"Compelling documentary portrait... a fascinating historical look at the technological side of the 60's revolution in pop music."
- Stephen Holden, New York Times
"An intriguing rendering of one of music technology's seminal figures."
- Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
"A fascinating history of both man and instrument."
- Charles Shaar Murray, Observer (UK)
"Brilliantly inspiring on many levels."
- Andrew Perry, Daily Telegraph (UK)
MOOG, the new documentary about Robert Moog, inventor of the modern synthesizer, is a portrait of the legendary figure in music and technology and his ideas about creativity, design, interactivity, spirituality and his collaborations with musicians over the years. MOOG was directed by Hans Fjellestad and produced by Fjellestad and Ryan Page, who collaborated on FRONTIER LIFE (2002), a film about Tijuana, Mexico, and its burgeoning electronic dance music scene.
Permanently changing the face of music, the "Moog synthesizer" went from being the centerpiece of a late-60s craze -- appearing on records with such titles as Spotlight on the Moog, Moog Power, Music to Moog By, Country Moog, Moog Indigo, Exotic Moog and countless others -- to an indispendable instrument for progressive rock bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes to predating the electronic dance music movement of today.
Moog explains that he "can feel what's going on in a piece of electronic equipment... it's something between discovering and witnessing." And he is convinced that many musicians come to "feel" a circuit in a similar way. In fact, musicians make such strong emotional connections with the electronics inside a Moog synthesizer that the inventor himself has reached cult hero status.
Born in 1934, Robert Moog has been inventing and building electronic musical instruments for nearly half a century. Still active in his workshop in rural North Carolina, Moog continues to shape musical culture with some of the most inspiring instruments ever created.
The film was shot on location in Asheville, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and London, featuring appearances by Keith Emerson, Walter Sear, Gershon Kinsgley, Jean-Jacques Perrey & Luke Vibert, Rick Wakeman, DJ Spooky, Herb Deutsch, Bernie Worrell, Pamelia Kurstin, Tino Corp. with Charlie Clouser, Money Mark, Mix Master Mike, and an eclectic mix of performers.
Specs: 70 minutes + 47 MinutesBonus Footage, Color, super 16mm, 1.78:1 (original ratio), English with English subtitles, ALL REGION |
ARTISTS
Keith Emerson, Walter Sear, Gershon Kinsgley, Jean-Jacques Perrey & Luke Vibert, Rick Wakeman, DJ Spooky, Herb Deutsch, Bernie Worrell, Pamelia Kurstin, Tino Corp. with Charlie Clouser, Money Mark, Mix Master Mike, and an eclectic mix of performers. And, of course, Robert Moog.
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