Sunday Synth Jams: This synth music jam is pure analog, with the Eminent and the Roland SH 3A, wih Roland DEP 5 & Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser added for effect.

via magevers

Sunday Synth Jams: A faithful cover of Jean Michel Jarre’s Oxygene 13, played by GroovBird.

Three things to note about this video:

• GroovBird proves you don’t have to have awesome vintage gear to play classic synth music, if you’ve got some good gear and, more importantly, a good ear.
• Oxygen 13 was released in 1997, 20 years after Jarre’s original Oxygène, yet it matches the original album seamlessly.
  
• Jarre is one of the few artists that explicitly authorizes and encouragse fans to make covers and cover videos of his music for non-commercial use. Kudos to Jarre for a classy call on that.

Gear details below.

via GroovBird:

Many thanks to Jean Michel Jarre, for producing this song, and for allowing us fans to share our interpretations.

I play this live, using the following instruments:- Roland XP-30 with Vintage expansion board, using the Solina patch with heavy modification and some layering.- Korg ES-1 sampler with drum samples from Boss DR-880 used by Jarre in the album version.- Korg RADIAS for the FX in the latter part.

Filmed on Canon EOS 5DMkII, I have some sync issues in the end, I hope you don’t mind.

It’s Sunday! That means we take a slight break from the non-stop electronic music news coverage and break out the Sunday Synth Jams – new and classic examples of musicians making interesting music with synths and electronic music gear.

You may have seen this one before, because it’s a vintage synth jam from 1977. But it’s Klaus Schulze at his Moogtacular prime…..

If you ever need a definition of Berlin School electronica, this is it!

Tune in, turn on and space out as Klaus Schulze plays live, WDR Köln 1977.

For Schulze fans only: Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite Schulze album is!

via OtixIbiza:

One of my first works as soundtechn. at german television WDR Köln 1977.

Well – you could do worse than reading the archives of Synthtopia and checking out Computer Music magazine’s Make Synth Music special.

I haven’t seen a copy of this yet, but it looks like it should be a good intro to synth music.

All the software you need is on the included disc, along with ten video tutorials .

Features:

• The history of synth music
• Synthesis fundamentals
• How to create classic riffs and cutting-edge sounds, step-by-step
• Free start-up synth kit – everything you need to create your own sounds with your PC or Mac
• Ten exclusive CM video tutorials on disc

This is a teaser video for Retrotech, an electronic music concert composed and performed live by keyboardists Carlos Trilha and André Dessandes.

Retrotech recalls the “belle epoque” of electronic music.

Details:

On stage, Trilha and Dessandes use synthesizers, analogue sequencers and drum machines from the 70’s and early 80’s. These historical instruments evoke the origin of characteristic electronic sounds that are now widely used in many types of pop and electronic music.

A unique detail of this production is that they do not use loops or sound libraries. All the sounds are created from real instruments and are first generation, allowing Retrotech to make a striking reinterpretation of the classic sound of electronic music.

In addition, Retrotech also uses a special set of projection images from generative code (created in real time), synchronized by software written with MAX/MSP/JITTER by ALESSANDRA MARFISA specially for each performance.

Sunday Synth Jam: Here’s an ambient/space music jam, with a side of Berlin School sequencing, via Tom Bedlam:

Dark Equinox

Live performance 24.09.09.
Tom on all synths,Mellotron and programming.
Visuals by the Invisible Collage

Bedlam says that he’ s alive and reasonably sentient, and likes people who like to collaborate on musical projects. See his Vimeo page for more info and music videos.

He sent us a copy of his 2008 album Electronic Secret, a 10-part suite of electronic instrumentals that he describes as “Nice chill Electronic music with a touch of Jean Michel Jarre, Kitaro, Vangelis ….”

In other words – his music is inspired by the late 70’s-early 80’s golden age of synth music.

Of the influences that Henriksen notes, the most obvious is Jarre. Henriksen’s obvious affection for Jarre’s music may excite some and turn off others, but, for fans of classic synth music, Electronic Secret deserves attention on its own merits.

