Birth of Synthesis 1950s-60s

Looking into the 1950s-60s sound art, some of the most defining moments of our time can be discovered here. In 1955, Harry Olsen and Herbert Belar developed the first synthesizer during their time at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). Soon after in 1964, Bob Moog revealed, The Moog, a very influential synthesizer for modern music. Bob revealed his desire to create experimental tones and textures that cannot be created on any instrument, henceforth his creation was produced. An example of one of the earliest uses of the Moog can be seen in Morton Subotnick’s, Silver Apples of the Moon (1967). 

From this notable birth of the synthesizer, artists began to grow and produce more innovative and experimental work. Researching these artists, I learned the influence of Toru Takemitsu, a Japanese composer and Avant garden artist who assisted in producing, Jikken Kobo (experimental workshop). In Tokyo 1951, Jikken Kobo was founded by artists to create installations to blend music and dance and reject traditional Japanese artistry. Takemitsu was one of the first few to conceive the idea of music technology, aligning with Pierre Schaeffer in 1948. Takemitsu is believed to be one of the most influential composers in Japan to his recognition and fame in the west.

One of my personal favorites, Alice Coltrane, also became active in her work in the mid-1960s. Later in 1968, releasing Cosmic Music, an experimental jazz collaboration with John Coltrane written in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although Alice did not dive much into synthesis, I find her later works in experimental jazz and Hindi devotional particularly influential and notable.

References

Tate (n.d.). Jikken Kobo (experimental workshop) – Art Term. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/j/jikken-kobo-experimental-workshop [Accessed 1 Dec. 2020].

Wikipedia Contributors (2020). Tōru Takemitsu. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dru_Takemitsu [Accessed 1 Dec. 2020].

Music synthesizer. (2019). In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/music-synthesizer.

sound light (2016). Silver Apples Of The Moon – Morton Subotnick 1967 (Full Album Reissue). YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G1hRNLlYpg [Accessed 1 Dec. 2020].‌

[online] Available at: https://www.moogmusic.com/news/early-years-moog-synthesizer [Accessed 1 Dec. 2020].

Wikipedia. (2020). Alice Coltrane. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Coltrane [Accessed 1 Dec. 2020].

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