(Peer Comment - Week 4)
In response to "Electronic Music Innovations" which can be found at the following link...
http://brentlloydmh2.blogspot.com/2011/12/electronic-music-innovations.html?showComment=1324081703789#c2655875033253743593
Brent-
I enjoyed reading your post very much. I found Kraftwerk to be a very interesting subject because of their influence on electronic music and how they used innovative techniques and new equipment to get unique sounds. They definitely had a huge impact on electronic music through those innovations and through their music. You captured their influence on Pop music very well and described it thoroughly. You obviously did your research and were able to convey your knowledge in this post. I like how you were able to relate to the topic and offer your personal views. Great job on this post! I liked it very much. Good Luck!
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electric instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. Synthesizers create electrical signals as opposed to acoustic sounds. The sounds that they produce can either be imitations of other sounds or instruments or new and unique electronically created sounds. Before the “synthesizer”, there was no such thing as digital or electronic instruments. Music was made with only acoustic instruments, because that was all there was.
A man named Elisha Gray invented the first electric musical instrument in 1874. He called his invention the “Musical telegraph”. This device had self-vibrating electromagnetic circuits that were single note oscillators operated by a two octave piano keyboard. The electromagnets caused steel reeds to oscillate, creating a sound. The sound was then transmitted over a telegraph wire that was connected to a loudspeaker device, which he also invented, making the oscillations audible. Gray patented his work as an electric telegraph for transmitting musical tones. Elisha Gray is mostly known for his telephone prototypes but is also considered to be the father of the modern music synthesizer. Since this device didn’t actually contain any sound synthesis functions, it can’t really be labeled as the first synthesizer. However, this invention would go on to start a musical revolution that would give birth to what we know today as the Synthesizer.
There are two types of synthesizers, Analog and Digital. Analog synthesizers use analog circuits and computer technologies to generate sound electronically. Most of the early electronic synthesizers were very large, often taking up entire rooms, much like early computers did. Early analog synthesizers looked nothing like the ones we see today. In 1929, Friedrich Trautwein invented the Trautonium at a radio lab in Berlin. Instead of using a keyboard, the Trautonium used a resistor wire over a metal plate that would be pressed to create a sound. It allowed the user to mix different waves together to get a certain sound, sort of like switching through presets. Because of this, it was known as the Mixtur-Trautonium. This unique instrument was used to create bird sounds in the Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds.
Audio oscillators, filters, envelope controllers, and many other effects units became more accessible in the 1930s and allowed for analog synthesizers to become commercially available. The Hammond Novachord was the first commercially available polyphonic synthesizer. It contained 163 vacuum tubes, over 1000 custom capacitors and weighed over 500 pounds. The Novachord was designed by Laurens Hammond and C.N. Williams and was manufactured by the Hammond Company. Only 1069 were ever built between 1939 and 1942 due to the start of World War II. Hammond had previously built instruments that emulated organs, but the Novachord was their first product that was not intended to do that. Instead, the Novachord allowed for subtractive analog synthesis, making it the first real synthesizer to be commercially available.
From 1937 to 1958, an engineer from the USSR, named Yevgeny Murzin, made one of the earliest real time additive synthesizers, called the ANS. The invention of the ANS was a consequence of an experimental project in which Murzin attempted to obtain a visible image of a sound wave. Murzin was trying to create a method of graphical sound recording to be used in cinematography. The ANS was a photo-electronic musical instrument that was able to synthesize a sound from an artificially drawn sound wave. It was fully polyphonic, able to generate all 720 pitches simultaneously. This invention was used by several Russian composers and used to create scores for a few films. Only 200 were ever produced. In 1957, RCA developed the Mark II Sound Synthesizer. It was installed into Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center. The Mark II was the first programmable synthesizer and several composers used it extensively.
