Larry Fast: Synth pioneer w/ Peter Gabriel, etc.

BY ROMAN SOKAL

Larry Fast is a rare breed. One that is on the forefront of artistically combining human with machine with music in mind in order to create a listening experience that goes beyond conventions. For over thirty years, this ubiquitous and prominent New York-area keyboardist (Tony Levin Band, Nektar) and renowned electronic music recording artist in his own right (as "Synergy") has also been involved with laying down unique stylistic foundations to some truly monumental records, including those of Peter Gabriel. As a pioneer of electronic music, he has witnessed the birth of many technologies pertaining to synthesis and recording — and since being a rarity, especially for the time, he has often had to find and create new ways of making them adapt to the recording engineering realm. Larry Fast is not only a creative, progressive and talented artist with an enthusiastic soul — he is also a surgeon and professor of sorts, one who adds infinite soul and inspiration to and from finite technology.