Raymond Scott: On To Something...
From the original Analog Industries archive. Some links and images from that era no longer resolve.
As you’re no doubt aware if you’re in to such things, there is a Raymond Scott documentary in the works. Judging from the trailer (above) it looks like a fairly comprehensive and cool movie. Naturally, since the producers are making a documentary about a semi-obscure electronic music pioneer, for some bizarre reason they can’t get the backing of a major studio, and cash is in short supply. They could use a little help. Just to prove we don’t use all the money you spend on our plugins for hookers and blow (well, I don’t; I can’t speak for Adam), Audio Damage has donated $500 towards the film.
Even if you can’t spare $10 or whatever, you’d do yourself a great disservice by not reading the Wikipedia article about Mr. Scott at the very least. This guy invented a lot of the techniques we use today, and on top of that, provided the soundtrack to our childhood. He deserves a bit of remembering.
11 comments
One thing I've always found interesting about Raymond Scott was that he was so protective/secretive of his methods, that despite his innovations, he generally has had very little impact on the technology we use. Unlike similarly-minded inventors like Les Paul or Robert Moog.
I hope they are able to get the film made, I'm sure there's a really great story to be told here.
Fortunately for the documentary, Scott didn't invent any instruments that are played by aging, overrated prog-rock keyboardists.
For the record, I haven't spent any of the money I've taken home from AD on either hookers or blow. Most of it goes to the mortgage, taxes, health insurance, food, and utilities, more or less in that order. I won't deny that some of the surplus goes into the modular and other toys, though.
--Adam
I hope they've watched the Moog and Haack documentaries and resolved not to wheel out a bunch of vacuous, self-aggrandizing shitheels who'll ruin the film.
Amen to that.
-CR
Awesome! Raymond Scott was the mad scientist/genius I've always wanted to be, and I'm a huge admirer. Didn't know about the documentary though--thanks for the heads up!
c.
Fortunately for the documentary, Scott didn't invent any instruments that are played by aging, overrated prog-rock keyboardists.
For the record, I haven't spent any of the money I've taken home from AD on either hookers or blow. Most of it goes to the mortgage, taxes, health insurance, food, and utilities, more or less in that order. I won't deny that some of the surplus goes into the modular and other toys, though.
--Adam
That's really cool, props to AD! :)
I have fond memories of playing "Powerhouse" to a friend who had a scary Rush obsession; poor guy couldn't quite compute that part of "la villa strangiato" was ripped from a forty/fifty year old 'jazz' tune (his term).
You should at least spend some of that money on a blow-up doll with MIDI body contacts!
His bio knocked my socks off.
Truly inspiring.
It doesn't have anything to do with Raymond Scott, but it does have a HangDrum, a beehive, and a German:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KmUa-pQVk&feature=user
Donated, thanks for the tip.
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