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SYNERGY

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Synergy biography
Lawrence Roger 'Larry' Fast - Born December 10, 1951 (Livingston, New Jersey, USA)

LARRY FAST'S SYNERGY was an extremely inventive and innovative electronic music project of the '70's. LARRY FAST is known for his synthesizer contributions to a lot of bands in the '70's and '80's including PETER GABRIEL and YES. LARRY FAST was introduced to electronic music after being a trained pianist and taking computer science courses. After meeting with RICK WAKEMAN, he was influenced to do things on his own as well. He soon landed a record contract and everything took off from there.

Out of SYNERGY's great discography, the real winners are the landmark debut "Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra", "Computer Experiments, Vol. 1" and "Jupiter Menace".

If you're into progressive electronic or any of Larry's projects, than his overlooked project SYNERGY, is a must.

Why this artist must be listed in www.progarchives.com : Progressive electronic innovator and known collaborator with prog.

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SYNERGY discography


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SYNERGY top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.13 | 61 ratings
Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra
1975
3.31 | 28 ratings
Sequencer
1976
3.96 | 33 ratings
Cords
1978
3.08 | 20 ratings
Games
1979
3.80 | 24 ratings
Audion
1981
2.11 | 9 ratings
Computer Experiments - Volume One
1981
3.25 | 8 ratings
The Jupiter Menace (OST)
1982
3.68 | 13 ratings
Metropolitan Suite
1987
3.51 | 11 ratings
Reconstructed Artifacts
2002

SYNERGY Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SYNERGY Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

SYNERGY Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 6 ratings
Semi-Conductor
1984

SYNERGY Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

SYNERGY Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1975
4.13 | 61 ratings

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Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra
Synergy Prog Related

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Larry Fast's debut synergy album claims to be for "rock orchestra", but don't be fooled into thinking of string sections full of guitarists and percussion sections full of budding Keith Moons - instead, the entire album is delivered through the medium of Fast's synthesisers. Playing in a fast, light classical style which draws on the symphonic greats without slavishly reinterpreting the same limited set of standards so many prog keyboardists had worn to death with their electronic arrangements, the overall effect is of the orchestral music of the future - a future given birth to via a Moog.

It's on the strength of this album that Larry was brought in to make key contributions to Nektar's Recycled, lending that album its unique prog-cyberpunk sound. At the same time, it does feel rather a bit like a demonstration of the technical capabilities of the latest generation of synthesisers rather than a sincere artistic statement at points, and on the whole I find Larry Fast's work as a sideman to Nektar or Peter Gabriel somewhat more compelling than this solo work.

 Sequencer by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.31 | 28 ratings

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Sequencer
Synergy Prog Related

Review by Conor Fynes
Prog Reviewer

3 stars 'Sequencer' - Synergy (6/10)

Electronic pioneer Larry Fast's second album is a neoclassical exploration that verges on the ambient. Along with others such as Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis, Synergy was helping to define the electronic genre, using these new sounds to transport listeners to other worlds and dimensions. 'Sequencer' certainly maintains the astral sense of adventure that largely defined electronica in this period, but all the same, I find the sound a little too thin to provde a truly memorable experience.

As is evident with Fast's use of faux-harpichords and baroque scales, Synergy is very much a project rooted in classical music. Although electronic music is now in the hands of the dance- craving masses, 'Sequencer' reminds me that this once young style of music was under the direction and control of modern classical composers. The electronic palette of sounds does work for the classical compositions that Larry Fast crafts here; although lacking the same dynamic and richness that an orchestra would have, the synths make these old conventions sound new again, a nice fit for the space age. As far as the compositions on 'Sequencer' go, there are some rich ideas here, and moments where all of the synths come together to create something rather majestic. As a rule though, there is that feeling that Synergy needs to diversify itself; using only a few different synth sounds, many of these compositions end up tasting the same. Paired with a somewhat thin recording sound and the odd time where a spacey effect feels wholly out of place (such as a high pitched squeal during the cover of Mason William's acoustic piece 'Classical Gas'), I don't find myself as impressed by the work here as I am by some of the better focused electronic albums of the period.

Synergy can really be lauded for its ability to take the approach of classical music and somewhat gracefully transpose it into the world of electronics. The music is pleasant to listen to, but washes over me rather than capturing and holding my attention. With compositions a little more eventful and dynamic, and a more filling presentation, 'Sequencer' may have been a lot better.

 Sequencer by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1976
3.31 | 28 ratings

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Sequencer
Synergy Prog Related

Review by Evolver
Special Collaborator Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

4 stars In some ways, Larry Fast's followup to the first Synergy album was an improvement. His own compositions are better here than on that first album. The liveliness of his songs, and the freshness (for 1976) of his synth sounds made this a favorite of mine back when it was released.

It's in his choice of cover songs where Fast lapses here. Attempting Slaughter On Tenth Avenue was a bold decision. And one that he pulled off astonishingly well. On this album, he plays Mason Williams' Classical Gas, a pseudo-classical hit single, and the not very daring choice is fairly well done, but the obviousness of the selection diminishes the track. His other cover piece is an excerpt from Dvorak's New World Symphony, a grand classic which is impossible to perform without invoking massive yawns.

