Erik Norlander’s Galactic Incentive
For a Limited Time Only
Receive Erik Norlander’s New The Galactic Collective With $25 Donation
Erik Norlander is many things to the world of synth-driven symphonic rock. He is a maestro at the keys, a composer, producer, synth designer and a sterling bandmate and colleague to many in the music industry. To the Bob Moog Foundation, Erik is a rockstar advocate for our cause, raising his voice (and synths) for us time and time again:
- Catch him in this YouTube video talking about Bob’s legacy,
- Listen to the original song, The Princely Hours, that he composed for the Bob Moog Foundation on all Moog instruments here
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Check out the photo gallery from his recent performance at our spring fundraiser Moogus Operandi, which took place on May 27th.
The Galactic Collective
For a limited time only, thanks to Erik’s generosity, we are able to offer his new CD, the very Moog-centric The Galactic Collective, with a donation of $25.00 to the BMF. Erik enthusiastically supports our efforts to teach science through electronic music, and to restore Bob’s archives, and to create a Moogseum, a hallmark interactive facility where these two goals will converge.
Please join Erik in supporting the BMF by donating today.
Not only will you be supporting the Bob Moog Foundaiton’s mission to educate, inspire and innovate through electronic music, you will receive Erik’s excellent CD which includes insightful liner notes from Michelle Moog-Koussa where she speaks to Erik’s connection to Bob Moog. Here is a sampling from those introductory notes :
“It is said that in hands of the highest caliber, the use of technology becomes magic. Not pull-a-rabbit-out-of-a-hat magic, but awe-inspiring transcendental connection. Bob handed off his technological, musical baton and Erik Norlander has cradled it in his hands, skillfully, lovingly exploring the limits of sonic expression and incorporating it into his expressive, epic music. Magic.”
To read more about The Galactic Collective, check out this great review on Ystejam.
Moogus Operandi Through the Lens of Jon Leidel
Images from Moogus Operandi
An Incredible Night of Celebrating Bob Moog’s Spirit
On May 27th, the Bob Moog Foundation presented Moogus Operandi, a benefit concert featuring synth wizard Erik Norlander and an ensemble of Asheville musicians. Playing to a packed room at the Orange Peel, Asheville’s premiere music club, Norlander knocked Asheville on its musical ear with music from his latest release The Galactic Collective and from his extensive back catalog.
With his newly re-configured “Wall of Doom” custom Moog modular synthesizer providing the sonic and visual backdrop, Norlander explored the boundaries of the legendary Moog sound and captured the creative, analog-based vibe that is Moog. One Moogus Operandi attendee summed it up when he was asked by another “What do you think of the music”? to which the response was simply “Goosebumps”.
Enjoy these images from Moogus Operandi, the musical memory of which still lingers in the minds of the attendees and participants alike. Many thanks to our Rockstar photographer, Jon Leidel, for capturing the evening so beautifully and to Erik and all the participating musicians who donated their time to make this evening possible. Thanks also to our sponsors whose support allowed us to bring the Wall of Doom in for the event, and to all of our volunteers, who make our work possible.
You can see a photo gallery of the Moogus Operandi rehearsals here.
Stay tuned for the upcoming audio and video recording of Moogus Operandi!
Moogus Operandi Rehearsals – The Photo Gallery
Moogus Operandi, a benefit concert featuring Erik Norlander and a host of Asheville musicians, was an amazing evening of musical and visual celebration. You can read more about it and see a gallery of photos of the event here.
Leading up the the event itself, Erik spent weeks arranging his music for the new musicians/instruments that were to be included for the concert. He flew in a week early and set up rehearsal space at Echo Mountain Recording, where he rehearsed with local musicians for three 12-hour days before the event. Below are some of the images captured at those rehearsals; they are courtesy of Jon Leidel Photography.
Many, many thanks to all of the musicians who lent their time and talents, which made the evening a huge success.
BMF Re-Configures Norlander’s “Wall of Doom” Custom Moog Modular
Bob Moog Foundation and Erik Norlander Make Modular Synthesis Accessible for Fans and Students
Erik Norlander, synth guru and ardent supporter of the Bob Moog Foundation, is known for his Moog-laden symphonic rock. At the heart of Erik’s music is his massive custom Moog modular synthesizer, affectionally referred to as the Wall of Doom by his roadies. You can get a glimpse of the WOD, situated behind Erik, below.
