo x 1
- Ribbon controller x 2
- keyboard x 2
- pedals x 4– one pair is combined with a switch (3 settings – left, middle, right) – if you turn the foot sideways, you can switch between 3 possible settings for the subharmonic oscillator unit
- mixer x2 (left & right)
- high-lowpass combo filter module x 1 (left)
- non-standard potentiometers
Bears Moog Logo
- 911 – envelope generator 2x (left & right)
- 902 – VCA 2x (left & right)
- 904-A – VCF 2x (left & right)
- 901-B – oscillator 2x (left & right), but somewhat crippled, without the frequency range selector
- 903 – white sound source (1966) 1x (middle)
- ring modulator 1x (middle),doesn’t bear a module number, has non-standard potentiometers
- 905 spring reverberation unit 1x (right)
The setup also features various non-Moog parts
- 4-track Scully tape machine
- 2-track Ampex tapemachine
- patchbay
- Fisher tape delay
- (scientific looking) Eiko oscillator, capable of producing sine and square waves
- Challenger MX-6 microphone amplifier
- RCA oscilloscope
-Cabinet containing switches and controls for an unfinished light organ / light-control multimedia system
Max Brand Today
Brand was an outsider, and both a revolutionary and a conservative. His work is mostly forgotten these days, which is a pity since he was a true innovator in some respects. His desire for more holistic sound and light experiences is evident in unfinished cabinet parts that were made to contain a light organ. His 1960 piece “The Astronauts” was intended to be an audio-video piece, with film sequences, light effects and so on.
At his heart, he always stayed an opera composer, and continued to prepare operatic pieces. He developed an additional interest in the new technological possibilities of film. In early texts, Brand demands a more immersive opera, equipped with light effects, “nonmusical” sound instruments and movable stage parts. Throughout his life he repeatedly wrote theoretical texts about the implications of technology in music and society. Later he proposes the ideas of electronic music as music that is NOT dependent on the performer; it can be recorded once, then played everywhere – by everybody; music without elitist concert halls and interfering conductors and directors. This concept became popular much later in the 1980s when electronic equipment became inexpensive, and everybody could become a home producer. Max was a revolutionary, though a strange and largely unheard one.
In 1999 the “Phonotaktik” festival in Vienna paid tribute to him, and a cd with some pieces by him as well as some remixes was released on the Rhiz Label. Later, throughout 2009, the Moogtonium synthesizer was featured in an exhibition in the IMA Institute in Hainburg, near Vienna. Later, it was demonstrated at the “Ars Electronica” festival in Linz, Austria – one of the oldest and most famous festivals for electronic art and music worldwide. Out of these exhibits emerged a new awareness of the instrument, and produced a new musical release – “Kabelbrand”.
Kabelbrand
The disc “Kabelbrand – Sounds from the Max Brand Synthesizer” is the first use of this incredible synthesizer since Brand’s death. The CD is released by the Austrian record label “Moozak”; a label dedicated to experimental/new music. In January 2009, Clemens Hausch, Benedikt Guschlbauer, Gerald Krist and Ulrich Kühn played an improvisational live concert on the Moogtonium – its first live concert. Playing a concert on the instrument was an incredible experience, and the artists decided to create a CD with their music – as well as the forgotten music by Max Brand.
Tryptich and Ilian 4 were produced entirely on the current Moogtonium synthesizer. Triptych was composed by Brand in 1970. Ilian 4 is a ballet composed in 1974, when Brand was at the remarkable age of 78. Ilian 4 was inspired by Robert Grave‘s book The Greek Myths, and is the last preserved piece Brand completed in his life.
