We were familiar with pure synthesizer music of Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis and also appreciated the usage of synths in progressive and psychedelic rock such as Pink Floyd and Yes.
However with Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer collaboration on "I feel love", I remember something was starting to change and a new sound was being developed. Thanks to declining prices and wider availability of synthesizers in the beginning of the 80s, a lot of bands began to make music with such electronic instruments, thus leading the way to New Wave and Synth Pop.
Then came the video games, perms and big hairs, shoulder pads and neon make-ups, thin leather neckties and jean jackets. The world witnessed the emergence of disco and New Wave. The 80s are commonly remembered for an increase in the use of digital recording, associated with the usage of synthesizers, with Synth Pop and New Wave music and other electronic genres featuring non-traditional instruments.
As it has always been the case, my generation's musical idols had completely changed (don't get me wrong, 70s were great as well, but the world needed another sound to dance to). In a very short period of time New Wave popularized many artists and bands such as Yazoo, Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Human League, Soft Cell, New Order, Thompson Twins, Alphaville, etc...
"She Blinded me with Science" by Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby had made a brilliant entry to the New Wave scene with his famous song "She blinded me with science". Unfortunately this song had been on the very top of the charts only in Canada and surprisingly not in his home country, the UK. I remember him making another song called "Hyperactive!" couple of years later than his most well-known song. But that was it for me. I had forgotten about him in the second part of the 1980s until I recently came across his book "The Speed of Sound: Breaking the Barriers between Music and Technology: A Memoir"...
I picked up the book with a smile on my face thinking what the hell he had written about. I was truly shocked when I read the inner sleeve that mentioned the things he had done and had been doing since the 80s. I was shocked because I felt ashamed how I had missed his achievements in the last 30 years.
Since I had listened to him last on my tape recorder, he had been a technology entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, musical director for the TED conferences and a professor at the Johns Hopkins University.
Oh man, how I had missed so many details about him. Of course with much remorse I immediately purchased the book from Rough Trade East in London and started to read...
First of all, it is a very well written book. From the first pages on you can feel that it is not solely a musician's life story. You don't feel like you are reading an autobiography but rather a fiction novel about a hero and his adventures. It is a very sincere book telling the reader total ups and downs of Thomas Dolby throughout his musical and technological journey. The reader can grasp the technological developments throughout the last 30 years and not only limited to musical technology but also developments about internet, art in general and digital revolution.
It is fun and amusing to read his interactions with other artists like Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell and David Bowie as well as tech gurus such as Steve Jobs and George Lucas.
"I Scare Myself" by Thomas Dolby - A bit different sound huh?
The way he describes his younger years that he refused to go to university and working in a green grocer is quite enjoyable to read. How his parents (his dad was an internationally acclaimed professor teaching classical Greek art in Oxford and Cambridge) raised him with self-confidence and supported his desire for a musical career is fascinating. The musical environment that he is born and raised into is also a smashing one as he speaks about going to shows of Police, Elvis Costello and Talking Heads one after the other. The story how he acquired (thrown in a trash bin) and repaired his first synth is inspiring.
If you are interested in the musical evolution starting from the 80s along with the development of synthesizers, record labels, recording industry and technology in general, this is definitely a book for you.
One spoiler here; did you know that it was Thomas Dolby who programmed the melody of Grand Vals by Tarrega into Nokia phones, calling it the Nokia Waltz? He is the true pioneer responsible for the development of ring tones in the mobile phones.Please visit the below website for further information.
If you are interested in the musical evolution starting from the 80s along with the development of synthesizers, record labels, recording industry and technology in general, this is definitely a book for you.
One spoiler here; did you know that it was Thomas Dolby who programmed the melody of Grand Vals by Tarrega into Nokia phones, calling it the Nokia Waltz? He is the true pioneer responsible for the development of ring tones in the mobile phones.Please visit the below website for further information.
Dolby explains the Nokia polyphonic ring tone
It is an excellent book, very informative and fun to read. Who knows maybe one day we can watch the movie produced out of the book...
Now, I leave you with the man himself if you want to hear more about the book.
Marvelous book, indeed.
ReplyDeleteVery cool guy, I wish I had discovered his different doings earlier
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