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Vangelis has died

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Re: Vangelis has died

#161

Post by Intermernet »

pjbk wrote: post #155
MrGando wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The brass you hear in Vangelis is probably an Oberheim OB-Xa, incredible brass sounds. The band toto made those sounds extremely popular here in the states too. Google who the Porcaro brothers were (well one is still alive and kicking :) )

CS80 indeed. There is an almost identical patch for the Arturia CS-80v if interested: https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2017/10/19/free-arturia-c...

Much cheaper than getting an original CS80 ;-)

The CS80 was decades ahead of it's time. I love playing with CS-80v, but I need a keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch to do it justice, and the Ensoniq models are now way too pricey. Wish I'd bought one 10 years ago when they were unpopular, available, weird and cheap.

Re: Vangelis has died

#162

Post by DeathArrow »

RIP. Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre were a generation of artist for which electronic music truly meant something. Now elextronic music means DJs mixing other people's music.

Re: Vangelis has died

#163

Post by pantulis »

I believe the "Cosmos" TV documentary series would have not been the same without Vangelis' soundtrack. I just need to hear the first notes of "Alpha" and I can also hear Carl Sagan's voice (well, his Spanish dubbing actor) pondering about the secrets of the Universe just like 4 decades ago.

Re: Vangelis has died

#164

Post by greggsy »

pjbk wrote: post #154
greggsy wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s hard to leave any discussion around the development of synth as an instrument without mentioning Tangerine Dream and Popol Vuh, but they were arguably more related to the prog-rock scene than as composers. Incidentally, a former member of TH, Klaus Schultz also died last month. TG didn’t land any major soundtracks (like Jarre or Vangelis), but they were nonetheless highly influential , if only due to their proli…

Ugh. Risky Business, Thief, The Keep, Firestarter, Sorcerer, Legend, Near Dark, Miracle Mile... Perhaps not as major as Chariots of Fire, but nonetheless.

I looked through their soundtrack discography before putting the reply together, and while those were all successful movies, but I didn’t consider them to be on the same level as the Blade Runner or Gallipoli soundtracks which, to me, are amazing in their own right. (Carlos’ A Clockwork Orange naturally goes into the same category).

Re: Vangelis has died

#165

Post by pantulis »

nonrandomstring wrote: post #45

RIP a true master of synthesis, up there as an equal to Isao Tomita and Ralf Hutter. So many memorable and now foundational techniques: The gated saw string "chug" (Chariots of Tire) Glissando space echo dives (Blade Runner) Incredible synthetic guitar solos that inspired Jan Hammer Analogue strings from the CS80 that melt like Mantovani. Will be so sorely missed. I'm gonna play out all my collection in a huge Vangel…

> Incredible synthetic guitar solos that inspired Jan Hammer

"Metallic Rain" comes to mind

Re: Vangelis has died

#166

Post by bramjans »

zoomablemind wrote: post #75

My memory holds that magical feeling, when in the mindnight darkness and quietness of home, suddenly heard a gentle stream of silver bells and a beautiful, maybe melancholic, melody from a tiny radio speaker... with no announcement of the author or name of the song. It was then just used as a last song of the day. Took me a veeery long time and other side of the globe to hear it again, again by chance, but with attri…

That's really nice, thanks for sharing!

Re: Vangelis has died

#167

Post by coldtea »

MrGando wrote: post #148
jancsika wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Imo, Vangelis brought the synthesizer from an experimental novelty to an instrument for composition. The two sounds I associate with him are the long brassy triangle with a steep envelope that we know from both Blade Runner and the accompaniment to the piano in the Chariots of Fire theme, and his effective use of chimes. One of the most memorable parts of the Blade Runner soundtrack is the brass synth that casually…

The brass you hear in Vangelis is probably an Oberheim OB-Xa, incredible brass sounds. The band toto made those sounds extremely popular here in the states too. Google who the Porcaro brothers were (well one is still alive and kicking :) )

That would be a Yamaha CS80 - at least for Bladerunner, it's one of its most famous uses.

Btw, the Oberheim had a new release just last week or so.

Re: Vangelis has died

#168

Post by nunodonato »

stefanos82 wrote: post #24

This gave me goosebumps because I could not stop thinking about him the past week or so and I could not understand why... Αναπαύσου εν ειρήνη θρύλε, Rest in peace legend. Καλό ταξίδι γίγαντα μου https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd-DlMOLCY4

Damn, I wasn't the only one! Two days ago, just out of the blues I started listening to his music on spotify (i like no-vocals music while coding). He dies 1 later :(

Re: Vangelis has died

#169

Post by coldtea »

mhh__ wrote: post #2

That's a shame. His work on blade runner just has this timeless magic to it. The sequel ends on his motif (tears in rain) for a reason too. I also forgot to mention that chariots of fire is truly great too. Some parts of his music haven't aged too well, but the stuff that hasn't is sorely missed in today's film scores. Even if Zimmer is brilliant he's not a poet.

Aside, he was accused of plagiarising Chariots of Fire from this Greek tv series theme (coming out a few years earlier):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Oti6lkzgH0

He did know and was friends with the composer (also very talented), my guess is Vangelis just heard it at some point and picked up the theme's feel and basic style, and subconsciously copied it. It happens. His version is better imho.

Re: Vangelis has died

#170

Post by jhbadger »

Wistar wrote: post #130
tzs wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would you compare Vangelis and Isao Tomita? Tomita was marrying synth with classical at about the same time or even a little earlier, to widespread acclaim and success. A couple other names I think of when I think early serious synth work are Jean-Michel Jarre and Larry Fast. Where would you put them in synth history?

Although I have not heard (or even thought of) it in… well, decades, Tomita's Pictures at an Exhibition was something I really loved, especially "Ballet of Unhatched Chicks." I need to try and listen to it again.

Yes, his version of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition was amazing. I first heard of it several years ago when I was reading Uwe Tellkamp's The Tower: Tales From a Lost Country which was about growing up in East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s. The main character is obsessed with the record, which was made available through the East German state music publisher "Amiga" (maybe being based on a Russian work made it more palatable to the authorities). Anyway, I tracked down a copy myself and really enjoyed it. I was familiar with Vangelis but not Tomita before that.
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