Human League keyboard player, Ian Burden talks about the synths Part 2

Part 2 - Ian Burden Keyboard player and co-writer for the Human League, talks about his music career pre and post Human League days. Across the series of 3 videos, Ian talks about his sound design techniques in the days when synthesizers were for the rich, and how he experimented to create synthetic sounds. As well as anecdotal stories when the Human League were number one in the charts, Ian also talks about the products used to create the “League Sound” and moves on to the present where he has recently returned to writing and creating new music.
Like/Follow us:
USA
/ korgusa
/ korgusa
/ korgofficial
UK
/ korguk
/ korguk
JAPAN
/ korgjp
/ korg_inc

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

The brass section Ian is describing is in the middle of 'Hard Times' Boy it's amazing and you can hear those 4 days of programming, check it out!

[@bigjoescientist]

Great to hear Ian interviewed... questions were pretty good. The background music was pretty distracting... I assume it's his new stuff?

[@kenquattro6562]

Legend.

[@SuperWave86]

❤ great interview! Love it 😊 always inspiration to my music

[@IrvoDominguez]

Now I understand why Martin Rushent walk out the recording sessions of Fascination EP & Hysteria for Human League. It were tons of work to do for just one song!!! The man got exhausted because he carried a lot over his shoulders. Respect to Martin Rushent and his expertise.

[@AtonalMeasureRecords]

It was the ladies im afraid, he knew where to take the second album but they were having none of it, it made him pretty depressed. Thats why it took so long for hysteria to appear because it was finished by Hugh Padgham, Chris Thomas

[@WAZA___]

@@AtonalMeasureRecords And the production suffered when he left.

[@ajs41]

@@AtonalMeasureRecords What did the ladies do that he didn't like?

[@AtonalMeasureRecords]

@@ajs41 It's something suzanne said, i think she was criticising his production, which was a little rich coming from someone who didnt have a clue, i mean.. dare was a global smash and martin already had form as a world class producer, i think the disrespect really dug deep, i knew martin and he was a no bullshit kind of guy, i can imagine he would have been very undiplomatic about it quite rightly. Irony is he was the loveliest guy, he would help any young band starting out, admittedly the girls recently said they were horrible after the fame, were on a massive ego trip, they were young and it wasnt until family and friends gave them a piece of their minds that they got off their high horses, but the damage was well and truly done by then. I think all this is documented somewhere, and my recollection of events is a bit hazy, but there was definitely a fall out enough for him, to bail.

[@ajs41]

@@AtonalMeasureRecords Thanks. I've just discovered a group called Leisure Process that Martin was producing in 1982 and he really did a great job with them even though they were only together for a few months.

[@justinandrews5084]

INCREDIBLE man

[@soepil]

And then you ask yourself: Why not put a Korg 770 in front of him instead?

[@Gelenkbusfahrer]

what did they use for that iconic synth sound in "Seconds"? JP4?

[@iasciateognisperanza3267]

Too bad they didn’t have Uber Instruments back then. “So, you need a TR909 a Jupiter 4 and a Kong 770? How about a Big Mac?” Boom .... and it gets delivered to your door, you just pay by the minute or hour or mile. Joke (bad) aside, it was great music back in the early 80s.. Musical Monotony didn’t exist in our vocabulary.

[@DJSTOEK]

🖤

[@ULTIMATEPATCHES]

Korg 700 is so fat. Hope they use that osc/filter in a new poly!

[@MrBeen992]

Korg, why you interview Ian in front of keyboards that are not obviously his like suggesting he owns all Korg keyboards ?

[@klaasj7808]

you didnt know Ian used the volca in the eighties. No one had them then, except Ian haha.

[@MrBeen992]

he also has a DeLorean with flux capacitor hahahaha,

[@klaasj7808]

I hope he has a good mechanic. That 6 in line engine sucks as hell, have the same in my Volvo 780. throw it out and put a b230 turbo engine in it.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Nice. But would be better if all the original instruments were in the room during this interview instead of Korg engaging in product placement. And what's with playing back linn samples from the volca?? Jeez!!

[@ogasi1798]

James Reeno it's a sampler, that's what it's for. Weirdly the guys who pioneered our music don't have these weird hangups that some folk seem to have and yet they managed and still manage to make great music......... Worth a minute or two of your time perhaps?

[@SPAZZOID100]

Sorry. But these mini-documentaries just never seem to get it right.

[@jptaylor]

James Reeno Funny that the only gear he mentions using is Roland stuff. I agree - why have all the Korg gear setup like a used car lot when he didn't use anything Korg in the original recordings ? ( except the 770.... ! What the heck is that ? ) Truth be told - Roland dominated the English new wave invasion in the 80's ; Korg was a small player back then, comparatively. Also - kill the background muzak, please - super distracting in trying to hear what the guy is saying ! Finally - the video producers should have given Ian the questions before filming the interview, as he seems very disoriented and inarticulate somewhat in trying to describe just what and how the original music was done. This video definitely doesn't give Korg much marketing power in its current product line, as this guy barely plays anything shown here. Funny video.

[@HotStrange]

John Taylor John Taylor LOL you guys are hilarious. You and the OP especially. Korg was also a big deal at the time. The MS20/MS10 and Polysix and Mono/Poly are and were legendary. And why give the questions beforehand? That's not how real interviews are done. And that background "Muzak" is THE HUMAN LEAGUE. ITS HIS BAND. Why would they not play it? It's not at all distracting really. Oh and lastly, Korg doesn't really need the marketing power. They're the top dogs in the game right now and have been for for the past 15 years. Lolololol like I said. You're hilarious.

[@pauleyles9536]

Hiya m8 I've got a unique talent. I am a self t0 sound affect impressionist 4 I can copy the sounds of a drum kit 2 my music on my iPod. And it sounds like the real thing. And m8 I've got a lot of thanks for the Human League. And Queen Joanne Catherall ♥️ my favourite Human League member and my hero 4 ever making a dream of mine 2 come true for me to meet up with the 2 Human League Sweet ♥️ s IE Queens Joanne Catherall ♥️ and Susan Sulley ♥️ and king Philip Oakey 2. And 4 the best night of my life ever. I am a mega big Human League fan. And the reason y I have nickname both of the Human League Sweet ♥️ s IE Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley Queen and Phillip Oakey King. Is 2do with the game of Chess. And yes I am a very good chess player. Great band. I have got a lot to thank Joanne Catherall ♥️ epy 4 ever making a dream of mine 2 come true for me to meet up with the Human League. And 4 the best night of my life ever.

[@tonycowin]

Yamaha CS15?

[@klaasj7808]

For whom are they still building al those synths, they seem heartless since the eighties passed.

[@deanie557]

Only have 8 fingers mate. 😉

[@klaasj7808]

and now synths are for the poor? hahaha

[@moogdome2562]

I'm very poor. I have around 20 synths. Haha.