A LOOK AT THE RISE OF MODULAR SYNTHESIZERS
Remember when you saw TRON: Legacy and the soundtrack was so good, it made you actually want to watch TRON: Legacy again? You can thank Daft Punk for that, and Daft Punk can thank the modular synthesizer. A 100-module Modcan Synthesizer, costing close to $50,000, was commissioned and built for the soundtrack and many people believe it is the resurgence of units like this one that have made the art of making music so intricate, exciting and versatile.
Filmmaker Robert Fantinatto chose the modular synthesizer as the topic for his new film, I Dream of Wires. After a short spell of obsolescence, the MS is “no longer an esoteric curiosity or even a mere music instrument — it is an essential tool for radical new sounds and a bona fide subculture.” This film takes viewers on a tour from the historical to the current of all things modular, with loving shout-outs from artists such as Trent Reznor, to manufacturers and builders like the Modcan man himself, Bruce Duncan. The film takes the MS from the realm of pure nerd sorcery and shows it as a musical artistry that can create sound which inspires people to endure repeat viewings of TRON: Legacy. Now, that is one magic music box.
By Claire Miglionico
