A tribute to the life and works of composer and synth pioneer Peter Zinovieff by James Gardner, featuring unique interviews with family, co-workers and collaborators.
Show Notes
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:04 - Collaborations
04:13 - Replacing Tape With Digital
06:29 - The Move Into Computers
07:22 - David Cockerell
08:03 - The Launch Of EMS
09:30 - Robin Wood
14:31 - Running A Studio From Home
14:56 - Sofka Zinovieff
16:17 - Working In Raasay
18:20 - The VCS3 & Synthi A
20:05 - Copies & Virtual Versions
22:50 - Creativity Post-EMS
25:42 - Lucy Railton
Music credits
Tarantella and South Pacific Migration Party (composed by Zinovieff).
RFG for cello and computer (composed by Zinovieff and Railton).
Used with kind permission.
Photo Gallery
Peter Zinovieff at EMS Putney, London 
Peter Zinovieff in his home studio 
Peter and daughter Sofka Zinovieff circa 1975Photo: Billo Kentish 
Robin Wood with Peter's Synthi A, Cornwall, 2011 
Peter Zinovieff and Lucy Railton, Max Dax Gallery, Berlin, 2016Photo: Jenny Zinovieff
Peter Zinovieff - Biog
Peter Zinovieff has been described as Britain’s Bob Moog. A renowned composer from the mid ‘60s to the present day, he was one of the founders of EMS who produced seminal synthesizers such as the VCS3 and the Synthi AKS, as used by Brian Eno, Pink Floyd and the Chemical Brothers.
Peter Zinovieff 1933-2021 Full obituary
SOS spoke to Peter about his extraordinary life and work, back in 2016 — check out our in-depth Video Feature. To find out more about the legendary EMS company and the instruments they made, read our two-part history of EMS here.
Podcast creator: James Gardner - Biog
James Gardner is a composer, synthesizer programmer, researcher and broadcaster based in Auckland, New Zealand. Born in Liverpool, James played and programmed synthesizers in London during the 1980s, and in 1990 co-founded the band/remix team Apollo 440. Following encouragement from Michael Finnissy, he left the group in 1993 to concentrate on notated composition. Moving to New Zealand in 1994, James established the contemporary music ensemble 175 East, which he directed until 2010.
As well as composing, he has written and presented many programmes for RNZ Concert including features on Frank Zappa, Morton Feldman, John Barry’s James Bond soundtracks, and These Hopeful Machines — a six-part series on electronic music.
www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines
As a teacher, Gardner has lectured in music and music technology at the University of Auckland, Unitec Institute of Technology and the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, where he is an Adjunct Senior Fellow. His primary research topic is the synthesizer company EMS, and the electronic music studio of Peter Zinovieff.
Website: www.gardnercomposer.com
Twitter: @JEGcomposer
The Don Banks Music Box to The Putney: The genesis and development of the VCS3 synthesiser
Published in the Cambridge University Press Organised Sound Journal.
Further article on EMS by James Gardner
https://modular-station.com/modulisme/itatiom/ems-1/
About the Electronic Music podcast channel
On this channel we feature some of the pioneers of the industry, interview musicians and talk about retro and current gear.
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