Sextant: A Major Influences on Electronic Music

Sextant: A Major Influences on Electronic Music

 *as a bonus to this blog reading you get a new snobby argument to where hip-hop started!!!

 

Roland TB-303

Sextant is the misunderstood pentacle of Herbie Hancock’s genius; a raw Avant-gurde Free Jazz Funk classic! Using state of the art electronic instruments including the Mellotron and ARP2600 Modular Synthesizer, Hancock created a work far ahead of its time. I am going to proceed to get obscenely dorky and hopefully convince you to check it out.

               “This sounds like Acid Techno”, my wife yelled from the kitchen. “Acid Techno?” I thought. I didn’t really know what that was. I knew what I was listening to: “Rain Dance” -Track 1-Sextant- Herbie Hancock-Recorded 1972-Released 1973. What is Acid Techno? Acid techno is a genre of electronic music that hallmarked by distinct hollow bass tones produced by the Roland TB-303. The characteristic sound was never intended to be used for electronic music. Instead the TB-303 was designed to provide an inexpensive substitute for a live bass player. The Roland TB-303’s characteristic bass came from what Roland called a “’gimmick’… to compensate for limitations”.  There is mysticism around the TB-303. No one can agree on why exactly it sounds the way it does. A random anomaly perhaps, but the TB-303 is an eerie match to the deep tones of “Rain Dance”.

How could sounds produced in 1972 have such an uncanny likeness to the sound of the Roland TB-303? What was used on Sextant? Herbie Hancock used a legendary analog delight when crafting Sextant: The ARP2600.

ARP2600

The ARP2600 was the first mass produced modular synthesizer and still considered one of the  finest synthesizers ever made. One is currently listed on ebay  for $10,000. The ARP2600 is analog old school mad scientist inspiring goodness! What is an analog synthesizer? An analog synthesizer does everything a digital synthesizer would, but instead of a microchip the size of a nickel controlling the sound, a complex system of plugs, dials, and leavers must be manually adjusted on a vast array to achieve desired effects. The varieties of sounds that can be achieved are staggering. Out of the near infinite possibilities, Herbie Hancock forms a psychic prediction of music to come: Or, Sextant was a large influence on electronic musicians causing their attraction to the Roland TB-303.

 

Next comes the Mellotron! Ground breaking British technology for those who wanted to make bad music for shitty movies.

Mellotron

A Mellotron is a key board that plays sounds recorded on to small lengths of audio tape; an analog sampler, the the first sampler. It really must be seen. Sextant wasn't the first albums to use samples but he defiantly pioneered sampling bass. The Mellotron was made for your grandma, but Herbie had far different ideas…Herbie was soul brother #1! Peep the Fro! NICE! There was real substance behind the style. Three years earlier Hancock released Prisoner; a concept album based on social inequality. When it all comes together in my mind; I picture infant Chuck D looking up and seeing Herbie Hancock walking down the street in a black leather overcoat. Young Chuck D looks up at Herbie with heart felt admiration. I have not been able to find Chuck D speaking of Herbie, but they are currently nominated for an NAACP Image Award for the work they did together on the Standing on the Shoulders of Giants soundtrack.

What else? Some of the funkiest bass you’ll ever hear courtesy of Buster Williams on "Hornets". Sextant is mesmerizing; it really can hold you in a trance. The album was mostly improvised but is surprising well formed as a concept (feels like a well thought out work). Herbie’s use of an electric clavinet… I could go on and on. Sextant something for the ears; it’s worth a try.

Extras:

Free ARP2600 Simulator
Roland TB-303 Simulator
allmsuic.com guide to Acid Techno
A short but informative/entertaining documentary on Analog Synthesizers.