Tonto's Expanding Head Band

More info

Trackilist

1. Cybernaut 4:39

2. Jetsex 4:13

3. Timewhys 4:56

4. Aurora 6:48

5. Riversong 7:58

6. Tama 5:19

7. Bittersweet 7:08

8. Ferryboat 4:58

9. Pyramodal 2:09

10. Cameltrain 3:54

11. Judgementor 4:40

12. Freeflight 2:24

13. Tontomotion 5:48

14. Tranquillium 6:11

Tonto's Expanding Head Band (Malcolm Cecil, limited edition CD, 2006) (remastered CD Tonto Rides Again, with a bonus track)

Tonto's Expanding Head Band was a British electronic music duo consisting of Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff. Despite releasing only two albums in the early 1970s, the duo were (and still remain) influential because of their session work for other musicians (most notably Stevie Wonder), extensive commercial advertising work and the unique warmth and personality of their work.

The Tonto synthesizerTonto is an acronym for "The Original New Timbral Orchestra," the world's first (and still the largest) multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer, designed and constructed by Malcolm Cecil. Tonto started as a Moog modular synthesizer Series III owned by record producer Margouleff. Later a second Moog III was added, then four Oberheim SEMs, two ARP 2600s, modules from Serge with Moog-like panels, EMS, Roland, Yamaha, etc. plus several custom modules designed by Serge Tcherepnin and Cecil (who has an electrical engineering background). Later, digital sound-generation circuitry and a collection of sequencers were added, along with MIDI control. The modules are all mounted in an instantly recognizable semicircle of huge curving wooden cabinets, twenty feet in diameter and six feet high.

"I wanted to create an instrument that would be the first multitimbral polyphonic synthesizer. Multitimbral polyphony is different than the type of polyphony provided by most of today's synthesizers, on which you turn to a string patch and everything under your fingers is strings. In my book 'multitimbral' means each note you play has a different tone quality, as if the notes come from separate instruments. I wanted to be able to play live multitimbral polyphonic music using as many fingers and feet as I had."
The synthesizer was featured (as the "electronic room") in the 1974 Brian de Palma film Phantom of the Paradise. It was also used in the album 1980 by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson and features on the front and back covers of this album.

Tonto has been solely owned by Malcolm Cecil since he acquired Robert Margouleff's share in 1975. In the mid-1990s Tonto was moved to Mutato Muzika[6] studios, the headquarters of Mark Mothersbaugh and Devo, leading to widespread rumors that Mothersbaugh had purchased Tonto but this was not true. Currently Tonto is located in its own studio in upstate New York close to Woodstock.

Cart

Categories

Record Labels

Genres

Viewed products

Making Waves

Sola Luna

Tonto's Expanding Head Band

General Help

In The Shop

Your Account