Stardrive With Robert Mason - Intergalactic Trot LP 1973

Elektra EKS-75058 

UK 1973

levy Ex- 

kannet Vg+? yläreunaa teipattu koko matkalta, alareunaa keskeltä

Electronic, Jazz, Funk / Soul Space-Age, Fusion, Experimental prog + zappamaista tilutusta

syntetisaattori avaruus musiikkia jossa myös proge elementtejä 

synthesizer moog 

netistä: here doesn't appear to be much info on Robert Mason. He appeared to be a student at Princeton and Juilliard, and in 1973-74 recorded two albums and joined Blood, Sweat & Tears for the Mirror Image album, and that appears to be it. Stardrive was the name of his band as well as synthesizer Mr. Mason custom made himself, using ARP 2500 parts (keyboard, control panels, matrix panels) and added on some additional stuff (looking like EMS Synthi A or VCS-3 knobs as well as other things). He was attempting a prototype polyphonic synthesizer, because he felt readily available monophonic synths were limiting (of course, it didn't take much for the synth industry to pay attention, as commercially available polyphonic synths started becoming available beginning in the mid 1970s). I do find it amusing that I've seen sources stating that his albums used two ARP 2500s, but that's not correct. It's obvious whoever gave that information might have not owned that album for years, and forgot the back cover clearly shows Mason's Stardrive synth, or was hearing it from word of mouth. Yes the ARP 2500 has a lot to do with Stardrive, as ARP 2500 parts were used for that synth as mentioned already, but not two full ARP 2500s.

Intergalactic Trot was released on Elektra, and he brought in a bunch of jazz/fusion musicians including Steve Gadd and Michael Brecker, among others. So the results are quite interesting, although it's easy to see many might find this a bit cheesy, but I find it great. Obviously the Stardrive synthesizer is the star here, where Mason plays in the vein of Rick Wakeman or even Todd Rundgren's Utopia (who's debut album would still be a year away). Prog rock, electronic, fusion, and funk are to be found here, and Mason and the boys can certainly do great fusion as well as prog and electronic. They also take on two covers, the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever", which ends up sounding like one of cheesy Moog renditions done by a middle aged guy in the vein of Gershon Kingsley, for example. The other being "I Wanna Take You Higher", the Sly & the Family Stone classic. Despite being all instrumental, it's still recognizable. The rest are originals, and they're simply great, they play like no tomorrow.

To some this album might seem like a novelty or gimmick, but to me a nice prog/electronic/fusion album, and it's nice to find stuff like this on major labels, proving that before 1978 or thereabouts, major labels used to take chances, and this is a great example. Worth having for those looking for the more off-the-beaten-track.

https://www.quora.com/Whatever-happened-to-Robert-Mason-and-Stardrive-the-early-1970s-synthesizer-prog-pioneers