Larry Fast is a pioneer in electronic music. He has recorded a number of albums under the project name: Synergy. He is also known for his work with Peter Gabriel, Nektar and does many works for many corporations.
He was born in New Jersey (USA), and spent most of my years growing up in the town of Livingston where he studied piano and violin. Be began experimenting with electronics and sound at a young age. In 1967, his love of electronics was enhanced when the first Moog synthesizers began to appear (about 1967).
In 1971, he was commissioned from Rick Wakeman of Yes to build custom keyboard modules while still a student at Lafayette College. During that time, he began to abandon the formal music education from his private teachers and joined a few semi-pro bands, playing bass and guitar. Later, at college he returned to formal training in composition. Soon after, Passport Records signed him to create his first Synergy album.
`Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra,' Larry's first album (and my personal favorite), was recorded in 1975 and showcased his use and manipulation of cutting edge synthesizers and electronics. His nine albums of electronic music have explored new developments of music technologies, styles and innovation.
The shimmering electronic textures of `Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra,' led to an invitation for Larry to come to Europe and work with the distinguished British-German band Nektar. The group enjpyed top 20 success in the US. Peter Gabriel asked Larry to contribute to his first solo album and tour. Larry's synthesizer playing is featured on the first PG album, but Fast's electronic production skills were showcased on Gabriel's third album. Larry also introduced Peter to programmable drum machines, which influenced Gabriel's African rhythm influences that are the basis to many of Gabriel's recent albums.
Larry's work as included working with such well-known people/bands as: Hall & Oates, Foreigner, Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora and David Bryan, Barbra Streisand, Peter Gabriel, Tony Levin, Annie Haslam's Renaissance, Randy Newman, Joan Armatrading, Meat Loaf and many others. He has also been the recipient of Keyboard Magazine's annual award for Best Synthesist.
Recently, the newly established Third Contact media label is reissuing Synergy CDs which are available for sale over the World Wide Web and thanks to advanced music-computer technology, the first live performances of Synergy pieces, 25 years after Synergy made its studio-only debut.
Recent commissions include new compositions for XM Satellite Radio and the Walt Disney Company.
Larry's work in television and film include: Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" (PBS); the sci-fi movie "The Jupiter Menace", "Netherworld" (co-scored with Bon Jovi's David Bryan); and contributing work for "Birdy" and "Gremlins" (with Peter Gabriel), "Streets of Fire" (with Jim Steinman), "Planes Trains & Automobiles" (with The Dream Academy), "About Last Night"(with John Oates), and "Conflict Of Interest"(co-scored with Bon Jovi's David Bryan) among others
In 1976, Larry served as a consultant to Moog Music in the development of the Polymoog (1976) and Memorymoog (1982) synthesizers. He helped introduce the first Fairlight CMI synthesizer/sampler on the third Peter Gabriel solo album in 1979-80. Larry was also involved with the development of microcomputer control of synthesizers. He developed his own computer software used both in live performances with Peter Gabriel and on the ambient SYNERGY "Computer Experiments Volume One" (1980). Later projects used the Universal Synthesizer Interface which later evolved into MIDI. This assured that Larry would be one of the earliest MIDI proponents. Larry currently beta tests computer programs for many music software companies, test flying their MIDI and audio software on his many projects.
Larry Fast also has been awarded patents for developments related to audio transmission systems used by the hearing impaired.
In August 2013, one of Fast's newest tracks in several years, "Tower Indigo", was released on the Projekt Records compilation Possibilities of Circumstance
Larry Fast/Synergy (r) Discography:
1975: Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra No 66 Billboard 200 (18 weeks)
1976: Sequencer No 144 Billboard 200 (11 weeks)
1978: Cords No 146 Billboard 200 (6 weeks)
1979: Games
1981: Audion
1981: Computer Experiments, Volume One
1982: The Jupiter Menace (soundtrack for film The Jupiter Menace)
1984: Semi-Conductor (compilation containing two new tracks)
1987: Metropolitan Suite
1998: Semi-Conductor, Release 2 (re-release of Semi-Conductor, remastered and containing ten additional tracks)
2003: Reconstructed Artifacts (compilation consisting of re-recorded versions of old tracks)
