The Art of the Sound Physiker

A conversation about the German-American engineer and pioneer of electronic musical instruments. Peer Bode, Rebekkah Palov and Tom Rhea talk about synthesizers, frequency shifters and sound modulators – about a life for (electronic) sound. Harald Bode (1909–1987) was a pioneer of electronic musical instruments. Over a period of about half a century, he invented more than fifteen instruments. With his early inventions of the »Warbo Format Organ« (1937) and his »Melochord« (1947), he is considered one of the fathers of modern synthesizers and was also a crucial part in the development of the famous »Moog Synthesizer«. The modulation and alteration of music, speech and sound determined his scientific and technical research for the rest of his life. The estate of Harald Bode contains about eleven meters of documents, including sketches, circuit diagrams, photographs, manuscripts and typescripts as well as correspondence concerning his scientific, technical and artistic activities. Also part of Harald Bode's personal estate are his notebooks or diaries from 1930 to 1983. The holdings provide a detailed insight into his personal life experiences, inventions, plans and thought processes. The conversation together with Peer Bode, Rebekka Palov and Tom Rhea tries to capture and trace this extraordinary personality and the pioneer of electronic arts in his work and his thinking.

The event was held in English. After the talk, a concert recording was shown: Carrier Band (with Peer Bode, Andrew Deutsch and Rebekkah Palov), Slipstream at Burchfield Penny Art Center, New York from May 22, 2020.