When Bob Moog presented his paper Voltage-Controlled Electronic Music Modules at the Audio Engineering Society conference in October 1964, it was the Big Bang of modern music. His ideas literally electrified synthesized analog sounds, exploding the sonic limitations of earlier formats like magnetic tape.
The nascent planet of electronic music that formed from Moog’s discoveries has many inhabitants. Once again, it began with Bach, when musician and composer Wendy Carlos produced Switched on Bach and the Well-Tempered Synthesizer in the late ‘60s.
Planet Moog proliferated from there. Creatures as diverse as Mahavishnu Orchestra, Stevie Wonder and Kraftwerk followed Moog’s continual innovations through the 1970s. By the time Devo was whipping it in the hay ranch in 1980, Moog equipment was a star in the instrumental galaxy.
On October 29-31, more than 50 of Moog’s terrestrials descend upon Asheville for MoogFest 2010. With a line-up that includes the venerable — like Devo and Massive Attack — and more recent phenoms like Caribou and Pretty Lights — our mountain town is due for some crazy crop circles.
Let Xpress be your guide to MoogFest and its strange forms of life. Find out who’s playing where and when, tips on how to navigate the occupied territory of downtown, what Halloween means to Big Boi, Dan Deacon and more.
We asked them:
Clare & the Reasons (Clare Muldaur Manchon)
The Octopus Project (Josh Lambert)
Saturn Never Sleeps (King Britt)
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