For example, did you know James Brown spent 3 years in prison for threatening pedestrians with firearms while high on PCP?

It’s the classic case of genius that self destructs into malignity. It’s easy to give respect when considering what he has done for music, but, in most cases his dark persona proceeds him.

What really stands out among electronic musicians is that he worked with some of the most innovative, funky drummers of the 1900s. One of those drummers, Clyde Stubblefield, is said to be the most sampled musician EVER. It’s clear that the signature sound of funk and soul was shaped by these performers.

The sound of many other new genres still echo with bits and pieces of James Brown’s music, from drum and bass to hip hop. Here is a nice little holiday treat for our readers, a small collection of James Brown breakbeats, grunts and funky yells that truly have been sampled to death. Enjoy and have a happy holiday. RIP James Brown.

You would be hard pressed to find an electronic musician who didn’t admire Bob Moog or respect everything he did not only for the electronic music community, but, music in general. Moog synthesizers have been used by very big artists including, but not limited to: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, Depeche Mode, Trent Reznor, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Phil Collins, Frank Zappa etc.

Moog’s synthesizers are the synths with THE sound. From the legendary theremin (orginally created by Leon Theremin) to the beautiful Voyager, Bob Moog and his coworkers have been responsible for some of the most desired electronic instruments ever. Getting to rock out on a Moog Modular with patch cords flailing everywhere mad scientist style is a great experience! Sound samples of the Moog Modular can be found on the samples page, more added below.

Bob’s family has established The Bob Moog Foundation dedicated to the Advancement of Electronic Music in his memory. Many of his longtime collaborators including musicians, engineers and educators have agreed to sit on its executive board including David Borden, Wendy Carlos, Joel Chadabpe, John Eaton, David Mash, and Rick Wakeman. For more information about the foundation, contact Matthew Moog at mattmoog@yahoo.com.

http://www.moogmusic.com/

Bob is survived by his wife and 5 children. Thank you for enriching our lives with warm analog sounds, Bob. I’ll be listening to “Switched on Bach” tonight in your memory. Here are all of the sound samples that we offer from the Moog, even those only offered on the forums:

Moog Modular | Moog Robotics | Moog Vibrations | Moog Bass