Robert Moog developed one of the earliest modern synthesizers in 1964. These synthesizers were Modular, meaning they consisted of separate specialized modules that were patched together using cables. Each of the modules outputs generates a signal of electric voltage that varies in strength. By combining signals from multiple modules, Modular Synthesis allows the user to choose from a vast amount of different sounds. Moog released the first commercially available modern synthesizer in 1966. These synthesizers contained oscillators, amplifiers, envelope generators, filters and mixers that were used with a keyboard. The term “Synthesizer” was never actually used until Moog applied it to his instruments.
The development of miniaturized solid-state components allowed synthesizers to become self contained, portable instruments. In 1970, Moog released the Minimoog in response to the use of synthesizers in Rock and Pop music. The Minimoog was designed to be portable, so it could be used for live performances and on tours. It contained the most important parts of one of the larger, more expensive, and delicate modular synthesizers. It was simply smaller and less expensive, and didn’t require the use of patch cables. This made it much more appealing to the public and became a very distinctive and popular instrument, remaining in demand even today. The Minimoog revolutionized the synthesizer and music. Wendy Carlos recorded her album Switched On Bach using Moog synthesizers. Switched On Bach was the first album recorded entirely with electronic instruments. It was also the first classical album to go platinum. The Minimoog has been played by artists and bands such as; Björn, David Bowie, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Wendy Carlos, Deadmau5, Daft Punk, Brian Eno, Michael Jackson, Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Monkees, and Hans Zimmer. It has been used on countless recordings and has influenced artists and bands all over the world to make music with it. As a result, electronic music was revolutionized by the Minimoog and has had a huge impact other genres as well. The Minimoogs’ impact on pop music is undeniable and unfathomable. It has indefinitely changed the face of music.
The Synthesizers that we see today are Digital. Digital Synthesizers use digital sound processing techniques to produce different sounds. They were extensively developed in the 80s and 90s and made much more commercially available. The Yamaha DX-7 and Roland D-50 are examples of digital synthesizers. The technology that was developed for digital synthesizers can be credited to the development of other electronic music equipment such as drum machines and MIDI controlled software synths. Without the Synthesizer, music would be much different than it is now. All electronic music genres and the sub-genre of new wave can be largely credited to synthesizer technology. The evolution of synthesizers is a great example of how music and culture adapts to technology.
As a listener and an industry professional, I can’t help but realize just how important a role the synthesizer plays in shaping modern music. It has, without a doubt, changed how music is created, played, and listened to. The synthesizer has inspired musicians all over the world to create electronic music and utilize the technology at their fingertips, revolutionizing nearly every aspect of music. I couldn’t imagine what music would be like if the synthesizer never existed. The synthesizer has had such a huge impact on the world and its music over the years and will continue to do so as technology progresses.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Peer Comment
(on Kelly P. McConkey's entry on David Bowie - can be found at http://kellymcconkeymh2blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/electronic-music-innovations-david.html)
Kelly-
I didn’t know a whole lot about David Bowie before I read your entry. I thought this post
was very enlightening. I found your post to be very interesting and I learned a lot. It was very well written and obviously well researched. You were very thorough in your
explanations and descriptions of David Bowies influence on electronic music. I liked
how you were very detailed and captured his influence extremely well. You also did a
great job describing how he incorporated electronic elements into acoustic
instrumentation. I think you did an excellent job on this post. I enjoyed reading this
entry and look forward to reading your future posts. Keep up the good work!
Wendy (Walter) Carlos and the Moog Synthesizer entry
Wendy Carlos (formerly Walter Carlos) is known for her recordings made on the Moog synthesizer in the 1960s. She is a composer and electronic musician who achieved great success and was the person who really began to introduce electronic music to the world. Back when Wendy began composing on the Moog synthesizer, it was a new and mostly unknown instrument. She released an album entitled Moog900Series – Electronic Music Systems, which was released by the Moog Company as an introduction to the technical aspects of the machine. This album did not have much significance on her musical career though. She is best known for her album Switched On Bach, which was released in 1968. This album demonstrated the use of the synthesizer as a legitimate musical instrument. She pioneered the new synthesizer technologies and helped to boost its popularity. The album went gold in 1969 and platinum in 1986. Switched On Bach also won three Grammy Awards in 1969. It was one of the first classical LPs to go gold and was the first ever classical music recording to go platinum. The album featured the use of the Moog Synthesizer and involved critical multi track recording techniques in its production.
