synth britannia - BBC4

matt b

matt b

Indexing all opinion
mms said:
vince clarke is one of the few ppl in the country to have an ems synthi 100 apparently, and has a huge collection of analogue and modular synths.
its a shame then that he doesn't use em for much more than erasure.
he seems a very strange guy.
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his studio:

vince-clark-studio.jpg


(although, I think he sold a lot of it last year)

edit:
from wikipedia: "As of 2009, Clarke has set up his pre-midi analog synthesizers in a wooden hut-like structure in Maine, and combined it with a digital, logic based set up to form a new recording studio which is open for commercial use. It is called The Cabin"

vinceclarke.jpg




Great programme, all the interviewees were good. Could have done without the generalised wider cultural background, which was unnuanced (Thatcher= everyone was poor, especially in The North, where they didn't have electricity....<2 minutes pass> Phil Oakey "I rushed out and spent £XXX on a modular synth")
 
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hint

hint

party record with a siren
Yeah - he moved to America recently, I think. Sold off a lot of kit and even used soft synths for a bit while he was waiting for everything to get shipped over.
 
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massrock

Well-known member
mms said:
vince clarke is one of the few ppl in the country to have an ems synthi 100 apparently, and has a huge collection of analogue and modular synths.
its a shame then that he doesn't use em for much more than erasure.
he seems a very strange guy.
Click to expand...
Looked like Daniel Miller had one in his studio there as well, a fuckton of EMS stuff anyway - look at around 9 minutes!

Oakey had a massive modular rig behind him as well.

Clarke apparently got rid of loads of stuff, used software for a while, and has started buying gear again - he's got a new studio I think.

If you hang out on synth forums at all you find out there are all these people with amazing collections of synthesizers who don't really seem to use them for much at all. I don't really mind, at least someone's looking after them.
 
saymon

saymon

New member
This was so well done, really enjoyed it. Nice to see a UK music documentary that doesn't have fucking Jarvis Cocker in it for a change. Had my first feeling of real jealousy when Miller showed off the Kraftwerk vocodor. Also funny to picture Vince Clarke lugging around a Jupiter 4 that weighs probably more than Vince Clarke. (And why carry a hundred pound synth to TOTP where, if I'm not mistaken they never actually plugged them in.)
 
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Martin Dust

Techno Zen Master
mms said:
vince clarke is one of the few ppl in the country to have an ems synthi 100 apparently, and has a huge collection of analogue and modular synths.
its a shame then that he doesn't use em for much more than erasure.
he seems a very strange guy.
Click to expand...

Did anyone believe that he never went for a pint or meal with Alison?

He did do a massive CD sampler type thing from all his synths, I seem to recall it was called Lucky Bastard or something like that.
 
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mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
john eden said:
Richard Kirk .
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Did you think so? I get what you mean about him not being interviewed all the time but that quote about 'some people think Ghost Town was the soundtrack to the riots, I've had other people say it was Red Mecca' and I just thought, god, in your dreams m8, really in your dreams.
 
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Martin Dust

Techno Zen Master
mistersloane said:
Did you think so? I get what you mean about him not being interviewed all the time but that quote about 'some people think Ghost Town was the soundtrack to the riots, I've had other people say it was Red Mecca' and I just thought, god, in your dreams m8, really in your dreams.
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Richard hardly ever gives interviews, I think I've only ever seen 3. Red Mecca was massive here.
 
powerpill

powerpill

Well-known member
mistersloane said:
Did you think so? I get what you mean about him not being interviewed all the time but that quote about 'some people think Ghost Town was the soundtrack to the riots, I've had other people say it was Red Mecca' and I just thought, god, in your dreams m8, really in your dreams.
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yes that seemed really odd to me
 
M

massrock

Well-known member
Don't think he meant that as if everyone was listening to it. More that some people felt it captured the feeling in the air. I can't say if I agree but that seems fair enough and not such an outrageous claim.
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
massrock said:
Don't think he meant that as if everyone was listening to it. More that some people felt it captured the feeling in the air. I can't say if I agree but that seems fair enough and not such an outrageous claim.
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Yes, I think they were both inspired by the same things, but appealed to different audiences.

and of course one of them hasn't been drilled into our heads through endless repetition on "i love the 1980s" list programmes and every other documentary under the sun.

Much as I love dammers I don't think you'd get him being so uncompromising in his support for rioters and his criticism of surveillance culture...
 
M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
I just thought you poor addled fool, but I guess I'm being harsh.

It's not just 80s revisionism either, I remember Toxeth going up and the Specials being in the charts, it was amazing.

Anyone know the release date for Red Mecca? It hit number one in the indie chart in September but that doesn't have any bearing on its release.
 
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Martin Dust

Techno Zen Master
It was August but I remember getting a promo copy back in July and in being played at The Limit club around then as well.
 
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