Synergy - Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra (5 tracks) +Album Reviews

Orchestrated Compositions Realized on Electronics

Mark D Burgh | Fort Smith, AR United States | 03/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title of this album, criticized by some, is accurate. This is music realized by a "rock" orchestra. What else to call the battery of electronics that Larry Fast used to bring his compositions to life? A trained composer, an electrical whiz, Fast combined his fine musical sense with the potential of Synthesizers to create new orchestral timbres. No one else in the field of electronic, now or then, has done the same, with the exception of Wendy Carlos, Fast's friend and cohort. Most people doing electronics fall into the throbbing gristle of sequencers, forgetting that music is more than rythym or effects. Fast's compositions are modern music, and could probably be played by organic instruments and sound good. Most Prog doesn't hold up not because it's Prog, but because the composition and orchestration are not up to standard, unlike Fast's music. People who listen to this album and think its trance or ambient, are actually getting neo-romantic compositions orchestrated with new sounds. That's what electronic music was supposed to be about. Ah, well. Ah, me. Electronic Realizations still sounds good because Fast knew how to orchestrate, not because analog synths sounded better. (if you ever tried to play a 1972 Minimoog and keep it tuned, you know what I mean.) If you like this album, check out Larry Fast's "Reconstructed Artifacts," reworkings of his Synergy stuff with modern equipment. Clearer sounds, heavier emphasis on rythyms, but still well-written music. Do another one, Larry, please."

Essential electronic release

lucas biela | Combs-la-Ville, FRANCE | 01/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Synergy is actually one man : Larry Fast, well known of Pete Gab's fans. Larry is a true genius in his realm, and his talent deserves to be recognized. ERfRO is his first effort and also his best. This record features five magic tracks, constructed on the same pattern as symphonic pieces, hence the name of the album. There are no drum machines, just various synths creating an ambient music à la Tangerine Dream or Robert Fripp (see my review of Robert's Blessing of tears). All in all, this is a fabulous record, one of the best of its category (i.e. electronic and ambient music), but unfortunately Synergy's following records don't have the same quality. Nonetheless, I recommend it to all synth lovers."

Among the best of 70s electronic music

Call Me Ludwig | San Diego, CA United States | 01/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many of the reviewers here, I first "discovered" Synergy in the mid-70s when his music was still new. As an avid listener of both classical music and progressive rock, I enjoyed his blend of classical construction with rock's sense of transition and rhythm.

I still enjoy this album over a quarter of a century later. It remains both musical and moving; there are numerous moments that are quite heartfelt, like in the ending to Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, the way Warriors presses its second theme, and the almost perfect transition (one of the Great Ones, in fact) in Legacy at about the 6:20 mark.

Though Larry Fast had his moments on subsequent Synergy albums, Electronic Realizations remains my favorite and in consistently the most listenable. I rate it alongside Vangelis's Heaven and Hell and Jean Michel Jarre's Equinoxe as my favorites in the genre (I would place Klaus Schulz, Michael Hoenig, Tangerine Dream, et. al. in a more abstract grouping, as they tend to be less melody-oriented).

If you're looking to explore this branch of music, this album is a great place to start. It won't appeal to everyone, but to those who bother to listen, it offers numerous rewards."

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