Monday, May 6, 2019

Bob Moog died for (y)our synths

Considering the grouping I used for this module, choose 5 different music “movements” from the ones listed above and add one group/musician/performer to that category, especially related to the usage of technology. Why did you choose this artist? Why do you consider their work fits with technology and electronic music in their context? Post their works and your comments on your blogs.

Bob Moog made an everlasting impact on the generation and production of electronic music, especially for the involvement of synthesizers. Almost all Moog synths were large boxes that dissect a particular aspects of a sound to a separate output. A number of exceptions were those based on the Minimoog, which was an analog synth that encapsulated all the bare necessities for creating new sounds from the base of an oscillating wave, featuring built-in speakers and a built-on keyboard. The Moog company made few non-keyboard instruments, and mostly after Moog passed away. These include the Moog Etherwave Standard/Plus/Pro Theremins (a much more basic and less kinesthetic Minimoog in the form of a theremin) and Theremini (a more advanced theremin with an analog digital interface and MIDI capability), as well as the line of Moog Taurus bass pedals (an array of pedals attached to a box of knobs in the form of grand organ foot pedals). Moog inventor Paul Vo designed a $3500 Model E1 guitar (Collector's Edition costs 3k more) with consistent appearance. That's literally all; Moog never even manufactured microphones. The Minimoog's layout can still be found in less chaste forms on DAWs and sound amplifiers.
This technology, combined with low- to mid-fidelity drum machines, was instrumental in the creation of "Bitcrush" and "Bitpop," two of my recent favorite retro electronic sub-genres. I am still rather taken with Progressive House and EDM. Although many of the artists whose music I enjoy hearing and playing have toured at Tomorrowland, in Belgium, I am not so enveloped in the genres that I would follow their tours. What I have noticed primarily among these artists is that they are mostly from the Northern European countries, and seldom have a large selection of 'smash hits.'

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