A Little Moog Music

July 29, 2008 10:15 AM

With the recent discovery of a trove of Delia Derbyshire tracks, my interest in early synth and electronica has been reawakened. Help me find some good stuff.

I have had a passing interest in early electronica for some time now (I even live near the Moog plant!).
I am pretty good on my cheesy 80's-90's synth pop (although if you have any suggestions, I am ALWAYS open to that). What I am looking for is early early Moog and electronic. Think old school Dr. Who and some slightly later, like Popcorn (Kingsley) and Popcorn (Free).
I am looking around for a copy of Music to Moog By, but if anyone else has a line on something else good, I would much appreciate it.

posted by oflinkey to media & arts (19 answers total)

Not sure of the availability, but I grew up listening to this album, Moog!. To the point that I thought these were the originals of a couple of the songs... Oh hey, and here are clips!
posted by stefnet at 10:28 AM on July 29, 2008

Also, have you seen this?
posted by stefnet at 10:30 AM on July 29, 2008

I recommend The Zodiac : Cosmic Sounds. Here's a MySpace page with all the tracks.
posted by quatsch at 10:36 AM on July 29, 2008

Moog Power by Hugo Montenegro is another good one -- in particular, his version of MacArthur Park.
posted by evilcolonel at 10:51 AM on July 29, 2008

I loves me some Moog music as well. :)

If you're looking for some fantastic space/classical style moog I can't recommend Isao TOMITA enough....
(The video isn't an official one, but the song is one of his most popular works). Here's a link to the wikipedia entry for him as well

Wendy Carlos also put out a pretty amazing box set based on Bach as well
posted by MeetCleaverTheatre at 10:53 AM on July 29, 2008

Wendy Carlos' box set Switched On is worth the price for the booklets alone. Lots of stories about recording with the early the Moog and Bob Moog. The music is amazing too.
posted by quarterframer at 10:57 AM on July 29, 2008

History/background rather than individual tracks: CBC Radio's The Wire, especially ep. 4. And The Tone Generation, which looks at electronic music from its origins and follows it round the world.
posted by holgate at 10:57 AM on July 29, 2008

This compilation isn't in print anymore, but it looks easy to find.
posted by mkb at 10:59 AM on July 29, 2008

Seconding the OHM compilation that mkb linked to. I have that and it's great.
posted by stefnet at 11:05 AM on July 29, 2008

Try a little Morton Subotnick
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 11:08 AM on July 29, 2008

Wow, this is all so great. stefnet, thanks for the Kingsley download page!
OHM compilation looks fabulous as well.
posted by oflinkey at 11:10 AM on July 29, 2008

The music on the Cosmic Sounds album quatsch is referring to was written and performed by Mort Garson. In fact, there were twelve albums recorded that Zodiac series.

They Zodiac LPs are fun as 60s kitsch, but they are also stellar examples of early Moog music. More worth seeking out are Garson's other albums, such as Black Mass, Ataraxia, and The Wozard of Iz. I consider his Plantasia album the single best Moog record ever made.

Best of Moog: Electronic Pop Hits from the 60's & 70's is an excellent introduction to the style.

Tonto's Expanding Headband made excellent use of the Moog in the early 70s, and ended up being hired by Stevie Wonder for his Innervisions album.

Gil Trythall made the Country Moog and Nashville Moog albums which are great fun.

Normal Records issued two early synthesizer music-related compilations in 1997 and 2000: Electronic Toys: Retrospective of 70's Easy Listening and Electronic Toys, Vol. 2, which are very very highly recommended.

Oh, and remember, "Moog" rhymes with "vogue." ;-)
posted by the matching mole at 11:24 AM on July 29, 2008

The Moog Cookbook has released several albums covering your favourite old and contemporary rock hits.

Also, have you seen the Moog documentary? The soundtrack for that is easily acquired.
posted by spamguy at 11:31 AM on July 29, 2008

I'm back to third the OHM recommendation! Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned Bruce Haack or Raymond Scott yet, and both are excellent early synth champs.
posted by quatsch at 12:22 PM on July 29, 2008

the matching mole, I know it does! Moog is down the street from me. I was just having a hard time with a kitchy saying...

Thanks! This is turning out to be very, very cool.
posted by oflinkey at 12:29 PM on July 29, 2008

W. Carlos's score for A Clockwork Orange has a chunk of interesting stuff that was unfinished, truncated or rejected from the OST.
posted by Dr.Pill at 12:51 PM on July 29, 2008

There was a fascinating BBC documentary called Alchemists of Sound on the history of their sadly defunct Radiophonic Workshop (where Delia Derbyshire worked in the 60s).
posted by amestoy at 2:58 PM on July 29, 2008

Bruce Haack
Raymond Scott
posted by rhizome at 1:25 AM on July 30, 2008

Ir might be pointing out the obvious but a fair amount of the Delia Derbyshire stuff has been re-released lately including two CD's the Radiophonic Workshop's Dr Who material.

Also Sub Rosa have been puting out a series called a- An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music that covers the entire range of the 20th century.
posted by tallus at 3:55 AM on July 30, 2008