Knobcon organizer Suit & Tie Guy has announced the Guest of Honor for this year’s event, ‘switched on’ synth pioneer Gil Trythall.

Trythall will be featured at Knobcon 2018, scheduled for Sept 7-9 in the Chicago area.

Trythall had a long career in the classical music world, working as a professor of music theory and composition and later as a Dean of Creative Arts. His classical compositions range from works for traditional ensembles, like his Symphony #1 from 1960 to electroacoustic compositions. And he is the author of a textbook on electronic music, Principles and Practice of Electronic Music.

Trythall also is a pioneer of synths in popular music, creating a series of albums, like Switched-On Nashville, as part of the late 60’s/early 70’s Moog craze.

“His Switched-On Nashville album is singular among Moog-driven pop records,” notes Suit & Tie Guy, “due to both its country and bluegrass source material and the total focus on the Moog synthesizer itself, in contrast with its contemporaries’ method of combining the system with traditional session instrumentalists.”

Here’s an sample of the unique album, Trythall’s take on Folsom Prison Blues:

Trythall will be honored and featured at the Knobcon Golden Knob Banquet.

Knobcon passes are available at a discount through the end of August. Event admission is US $50. The Saturday Banquet is optional, and is also $50.