The goal on this album was to represent the true sounds of this powerful synthesizer. To reach this aim, every track on this CD was produced without any modern production tools (such as effect plug-ins). Also, only 1960s techniques were used (mixing, EQ, and sound layering). While the new music on the disc has a radically different style than Brand’s, the technical process of creation was kept almost the same. Maybe even Brand’s pieces are from a forgotten tomorrow, and the new pieces are from an imagined past…
Clemens Hausch
http://moozak.org/releases/mzk002/mzk002.html
To see the instrument being played:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR1HZi2yf5M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zqlolw6sOY
Sources
Max Brand Archiv Langenzersdorf
Dr. Helmuth Schwarzjirg
http://members.aon.at/lemu/Homepage/MaxBrand.htm
Musiksammlung der Wienbibliothek (Library of the city of Vienna, Music Collection)
Bartensteingasse 9, 1010 Vienna, Austria
http://www.wien.gv.at/kultur/wienbibliothek/sammlung/musik.html
(letters and notes by Max Brand)
Thomas Brezinka – Max Brand, Leben und Werk
Musikverlag Emil Katzenbichler, 1995
ISBN 3-87397-134-8
The Bob Moog Foundation
Michelle Moog-Koussa
Brian Kehew
Remembering the Genius and Soul of Les Paul
Fond Reflections of Les Paul — from the Desk of the Executive Director
In the fall of 2007, I was fortunate enough to attend the Mix Foundation Tech Awards that are held each year in conjunction with the AES show in New York City. I was fortunate enough to be invited as the guest of my friends at Steven’s Institute of Technology . As luck would have it, I wound up accepting the award for Technical Acheivement in Musical Instrument Technology on behalf of Moog Music, Inc. for the Little Phatty. It was a great evening all around, but the highlight for me, after receiving the award, was meeting Les Paul, inventor of the electric guitar and multi-track recording.
I already got a sense of who Les was from his time up on stage presenting the Les Paul Award to Al Kooper. Les was more interested in the attractive brunette holding the award than the happenings on stage. When he got up to the mic, he said something along the lines of “I feel like a broken flag pole standing next to her”. The whole room erupted in laughter — at 92 years old, the guy had an incredible amount of spunk.
I was sitting with Steven’s talented faculty, of which guitar wizard Carlos Alamar was a member. Carlos offered to introduce me to Les, so up we went to the front of the room. Les initially looked a little distracted with all of the comotion going on in the room, but when Carlos said “Les, this is Bob Moog’s daughter, Michelle” Les’s face lit up, he gave me a huge smile and a hug and said “Oh, I just loved your dad.”
Dad and Les knew each other quite well from their years under Norlin Industries, Inc. Norlin was an umbrella organization that owned several music companies in the early to mid-70s including Sennheiser, Lowery Organs, Maestro Foot Pedals, Moog Music, Inc. and Gibson Guitars. Apparently, neither Dad nor Les were too fond of the way their parent company handled things and they bonded as two inventors facing the realities of being part of a large corporate organization. At one point around 1975 Norlin asked Moog Music, Inc. to make a guitar amp, the LAB Series Amp, to go with some of the Gibson guitars. Dad was in charge of designing that product, the prototype of which is part of his archive.
In the fall of 2008, I was in NYC on business and met up with a friend to go see Les perform at the Iridium Club in Manhattan. His set was a mixure of music, humor and nostalgia. At 93 years old he still had the chops of a virtuoso, the spirit of an innovator and the heart of gold. I went back stage to see him we spent some time talking about music and Les’s fondness for Dad. People wandered in and out to pay their respects to Les and he was always warm and animated. I was struck by his humility and open spirit, two things people always tell me they admired about my father. I could certainly see that Les and Dad had easily been kindred spirits.
Commenting on the link between the two men, Colby Cosh recently wrote:
“Two men, Les Paul and Bob Moog, stand above all others as creators of the musical environment in which our brains are all now marinated.”
Les invited me to come interview him at his home the next time I was in town; I was really looking forward to that. I’ll be in NYC in October for AES once again, but this time my second favorite music pioneer will be playing a tune somewhere else………hopefully in the company of my father.
Les Paul was a brilliant maverick inventor, a great musician and a hell of a nice guy. He is deeply missed by many here at the Bob Moog Foundation and around the world….
