Tokyo's Coolest Sound

I still have only seen the trailer. There are scenes of Moog strolling in Harajuku (surely on his way to or from Five G).

Still regret having lost touch with Buffalo Daughter.

I've chatted with Dr. Moog a bunch of times the last time right before they put on a big concert connected with the film (I'm sure highlights are in the film) - I guess the strategy was they put on the big concert so the film would have a finale.

Have you seen that concert?
I'm looking forward to the movie!

Overall it was worth while. Someone from another part of the U.S. commented on a list I read after seeing Emerson and Wakeman both on the same bill -- "I'd pay $100 to see Emerson vs Wakeman Duel to the Death :)"

Actually the show was $50 as I remember... but as I found out later Emerson and Wakeman were negotiating some kind of album deal together so I think by contract they couldn't actually play at the same time though they could appear at the same time. I'm guessing something along the lines of being able to say together "for the first time" ;-)

The show was professionally promoted. My initial before the show reaction was:

It is pretty ironic that they name drop Wendy Carlos and Isao Tomita in the publicity and
then actually give you Emuir Deodato, props to his cool acoustic
orchestrations for Bjork, but one mustn't forget he gave us that infamous disco-ish
arrangement of the "2001" theme.

Actually at the show that's exactly what he did with another keyboardist and a horn section. It came off quite well though as he was surrounded by a bit too much fusion and half cooked funk. So I'd say he ranked among the highlights.

anyway here is my online show "report" from last May:

(in reply to a comment:)
> That must have been a fun show, but it's pretty sad that 2 out of the 3
> photos in the Wired online article show Wakeman and Worrell playing recent digital synths
> with their Moogs perched on top, looking neglected. I wonder if the
> photographer was paying any attention?

Wakeman & Worrell played vintage mini leads on the mini seen above -
what was lacking was analog polys of any kind. (though very minor use of
laptops was a bonus plus I guess) The Arturia simulations (MiniMoog V and Moog Modular V) which carry the
liscenced Moog name were never seen or mentioned

Now what was poetic justice was none of the analog gear malfucntioned
but the show was tied up a few times when musicians got lost in menu
hell on the Tritons and MOTIFs they had supplied there. Bernie Worrell
dissed the Korg he had to work with saying sorry he'd rather have a
Clavinet. Some major honcho from Korg USA in attendance had to go onstage for
several minutes and got things squared with that workstation.

> If anyone else is aware of other shots from the event, I'd like to see them.
> Wish I could have been there.
> Did anyone go?
> If so, how was Emo? ...Wakeman? et al.?
> Did Wendy Carlos show?
> What tracks did they all play?

No Wendy. (the nearest one got was the East Side Digital label placed an ad in the
program brochure for S.O.B. on CD) According to Bob she's not been in touch the
last few years.

I'd scan the program if there was anything of value, just 80% ads, no
bio info. Two pages of Moog history with mention of the "theramin" (spelling error)

The only historic name in the audience but not playing was Herb Deutch. (original Moog 1960s close collaborator, he provided constant artistic advice while building the prototype as to what experimental composers required in a performing instrument)
He actually was pointed out by the emcee as one of several important
Moog history figures in the audience (if there were any others they weren't introduced so it might not actually have been "figures")

Okay - As far as I made out, the setup was the thing was initiated by
the Moog Movie documentary makers, and they filmed the bigger names up
close with professional sholder mounted film cameras presumably for the
film's finale.They didn't film every act. Bob came up on stage when there was a birthday tribute
for Rick Wakeman with Keith on the modular playing Happy Birthday. Bob
also reminiced about meeting Keith, who was the final act. Otherwise Bob
seemed to be just catching the show from a booth (the BB King place is
pretty much a large supper club though they wound up selling at least
200 standing tickets)

Quick run down

NYC Reggae Collective. Some Moog leads but just sort of crowd pleasing
stuff including their arrangement of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"

Suzanne Ciani (current New Age artist and former major name in TV commercial synth work - one of the few people to have dueted with Vangelis - back in the late 80s) - she played a Buchla Piano Bar with it's internal GeneralMidi ROM wave digital synth on
a grand and explained a bit of what she was doing between numbers. She
appologized on one piece as the wrong preset came up, though the results
were still nice even with the wrong patch. She looked and played well on
stage, the show's staging didn't cut it there - The grand piano was
halfway into the wings and the vast majority of people couldn't see her.
From where I was I was one of the few who seemed to see - I had to look
under the metal cart Keith's Moog was on though. I felt kind of bad for
he she had a potential gown strap problem mid piece at the exact same
time the projection TV video system finally came on. But she certainly had no
idea that suddenly they got the video going and the audience could see here. So the whole
crowd cheered when after 8 minutes and a song and a half they could
finally see her, but it seemed even to me by watching her under the moog and not seeing the monitors out of my direct view
that the crowd was cheering because her gown was coming undone - I
didn't see the projection system went on - so I thought damn that's kind
of rude to applaud wildly about her gown. When the song was done I relaized the video system had finally been turned on and the audience was really just glad to see her preform.

