synth-fluence

When Switched On Bach was released in 1968 it was the first time I heard an electronic instrument without being impressed. Until then I had only heard electronic instruments on Kai Winding's "More," Del Shannon's "Runaway" and the Beatles' "Baby You're a Rich Man." Those examples were very interesting. (Later I would hear "Telstar" and wish I hadn't.) Bach music performed using funny sounds struck me as more gimmick than artistic innovation.

In 1971 Mort Garson released a hideous album of electronic noise called "Black Mass." It was shit. There are certain kinds of Moog sounds that I still despise because of this ugly album.

The guy (J.J. Perrey) who played the electronic instrument on "More" also worked with the guy (Gershon Kingsley) who wrote "Popcorn" in 1969 but I would not hear the latter composition until the 1972 cover by Hot Butter. That was an exciting piece of music. For the first time in my experience a synth tune sounded like the music was written for the synth.

In early 1974 Isao Tomita demonstrated that playing traditional music on synths can result in great beauty if appropriate sounds are used instead of just using funny noises.

In late 1974 Kraftwerk demonstrated that musically awkward people could make mildly interesting "garage" music with synths. (Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh was already brilliantly pioneering robotic nerd music at this point but would not be heard by the masses until 1978.)

Finally, in 1975, Synergy released "Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra." Here was quality music written for and skillfully played on synthesizers. I thought this was the beginning of a big change in direction for synthesizer music. I was wrong. Each successive Synergy album would be a step away from this masterpiece and toward the same automated mainstream as the rest of "electronic music." And no one else picked up where "Electronic Realizations" left off.

[In this spot I artfully blasted the most overrated "electronic" musicians of the boomer era, then changed my mind and deleted it. The surest way to be ostracized in today's oversensitive facade of faux-culture is to tell the truth. I will simply say that I was not as enamored of Jarre, Vangelis or Moroder as the masses were.]

When AEJOTZ was accidentally born in 1983 my main influences would have been the first Synergy album, 1970s Genesis, Devo and the B52s.

The rebirth of AEJOTZ in 2011 was catalyzed by Stereolab, whose music often reminded me of my 1983 synth experiments. I can't tell if Stereolab actually influenced my music or if we just have shared tastes and influences.

1980s synthpop has a bit of an influence on me, but not the usual kind. It influences me mostly by repulsion rather than by attraction. Sometimes I make musical choices to deliberately avoid '80s synth cliches.