Don Lewis, considered one of digital music’s most sensible minds, has handed away on the age of 81.
Lewis invented the “Live Electronic Orchestra” (LEO), a ’70s period invention that predates the creation of MIDI and was forward-thinking for its time. He was additionally instrumental in creating synth “voices” for a few of the most impactful analog devices of a creative era, and has consulted for the world’s prime synth manufacturers.
Lewis was a key developer on Roland’s seminal TR-808 drum machine, an invention that modified the trajectory of up to date music.
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Lewis truly started his profession from an unlikely place, as a Nuclear Weapons Specialist within the Air Force. After his time serving, he immersed himself within the music trade and achieved success as an digital engineer. His influential work led him to collaborate with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and plenty of extra.
A forthcoming documentary, Don Lewis and the Live Electric Orchestra, which covers the life and instances of the digital music pioneer, is set to debut in February 2023, per Pitchfork.