Moog (DVD)
Directed by: Hans Fjellestad

Nowadays it�s hard to imagine a time when synthesizers were looked at as more of a novelty then a true musical instrument. Robert Moog, the inventor behind the famous MOOG modular synthesizers, compares the early days of his instruments to the early days of photography. The technology was so strange that some people warned of the camera actually stealing your soul. When Moog released his modular synthesizers, people reacted similarly, worrying that a machine would replace the musician. �It wasn�t natural, I think that was the first response, and therefore it wasn�t right.�

That was over thirty years ago. Now the synthesizer is a common element of popular music, and it�s all due to Robert Moog inventive experimentation. Moog, a documentary which tracks the growth of the Moog (the instrument) and the success of Moog (the man), provides all of the answers to where electronic music began and who we have to thank. With a somewhat dry beginning, we�re shown how the instrument works, how it�s built and it�s similarities to traditional instruments. The film then follows Moog through a series of interviews with musicians who have been influenced by the technology and the artistic experimentation made possible by Moog. From Keith Emerson to Mix Master Mike, the sounds of the Moog have been manipulated and incorporated into almost every genre of music. With performances by a-list wave manipulators Stereolab, Gershon Kingsley and Keith Emerson, Moog provides a broad example electronic music.

Although I personally enjoyed the film, I can see it being a bit dry for the casual viewer. Full of tech talk, music history and interviews with sometimes not so obvious pioneers, Moog could be shooting above the heads of those who aren�t die hard fans of electronic music. My only question is where is the Mark Mothersbaugh interview? The Moog Cookbook? I�m sure the list of notable absentees could go on and on, proving that the topic may be a lot bigger then the 70 minutes the film provides. Even with such a short running time, there was a scene or two that didn�t deserve the precious screen time it took up, an in depth tour of Moog�s garden comes to mind.

The DVD was released through Plexifilm, providing another consistently great looking package. The extras include deleted scenes, director�s video notes, and additional performances by the Album Leaf, Tino Corp. with Charlie Clouser, Money Mark with Woody Jackson, and apparently Stereolab, but I couldn�t find that performance listed among the others. Also included is a demo of some Minimoog software for your PC.

Overall, this is a great film that provides some history behind the sounds that we all now take for granted. — Jay C.