Album Notes

Film Composer / Synthesist Amin Bhatia announces the release of “Virtuality”, the long-awaited sequel to his synth orchestral epic “The Interstellar Suite”. After years of film and television scores and a recent Emmy nomination, the new album became available on the anniversary of synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog's birthday, May 23 2008.

"..while the album is technically impressive (it uses vintage synthesizers from the Cantos Foundation Synthesizer Museum as well as several from personal collections), that would be meaningless if it wasn’t for the fact that the music is adventurous, exciting, and beautifully recorded and produced...."
– Craig Anderton, EQ Magazine

The album is dedicated to Moog, who was a friend of the composer and is endorsed by the Bob Moog Foundation. Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director and daughter of the late Bob Moog says:

“My father's genius and passion was taking the synthesizer out of the laboratory and making synthesis accessible to musicians, and through them, to the world. Amin Bhatia’s “Virtuality” is another fine example of that accessibility.”

True to Bhatia’s obsession with orchestral music and science fiction, the first half of the album explores the micro-universe that exists inside the computer. Titles like “World Wide Web”, “Virus” and “Second Life” portray aspects of our modern virtual world through music and sound design. Artwork was provided by the award winning digital artist Alexander Preuss. Guest artists include members of the Toronto Symphony and Opera Orchestras.

The second half of the album features “Bolero Electronica”, a one-of-a-kind journey through 75 years of synthesizers through an innovative realization of Maurice Ravel’s "Bolero". In Bhatia’s version, instruments as early as the Ondes Martenot and Theremin begin the work, and the piece progresses through generations of synthesizers from Moog, Roland, Yamaha and others chronologically. The work builds in size and power decade by decade ending in present day virtual instruments and technologies. Guest artists include veteran keyboardists Steve Porcaro and Patrick Moraz. Many of the instruments used were from the Cantos Music Foundation. The album was recorded and mixed by award winning producers David Greene and Jeff Wolpert.

"Anyone that has ever heard Bolero understands how the piece evolves over time. To have captured that with the historical evolution of synthesizers, from just a few individual manufactures to the opulence we have today, is just absolutely too brilliant for words!"-MATRIXSYNTH

Bob Moog had been scheduled to provide a special feature narration track for “Bolero Electronica” but sadly that recording never happened. True to Bob’s mission to document, celebrate and teach innovative thinking, Amin instead employed noted synthesizer historian Mark Vail to create additional liner notes. The result is an illustrated guide which allows the listener to follow along stanza by stanza through Bhatia’s elaborate rendition, complete with a timeline chart of every synthesizer used.

“The Timeline of synthesizers in Bolero Electronica looks like the Moog Legacy to me and I only wish Dad were around to hear this project come to fruition”, says Michelle. “I think he would be delighted in the artistry Amin used to employ so many different instruments."

Says Amin “Electronic music to me is like animation. It’s a portrayal of reality through an innovative use of non-reality. When done right it creates beautifully animated images in the mind of the listener. And Bob was the greatest animator of them all.”

"It's both surprising and refreshing to hear the sounds and music Bhatia has coaxed out of over 75 years worth of electronic instruments. And "Bolero Electronica" is truly an achievement, taking the listener on a journey through synthesizer history in the best way possible!" - Matt Friedman, The Vintage Synth Explorer www.vintagesynth.com

“Virtuality” was released on the anniversary of Bob Moog's birthday, May 23rd 2008. A portion of each sale is donated to the Bob Moog Foundation.