MATRIXSYNTH: By The Edge Of A Pool


Sunday, April 03, 2016

By The Edge Of A Pool



"1977 at EMSA in Florence, MA using the large EMS Vocoder sold to Stevie Wonder, some words I wrote (February 24, 1975), three MiniMoogs, a Beyer microphone, 2 Revox half-track machines, and a toilet.

By the edge of a pool,
Deep in a woods
I watch myself watching
Eyes that see back.

A nose framed by skin
Wrapped round bones
That shatter a cleavage
Shaped by waves

I touch my own fingers
Wet, warm, and dry
They pass through each other
And then return

I follow my thinking
Always behind,
Thoughts follow all circles
Folding under

Fling prayers for my soul
Upward beyond
I long for the reward
that will be mine

A pike bursts the liquid
Smooth, sleek, and cold,
swallows a water bug
Then sinks below."

Update: the story behind the track:

"By The Edge of a Pool recorded by me in 1977 at EMSA in Florence, MA using the large EMS Vocoder 5000 sold to Stevie Wonder. Words were written on 2/24/1975 shortly before I graduated NYU. Sound source was 3 tracks of MiniMoog and some running water. Prof. Everett Hafner, who owned EMSA, had no idea who Stevie was but insisted he speak with him on the phone prior to ordering from London & personally delivering to LA. During the call Everett kept calling him "Mr. Wonder" and finally asked which of the two available colour schemes he preferred: off-white or chocolate-brown. Dennis and I could hear Stevie erupt in laughter over the phone and loudly proclaim, "chocolate-brown, Man; chocolate-brown!". I can't recall anyone else ever calling Everett 'man'."

1 comment:

  1. Possibly one of the most awesome synthesiser related historic tales i have ever read.

    ReplyDelete

To reduce spam, comments for posts older than one week are not displayed until approved, usually same day. Do not insult people. For items for sale, do not ask if it is still available. Check the auction link and search for the item. Auctions are from various sellers and expire over time. Posts remain for the pics and historical purposes. This site is meant to be a daily snapshot of some of what was out there in the world of synths.

PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE HOME


Patch n Tweak
Switched On Make Synthesizer Evolution Vintage Synthesizers Creating Sound Fundlementals of Synthesizer Programming Kraftwerk

© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH