When the synthesizer appeared in the 70s, it was first used as a gimmick, says David Stubbs. “It was Stevie Wonder who proved for all time that synthesizers are not cold and impersonal.”
/ 27/03/2019 / Kristian DugstadWhen the synthesizer appeared in the 70s, it was first used as a gimmick, says David Stubbs. “It was Stevie Wonder who proved for all time that synthesizers are not cold and impersonal.”
Music journalist and author David Stubbs was a speaker at by:Larm 2019. He was also a guest on "Lage Musikk" when TONO recorded four episodes of the podcast during the festival.
In conversation with host Torgny Amdam, Stubbs talks about the technology that has shaped the music we listen to, with examples from his new book “Mars by 1980: The Story of Electronic Music.” The synthesizer was a historically important intersection between technology and music.
“Artists like Simon & Garfunkel, The Monkees and The Beatles used the Minimoog synth, but as a kind of gimmick. I think the first one to really understand that synthesizers could be a central part of music was Stevie Wonder. As a blind man, I think he was willing to really dive into this world of pure sound,” says Stubbs.
Watch the full episode here:
Find "Lage Musikk" on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also download it as an Mp3 here..