The album is made up of 10 songs in a continuous mix. The songs are melodically focused, with simple themes that are repeated with various instrumental combinations. Henriksen creates interest through tasteful arrangements and his choice of sounds, rather than from fiery solos.

Here’s a video of Glenn and his daughter Iselin performing Part 10 of Electronic Secret, in concert in 2008:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Electronic Secret has limited distribution as a CD – but you can get Henriksen’s album at Amazon, via the link above, as MP3s.

Jean Michel Jarre playing his laser harp on Second Rendez-Vous.

via richiology

This documentary, from 1980, takes a look at synth music pioneer Isao Tomita and his studio.

In the late 60s and early 70s, many people got their first taste of synth music from the electronic orchestrations of classical music by Tomita and Walter/Wendy Carlos.

If you can translate the commentary, leave a comment below!

via 5488773

Here’s a treat for fans of old-school Berlin school synth music.

This video, by Quintin Hewlett, captures Electroluminescent (Ryan Ferguson) as part of the New Harbours Music Series vol. 2 Christ’s Church Cathedral, Hamilton, Ontario, Spring 2009.

NSFW: This is an impressively arranged cover of Grieg’s In the Hall Of The Mountain King, in the style of Isao Tomita.

NSFW on account of full-frontal shots of an animated Angelina Jolie naked.

Details on the realization below.

via paulshillitomusic:

Beowulf set to “In the hall of the mountain king” by Edvard Grieg electronically recreated in an Isao Tomita style.

The music was created first then the clips of Beowulf were edited around the music, this I think works well because of the superb look and animation in the film together with the theme of the composition and sounds used.

Robert Zemeckis 2007 Beowulf is completely computer generated using the voices and the looks of the real actors including Ray Winstone, Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins which quite suites the music I recreated, synthesised sounds for synthespians.

Music created using Jupiter 8V, CS-80V, Omnisphere, Virtual String Machine soft synths and arranged and mixed in Cubase 4.

This video, by Hans-Jörg Scheffler, celebrates the 10th anniversary of the SETI@home project:

It features my dear friend and incredibly talented musician Tatsuya Nishiwaki on chromatic harmonica. The images in the clip are a wild mixture of imaginary alien broadcasts and stuff that we humans transmit.

SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

The concert will feature two compositions by David Borden, the group’s leader who taught at Cornell University for 37 years.

For Sunday’s concert, Borden will be joined by keyboardists and frequent collaborators David Yearsley, Blaise Bryski and Josh Oxford.

Details are available at the Mother Mallard site.

via stargazette

The long anticipated electronic music collaboration between AD Music’s David Wright and DiNs Ian Boddy has been confirmed as Shifting Sands and is set for release on 5th September 2009 at the Derby Music Festival.

There are 5 tracks: Comets, Shifting Sands, Still Motion, Endless Terrain and Halcyon.

Some of the album will be premiered during the Boddy, Hoffmann-Hoock & Wright evening performance at the event. The album is currently in post production and sound bites and more information will be available soon.

Jean Michel Jarre introduces his new website, JeanMichelJarre.com.

The site features sections for news, Jean Michel Jarre’s blog, tour information, multimedia, a Jean Michel Jarre discograhy and a forum.

Synthtopia reader JRice sent word that we can do no wrong……as long as we post more of the Berlin School electronic music goodness.

“More is better!” he says.

With that in mind, check out this episode of the Small World podcast, which features an interview with Alpha Wave Movement’s Gregory Kyruluk.

The podcast, below, kicks of with an off the heezy Berlin School track. It continues with some interview segments with Kyruluk, some of his more ambient tracks, and then comes back with another heaping helping of the interlocking step sequences:

This is a must listen for old-school synth music/space music fans!

Via solipsistic, Image: blueforce4116

Cybotron – Raga In Asia Minor Pt 1 (1977)

Cybotron, not to be confused with the American group, was an electronic/experimental music band from Australia formed in 1975 by Steve Maxwell Von Braund and Geoff Green.