As I mentioned above, Fast's own pieces, which make up the bulk of the album, are good enough to more than make up for the lackluster covers. Cybersports and (Sequence) 14 are the two that consistantly grab my attention.

Another must for synth fanatics.

 Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1975
4.13 | 61 ratings

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Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra
Synergy Prog Related

Review by Evolver
Special Collaborator Crossover & JR/F/Canterbury Teams

4 stars Synthesizers back in 1975 were a different animal than what we see today. One did not just his a button and get a sound. There were knobs, sliders, patch panels (I know Keith Emerson's Moog was a bit extreme, but you get the idea) that all affected the sound. And the majority of these could only play one note at a time. So artists like Walter/Wendy Carlos, Tomita, and the like did not have an easy task making their albums.

Larry Fast, recording as "Synergy" deserves mention with those other synth pioneers. His albums, at least at the beginning, were perfect examples of what could be done with synths at the time. Sure, they sound a little dated, but the instrument was still in it's infancy.

This, the first album by Fast, remains a classic of synth albums. His compositions here tend toward light classical, with only a hint of rock. And while he tries to get the essence of an orchestra, he does not try to fully imitate the instruments. And that gives the album a futuristic (in 1975) feel.

And although Fast's own pieces are good, the highlight is his fantastic rendition of Richard Rogers' Slaughter On Tenth Avenue. This famous piece has still never sounded this delicious.

 Metropolitan Suite by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1987
3.68 | 13 ratings

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Metropolitan Suite
Synergy Prog Related

Review by SouthSideoftheSky
Special Collaborator Symphonic Team

3 stars Steam and steel towers

Metropolitan Suite was my introduction to Synergy, an electronic project by synthesizer man Larry Fast. I previously knew Fast primarily from his longtime contributions to Nektar that go back as far as their Recycled album from 1975 but also from his presence on Peter Gabriel's early solo albums. Synergy is, however, an entirely different beast and is closer to the type of music made by Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre, but more symphonic and melodic and less minimalistic.

The best part of the album is definitely the Metropolitan Suite itself which is made up by the first five tracks. This suite can be described as sounding like a piece of Classical symphonic music being performed entirely on synthesizers. As it is a wholly instrumental affair, the only guide to the concept of the piece comes from the track titles and the mood set by the music. There is a triumphant and somewhat bombastic feel on Steam And Steel Towers which is probably intended to represent the industrial era or something similar.

The other side of the album is less interesting, though Into The Abyss is a quite good piece in the style of the Metropolitan Suite. The remaining tracks fall rather flat and momentum is lost. The over eight minute long West Side Nights is the worst of the lot with its uncomfortable lounge-Jazz feeling and a quite horrible synthesizer-generated saxophone sound. Here you can really tell that this was recorded in the 80's. Still, this is a reasonably pleasant album and a good introduction to Synergy.

 Reconstructed Artifacts by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 2002
3.51 | 11 ratings

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Reconstructed Artifacts
Synergy Prog Related

Review by franp

3 stars I disagree with Slartibartfast : this is not a good starting point into Synergy work.

More exactly it may be a good starting point if you are coming from the synthesizer side , but not if coming from the prog side.

Tracks are undoubtly fresher and better recorded, but their synthesized origin is more apparent. Particularly for earlier tracks such as Relay Breakdown (from 1975 Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra) which sounded more orchestral on it's original form. This is a bit disappointing since one would have expected better rendition of orchestral instruments in 2002 than in 1975.

Pieces which were originaly heavy synthesiser-oriented are the ones that "benefit" the most from the re-arranging. This is the case for S-Scape (from 1975 Sequencer).

But all in alll there is too much saw teeth shaped sounds here for my taste, and no tangible benefit over the original.

I would still recommend 1975 Electronic Realizations for Rock Orchestra as the entry point to this artist from a prog point of view.

 Semi-Conductor by SYNERGY album cover Boxset/Compilation, 1984
4.00 | 6 ratings

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Semi-Conductor
Synergy Prog Related

Review by American Khatru

4 stars A solid 4 stars. I had this album as a young'n. I held it close for a time, and listened to it much. If you think about it, compilations are normally the pits; this compilation must be among the best. No matter you taste and opinion of the early material vs the latter, it is an excellent representation of what Fast did. Listening as I write to Slaughter on 10th at 4min30sec, I could not be happier to have ears.

Slightly more enthusiastic than reviewer Modrigue, this reviewer gives 4.1 stars to the first disc (5 and thereabouts is asking a lot from me) and 3.5 for the second. And that's close enough to 4 for me.

 Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1975
4.13 | 61 ratings

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Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra
Synergy Prog Related

Review by João Paulo

5 stars Amazing album. Classic music in a electronic orchestra that made this work one of my favourites. I don't really apreciate electronic music, just some Tangerine Dream albuns and Kluster works but this is different. This album create a classic atmosphere when we can imagine all classic instruments but with a electronic sound and music is very balanced and I like all atmosphere. We have a great work in this album and lot of music context's to explore. Amazing how in 70 decade, Synergy create this music with this electronic quality and sound. Great album and great stuff. I give five stars because to me, this is one of most important progressive electronic work ever made. Please listen and recomended to all like electronic progressive music. To me, the most progressive electronic music.
 Cords by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1978
3.96 | 33 ratings

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Cords
Synergy Prog Related

Review by Steven in Atlanta

5 stars Out of the scads of electronic music albums that peppered the entire '70s, none moved me quite like the third Synergy album, Cords. Unlike his previous one (Sequencer), Larry Fast, a/k/a Synergy, had a full album's worth of terrific material this time. Plus, having worked closely with Peter Gabriel on several PG albums and on the road, Fast incorporated much Gabriel-esque inspiration and invention into this project - Gabriel, I believe, also put the titles on all the tracks here.

The first Synergy album usually gets the most acclaim; well deserved, too. But Cords shows a melodic maturity only hinted at on that initial album. And it is indeed melodies that sets Synergy apart from literally 95% of other '70s electronic artists - no confusing Synergy with Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, that's for sure! Beautiful, sweeping and soaring compositions with clearcut beginnings, middles and endings. And LOTS of mellotron quite seamlessly threaded into the compositions, I should point out. The sparingly used electronic percussion is perhaps the most dated aspect of most Synergy projects, however even that's so big in the whole sonic swirl here that you don't really pick up on its late '70s recording date.

The original Passport release of this came out on clear vinyl which, although it looked pretty cool, sure didn't sound that way after a few plays. The CD, now deleted (of course), sounds quite good and is well worth a thorough search if you're up for it.

Essential listening for me. Five stars, easy.

 Audion by SYNERGY album cover Studio Album, 1981
3.80 | 24 ratings

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Audion
Synergy Prog Related

Review by tszirmay
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Synergy's masterful "Audion" is fully deserving of all the electro accolades, whether sequenced or not, that an electronic-prog album can ever hope to garner. Certainly not as exuberant as Schulze, Tangerine Dream or Ashra, Larry Fast is sort of an Eno like sound craftsman instead of your classic soloing maestro, and his resumé reads like a prog's whose who: Peter Gabriel, Nektar, Tony Levin Group, Synergy and a score of non-prog artists. But just reading the credits on this seminal 1981 album gives you an idea with whom he was innovating: Moog Music, Sequential Circuits, PAiA & Apple computers, Deltalab Research, Eventide Clockworks, Oberheim and 360 Systems. Today's techno gurus were yesterday's neophyte nerds when software was really "soft" and hardware was, er.. well you get the message.Listening to this 17 years later, I cannot help acknowledging that this recording was way before its time , a Jules Verne-like glimpse into the future that reveals an incredible vision that deserves massive applause (your choice, analog or digital). From the extraordinary cover art to the entire 10 visceral sci-fi compositions, this is primal first rate synthesizer playing in a style that is ultimately warmer than you may realize, at a time when this brand of music was pilloried by the ignorant masses as cold and soulless (????). From the swirling opener "Orbit Five", the main melody is transcended by synthesized percussion that was again light years ahead in terms of programming and tone ("Revolt at L-5"), with ominous crisscrossing guard tower leads weaving an image of futuristic prison break, alarms ringing, unruly androids vying for escape and control boxes gone haywire. The somber "Terminal Hotel" certainly evokes a futuristic journey's inn, with supple translucent mattresses hanging in no gravity area bubbles, where room services supplies "squeeze me" tubes of sushi & udon soufflés or teriyaki mahi-mahi to the weary interstellar space travelers. "Electric Blue" is a placid electronic lullaby that swings in sequenced ecstasy, trance-like explorations of the outer realms of the cosmos. The colliding rhythmic synths are almost symphonic and certainly lead to reverential contemplation. "Ancestors" has been a favorite of mine for decades, a synthesized flute patch solo leading the massed strings in a crescendo of computerized orchestral beauty, a musical look back at history's contribution to the advancement of technology. "After the Earthquake" is, despite its rather cataclysmic title, a rather optimistic hymn of hope, with sweeping fanfare keyboard arrangements that are closer to the Enid than, say Kraftwerk. Even though only computerized equipment was used, this music remains sizzling, warm in its numerous inflections and structure, with an almost classical music compositional style. "Falcons & Eagles" and "Flight of the Looking Glass" both veer into this almost totally neo-classical zone where you almost wonder when the cellos are going to kick in, aided and abetted by timpani! Not my preferred tracks, a little too Wagnerian for me, to be honest. "Shibolet" is a playful and bouncy little space ditty, full of weightless bravura, cosmically medieval as if were some kind of stellar pavane with the lead synthesizer imitating the krumhorns of the Middle Ages. An amazingly creative celestial gem. "An End to History" is another rather gloom and doom title that perhaps prefers to lament the lack of inspiration from the past, instead of ushering in some apocalyptic message of universal extinction. This is serious experimental music that was perhaps misunderstood then by most but not by all. Not an essential prog masterpiece but a crucial cornerstone of any electro- prog collection. 4.5 swirly asteroids
Thanks to Lucas for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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