GForce Software, in collaboration with the group I Monster, has made their documentary Bright Sparks available to view for free.

Bright Sparks features a fantastic collection of interviews, with both instrument designers and some of the musicians that have used their instruments.

The documentary, originally released commercially several years ago, was created to accompany I Monster’s album Bright Sparks. The album has 8 tracks, each of which explores a classic instrument and its creators:

• The fantastic tale of Dr. MOOG and the birth of the shimmering beast 05:18
• The uncertain contents of the BUCHLA box 06:00
• Alan R Pearlman and the ARPiological exploration of the cosmos 06:16
• The ballad of Harry CHAMBERLIN and the surreptitious window cleaner 04:55
• The Bradley Brothers realise the transmutation of the Chamberlin to the MELLOTRON 04:36
• London 1969—The Wizards of Putney deny accusations of unholy enchantment at the Electronic Music Studios (EMS) 05:12
• Electronic Dream Plant (EDP)—The dirt in the ointment 03:50
• The further adventures of K. FREEMAN and his incredible machine of a thousand strings 05:08

You can view Bright Sparks via the embeds on this page or on Youtube.

The ‘A Side’ of the documentary, embedded above, focuses on US based electronic music pioneers, including Bob Moog, Don Buchla, Alan R Pearlman and Harry Chamberlin. It features contributions from Herb Deutsch, Michelle Moog-Koussa, I Monster’s Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling, Adrian Utley, Daniel Miller, Billy Currie, Karl Hyde, Alessandro Cortini, Will Gregory, Dennis P Colin and Alan Pearlman.

The ‘B Side’ of the documentary, embedded below, focuses on British electronic music pioneers, including the original Mellotron makers, Les, Norman and Frank Bradley, EMS’s Peter Zinovieff, Electronic Dream Plant’s Adrian Wagner & Chris Huggett, and String Ensemble inventor, Ken Freeman.

It includes contributions from I Monster’s Dean Honer & Jarrod Gosling, Peter Zinovieff, Chris Cross, Daniel Miller, John Bradley, Karl Hyde, Ken Freeman, Fred Gardner and Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory:

I Monster’s album has been released in two versions. Bright Sparks, embedded below, includes narration & vocals:

Bright Sparks Instrumental, embedded below, features alternate instrumental mixes of the album tracks.

It also includes a bonus track Beneath The Planet Of The OBERHEIM, from a planned Bright Sparks vol 2.

Both albums are available via I Monster’s Bandcamp page.