The band was formed after the release of Braund’s 1975 album, ‘Monster Planet’ which Green contributed to; along with Gil Matthews (Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs), Henry Vyhnal and Jim Keays (The Masters Apprentices).Cybotron released a self-titled album in 1976 containing mainly synthesizers and saxophone. Stylistically,

Cybotron were similar to their contemporaries; innovative bands such as Ash Ra Tempel, Hawkwind and Tangerine Dream. They were creating minimalist, repetitive electronica at the same time that Kraftwerk released Autobahn.

Part 2 below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

via shazzatpm

Jean Michel Jarre kicks off his world tour, via a vlog post on his way to Debrecen, Hungary.

Tour info below:

Box office info

04/05/09 – Debrecen, Hungary – F?nix Csarnok (Phoenix Hall)
Venue Capacity: 8,500 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: HUF
Tickets On Sale – http://www.ticketpro.hu/events.php?event=233

05/05/09 – Ostrava, Czech Republic – CEZ Arena
Venue Capacity: 12,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: CZK
Tickets On Sale http://www.ticketpro.cz/jnp/

06/05/09 – Wroclaw, Poland – Hala Stulecia (Centennial Hall)
Venue Capacity: 6,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: Zloty 175/195
Tickets On Sale – www.livenation.pl

08/05/09 – Aarhus, Denmark – Atletion – NRGi Arena
Venue Capacity: 4,740 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: Kr 595/695/795
Tickets On Sale – www.billetnet.dk

09/05/09 – Herning, Denmark – MCH Messecenter Herning
Venue Capacity: 5,200 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: Kr 550/750/775/975
Tickets On Sale – www.billetnet.dk

11/05/09 – Malmo, Sweden – Malmo Arena
Venue Capacity: 15,000 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: SEK 470/570
Tickets On Sale – www.ticnet.se

12/05/09 – Goteborg, Sweden – Scandinavium
Venue Capacity: 14,000 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: SEK 470/570
Tickets On Sale – www.ticnet.se

13/05/09 – Oslo, Norway – Oslo Spektrum
Venue Capacity: 9,700 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: NOK 450/550
Tickets On Sale – www.billettservice.no

14/05/09 – Stockholm, Sweden – Hovet (The Court)
Venue Capacity: 9,800 – Time: 19:30 – Tickets: SEK 570/670
Tickets On Sale – www.ticnet.se

16/05/09 – Helsinki, Finland – Hartwall Areena (Helsinki Arena)
Venue Capacity: 12,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: € 68.70/73.70/78.70
Tickets On Sale – www.lippupalvelu.fi

20/05/09 – Glasgow, Scotland – SECC – Clyde Auditorium
Venue Capacity: 3,000 – Time: 19:00 – Tickets: £40/£50
Tickets On Sale – www.secctickets.com & www.seetickets.com

22/05/09 – London, England – Wembley Arena
Venue Capacity: 12,500 – Time: 19:00 – Tickets: £45
Tickets On Sale – www.ticketmaster.co.uk & www.seetickets.com

23/05/09 – Manchester, England – Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena
Venue Capacity: 22,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: £43.50
Tickets On Sale – www.ticketmaster.co.uk

24/05/09 – Birmingham, England – National Indoor Arena (NIA)
Venue Capacity: 13,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: £43.50
Tickets On Sale – www.seetickets.com

26/05/09 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Heineken Music Hall
Venue Capacity: 5,500 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: € 59/64/69
Tickets On Sale – www.livenation.nl

27/05/09 – Brussels, Belgium – Vorst Nationaal (Forest National)
Venue Capacity: 7,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: € 50/55/60/65/75
Tickets On Sale – www.sherpa.be

30/05/09 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Venue Capacity: 13,000 – Time: 20:00 – Tickets: CHF 77/88/99/110/130
Tickets On Sale – www.hallenstadion.ch

A clip from the first part of the set by Modulator ESP recorded live at Awakenings on 18-04-09.

The first half of the set was very ambient in style.

If you were at the concert – let us know about the rest of the show!

via filbyhyde22

This is an official Jean-Michel Jarre Souvenir of China, Oxygene – Concert Pékin.

via jeanmicheljarre