Erik Norlander with his custom modular synthesizer in the background
Here’s how Erik sums up the synths unique attributes:” My modular synthesizer is a unique creation that started out life as a Moog IIC in 1967, grew to a IV-C in the late 90s and then was repackaged as the first “Wall of Doom” in 2001. All of the audio modules are original Moog modules from 1967 – 1972 except for three custom 16x2x1 oscillator mixes that use the identical circuit topology as the original 1967 (pre-CP3) Bob Moog design to mix the system’s 22 oscillators. Many other custom control modules have been added including 8 channels of MIDI to Gate/CV along with additional processor modules from Roger Arrick’s Synthesizers.com in Texas. The control elements are extremely modern and offer state of the art flexibility; The sound is pure Moog.”
Recently, Erik and the Bob Moog Foundation joined forces to make this historical synthesizer more accessible to fans and students alike. The idea was to reconfigure the massive instrument in to six large rack mount cases that Erik could take on tour and expose his audiences to modular synthesis, and to bring in to schools in his area to teach the science behind synthesis to kids, thus helping the Foundation fulfill its mission and extend its MoogLab reach.
With the generous help of a few crucial supporters, we are delighted to announce that the re-configuration was completed on the eve of Bob’s 76th birthday. We couldn’t have accommplished this without:
In-Kind Donation of Gear
- OSP Worlwide – OSP Worldwide is a distributor of all kinds of super high quality audio gear. They donated six 16-Space ATA Shock Mount Flight Case Effects Racks to the Bob Moog Foundation for this project. We simply couldn’t have done this without their generosity. The quality of the cases they provided has well exceeded our expectation;they are extremely well-made. The six OSP cases provide an ideal home to this unique modular synthesizer.
Rockstar Engineering Volunteers
- Amos Gaynes and August Worley- To many of you, Amos Gaynes from Moog Music needs no introduction. He is well-known in the synth community for his clear and insightful articulation of all things that involve a Moog tech. Amos understands the contemporary Moog gear inside and out as a tech and as a creator of firmware for some of the newer products. A student of mechatronics at UNC-A, he is well on his way to becoming an engineering force at Moog Music, Inc.
August Worley is an electrical engineer who shares a unique qualification with Bob Moog. August is the only person to have worked at Moog Music Buffalo, Big Briar, Inc. and Moog Music Asheville. He was part of the engineering team who helped Bob develop the Voyager. August was uniquely qualified to work on this modular project, as he formerly toured with ELP as the keyboard tech for Keith Emerson’s Monster Moog Modular. He also developed the pyrotechnics for Keith’s Moog ribbon controller.
Between the two, Amos and August have donated over 60 hours of time to the completely reconfiguration of the Wall of Doom in to its new home. They have planned, inquired and researched in order to re-wire Erik’s system. Working well into the wee hours of the morning on more than one occasion, this highly skilled team has completed the transition of this extraordinary synth just in time for it’s first appearance at Moogus Operandi on May 27th.
Many, many thanks to Amos and August — we couldn’t have done this without you! Your generous donation of talent and spirit is a tribute to the Moog legacy itself.
Musician Open to the Possibilities
- Erik Norlander – Not only does this guy rock musically, but he rocks as an open, creative spirit who is excited by new possibilities. Not every owner of a priceless custom synthesizer would agree to submit their musical centerpiece to be shipped across the country for a complete metamorphosis. Erik agreed to take the project on and he was an invaluable source of information, guidance and encouragement.
We cannot go without thanking Lana Lane, Erik’s lovely wife and musical partner. With Erik away on a consulting trip, it fell upon Lana to pack and ship over 300 pounds of modules with a considerable time constraint thrown into the mix.
This project is a tribute to the historical, musical and technical legacy of Bob Moog. Many thanks to all involved!
Over the coming months, we will be asking Amos, August and Erik to write blog posts from their unique perspectives about the Wall of Doom reconfiguration. Keep your eye out for those insights into this project.
