Sting – Russians | Vintage Synth Cover with Moog Taurus bass pedal

video upload by RetroSound

"A vintage synth reinterpretation of Sting’s “Russians”, originally released in 1985 on his debut solo album The Dream of the Blue Turtles.

Please use headphones or a subwoofer for the full audio range.

For this cover, I wanted to capture the atmosphere of the original while giving the track a distinctly analog, vintage synthesizer character.

The bass foundation was created with the legendary Moog Taurus bass pedal synthesizer, known for its massive, deep and powerful low-end sound. The Taurus has become one of the most iconic bass synthesizers of the 1970s and is especially famous for its thunderous sub-bass character.

All additional sounds, sampled elements, drums, percussion, effects and sound-design elements in this version come from the E-mu Emulator II. Released in 1984, the Emulator II became one of the defining samplers of the 1980s, combining early digital sampling technology with analog sound-shaping circuitry. Its unmistakable 8-bit character gives this version a deliberately authentic vintage texture.

'Russians' itself was written by Sting during the Cold War and became known for its powerful anti-war and peace message.

The goal of this cover was to combine two very different worlds of vintage electronic music:

1970s analog synthesis + 1980s digital sampling

The massive analog low end of the Moog Taurus meets the gritty, unmistakable character of the E-mu Emulator II to create a new interpretation of Sting’s 'Russians'.

If you are interested in vintage synthesizers, analog bass synthesizers, E-mu samplers, 1980s electronic music, synth covers and classic studio gear, you will hopefully enjoy this version.

Thanks for listening!

🎛️ Main bass: Moog Taurus Bass Pedal Synthesizer (1976)
🎹 String and Lead sounds & samples: E-mu Emulator II Sampling Synthesizer (1984)
🥁 Drums / percussion / FX: E-mu Emulator II

This is a cover/reinterpretation created as a tribute to the original composition and its timeless message."

And the original:

Sting - Russians

video upload by Sting

"REMASTERED IN HD!
Official Music Video for Russians performed by Sting."