I've been a fan of Kim Bjørn and Bjooks' series of hardcover synth nerd bibles since the initial release of Push Turn Move in 2017. For those unfamiliar with the series, Bjooks publishes a series of gorgeous, hard cover, heavyweight, photo-essay style tomes, each with a specific focus on music technology and design, often with thoughtful engagement on human connections with the gear and historical/cultural intersections. If that sounds heady, rest assured, these books also work as pure delirious eye candy, with stunning photography, killer layouts, and detailed graphics throughout. They are impressively hefty, averaging about 3 to 4 lbs. in weight, and are each published in the same form factor of a perfect 9.8-inch square. Bjooks sent us three of their most recent publications: Synth Gems 1 – Exploring Vintage Synthesizers, Inspire The Music – 50 Years of Roland History, and the latest in their "Patch & Tweak" series, Patch & Tweak with Korg.
Synth Gems 1 (author: Mike Metlay, Ph.D.) promises to explore the aesthetic side of vintage analog synthesizer history, with a foreword from Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode/Yazoo/Erasure) [Tape Op #150], 320 pages of lovely photography, and insights on classics like the Moog Minimoog or Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, as well as quite a few rarities like the Elgam Carousel, and Skywave Lord Synthesiser.
The essays are often derived from conversations with the original designers of the instruments, or even engineers and product leads involved with the initial production runs. There are interesting historical anecdotes, and tons of technical information on the various, ever evolving approaches to synth architecture. Check out the appendix for info on the contributing curators, such as SMEM (the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments), Synthorama (also in Switzerland), and EMEAPP (Electronic Music Education and Preservation Project) in Harleysville, Pennsylvania.
Inspire The Music – 50 Years of Roland History (author: Kim Bjørn and various contributors) is an encyclopedic and wonderfully luxuriant 400 pages documenting the evolution of one of, if not the most, dominant giants of the music technology world.
Who knew that the development of the first Roland drum machine was inspired by a band member who couldn't keep time? Or that the iconic TB-303 synthesizer, used in countless classic electronic and dance tracks, was initially intended to be a bass guitar simulator? Bits and bobs like this make it a page-turner, but Inspire The Music isn't just a book about technology and gear, it's also a celebration of the people who make music. The book features interviews with musicians and producers who have used Roland equipment to create some of the most memorable songs in history. Each deep dive into a particular piece of gear is accompanied by tips, tricks, and additional wisdom from artists and producers like Jean-Michel Jarre, Omar Hakim, and Swizz Beats. The foreword by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis shares how their first synth, the Roland SH-1000, combined with two cassette tape recorders (and the tried and true bounce technique), helped begin their 40-year production collaboration, resulting in "The Minneapolis Sound." Reading about how these artists used this tech (oftentimes “improperly”) to express their creativity and connect with audiences made me even more motivated to make music in my synth cave.
Patch & Tweak With Korg (author: Kim Bjørn, with a foreword by Kitaro) is on the slim side of the Bjooks series at 216 pages, but it doesn't disappoint. It primarily covers the more recent patchable Korg semi-modular analog synth reissues and related gear like the MS-20 mini, the ARP 2600 M, and Volca modulars, as well as the SQ-1 and SQ-64 sequencers and the NTS-2 Oscilloscope. There's a galaxy of valuable tips on expanding your semi-modular rig and interfacing with various other gear, interspersed with expansive context like the history of ARP Instruments.
Overall, each of these new Bjooks is a study in beauty and aesthetics, treating their subjects with the respect and reverence they deserve. Michael Metlay notes in his preface to Synth Gems 1 that he sees the book as an "exhibition catalog" – one of those expansive, beautifully photographed books you pick up as you leave an art exhibit. And each of these Bjooks, clearly made with love and obsessive attention to detail, fits that description. These collections of instruments represent an art exhibition that will likely never exist. The fundamental viewpoint of these Bjooks is that the synthesizer is a work of high art, and I agree! Each book is highly recommended.
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