In 1977 I made friends with a fella who had, hidden in his basement, a Moog System 55 modular synthesizer. I knew little about this tangle of wires and boxes and little did I guess that my mind would become warped and wrapped around all those circuits forever lost in the maze and vortex of sound synthesis that would become the only way I’d ever want to make music.
And … only a few short years earlier I’d been made a victim of same-old-same-old, status quo follow the herd mentality. I’d been pushed and shoved down the boring halls of piano recitals as so many young persons are. Seemingly being trained to be concert piano regurgitators the great majority of whom never really get there because they just get overwhelmed the essence of their musical life driven out of them. How many youngsters do you know who’ve been forced down that path?
This video almost perfectly captures the mood of our times too …
We are extremely lucky to have this documentary and in it’s extended version (4hrs). When you have 4 hours to spare curl up with your favourite beverage – on second thoughts – make that at least 4 of your favourite beverages, some boxes of popcorn and a hi-fidelity head set – and prepare to be as awed as I still am all these years later: