Sunday, 3 November 2019

Studio Albums


In 1974 Tomita released the album Snowflakes are Dancing which was an electronic styling of Claude Debussy’s impressionist pieces. It was well received world-wide and helped to begin the popularisation of synthesizer programming. Tomita talks about his methods for recording Clair de Lune from Snowflakes are Dancing-

“Through recreating Debussy's "Clair de Lune," I wanted to add a different colour to his composition by focusing on the tone of the sound more than the melody itself. So, at first, I started recording with an 8-channel recorder but decided to switch to AMPEX's 16 channel recorder because I wanted to make the whole thing more intricate. On top of Moog costing around ten million yen, I paid about 30 million yen for other equipment—including the recorder and mixer. But it was still cheaper than making a studio. I used a 30-inch analogue tape that didn't need noise reduction, but a reel of that tape was very expensive, plus it could only record up to 15 minutes. So, that's the recording environment I was working in. I brought in a sleeping bag in the studio, and just worked and worked on that album for 16 months. “(Tomita) [1]

 He then released Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition 1975, Firebird by Stravinsky 1976 and Holst the Planets 1976. This album caused controversy as Imogen Holst; daughter of Gustav Holst refused permission for her father’s work to be used.

He was known worldwide for his electronic arrangements of classical compositions, with which he followed in the footsteps of synthesists Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind, creators of the 1968 LP Switched on Bach and the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Tomita’s pioneering use of the Moog III and his layering of monophonic sound sources to achieve polyphony were what gave his arrangements of Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky such intrigue and popular appeal, while his combined understanding of orchestral composition and sound modulation enabled him to give movement and dynamic variation to his music, in a way that Carlos never managed.”[2]

Tomita’s next jaunt into the classical world was with his compilation album Kosmos 1978, where he emulated the music of John Williams, Strauss and Wagner, Honegger, Ives, Grieg, Dinicu-Heifetz and J.S. Bach. On this album Tomita blended the pieces Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss and the Ride of the Valkyries /Tannhauser Overture by Wagner, into one piece of music he titles Space Fantasy. Listening to this piece is staggering in a sense that Tomita has experimented with varying sounds from the synthesizer for each section of the orchestra, playing or programming string scales and flourishes with a flute sound, timpani, bells and brass. The build in Ride of the Valkyries is quite immense and moving as is the crescendo at the start and the end of the piece with the fanfare Also Sprach Zarathustra.

This recording saw Tomita becoming more experimental and international in approach, incorporating the strange, ethereal 'Unanswered Question' by the equally strange American composer Charles Ives, and inventive reworkings of works by J.S. Bach and Richard Strauss. The Moog Polymoog, which was the first polyphonic synthesiser, was introduced here, no doubt making life somewhat easier for Tomita. This album was also released under the name 'Space Fantasy' and as 'Cosmos' in Japan. The '"Star Wars" Main Title' track was also released on a quadraphonic demonstration LP for the Ford Motor Company in 1980 entitled 'Quadrasonic Sound for the 80's'[3]

One needs to take into consideration these are not pre-set sounds you would find in a modern electronic keyboard but are designed by Tomita himself as he experiments with the synthesizer parameters and patches. This new polyphonic synthesizer was a big new step for Tomita’s compositions, and enabled him to play chords adding a new dimension to his work. The epic nature of this album is in Tomita’s reworking of these classical pieces. The broad sweeping sounds of space fantasy and a Sea Named Solaris give an atmosphere to the renditions. The quirkiness of the Star Wars main theme as an introduction brings you into the album and to the fanfare crescendo of Also Sprach Zarthustra. The crescendo nature and larger than life sound of an electronic orchestra of Ride of the Valkyrie and Tannhauser make for an epic journey into sound. The haunting melody of the atmospherics and bass line to Greig’s Peer Gynt Suite, Solveig’s Song takes the listener on a melancholic drift into the eyrie sounds of the Moog. Tomita’s choice of sounds and patches for the mimicry of the pieces are quite inventive, giving a glimpse of the original compositions but adding a new pallet and timbre and making his own of the material. Jim Brenholts gives a good review of the album in the publication All Music-

Isao Tomita is a brilliant interpreter. He has transcribed several classical and orchestral works for the synthesizer. Kosmos is a slick album of those works that translate well to Tomita’s' spacescapes and his visionary style. These pieces had acoustic atmospheric resonance in their original formats. Tomita's synthesized versions have all of the original bravado and essence and he has added ambient atmospheres to give each piece new meaning and depth. The modernized pieces are genuine spacescapes. The disc opens, somewhat predictably, with John Williams "Star Wars Theme." Tomita's light-hearted version adds humour to the piece. Track two, "Space Fantasy," just might be Tomita's best work. He combines elements from "Thus Spake Zoroaster" by Richard Strauss and "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Tannhauser Overture," both by Richard Wagner. The depth of this performance on this is amazing. Arthur Honegger’s "Pacific 231" is an excellent transitional piece. Experimental sounds give it an avant-garde feel. "The Unanswered Question" by Charles Ives is pure atmospheric minimalism in both its original and electronic form. Ives was a risk-taker and one of the foremost avant-garde composers of his time; he would like this treatment. Rodrigo's "Aranjuez" takes on new beauty and character in Tomita's translation. Teamed with Ives' piece and the next piece, this is the travel and exploration leg of the journey. Edvard Grieg’s "Solveig's Song" from "The Peer Gynt Suite" has tremendous atmospheric qualities also. While the journey continues, so does the beauty. "Hora Staccato" represents an end or a milestone of the journey. "The Sea Named Solaris" is based on J.S. Bach’s "Three Part Invention, No. 2" and "Ich Ruf zu Dir, Jesu Christ." Tomita also wrote some of the music for this piece. It is a beautiful finish to a wondrous journey. This is one of the strongest albums in Tomita's discography. Only the work of Wendy Carlos can compare to Tomita's work. “[4]


“Actually, I felt that when you try to create strings digitally it sounds too clean. It's too clear. If you listen to the sound of a violin really carefully you can hear the rosin that's applied on the bow. I realized that by not reducing the analogue tape noise, I could get a feel in the sound that's almost like rosin. So basically, I tried to use noise to my advantage.” (Tomita) [5]


[1] 2012, Isoa Tomita, Moog Reverie, Accessed on 25/10/2019,
[2] 2016, The Immeasurable Influence of Isao Tomita/Band on the Wall.org,
[3] Isoa Tomita.net, Kosmos, accessed on 26/10/2019
[4] Jim Brenholts, All Music.com, Accessed on 26/10/2019
[5] 2012, Isoa Tomita, Moog Reverie, Accessed on 25/10/2019,

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Introduction

Isao Tomita (with his Moog), in his studio, Tokyo 1976. (Associated Press). Introduction Here we will look...