In the fickle world of music, recording contracts, ambiguous sub-genres, and fans' tastes, bands and artists come and go like the seasons. Bands/artists can find themselves on top of the musical world one day, and all but forgotten a few months later. This can happen to one hit wonders, bands with one or two great albums that never again duplicate that success, or those, that despite their stellar talent, can't overcome their personal demons or differences.
When a band (be it the original members, or some old and new) can stand the test of time, across decades, genres, and continents they are truly worthy of being called music legends. Several such bands/artists will be gracing the stage at Moogfest this weekend. If you're lucky enough to be there to catch them live, give yourself a pat on the back. If not, don't fret, The Tuned Inn will be your eyes and ears for everything Moogfest.
Let's take a look at some of the living legends who will appear at Moogfest this weekend:
Tangerine Dream was founded in West Berlin, Germany in 1967 by Edgar Froese. While the group has featured more than 20 different members over the years (not to mention scores of guest artists), Froese remains the only constant member. Froese's early work with tape loops and other repetitive noises was the clear precursor to the emerging technology of the sequencer. The band is credited with helping form the genre known as Krautrock. They have played for Salvador Dali, produced soundtracks for television and films, and seamlessly blended art and music with ease. They have founded multiple record labels (TDI, Eastgate), influenced musicians and DJs for more than 40 years, and even had a Cannabis Cup-winning strain of marijuana named after them. Much like a tangerine, seeing this performance at Moogfest will be nothing short of sweet. Pinch yourself all you want, it's not a dream.
Suicide is a new wave, pop-punk duo formed in 1970. The group consists of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They have been performing together for more than 40 years. Suicide is the first band to ever use the term "punk" to describe their music. Let that marinate for a minute.
They have produced several classic albums (including their self-titled debut, Suicide [the second album], Half Alive, Ghost Riders, and A Way of Life), and they are credited as strong influences into several genres including punk, indie, industrial, and dance. Their songs have appeared on television (“Entourage”), been sampled by Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen closed his live shows on his 2005 "Devils and Dust" tour with a lengthy cover of Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream". Having seen the Springsteen version live, I can say it was a beautifully haunting tribute to the original. I'd kill to see these guys perform live...someone else, not myself.
Hans Joachim-Roedelius was born in Berlin, Germany in 1934. He celebrated his 77th birthday yesterday, but you can celebrate this living legend this weekend at Moogfest. It would be easier to tell you which genres of music he hasn't influenced; he's touched industrial, Krautrock, dance, synthpop, ambient, electronic, and psychedelic, just to name a few. He was co-founder of the Zodiac Club in 1967 which became a major hub of Berlin's underground culture. He was a founding member of the band Kluster and helped produce some of the earliest forms of (what today is considered) Trance music with the group Harmonia (which also included Moogfest artist Brian Eno).
Joachim-Roedelius’ discography is so extensive that at last count I had his work included on over 101 albums. It's rumored that Cruella DeVille was weaned off of collecting Dalmatians by replacing her obsession with Hans Joachim-Roedelius albums. While your dad or grandpa is sitting in his easy chair watching football this weekend, this living legend will be treating festival goers to a once-in-a-lifetime performance. He's not over-the-hill, he's standing on top of it.
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