Description
San Francisco Moog documents a critical missing link in the history of electronic music, revealing the groundbreaking work of Doug McKechnie and his early experimentation with the Moog Modular Series III synthesizer. McKechnie, armed with one of the first ever made Moogs, pushed the boundaries of electronic sound in the late 1960s. Despite performing outside the traditional recording studios and academia, McKechnie’s improvised concerts introduced audiences in the Bay Area to electronic sounds, paving the way for later pioneers like Tangerine Dream. The music on San Francisco Moog showcases McKechnie’s innovative approach, blending multiple electronic voices and exploring the instrument’s plastic sonic possibilities with a melodic and free-flowing sound.
This long-lost collection of recordings, hidden away for decades, offers a glimpse into McKechnie’s unique musical vision. From the experimental and evocative “The First Exploration @ SF Radical Labs, 1968” to the minimalist yet timbrally diverse “Meditation Moog 1968,” each track captures the in-the-moment nature of McKechnie’s performances. What is particularly striking is how McKechnie’s improvisations, such as “Baseline” and “Crazy Ray,” maintain fully formed musical compositions with catchy melodies and counterpoints. San Francisco Moog not only presents an immersive listening experience but also challenges the accepted history of electronic music, shedding new light on the influential work of artists like McKechnie and their contributions to the genre’s evolution.