Bob’s Archives on Exhibit at Museum Of Making Music
Waves of Inspiration Exhibit Opens with Celebration August 29th and 30th at NAMM Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA
Keith Emerson and Erik Norlander Provide Musical Tribute
Larry Fast and Brian Kehew Offer Historical and Technical Perspective
Next Saturday the Museum of Making Music, in partnership with the Bob Moog Foundation, launches a special exhibition on the work, impact and collaborations of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog. The exhibit, Waves of Inspiration. The Legacy of Moog. marks the first of its kind, as hundreds of items from the inventor’s extensive archive will be on display alongside vintage instruments, equipment and memorabilia from other institutions and collectors.
The exhibit highlights themes of musician/toolmaker collaboration, motivations and the innovative spirit, technological evolution through the medium of synthesis and music and creativity as forms of self-expression. Prototype and early instruments will also provide exhibit highlights as many rare instruments will be displayed together for the first time, including:
- modular protoype designed in 1964, formerly belonging to Herb Deutsch
- breadboard prototype of the Eaton-Moog Multi-Touch Sensitive Keyboard
- Serial #001 of the Crumar Spirit
- prototype of Minimoog Voyager
The exhibit will feature over 250 items from Moog’s archive alone.
The weekend will be marked with events that celebrate the Moog Legacy. On Saturday night, August 29, 2009, the museum will host the public opening of the exhibit with an evening reception followed by a musical celebration by synthesizer virtuosos Keith Emerson and Erik Norlander. Keith Emerson will be demonstration his infamous Monster Moog modular and talking about his time with the instrument over the past 30 years. Erik Norlander will be performing a special set on three Moog synthesizers: the Minimoog Model D, the Memorymoog Plus (on loan from Bob’s archive) and the Minimoog Voyager along with a selection of his favorite moogerfooger pedals.
On Sunday, pioneering synthesist Larry Fast and Moog historian and exhibit advisor Brian Kehew will share their expertise about the evolution of Moog instruments and trace their use in live performance. They will also talk about the the wider world of synthesis and its implications to past, current and future music.
The Bob Moog Foundation is proud to have Bob’s archive on display for public viewing and has thoroughly enjoyed working with the very capable staff at the Museum of Making Music. This meaningful exhibit is part of fulfilling our mission to educate and inspire people through electronic music, and is a precursor to constructing a Moogseum in Asheville, NC.
Erik Norlander’s “The Princely Hours”
Erik Norlander’s Skillful Use of Five Moog Instruments Provides Upbeat, Ethereal Song to Benefit the Bob Moog Foundation.
Erik Norlander is a progressive rock keyboardist whose evocative synthesizer technique is Erik’s evocative synthesizer technique is reminiscent of the legendary Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson and Jon Lord while still very unique and forward-moving in its own right. Erik takes many of the classic riffs and phrases from his various influences and reinvents them with highly emotional pitch bending, vibrato and authoritative phrasing. This technique combines brilliantly with Erik’s mastery of sound and production. Erik has personally led sound design efforts on several major brand synthesizers, and his knowledge of synthesis and audio engineering are second to none. Erik’s perpetual live use of vintage instruments — Moog synthesizers in particular — give his concerts a depth and authenticity of sound seldom seen in modern stage productions.
“The Princely Hours” is an original all-Moog composition donated by Erik, available exclusively through the Bob Moog Foundation. Here’s Erik’s description about the instruments involved in the song:
“I composed ‘The Princely Hours’ as a special piece for The Bob Moog Foundation using only Moog instruments. Even the percussion is Moog! The leads come from my Moog Voyager and my 70s Minimoog Model D. The stereo bass is from my modular Moog system, and some of the sound fx come from the modular as well, of course. For general textures and atmosphere stuff, I used my Moog Rogue, a real favorite of mine for that sort of application. The low bass drones are original Taurus pedals. The tracks were recorded using MOTU Digital Performer with reverbs courtesy of Universal Audio (Plate 140, Dreamverb) and IK Multimedia (CSR). The echoes are provided by the Moogerfooger MF-104 Analog Delay. ”
Listen to the whole track here.
Many thanks to Erik for this stunning musical tribute to the Moog legacy, and for his support of the Bob Moog Foundation.
