Chapter 29, Buchla Analog Synthesizers
- Thom Holmes
- May 1
- 2 min read
My Podcast: The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music
My blog for the Bob Moog Foundation.
This special edition podcast is produced as a companion to my book, Electronic and Experimental Music, published by Routledge. This episode corresponds to a chapter in the text. It provides listening examples of vintage electronic works and composers featured in the text.
The works themselves can be enjoyed without the book and I hope that they stand as a chronological survey of important works in the history of electronic music. Be sure to tune-in to other episodes of the podcast where we explore a wide range of electronic music in many styles and genres, all drawn from my archive of vintage recordings.
The episode I just uploaded corresponds to Chapter 29, Buchla Analog Synthesizers from my book, Electronic and Experimental Music. Please connect to the podcast at The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music. Enjoy!
Playlist: MUSIC MADE WITH BUCHLA ANALOG SYNTHESIZERS
Time | Track Time | Start |
Introduction –Thom Holmes | 01:38 | 00:00 |
1. Morton Subotnick, “Prelude No. 4” (1966). Early work for piano and electronic tape using sounds created on the Buchla 100. Pianist, Richard Bunger, recorded in 1973 (Buchla tape from 1966). | 05:15 | 01:40 |
2. Morton Subotnick, “Silver Apples of the Moon” (Part 1) (1966). First commissioned work of electronic music from Nonesuch Records. | 04:23 | 08:32 |
3. Gerry Olds, “4/3 + 1” (1967). Jazz mixed with electronics created on the Buchla 100 at a San Francisco Tape Music Center Concert. | 11:19 | 12:58 |
4. Buffy Sainte- Marie, “Better To Find Out For Yourself” and “The Vampire” (1969). Electronic “settings,” processing of Sainte-Marie’s voice and guitar done on Buchla 100 modular systems (3 units) used by Michael Czajkowski at the electronic music studio of NYU. | 04:39 | 24:16 |
5. Douglas Leedy, “Entropical Paradise” (1970). Sonic environments created by the Moog and Buchla modular synthesizers. | 20:09 | 28:52 |
6. George Marsh, “Wind Borne” (1973). Prepared Buchla 200 Synthesizer with sequencing, George Marsh. | 08:28 | 49:06 |
7. David Rosenboom and Donald Buchla, “How Much Better If Plymouth Rock Had Landed On The Pilgrims, Section V” (1978). Buchla modular synthesizers by composer Rosenboom and the inventor himself, Donald Buchla. | 22:47 | 57:34 |
8. Morton Subotnick, “The Last Dream of the Beast” (1978, 1982, 1984). Featured the Buchla 400. | 14:47 | 01:20:20 |
9. Mel Powell, “Three Synthesizer Settings” (1981). Moog and Buchla synthesizers. | 08:47 | 01:35:06 |
10. Morton Subotnick, “A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur, Opening” (1980). Buchla 200 and Subotnick’s “ghost shadow electronics.” | 11:15 | 01:43:51 |
Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.
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