“A compelling documentary portrait...The film offers a fascinating historical look at the technological side of the 60's revolution in pop music."
- Stephen Holden, The New York Times
“The godfather of synth-pop."
- Kurt Loder, MTV
“[Moog] is as influential as a Presley, a Pistols or a Beatles."
- Bob Stanley, The Times (U.K.)
On May 31, 2005, Plexifilm will release the DVD of MOOG, a brand new documentary on the inventor of the modern synthesizer. Shot on location in Asheville, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo and London, MOOG delves into the inventor's ideas about creativity, interactivity, spirituality, design and his collaborations with musicians over the years. Called “One of the most influential innovators in the history of Rock & Roll" by Nancy Miller in Entertainment Weekly, Robert Moog is a legendary figure in music and technology and has made prodigious contributions to modern music and culture.
Straight from a 5-month theatrical run, MOOG (rhymes with “vogue") premiered at last year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival and went on to show at over ten film festivals worldwide, including the 2005 Rotterdam International Film Festival. It features interviews with the inventor himself and electronic music pioneers such as Herbert Deutsch and Walter Sear and also showcases a myriad of live performances by musicians such as Stereolab, Rick Wakeman of Yes, Bernie Worrell of Parliament Funkadelic, synthesizer luminaries Jean Jacques Perrey & Gershon Kingsley, Money Mark & Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, theremin virtuoso Pamelia Kurstin, Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and more.
Plexifilm's DVD will have over 45 minutes of extras including additional performances by Money Mark & Woody Jackson, The Album Leaf, Tino Corp. & Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails), a “director's notes" video, deleted scenes and a vintage 1970s Schaefer Beer commercial. Also included is a fully-functional demo version of the Arturia Minimoog V Software Synth as a DVD-ROM feature (PC and Macintosh compatible).
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 culminating with the commercial success of Wendy Carlos's Switched-on Bach -- to an indispensable instrument for progressive rock bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes to predating the electronic dance music movement of today. Inventive contemporary music owes much more to the Moog synthesizer and its copies than the Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul electric guitars. The “Moog" name has introduced electronic music technology into the public consciousness.
Born in 1934, Robert Moog has been inventing and building electronic musical instruments for nearly half a century. From building and selling theremin kits in the mid-50s, Moog invented and built the first “modular" synthesizer with Herbert Deutsch in 1964. Still active in his workshop in rural North Carolina, Moog continues to shape musical culture with some of the most inspiring instruments ever created.
About the DVD edition:
- 16X9 Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Additional Performances by Money Mark & Woody Jackson, The Album Leaf, Tino Corp. & Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails)
- Deleted Scenes: Moog on Moog, Moog on New York, Tim Gane of Stereolab, Charlie Clouser of Nine Inch Nails, Pamelia Kurstin, DJ Spooky, Walter Sear, Herb Deutsch and Gershon Kingsley
- Director's Notes (10 minute video)
- Vintage 1970s Schaefer Beer commercial featuring Edd Kalehoff playing the Moog Modular
- DVD-Rom Feature: Arturia Minimoog V Software Synth Fully Functional Demo (PC and Macintosh compatible).
This film is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, preserving the ratio of its original theatrical exhibition.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
