Inside the Moog Sound Lab

Originally posted on FACT.

In 1964, Dr Robert Moog introduced a new type of instrument that would change music for good – the Moog Synthesizer.

Countless artists in the decades since have used Moogs or Moog-inspired sounds as a central part of their music, and the Moog Sound Lab – a performance series that gives musicians the chance to experiment with a whole roomful of vintage Moog equipment – has emerged as a real attraction over the last few years, holding residencies at festivals across the world.

This August the Moog Sound Lab hosted a residency at London’s Ace Hotel, where seven artists spent four nights creating music. At the end of their stay, the artists gave live performances of their new compositions in the hotel’s music venue. Each of the compositions were produced and performed under the influence of another 60s creation, Brion Gysin’s Dream Machine.

FACT TV was granted a special tour of the Sound Lab’s London set-up, which features a wide range of Moog analog synths old and new, and includes one of only two existent re-engineered 1970s System 55 modulars, plus an original Taurus Bass Pedal unit and more. Lose yourself in it for a bit – we won’t blame you.

Moog Sound Lab UK is a partnership between Moog Musc Inc and British hifi experts Bowers & Wilkins (Bowers & Wilkins).