Robert Moog has died

sysyphus

So they tell me
Joined
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The legend who began it all is gone. Oooooo that warm Minimoog sound, how he blessed us with it.

here
 
Anyone involved in the creation and inflation of electronic music is a good man.

R.I.P.
 
I was going to open a thread up on this guy's death, so well done sysyphus.

Robert Moog is/was a bedrock for modern music, all electronic music. The Moog has been used in all kinds of genres. One very famous example which people have mentioned, especially for Trooper, is "The William Tell Overture" in a moog style, which was used by Kubrick in Clockwork Orange. FYI - It's used in the scene where Alex meets two girls at a record shop and takes them back to his place for some double speed rumpy pumpy to this music.

The Moog has also been embraced in a big way by the jazz world. The Moog, along with the Hammond B3 and certain Yamaha models have been instrumental in Jazz's rejuvenation in the face of rock music's rising popularity in the 60s and 70s. Originating in gospel churches these 'electro keyboards', including the Moog, refreshed gospel music and in turn refreshed many a Jazz, Soul, R'n'B, Blues, Funk etc musician. Just a few names who will surely be tipping their hat to Robert Moog:

Ray Charles (used a Yamaha based on Moog principles)
Herbie Hancock (keyboard maestro who fell in love with all these electro keyboards)
Miles Davis (the godfather of jazz fusion music, which depended on electro)
Marc Moulin (a very rare and seriously influential Belgian jazz musician)
Piero Umiliani (another rare one - he wrote "Ma Nah Ma Nah" which was originally for an Italian porn film but was made famous by The Muppet Show)
Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott and Jimmy Smith
(all made the Hammond B3 sing like a wonder)

Another interesting off shoot of the arrival of the Moog was the idea of holding Synaesthetic Concerts, ie. concerts which entertained a number of senses - especially hearing and sight. This was happening in the 50s and 60s and instruments like the Moog were being hooked up to all manner of optical projections to provide light shows that ran simultaneously with the music. This sadly died out for some reasons which I can't quite remember.

The Moog is also the instrument behind many a sci-fi B-Movie soundtrack. An instrument related to its usage was the weird and wonderful Theremin, which was also used in the multi sensory concerts mentioned above.
 
And don't forget, it's pronounced with a long "o" sound--think "door", not "boo".

But it's sad, knowing htat one of the most influential people in modern music is now gone. :(
 
Martacus said:
And don't forget, it's pronounced with a long "o" sound--think "door", not "boo".

But it's sad, knowing htat one of the most influential people in modern music is now gone. :(
This is the way, so not sad. There are many people who still hold his legacy alive. Many more who have built on it and taken it in new directions.
 
All prog rock owes a debt to Moog :salute:
 
smalltalk said:
You forgot Wendy Carlos (or is it Walter Carlos?) who replayed Bach with a Moog ensemble.
True. I said "just a few names", there are of course many more, which I simply don't know of or couldn't be bothered to post up.
 
thetrooper said:
Born Walter Carlos - changed later.

... for medical reasons. ;)

Actually, Carlos owes a debt to Moog, but I'd say they were more of a team. It was Carlos who produced the first major works (anyone have "Switched on Bach"? Classic) on the Moog synthesiser, with Moog's help.

I was in a music shop a couple of months ago, they had an old Minimoog there, it was the first time I ever got to play one myself. Oh it was nice! I've got some good synth gear on my computer, but playing a real analogue classic like the Minimoog is somethign else entirely. Then I checked the price tag, only C$1200! It was so hard to keep my credit card in my wallet, still wondering if I made the right decision.

Of course, I have all the schematics on my computer, maybe I should build one myself...
 
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