'Creating musical magic out of thin air and solid state electronics...' Via Music Thing, a promo video with Giorgio Moroder programing/utilising/whatevering a Roland MC-8, the seminal pre-MIDI CV/Gate digital/analog sequencer. Seriously, follow that previous link for an amazing article on the thing by Chris Carter, of Chris & Cosey. Sample text:

Once you get your head around the concept of writing music by tapping out numbers on a calculator keyboard, the MC8 isn't especially difficult to use. However, when you find that you have to tap out hundreds of notes just to programme a four-minute song, things get pretty tedious, and you find yourself using the copy function an awful lot. Data must be entered in a very specific order, or the display tells you in no uncertain terms that the MC8 is unhappy by flashing on and off. This is called the Error function. To quote the (sometimes hilarious) manual: 'The Error function is activated whenever you do something which is beyond the capabilities or comprehension of the MicroComposer". Intuitive is not a word you could use to describe working with the MC8.

And to think only 300 were manufactured!

Anyway, the Moroder clip just happens to feature behind-the-scenes footage that chronicles the recording of my favorite, favorite Moroder track of all time, "Baby Blue." I'm totally geeking out here. Pls. excuse me... We <3 sequencers. And vocoders!



Giorgio Moroder -- Baby Blue