Music Outpost

Synthesist Steve Moore, born in 1975 in Pittsburgh, PA and currently headquartered in the Finger Lakes area of New York, is a musical Man of a Thousand Faces. On his own and in collaboration with others, Moore has already amassed an impressive discography in just a relatively short time, while working under a dizzying array of aliases. But Moore’s daunting discography is not only dazzlingly deep, it’s also as varied as the eclectic electronic artist’s own interests. As a child of the ‘80s, Moore was perfectly situated to develop an obsession with the singular sound of analog synthesizers, and as an adult in the ‘00s, he has pursued that fascination both passionately and methodically – each one of his projects has explored a different style in which vintage synth sounds reign supreme.

Moore might be best known for his prog-tinged synth-rock duo Zombi, which he formed with A.E. Paterra in 2001. The group’s first album was a self-titled, self-released CD recorded in 2001 and released in early 2002. Zombi unleashed its first official release, Cosmos (Relapse Records), in 2004, and they’ve maintained a strong presence ever since, most recently with 2011’s Escape Velocity album (Relapse Records). With Daniel Sullivan (of UK’s Guapo, who released Five Suns on Cuneiform), Moore has made dark, post-Depeche Mode synth pop under the Miracle moniker, turning out two 2011 EPs, The Visitors and Fluid Window, for the House Anxiety label. As part of the Brooklyn-based quartet Titan starting in 2007, Moore played bass on their panoramic, prog-rock-influenced record, Sweet Dreams (Relapse Records), that came out in 2010. Amidst all of these collaborative efforts, multi-tasker Moore has also embarked on a broad array of solo outings. Under the name Gianni Rossi, he composed Giorgio Moroder-esque, Italo-disco-inspired music for the indie films Gutterballs and Star Vehicle, with the soundtrack albums coming out on Germany’s Permanent Vacation label. As one-man-band Lovelock, Moore cut a critically hailed, highly accessible 2012 dance-pop album, Burning Feeling, tapping into his love of ‘70s/’80s AM pop and TV soundtracks.

Of course, none of the above even touches on the music Moore has made minus any aliases. The records he has released under his own name, beginning with his 2007 album The Henge (Relapse Records), may be closer to his musical heart of hearts than anything else he’s done up to now. A string of EPs and 12” singles followed in the wake of The Henge over the next few years, as well as the 2010 album Primitive Neural Pathways (Static Caravan), all embracing an electronic aesthetic that honors the legacy of Berlin-school ‘70s synthesizer stylists like Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, as well as plugged-in pioneers from other parts of the world, such as Jean Michel Jarre and Vangelis. Following in the footsteps of these artists, Moore has made modern electronic music that channels the celestial vibe of the aforementioned synth wizards but brings something undeniably contemporary to the table as well, sometimes mixing in modern ambient touches, or ideas from the post-techno electronic landscape.