Moogfest 2014 daytime line-up includes Laurie Anderson, Keith Emerson and Giorgio Moroder

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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moogfest2014Are Moogfest 2014 organizers daft? Some folks may have been wondering following the split between Moog Music Inc. and AC Entertainment, the promoter of the Moogfest music festivals held in Asheville the past few years. There was no Moogfest this year as Moog Music paused to remake the event into one that company officials feel is more in line with what they’re all about, which is carrying on the legacy of inventor Bob Moog. That means celebrating a culture of innovation and invention as much as the amazing music enabled by electronic instruments like the synthesizer Moog pioneered.

In other words, Moogfest is now as much about brains as it is about beats. There are futurists and inventors on the speaker list, and the event will include a tech job fair, media art installations, a tech fair and more. And tons of great music at night. Brains and beats.

Organizers have announced the line-up of daytime speakers, some of whom will surely stick around for performances or other collaborations. Instantly recognizable names include musician and composerLaurie AndersonKeith Emerson, founder of Emerson, Lake and Palmer; and my personal favorite,Giorgio Moroder, an Italian record producer who has collaborated with Donna Summer, Blondie, Sparks, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and most recently, Daft Punk. He composed the music for the films Scarface, Midnight Express, and others.

But check out the other folks who will be coming and are equally as fascinating: Jerome C. Glenn, co-founder of the Millenium Project and an expert on future studies; Joseph Paradiso, associate Professor at MIT Media Lab’s Media Arts and Sciences program; and Mark Frauenfelder, founding Editor-In-Chief of MAKE magazine and founder and Co-Editor of the weblog/print zine Boing Boing. And that’s only scratching the surface.

You’ll see the full list below. Tickets are on sale today for $199 for the entire five-day event, which will be held in Asheville from April 23-27. That’s a deal, folks. The price will only go up from here. Later this month, Moogfest organizers will announce the curators of the musical showcases that will be held in the evenings. Then on Dec. 19, musical headliners will be announced, and the ticket price goes up to $299.

More as I get it. Here’s the list of daytime speakers:

Laurie Anderson
Musician, composer, pioneer in electronic music and one of the great experimental performance artists.
Giorgio Moroder
Moroder is honored in the Dance Music Hall of Fame, and has collaborated with Donna Summer, Blondie, Sparks, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and most recently, Daft Punk. He composed the music for the films ‘Scarface,’ ‘Midnight Express,’ ‘Cat People,’ ‘Flashdance,’ ‘Top Gun’ and more.
Cliff Martinez
Composer best known for his epic and haunting film scores, which include ‘Drive’, ‘Only God Forgives’, ‘Contagion’, ‘Solaris’ and ‘Traffic,’ plus a collaborative score with Skrillex for ‘Spring Breakers.’
Martinez started his career as a drummer with the likes of Captain Beefheart and Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he is inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Besides scoring numerous films he also scored the theme for the Spore video game.
Jerome C. Glenn
Co-founder and Director of The Millennium Project, a renowned expert on Future Studies.
Dr. Nick Bostrom
Futurist and philosopher at the University of Oxford. Director of the Future of Humanity Institute and the Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology.
George Dvorsky
Futurist concerned with the ethical and sociological impacts of emerging technologies.
Dr. Joseph Paradiso
Associate Professor at MIT Media Lab’s Media Arts and Sciences program and Co-Director of the Things That Think Consortium, which examines the extreme future of embedded computation and sensing.
Bruce Walker
Associate Professor at the Schools of Psychology and Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Mark Frauenfelder
Founding Editor-In-Chief of MAKE magazine, founder and Co-Editor of the weblog/print zine Boing Boing and Editor-In-Chief of Cool-Tools.org.
Claire Evans
Musician, artist and science writer. Editor-In-Chief at the science fiction magazine OMNI, investigating the intersection of art and science.
Forrest M. Mims III
Author, researcher, lecturer and columnist. Written more than 60 books about science, lasers, computers and electronics.
Charles Lindsay
Photographer and artist, is the first of its kind, Artist in Residence at the SETI (Search of Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute.
Hans Fjellestad
Director, producer, writer and editor of the 2004 documentary ‘Moog’ and producer and writer of 2009’s ‘The Heart Is A Drum Machine.’
Herbert Deutsch
Composer, educator and inventor. Professor Emeritus of Electronic Music and Composition at Hofstra University. Collaborated with Bob Moog in the development of the Moog Synthesizer in 1964.
Roger Linn
Industrial designer of electronic drum machines and guitar effects pedals. His products are used on countless famous recordings.
Don Buchla
Synthesizer pioneer and founder of electronic music equipment company Buchla and Associates.
Tom Oberheim
Audio engineer and maker of analogue synthesizers, effects processors, sequencers and drum machines.
Malcolm Cecil
Creator of TONTO, the world’s first multi-timbral, polyphonic analog audio synthesizer.
Dave Smith
Engineer and musician. Known as the Father of MIDI for his role in the development of MIDI.
Keith Emerson
English keyboardist and composer. Founder of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Acknowledged as one of the most technically accomplished keyboardist in rock history.

 

General Admission and VIP tickets for Moogfest are available now at Moogfest.com. Phase 1 tickets start at $199 for 5-Day General Admission plus a limited number of $499 5-Day VIP Admission while supplies last through December 19 when Phase 2 GA go up to $299. All ticket prices are exclusive of applicable fees.
Moogfest VIP Package – $499*
VIP’s Get in First EVERYWHERE
Priority Festival Check In
VIP Entrance at Each Venue
VIP lounge at US Cellular Center with Private Bar and WiFi
Reserved Seating and Areas for VIPs
Moogfest 2014 Program
Moogfest T-Shirt
Moogfest Gift Bag
Exclusive Invitations to VIP Only Events
Plus Much More To Be Announced…
*Plus Applicable fees
Moogfest is also offering a limited run of unique VIP experiences for the true synth aficionado atwww.moogfest.com/tickets.
Moogfest also hosts free events open to the public:
4 day street festival, including new media art installations and live music
2 day North Carolina Tech Expo & Interactive Job Fair
5 day new electronic instrument pop-up shop
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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

8 Comments

  1. Orton November 14, 2013

    Daft Punk charges well over 100k to perform so they’ll probably never play anywhere close to Asheville.

    Reply
    1. Greg November 14, 2013

      100k?

      From a friend of mine that booked Vegoose, Daft Punk’s booking fee was a cool 2 million.

      That was also while they were still touring for Alive 2007.

      I’m eager to see if they launch a tour in the coming year or two, but I’m not holding my breath on having them come to Asheville.

      Reply
      1. Orton November 15, 2013

        I believe it…

        Reply
  2. Katherine November 14, 2013

    Daft Punk has been a rumour for years off & on. I will say tho, if it ever came true … we’re gonna need a bigger venue to accommodate everyone who wants to go (myself included)

    Reply
  3. Sam S November 14, 2013

    Wait a second, is the rumor true I heard last week, is Daft Punk coming ? Anyone….

    Reply
    1. Jason Sandford November 14, 2013

      Sam, I have no idea. Haven’t heard… Headliners will be announced next month.

      Reply
      1. chris November 14, 2013

        Thought maybe you were giving a little hint with that opening line!

        Reply
        1. Jason Sandford November 14, 2013

          chris, that was my reference to Giorgio Moroder, who will be attending Moogfest 2014 in Asheville and collaborated with Daft Punk on their latest album.

          Reply

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