By Ali Gitlow

Dr. Bob Moog with his theremin.

When director Hans Fjellestad was just 7, he came in contact with a musical instrument that would change his life: a Minimoog. This eventually sparked his interest in Wendy Carlos’s seminal Switched-On Bach album, which showcased the versatility of the Moog synthesizer. He was hooked. While documenting the electronic-music scene in Tijuana for his last film, Frontier Life (2002), Fjellestad and producer Ryan Page ended up attending a lecture given by Dr. Bob Moog. “Listening to the man himself, the raft of stories in his head, I decided to develop Moog as our next subject,” said Fjellestad.  

Dr. Moog with DJ Spooky.

Fjellestad, himself a musician, describes Moog’s work as “experimental and improvised music, somewhere in between the free-jazz and electronica worlds.” Tracks from the likes of DJ Spooky, Stereolab, Luke Vibert, the Neptunes, Tortoise and Electric Skychurch comprise the film’s soundtrack, created with Moog instruments. A theatrical release is planned for this summer, and Plexifilm will distribute the DVD in August. For more info, check out www.zu33.com/moog/.