Cosmic Frequencies: Doug McKechnie's Avant-Garde Moog Performance at Esalen (late 1960s)

Once again, we’re diving deep into the Esalen archives to share a fascinating historical recording - this one featuring electronic music pioneer Doug McKechnie. In the late 1960s and early '70s, Doug McKechnie was at the cutting edge of musical innovation, harnessing the revolutionary Moog synthesizer to create mesmerizing sounds. McKechnie was a contemporary of iconic figures like Wendy Carlos, known for the 1968 record "Switched-on Bach," a collection of pieces by Bach that were performed by Carlos on the Moog synthesizer. This album, which won a Grammy for Classical Album of the Year, played a key role in bringing synthesizers to popular music. McKechnie was also tied to the Grateful Dead, contributing to the band's most experimental album, "Aoxomoxoa.” He also played at Altamont, not really a feather in anyone’s cap, but it shows the breadth of his growing popularity, and that of the Moog synthesizer. Moogs are characterized by distinctive electronic timbres and pulsating rhythms, as well as hypnotic sequences. They are very much a part of the psychedelia of the late 1960s, fitting right in with the oil light shows, pop art, face paint and neon day glo colors of the time. The Moog’s ability to generate evocative psycho-acoustic atmospheres allowed musicians like McKechnie to tap into the exploration of internal landscapes that seemed to naturally occur during psychedelic adventures. The performance you’re about to hear was recorded live at Esalen in the late 1960s, preserved for decades on half inch to reel, then dusted off, digitized, and transported to you via the magic of podcasting. So sit back, relax, and let the Moog take you on a trippy auditory journey to a pivotal moment in musical and technological history.