Through the years, Wendy Carlos has had a significant impact on increasing the popularity of the electronic music scene and has inspired many to begin creating their own electronic music. She truly played a significant role in the exploitation of the synthesizer and was a key player in the development of early electronic music. Carlos has not only influenced the electronic music directly, but has expanded her influence to the film industry as well. She composed and recorded music for A Clockwork Orange and worked on The Shining as well. Wendy also scored the 1982 version of Tron and Beauty and the Beast in 1986.
Carlos is truly a significant figure in the electronic music scene and has had an immense influence on electronic music throughout the world. She established the synthesizer as a musical instrument and proved that it could make a successful album. In a time where the electronic instrument technologies were just starting to develop around the world, she was there to give it a boost into pop culture and music culture by inspiring musicians everywhere to make music with a synthesizer. Her influence on the development of the Moog synthesizer is indisputable too. Moog was known for taking recommendations and suggestions from artists who used their instruments to improve upon them. Wendy Carlos is known for giving them many important suggestions that helped to increase the functionality and expand the image and usage of the instrument. As a listener and industry professional, I completely respect her and her efforts and know that if it wasn’t for her, electronic music would have never evolved like it has. Wendy has said that she created the album Switched On Bach to “legitimize synthesizers in the mainstream”, and that is exactly what it did. It’s no surprise that she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) in recognition of her contributions to the art and craft of electronic music.
Kraftwerk entry
Kraftwerk was an experimental electronic music band from Germany. They revolutionized electronic music by influencing and inspiring musicians all around the world and spreading their innovative technological techniques of electronic instruments. Their music was full of repetitive yet catchy rhythms and melodies, harmonies, and simple vocals and lyrics that are often sung through a vocoder or computer. Kraftwerk was ahead of their time; initially not widely accepted in the international pop scene. At first, their music was seen as weird and too far out for the average person to listen to and for it to gain substantial popularity. They would eventually begin to gain wide acclaim with the release of their fourth album, Autobahn.
In 1974, the band began drifting away from the sound of their earlier albums and released Autobahn. Conny Plank, a significant electronic music producer and engineer, worked on this album. It would be the last album he would work with the group. The new Minimoog was one of several new technologies that Kraftwerk utilized in order to achieve the sound they wanted for this album. This album was the first album that would have any real international commercial success for them. It peaked at #25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #11 in the U.K. Band members invested some money into updating their studio, which meant they would no longer have to rely on outside producers and engineers. Since they invested in new equipment, their possibilities were nearly endless and gave them the ability to experiment even further.
In 1975, Kraftwerk worked on their album Radio-Activity in their new, fully functioning Kling Klang studio. For the first time ever, Ralf and Florian, the founders and songwriters of the band, self-produced this album in its entirety. They released Radio-Activity towards the end of 1975. The album was released with lyrics in English and German and had a theme: Radio Communication and nuclear war/energy. Their new instruments and equipment created a very distinct sound. This was the first album where they didn’t use flutes, violins, or guitars. Kraftwerks sound had evolved even more. The album saw moderate success internationally. The album reached #59 in Canada in February 1976, but was not as well received in America or the U.K. They released the title track, “Radioactivity”, as a single, and it became a hit in France where it earned them a gold record. This album opened up the European market for Kraftwerk.
