The creator of the Moog synthesizer will be giving a conference on Saturday 19 June in Aula 2 of the CCCB, forty years after making his revolutionary invention known to the world. What would the world of modern music be like without Bob Moog?s instruments? More boring, no doubt. His analog synthesizers have influenced popular music in ways that were unimaginable back in 1954 when he began manufacturing theremins with his father. Fifty years on, Bob?s instruments have catapulted a countless number of styles into the future and, in retrospect, both his artistic and technical contributions seem all the more significant. Where would rap and hip-hop be if groups such as Parliament and Funkadelic hadn?t used Moog?s keyboards? Where would rock and roll be if groups like Yes or Edgar Winter hadn?t used them? Would there have been resurgence in classical music without Wendy Carlos and her modular Moog synthesizer? Obviously, these questions can not be answered because synthesizers have infiltrated every style of music. Perhaps back in 1954, Bob Moog and his father only wanted to create something that was modern, a type of sound that only existed in the realm of imagination. Irrespective of his original purpose, it cannot be denied that Bob Moog has left his mark and that thanks to him modern music has changed forever. Robert Moog?s conference is part of the ?Classic Electronica? forum within Conferences and Debates. A day forum which encompasses the will to reflect upon the convergence between the electronica scene and the orchestral possibilities of the debate organised by Masse und Macht. A unique opportunity to look into the future by looking in retrospect into the past.
