Moogfest is a music and technology festival held annually since 2004 in celebration of the inventions of Robert Moog, according to Wikipedia. It caters to the genre of electronic based music, specifically the usage of electronic instruments - I should mention that it is considered to be one of, if not the most well known festivals for its target audience. It offers workshops for creators, talks with industry insiders and of shows throughout the day across several venues. I went this year for the first time as a GA participant. There are tiers offered above this level for engineers and VIP who receive first priority allotment in the limited number of spots available to attend workshops and build synths on site.
To frame my interest in Moogfest, I am a music hobbyist with no formal training in music theory nor sound engineering but rather a background in hardware engineering. I am a regular listener of acid house and techno and am broadly interested in the applications of synthesizers (I spend a non-trivial amount of time working with them). Consider my views will be shaped by this context and recognize that some criticisms (or plaudits) will be exclusive to my background.
Downtown Durham
Moogfest cohabitates the comings and goings of downtown Durham, borrowing addresses from the locality for stages. Keep in mind this is not a raucous affair. I’m not a trip advisor and can only offer my description of the area as cozy and familiar. My favorite meal was at Dame’s Chicken and Waffles. The local bars were decently priced and provided options enough. The stretch of the festival was conducive for walking and the nature of the town made for quaint sights. |
An idyllic image of Downtown Durham
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The Shop
Throughout the days I gravitated towards the Modular Marketplace, a gym-sized consortium of vendors where you can speak with engineers, try out hardware, and purchase equipment. I thought it struck a very good balance of engagement without being pushy. The engineers were enthusiastic to discuss their products and let you have your time with the displays. There was always something to tinker with and it never felt like all the good stuff was occupied. The number of options is unique to this type of event and dwarfs any Guitar Center I have ever set foot in. Importantly, the markdowns are steep and serious buyers could find deals to save hundreds. I picked up a Korg analog bass for about 25% off. The Elektron Digitakt I purchased during cyber monday of 2018 could be found for a very similar price at the Marketplace. I think I saved about $150 at the time.The Shows
The events that distinguish Moogfest from benderfests are the shows held in Carolina Theater. The acoustics of the seated theater are remarkable and the dimensions of the rooms gives a duality of being in empty space while enshrouded in the magnitude of sound. The evolving dynamic qualities of whatever is going on fluctuate between engrossing and overwhelming. It’s a unique experience and you probably couldn’t go wrong with just getting in at the earliest show catching consecutive acts. I caught 3 shows here one by Money Mark, another Dorit Chrysler, and Lucrecia Dalt. The reverberations and resonance are ethereal in the Carolina Theater. Amazing shows from beginning to end. Eye-opening, really. |
Dorit Chrysler conjuring a haunting string synthline from a theremin
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The Carolina Theater also features various interviews and talks throughout the day, exploring history, tangential ethics, and of course technology. I attended only one such event, a conversation between Daniel Miller of Mute Records and Martin Gore of Depeche Mode. I can see the appeal for music historians. My time spent in its appreciation is limited and would’ve found these more worthwhile with a deeper understanding of their contexts.
The Fruit was a venue that opened up later into the evening that I probably spent more time at than I should’ve. It was a spacious two level creative space that fit up to 3 shows at the same time. The basement held a rotation of deep house, drum & bass, etc. DJs with very good tastes in a minimal, industrial environment with sharp laser effects and smoke. The mid-level was reserved for shows that veered from dark house to lo-fi. This was the most festival part of the festival, plenty of unique shows and music for the sake of music.
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| The unassuming Fruit |
The Pinhook was a bar that hosted another good portion of the evening shows. The acts I did experience were not to my taste but I have no idea if it was the clustering of acts at the venue or a coincidence. They trended towards the experimental, which requires a frame of mind that being in a smaller, concentrated area does not facilitate. There’s a pizza place next door with decent pies by the slice.
The Armory and the 21c Museum Hotel were the other two stages I visited, spending a very limited amount of time at each. The Hotel hosted a selection of ambient synth shows that I am not refined enough to enjoy. The Hotel itself is very nice and is home to the most well designed public bathrooms I have ever been in, definitely the best festival bathroom I will ever find relief. Not much to say about the Armory, it felt like a very public building, like a middle school and the shows were held in the cafeteria.
Conclusion
I probably won’t come back to Moogfest next year.My eyes have been opened to the paradigm of technology and personal expression and a deeper appreciation of sound through its auditory deconstruction. But it’s an event I don’t find as plainly fun as a strictly music music festival. Part of this is my planning well in advance to attend and building my expectations. I could see a reasonable situation where I am just looking to find inspiration for a few days and have access to cheaper tickets a week before and make the trip for no reason in particular.
I would recommend Moogfest for those with a moderate amount of interest in music creation looking for a change in perspective. At least that’s what I found.
Notes and Ramblings
I will say I have a new appreciation for modular synth and will explore it when I am ready. For some very (in my opinion) accessible work in the genre, watch some of Colin Benders’ sets on Youtube.This was a time to reflect on an uncomfortable thought I find myself returning to. Gearheaded-ness is a well known affliction to the synth hobbyist. It is the constant itch to buy new hardware, rationalizing purchases with their brilliant capabilities: iterations of sequencers, controllers, effects filters, etc. The uncomfortable question is this: what do I stand to lose?
Besides money, I mean. I think it’s the journey. It’s the experience of a truly deep understanding of the workflow and design of the engineer, the exploration of thinking. It’s the humbling appreciation of why some knobs rotate freely and others are physically bound at the highest and lowest position or where the ADSR menu is hidden for a single cowbell in a 26 sound 909 drum-kit on a 4 track synthesizer. It’s staring at the equipment at your disposal and wondering how a piece can speak with another. Embrace limitations, they’re quite inspiring.
Part of my interest in attending stemmed from reading Stephon Alexander’s The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link Between Music and the Structure of the Universe (2016) in which he captures this side of academia and physics and music theory that was widely intriguing and compelled me to consider the essence of sound. Just a good read.
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| Newest addition to the family at a reasonable price |
Tickets to Moogfest are in the mid $200 range, but you can definitely find a good deal closer to the date from a secondhand seller, in the area of $120. There are also weekend tickets that were available the week of the event. I don’t know the price, but the value is dubious given the Sunday events were uninspiring.
I didn’t talk much about the acts as I had extremely limited exposure to the lineup. The extent of my research was listening to the official Spotify playlist. This is how I do most festivals so I feel the text above is not completely worthless.
George Luo
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