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Episode 173
Chapter 32, Other Analog Synthesizers. Works Recommended from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music
Welcome to the Archive of Electronic Music. This is Thom Holmes.
This podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. Each of these episodes corresponds to a chapter in the text and an associated list of recommended works, also called Listen in the text. They provide listening examples of vintage electronic works featured in the text.
The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings.
There is a complete playlist for this episode on the website for the podcast.
Let’s get started with the listening guide to Chapter 32, Other Analog Synthesizers from my book Electronic and Experimental music.
Playlist: OTHER EARLY SYNTHESIZER RECORDINGS (PRE-MIDI AND NOT MOOG)
Time
Track Time
Start
Introduction –Thom Holmes
01:36
00:00
1. Raymond Scott, “Space Mystery” (1963). Used Scott’s Electronium, a custom-made analog synthesizer/sequencer.
05:08
01:42
2. Pauline Oliveros, “Alien Bog” (1967). Used a prototype Buchla 100 modular synthesizer at Mills College.
33:13
06:53
3. John Eaton, “Soliloquy For Syn-Ket” (1973) from Electro-Vibrations (The Music Of John Eaton). Used the Synket, an Italian-made modular synthesizer of which only six were ever made.
06:38
40:06
4. John Keating, “Earthshine” (1975) from Space Experience 2. Featured the ARP 2600 and Pro- Soloist.
04:09
46:46
5. Patrick Gleeson, “Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age” (1976) from Beyond The Sun: An Electronic Portrait Of Holst's The Planets. Used Eµ Systems Polyphonic synthesizer.
09:31
51:02
6. Jean Michel Jarre, “Oxygene, Part IV” (1976) from Oxygene. Used the ARP Odyssey, EMS Synthi AKS, EMS Synthi VCS3, and RMI Harmonic Synthesizer and Keyboard Computer.
03:07
01:00:34
7. Bennie Maupin, “Crystals” (1978) from Moonscapes. Featured the E-mu Modular Synthesizer programmed by Patrick Gleeson, who owned Different Fur Studios in the San Francisco area and owned E-mu synthesizers (see previous track for an example of the E-mu Systems Polyphonic synthesizer). Here, we have a different treatment of the same instrument by jazz woodwind player Maupin, who played Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Marimba, Glockenspiel, E-mu Synthesizer, and Computone Synthesizer Winddriver on this album. I picked this track because this is most stripped-down arrangement featuring only Maupin playing the E-mu synthesizer and other instruments.
01:18
01:03:44
8. Pere Ubu, “On the Surface” (1978) from Dub Housing. Allen Ravenstein used the EML Electrocomp 101 modular synthesizer as a member of this band.
02:37
01:05:02
9. Sylvester, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” (1978) from Step II. One of the few albums to feature EML (Electronic Music Laboratories) Modular Synthesizer plus String synthesizer, Electro-comp 101 synthesizer and 200 expander unit, Oberheim DS-2 Sequencer, Effects, Pat Cowley; organ, Electric piano, Clavinet, Michael C. Finden; Percussion, David Frazier; Producer, Lead Vocals, Piano, Sylvester. EML was a Connecticut-based synth maker that was around from about 1970 to 1984. They were best-known for their Electro-comp modular synths. The 101 was a duophonic semi-modular 44-note synth and the model 200 was an expander unit that added ring modulation, spring reverb, and high and low filters to the setup. It was interesting to hear this Moroder-like pulsating synth sound coming from something other than a Moog.
06:34
01:07:40
10. Isao Tomita, “The Sea Named Solaris” (1978) from Kosmos. Used the Roland System 700, Roland Strings RS- 202, Roland Revo 30, in addition to Moog Modular III, Moog System 55, and Polymoog synthesizers.
12:28
01:14:11
11. Moebius, “Song For Lya” (1979) from Moebius. Serge, Oberheim, and Minimoog synthesizers, vocals, Bryce Robbley; S