Revelation of the Method
The Mackrosoft impart synth science
by Brian DiGenti
RECORD RUNDOWN
Weather Report
Black Market (Columbia) 1976
Weather Report has long been a major inspiration for both of us. Joe Zawinul’s keyboard work is truly unparalleled. Even before his use of analog synths, the aural palette Zawinul had created through the combination of keyboards and effect pedals was astounding. On Black Market, Zawinul dominates on his preferred synth, the ARP 2600, even inversing the keyboard on the title track (the lower he played the notes, the higher the pitch). This is also the only Weather Report album in which saxophonist Wayne Shorter played the Lyricon, the first-ever breath-controlled analog synthesizer. Played like a horn, you could modulate the sound with the strength of your breath or the pressure of your lips on the mouthpiece, creating a very expressive and dynamic result. We regard Weather Report as one of the most innovative and soulful groups of all time.
Mort Garson
Plantasia (Homewood) 1976
“It has been proven beyond any doubt that harmonic sound waves affect the growth, flowering and seed yield of plants.” —Dr. T. C. Singh
Plantasia remains one of the most aurally relaxing and pleasing synth adventures to be pressed to wax. This says a lot, being that the album isn’t geared towards human ears but rather indoor plants. Be assured, tracks like “Music to Soothe the Savage Snake Plant” and “Swingin’ Spathiphyllums” will put a grin on you and your greenery’s respective faces. The man laying the root down remains an enigma of sorts, the fantastically creative Canadian composer Mort Garson. Master Garson dropped conceptual keyboard bombs regularly throughout the ’60s and ’70s, including the classic Signs of the Zodiac series, the Satanist Moog epic Black Mass, and the erotic Music for Sensuous Lovers. We love concept albums, and Garson was certainly a genius of the genre.
Stardrive featuring Robert Mason
Stardrive (Columbia) 1974
This is some of the spaciest funk out there! On the back cover, Stardrive describe themselves as “the first rock band on earth to feature a synthesizer as LEAD instrumentÉno tedious blooze guitar. No lisping vocalists. Just Mason and his extra-special, extra-terrestrial machine, zipping through funkafide space like greased lightning.” The machine they refer to is the synthesizer Robert Mason constructed himself because of inadequacies he heard in all existing synths at the time. The result was one of the first polyphonic synths ever created, with sounds truly his own. The compositions are quite tripped out, with tempos and vibes changing several times throughout a song. “Air Sauce” is the standout track for us, alternating between an extremely laid-back groove one minute and an onslaught of heavy drums and aggressive synth stabs the next. Definitely an inspiration for our own music, especially the title track on Exile in the Woods.
The Moog Machine
Switched-On Rock (Columbia) 1969
In the beginning, there was Switched-On Bach. Performed by Walter Carlos entirely on the Moog Modular system, it was the album that first introduced synthesized music to the masses. It won several Grammy awards, was the first classical album to go platinum, and created a massive demand for more synthesized music. Among the many “switched-on” albums that soon appeared were Switched-On Bacharach, Switched-On Santa, and Switched-On Rock. With super funky versions of “Spinning Wheel” and “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” Switched-On Rock is the most enjoyable for us today because of the great compositions being Moogified and the addition of live drums into the mix. There’s also a dope breakdown sampled to great effect by the Beastie Boys.
George Duke
Feel (MPS) 1974
Regarding Feel, George Duke has stated: “The funky side of my nature was really beginning to show.” True indeed. Duke had already established himself as a formidable piano and keys player, both solo and with Frank Zappa, but it wasn’t until Feel that he really let the funk flow. As a synth player, Duke favored the ARP Odyssey, admittingly because of his desire to stand out from other established players who preferred the Moog. Feel features Zappa on guitar under the alias Obdewl’l X, and the Brazilian duo of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim on percussion and voice. This album also launched Duke’s long relationship with engineer Kerry McNabb, who was later immortalized in the super dope “Mr. McFreeze.” We admire how funky George Duke and his beloved “Dukey Stick” have kept it throughout the years, always with a smile on his face.
Vangelis
Spiral (RCA) 1977
Greek-born Vangelis, birth name Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou, had a sound and style as unique as his name. He once said, “I function as a channel through which music emerges from the chaos of noise.” Self-taught, with little knowledge of music notation, Vangelis’s preferred style of composing was to play as many different keyboards simultaneously as possible, trying to avoid nonessential overdubs. Consisting primarily of synthesizers and percussion, Spiral is one of Vangelis’s most solid productions, featuring his signature arpeggiated sequences and haunting melodies. Though he preferred to keep it a mystery which synthesizers he used, often covering logos with tape during performances, it’s no secret that he favored the Yamaha CS-80 (a favorite of ours as well). This particular synth is also prevalent throughout Vangelis’s score to the sci-fi classic Blade Runner.
