Zappa: The Innovator
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In the October issue of EQ, the Father of Invention himself, Frank Zappa, took a few moments to sit down for a photo session in his home studio, the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen. Unfortunately, these photos were some of the last ever taken for the public and Zappa's devoted legion of fans. His gracious invitation to bring EQ's readers into his legendary home studio demonstrates Zappa's unyielding commitment to his peers in sound recording.
Frank Zappa's passing signals the end of a musical era rooted in satire, versatility, and technological brilliance. Truly uninhibited, he never shied away from mockery when it came to the music business (We're Only In It For The Money, 1967), politics (FZ Meets the Mothers of Prevention, 1985), or anything else for that matter. When it came to his heroes, however, Zappa was never more laudatory in his pursuits. Up until the end, Zappa was working on The Rage and the Fury – The Music of Edgard Varèse, a tribute to his original inspiration, Edgard Varèse.
As a master of modern technology, Zappa pushed his home studio to the limits of record production, racking up countless accomplishments in the realms of digital audio and recording technology. He was a frequent AES attendee and he was one of the earliest adherents of digital multitrack recording. Recording technique was an integral part of all his musical creations – so much so that Zappa built the largest Synclavier system in the world and devoted much of his later work to this technology.
Look for an in-depth historical feature on the legendary Frank Zappa in an upcoming issue of EQ Magazine.
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