After the releases of Autobahn and Radio-Activity, Kraftwerk began to pull away from their avant-garde experimentations and krautrock style and moved toward an electronic pop sound. In 1977, the band started to record their next album, Trans-Europe Express. The album was recorded in their Kling Klang Studio but was mixed at the Record Plant Studios in L.A. The album was a celebration of European pride and contained several references and incorporations of trains. There were several new pieces of equipment used on this album, including the Synthanorma sequencer that allowed them to make a fresh new sound like they wanted. The album was released in March 1977 and was pretty well received internationally, reaching number 117 on the Billboard Top LP’s and Tapes chart. “Trans-Europe Express” peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977 and began charting in the U.K. in the 1980s, staying in the charts for about seven weeks at number 49. In 1982, the song “Showroom Dummies” reached number 25 and stayed there for five weeks in the U.K too. The album contained songs recorded in French. This album was quite successful and has made it to several “greatest albums of all time” lists.
Kraftwerks next album, The Man Machine, was also recorded at their Kling Klang Studio but was worked on by a few outside engineers for the final mix. Kraftwerk had it mixed at Studio Rudas where engineers Leanard Jackson and Joschko Rudas completed the final mix of the album. This album also was bi-lingual. The Man-Machine was released in May of 1978 and was very well received internationally. The song “The Model”, which was on the album, became a chart topping single in the U.K. in 1982. It charted at number 12 in Germany, 9 in the U.K., 130 on the US Billboard 200, and, has made it to several “greatest albums of all time” lists.
For 3 years, Kraftwerk did not release an album. The band was recording their new album in their Kling Klang Studio during those 3 years, but it took so long because of ongoing modifications to the studio to make it more portable. In 1981, they would finally release this new album titled Computer World. After this albums release, Kraftwerk would go on tour again, this time taking their studio with them. The album was multi-lingual, like their past few albums, but included even more languages. The song “Pocket Calculator” had versions that were sung in German, French, Japanese, and of course, English. The album was pretty well received but was not as successful as their “The Model” and their The Man Machine album.
Between 1974 and 1981, Kraftwerk was especially influential in the electronic music world. David Bowie met with Kraftwerk because he was so drawn by their sound, along with Brian Eno. Both Bowie and Eno were greatly influenced by the band, moving to Germany to create albums largely because of them. Bowie’s music was very reflective of Kraftwerks experimentation, creating the album Low in response to the electronic music revolution they were leading. Collaborations with Brian Eno, and further inspiration would culminate in the album Heroes. Kraftwerk also influenced the Donna Summer song “Feel Love”. This was one of the first introductions of electronic music to pop and it worked. The song became a huge hit and was very popular in gay clubs, being adopted as the gay anthem. Kraftwerks influence on other artists from around the world was and still is quite apparent.
Kraftwerk used innovative technologies and instrumentation to get the sounds they wanted. They were constantly upgrading their equipment and experimenting. Without that, the world may have never found some of the electronic music sounds that they introduced. Their music was different, but catchy and interactive. Their live performances were visually entertaining and frequent. Kraftwerk was able to spread the popularity of Electronic music all over the world and led a musical revolution that is still going today. Their album concepts were able to connect the European people with the music and express their pride. It was something that was unique and was seldom done, especially in the electronic music scene. The group was able to succeed in what they did by being different and establishing new musical trends that would go on to impact the world in ways it never had been before.
Both as a listener and an industry professional, I feel that Kraftwerks music was different but interesting. I am not necessarily completely into all of their music, but when I listen to it, I can’t help but be intrigued. The instrumental harmonies and general flow of many of their songs just seems to leave me with a sense of fascination. Being a keyboard player myself, and having played the synthesizer for several years, I find their sounds and beats to be very unique and inventive. Their incorporation of their album themes made for an even more interesting album overall. Kraftwerk truly led the way for electronic music and their influence on the modern electronic scene can easily be seen. The band Kraftwerk is considered to be a significant pioneer of electronic music, having played a huge role in popularizing it and making it what it is today.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)