Interview and Content © Suzanne Horowitz 2011
All Rights Reserved
Special acknowledgment to B Ingrid and Karen Young
Special acknowledgment to B Ingrid and Karen Young
As a follow up to Part 1 of Yesterday Today and Tomorrow and in view of recent developments, the following paragraphs will cover the pre-release of several original compositions by Ron
The timeline is the early 1980’s when consumer priced synthesizers first hit the market. Also in that decade was the emergence of pop music, soft rock, the introduction of sampling, new wave/no wave, hip hop and rap
Unlike his contemporaries, Ron’s musical inclinations were very different . . .
*At the time you began showing an interest in electronic music, were you still working as a Chef?
Yes… I was the Executive Chef at Stuart Steinberg's Library Restaurant on Manhattan’s Westside when someone suggested that we start a band. As I recall, the kitchen always had music pumping and a few of the staff played instruments… so we gave it a shot
*When did you get your first synthesizer?
Probably around 1980 when they first arrived at Manny’s Music on 48th Street. The technology was still in its infancy and many of the keyboards could only reproduce one note at a time
They were considered modular, voltage-controlled analog synthesizer systems or monophonic synthesizers. I wanted to get one for the bass guitar to expand its range of percussive sounds
*In addition to playing the drums and other musical instruments, did you play the bass guitar as well?
By no means was I an actual bass player… the instrument was used to write melodic lines for songs. It was primarily the potential sounds of the bass that were of interest
*What made the BC Rich Mockingbird different from other electric bass guitars from that period?
Its circuitry was unique and highly advanced for the time. It had features like a built-in preamp, phase reversal, a (5) position rotary dial that changed the electronic configuration, a stereo output etc
*Would you share the backstory on the title track (Saharawi) and how it came about?
The Saharawi are a nomadic people that have lived in the Western Sahara Desert for hundreds of years. Their history... predates the arrival of Islam in the 8th century AD. I first became aware of them through a PBS documentary called Blood in the Sand.
*Were the Saharawi part of a research project?
No… I was in the studio working on a mix when something very dramatic appeared on a large monitor. There were bearded men with dark complexions scrambling through the desert on camels.
They wore turbans, scimitars and looked really pissed-off about something? In the middle of all that was a small film crew and what appeared to be a female journalist. After watching the program, I went back into the studio and recorded the piece.
*When you compose a piece of music, do your ideas usually start on paper and if not, how would you describe the process?
*When you compose a piece of music, do your ideas usually start on paper and if not, how would you describe the process?
Very little starts on paper unless there are specific words in mind. Generally, I just start playing and try to capture the moment while improvising. However, this time was different and no instruments were used except for a variety of electronic devices.
The main processor, a Korg MS 50 synthesizer had no keyboard so essentially… all of the orchestral effects and tone bending had to be created by turning little knobs in Real Time.
The sound in my head resembled a Middle Eastern instrument called a Pungi. If you’ve ever heard the instrument used by snake charmers (a double reeded instrument with a grating harmony and squealing tone), you could visualize what I was hearing.
*Can you describe the quality in the documentary that impressed you enough to make a personal statement in musical terms? In other words, what was it about the film that inspired you?
First of all, the film was not like watching a similar event on the evening news. It was attempting to convey the other side’s view of an evolving crisis the world knew little about at the time.
What made the story so compelling was the fact that a female journalist had traveled to a country where women were still considered property and in many ways... less than human
The area she was attempting to reach was an active war zone with very few rules and everyone was a potential target! In order to go into the desert to get that story, she first had to sign a waiver to the hosting country of Morocco relinquishing them of any liability in the event of her death.
I would have to say it was her fearless commitment to the state of Human Rights and that of a journalist, that truly inspired the piece.
Recording Notes and Update:
The music for Saharawi, Transfigurations and Black Attack are presently being transferred from their original analog format to disk. Upon completion, they and other tracks will be uploaded to YouTube with a reference link in these articles.
There are no plans for a video track at this time
To be continued . . .
