Synth genius Wendy Carlos studied physics & #music at Brown & Columbia. She helped develop the 1st Moog synthesizer & her 1968 classical album Switched-On Bach went platinum. She brought music & tech together & composed soundtracks for A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Tron & more.
Carlos was assigned male at birth & transitioned to female. Unfortunately, many journalists focus more on her gender than her accomplishments that changed music forever. https://www.wendycarlos.com #history #HistoryRemix
The Official Wendy Carlos
HomePage. The definitive Web collection of information about the
pioneer synthesist and composer (and solar eclipse photographer),
including a "Write Wendy" Maildrop.
I remember when that album came out; it was revolutionary! Many arguments abt whether it was 'okay' to manipulate a revered classical composer's work in that way. Fast forward to #MaxRichter etc doing wonderful adjustments of #Vivaldi etc. Progress!
Wendy Carlos fucking rules. I really hope we get to see a reissue of her work soon. To this day I'm absolutely blown away by her work on Clockwork Orange
Switched On Bach and A Clockwork Orange were works of utter genius, all recorded with monophonic Moog's and then multi-tracked. Every sound had to be designed by hand, with no presets and no midi.
Carlos was a big influence on me in the 70s. I listened to Switched-On Bach obsessively and then begged my parents to buy me a synthesizer. And so began a lifelong interest in electronic music.
As a lifelong fan of her music and a dabbler in analogue modular synthesis myself, I’ve never met anyone from either of those communities who give her gender any thought or comment. It does seem to be the sole preoccupation of alleged journalists.
i have never understood why we are so frightened by anything that we don't understand. Those who make their livelihood exploiting this fear do a disservice to humanity.
I have enjoyed so many of her works over the years. Switched-On Bach was huge when it came out, but I like her soundtracks better. I’ve had this album for 40 years.
Awhile back I was trying to understand how musical scales worked. The math is relatively simple, and can yield different scales by making different assumptions (i.e. an octave base of 2, the divisions of twelve.) As it out, Wendy Carlos had already derived other scales and had written it up: https://www.wendycarlos.com/resources/pitch.html
The Official Wendy Carlos HomePage. The
definitive Web collection of information about the pioneer synthesist and
composer (and solar eclipse photographer), including a "Write
Wendy" Maildrop.
Switched on Bach was one of my favorites as a child, I would choose it often from my parents vinyl collection. I have the album still, just nothing to play it on anymore.
Growing up in the 1970’s, her Switched On Bach album blew my mind and made me think about what could be possible. When I got a Commodore 64 in the early 1980s, the first thing I remember doing with it was trying to make electronic music.
"Switched On Bach" was even more impressive when you consider that those early Series 900 Moogs had a serious problem with pitch drift. (We had one at #Oberlin Conservatory back in the Seventies.)
Carlos and her producer Rachel Elkind (sp?) could only record a few notes before the oscillators started to drift off tune. So the entire album was cut together (literally) a few notes at a time using razor blades and adhesive tape.
She was an inspiration to me during my time as a music technology student. I seem to remember we were originally introduced to her in our history of computer music module as Walter Carlos, but quickly became aware that attributing her works as Wendy Carlos was more appropriate. Hopefully, I’m misremembering.
Ms AB ☕
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •SonofGroucho💙#FBPE🇺🇦
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •SonofGroucho💙#FBPE🇺🇦
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Seitansbraten
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Always worth to view
sisters with transistors
sisterswithtransistors.comJoe Byer
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •She’s a trailblazer who’s opened the door for many trans- and cis-women to get into electronic sounds making. Legend!
JimHarper3
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •AngelCage
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Dot
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •PaulNUK
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Completely outstanding.
Bonnie Sonder
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Essjay 🏳️🌈 :flag_ace:
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •'Unfortunately.'
Just like the journalists you are criticising.
You are no better.
Doctor Brew
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Inky Tartars
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Creative! Queer!! Autistic!!!
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •DonatellaInCali
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •I remember seeing ELP in 1977 and was amazed
d0rkv4d3r
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Scaphoid
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •M C von Schratz 🏳️⚧️
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •geekdolan
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Amazing legacy, and amazing human.
Tom Resing
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •The Skeptic's Book of Lists
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •The Well-Tempered Synthesizer. My dad had it on high rotation around our house in the 70s.
Buster McNutt
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •And I've even owned the A Clockwork Orange soundtrack since last century.
Priscilla Haring-Kuipers
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •E.T.
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Tony
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Coles Street Pothole
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •mrkaptastic
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •lynn
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Awhile back I was trying to understand how musical scales worked. The math is relatively simple, and can yield different scales by making different assumptions (i.e. an octave base of 2, the divisions of twelve.) As it out, Wendy Carlos had already derived other scales and had written it up: https://www.wendycarlos.com/resources/pitch.html
Wendy Carlos Pitch article
www.wendycarlos.comThe DJ Mr P
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Tucker Teague
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Itwasntme
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Asymmetricblue
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •geylfling
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •What I've always wondered is if the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" is referencing her.
Dan York
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Mark :rust: :arch_linux:
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Edsel Little
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Carlos and her producer Rachel Elkind (sp?) could only record a few notes before the oscillators started to drift off tune. So the entire album was cut together (literally) a few notes at a time using razor blades and adhesive tape.
benda
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •RealGravitas
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •Jon Gibbins
in reply to Sheril Kirshenbaum • • •