Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott

USA 2012, R: Stan Warnow, 98 min, OF

As Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) put it: “He was not only the Frank Zappa of his time, he was also an audio-version of Andy Warhol.”

Raymond Scott (1908–1994) provided the swing groove for the endless battles that took place in Looney Tunes, before becoming a pioneer of electronic sound synthesis. This documentary film recalls the inventor of the composition machine “Elektonium” and instruments like the sampler Karloff and the Videola (a cross between a keyboard and a television), and one of the great unknown composers of the twentieth century from the perspective of his only son. The film features interviews with producer Hal Willner, Scott player Don Byron, and Oscar winning composer John Williams (Jaws).

In the framework of