Album Mini-review: Matthew Bourne — moogmemory
File next to: Philip Glass, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Brian Eno
The Memorymoog was the last synthesizer produced by Moog Music during the original company’s run; while a deeply versatile and expressive instrument, its complex inner workings made it highly unreliable, and that contributed both to the damaging of Moog’s reputation and to the company’s 1986 bankruptcy (Dr. Bob Moog later founded a second Moog Music that is quite successful). Nominally a jazz musician, Matthew Bourne moved into more avant-garde and electronic sounds more than a decade ago. His third album, moogmemory, was realized solely on a retrofitted Memorymoog. The album is far less experimental than one might suspect, and the results are fascinating: soothing yet intriguing (and often surprisingly melodic) melodies that have the feel of Brian Eno’s Another Green World-era instrumentals, albeit without a rock aesthetic.
This review appeared previously in the Colorado Springs Independent.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.