Favourite Synth Players

[BongStuff]

Subject says it all!

It's [glow=red,2,300]SYNTH[/glow] players and not keyboard players - I think they're a very different breed.

My criteria here would be players who get the most out of the synth itself - who really use the synth as an instrument over and above being just another keyboard.

So I guess I DON'T mean virtuoso performers who can do very fast solos!  : Apologies to any Rick Wakeman or Chick Corea fans out there.

I'd like to nominate, in reverse order

7.Thomas Dolby

6 Nick Rhodes

5. Alan Wilder ( kicks Trent Reznor's ass )

4. Anyone out of Kraftwerk

3. Vangelis

2. Stevie Wonder

1. GILLIAN GILBERT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/docume.../neworder.shtml

Or if you have a different criteria, let's hear it!

  BS

[john]

Hey Bongstuff

I've just sent you a forum instant message...

Wot no Vince Clarke...

Cheers

John

[BongStuff]

[glow=red,2,300]Well D A N G ![/glow]there must be SOMEBODY who has a list - even if it does have Chick Korea in it...  

[BongStuff]

   or Chick Corea

[TheOne]

Elton John and Richard Clayderman don't count?

What about Reishi Sakamoto (Spelling isn't my strong point)

TheOne

[BongStuff]

Ryuichi Sakamoto yeah what a guy! Would defintely fall into my category of SYNTH GOD. Brilliant sounds without too much widdly-widdly showing off. I don't have him in my list because I don't really know much of his material, short of Forbidden Colours and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence ( basically, the same track, right? ) - oh and didn't he do a track with Thomas Dolby once - "Fieldwork"?

Got any recommendations for his best material?

 

  BS

ps. I do have a Yellow Magic Orchestra album on tape somewhere...with a space invaders track on it!

[BongStuff]

Elton John and Richard Clayderman don't count

I'll take that as a statement.  

[john]

Hey Bongstuff

Brian Eno, My life in the Bush of Ghosts. Excellent! I'm not sure who was all involved but...

Sakamoto co-operated on a number of albums with David Sylvian. Can't remember the album names though...but some excellent tracks, shame about the vocals , but maybe that's just me!

Cheers

John

[john]

Bongstuff

Now who was that keyboard player with The Karma Violets...

John

[BongStuff]

TKV - those cheesy early-90's dance aces? why, it was ME wasn't it?

S P A C I O U S!

 rave off,

                BS

[BongStuff]

Richard Barbieri

What a guy! Some of the most beautiful resonant pad sounds I've ever heard on Japan's Ghosts.

Was it digital? Was it analogue? Was it additive? Subtractive?

Granular?!

Solo material and work with Steve Jansen almost all excellent. Favourite is Other Worlds in a Small Room

 BS

[davlan]

I would struggle to put together a list to those criteria. Most "synth" players tend to intersperse their music with "real" instruments, whether that be a piano or whatever. I suppose that the synth player might be someone who uses synths in an integrated or dominant way. Vangelis would be top of my list. I can't think of anyone else who has been able to play synths and make them sound as musically and emotionally evocative as the Greek. And this was done to best effect on his albums (and synthesizers) of 20 years ago. My personal gear lust would be for something like a Roland AX7 (keyboard that thinks it's a guitar) with all these little controllers on the headstock. I would also add Peter Gabriel to the list. ALthough PG is renowned more as a music fusion person anyone doubting his synth prowess should listen to Passion.

[BongStuff]

"integrated or dominant way"

Like it!

Yeah, PG would be on my list too. Funny - I think he's a better synthesist than Tony Banks.

Hey this must be some sort of record - a synth BB and we don't have any Jean Michelle Jarre mentioned yet!

Overhyped?!

(oops!)

 BS

[BongStuff]

or is that "Michel"

whatever...

[john]

Hey BS

You've done it now. Once mentioned, the board's corrupted. The minds of the impressionable artistic community is now polluted with thoughts that are meant to hide in the darkest recesses of the mind....

On that note, Is it too late to get in a mention for Rolf Harris and his fantastic Stylophone solos?

Just remember, you started it!

Cheers

John

[BongStuff]

Hey - now let's capitalise on this!  

Who's for a Rolf Harris vs. Jean Michel Jarre remix track?

It's a winner  

"Deux petite garcons avaisent deux petit joue"

REVOLUTION!

 BS

[Guest]

Hey BS

Sounds good! How about with a trance beat?

and we're off...

[davlan]

Yeah Jean michelle.

I would agree he's overhyped but also a little misunderstood. It's his own fault that he's likely to go down in history as someone who put on very big firework displays. 65% of his creative output is juvenile lazy crap. However there are a few saving moments. The track on Oxygene that resembles a virtual beach washing over you. It relaxes me into a trance. Zoolook I reckon is an original piece of music. I have never heard samplers used in this way before or since, voices chopped into rhythmic patterns. And I like rendez-vous, the music is like simplified Wagner but the tones and production are beautifully smooth. It sounds like music and the production prevents you from hearing the seams. He does have an impressive and eclectic synth collection which I suspect he has some mastery over. But I don't think he's quite got Dad's musical abilities.

Oooh I think I might be being pretencious here. Then again why not!