Event artist director Jason Miles led his fusion band contributing backing members as needed
to a couple other acts, nothing I found at all interesting. An industry insider whom I share mutual friends and let me join his group at a table with him. He was financially stiffed by that guy so under his breath he had a wealth of hilarios bitter and personal comments about the defacto host.

Another guy and an accompanying trumpet player came out. They weren't
billed so I don't remember his name. Folks at my table were calling him
Frank Zappa because of his hair and mustache (I thought he looked a lot
more like comedian Gahlager) and I think we all thought he'd do
something lame and fusiony, but instead he did a totally out of the box performance. He had percussion pads and a mini and had to have had some more effects and
electronics hidden nearby, he did this avant romp like some kind of unhinged Buchla
explosion, very dynamic, lots of borderlines between tonal and
percussive, certainly it left everyone at my table saying "WOW!" I guess he was
kind of like avant garde Zappa, but not note by note composed like Zappa.

Bernie Worrell came with DJ Logic (who had a good sense of restraint rather than be show-offy). Bernie
had that menu hell problem and had lots of Jason Miles band players
backing. Bernie got in some good funk licks but the backing wasn't
tight, the only kudo goes to DJ logic since he tastefully embelished BW.

Folks at my table didn't believe Pamelia Kurstin (best contemporary Theremin player) was really her before
she started because she had a sort of Julee Cruise hairdo (Off broadway singer who worked with David Lynch). In her current Theremin technique is she
didn't do much of the acoustic bass style plucking this time, but neither
does she do crazy vibrato and sweeping non-stop. She's got what I think
is a foot controlled Line 6 delay modeler and she'll catch bits and keep
them looping - so it's a kind of selective Frippertronics thing. Got
pretty dissonant for a minute of two and then she wrapped up. I saw her
do the same set up structure last year (2003), though of course every time is different.

Rick Wakeman killed some time because something needed to be set up. He
did his standup routine bits. (Wakeman apparently is famous in the UK for being a kind of TV talent in the Japanese sense - coming on shows as a guest and cracking one liners rather than as a music guest) Then Wakeman got a serenade from Keith and a
birthday cake served by a bikini clad woman. When finished he played one
of the Wives of Henry VIII with the Korg workstaion as the harpsichord and mini leads.

Stanley Jordan played his style of guitar and had some digital live
composition software and some kind of perhaps custom fretted electronic
instrument he could put in his lap while he still held a guitar. Not sure of any Moog connection though I was familiar with his name and general reputation.

Eumir Deodato played a pretty tight and lengthy rendition of his
disco-era "2001" arrangement along with the Jason Miles band. He played a MOTIF himself but another keyboardist (not the
house band) played something lead and Moog analog sounding which I couldn't
see but he was very solid.

Keith played several numbers and had his own modular and standy technician. He also
had some kind of probably korg rompler and a roadcased tonewheel machine
of some sort.

His modular had old style psychedelic swirls of colored light projected
on it which were neat. He clearly had a lot of cables connected that do
nothing including one running right into the turned off TV monitor (synth buffs know he installed a small TV in his Moog years back for visual appeal) --
same configuration you can see in books like Vail's "Vinatge Keyboards".
Good substance and reasonable length to his set.

I guess it met expectations, a mixed bag with enough working for me, a
chance to see at close range some name people I don't usually go out to
catch.

nick
who entered the winning name in a contest to name the new moog synth that was about to be released a couple years ago. But since I wasn't the only person to enter that name I never got a free instrument or anything as a prize for naming it... as a result I'll never refer to the new minimoog by name (until I get one as a prize)

I'm thrilled to be playing a show with Pamelia Kurstin! (virtuoso Theremin player seen in the Moog Movie).

Anything But Silent: music for the 1926 movie "Faust", (directed by F.W.Murnau)
March 10, Huntington, New York.
http://www.cinemaartscentre.org/

Wow, sounds great! I wish I could attend (or that you two would come perform in Tokyo). :)

follow up free Moog event

http://www.theremin.org/2005/moog/moogday.html

ERI - Theremin
Hideki Matsutake - Logic System
and others

THE MOOG DAY in TOKYO
On Saturday, April 2, 2005 Time: 13:00-18:00
Entrance is free.

Place:
Idecs music academy
Asakusa building 5F
1-3-8 Komagata,Taitouku,Tokyo

Sounds interesting! I may try to check that out.