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  One of my musical heroes, master musician and composer, passed on this Thurs, May 19, 2022.

Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, known professionally and to the world as Vangelis, was an immense force in the music world. Known for his amazing talent at combining classical piano and electronic instruments into time-spanning works of aural art, he created some of the world's most memorable, and haunting, musical pieces. He captivated movie going audiences with his Academy award winning synth based compositions for "Chariot's of Fire", "Missing", "The Bounty", "1492:Conquest Of Paradise", "Alexander", and "Blade Runner", Ridley Scott's brilliant interpretation of Phillip K Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?".

 It was with "Blade Runner" that I became an overnight fan. Sure, "Chariot's of Fire-Titles" was a big hit..went to number 1 on the Billboard Charts in the U.S, was used at the 1984 Winter Olympics. I even attempted a solo version for bass guitar at one time but only got as far as a few bars of the intro. Needless to say that it was an inspirational tune. But when I 1st saw "Blade Runner" on the big screen it was more than just an inspirational tune that drew me into Scott's dystopian, future Los Angeles of 2019, it was Vangelis's soundtrack that really cemented the experience for me. The movie is a dark, brooding, film noir vision that is at once proto-science fiction and cryptic spiritualism. Visual artist Syd Mead sets the tone with an edgy and depressing landscapes, the grime and grit, pollution and poverty, the blurred lines of cultural and technological heritage. Vangelis ignites the air with an equally brooding, yet less gritty, sound track that is as much part of the story as the story itself. I got lost in all the visual, aural, and spiritual milieu of the experience. I was immediately hooked on the film and Vangelis played no small part in that.

 In my own journey of musicianship, sound sculpting and manipulations, I have ever found a deep connection to Vangelis. His music, be it the cyber-punk, shoe gum "Blade Runner" soundtrack or the ethno-centric and ambient-like "1492: Conquest of Paradise", has always been able to shift in me a gear that needed tending to. A need that commands examination. As a musician, I am often faulted with a great disparity of being most critical of myself. I am not exclusive in this, of course, as most artists will attest. But to each their own journey and I have a great many "litmus tests" to which I submit my conscience and works to. When I am exposed to such great artistry as with that of Vangelis, I am both inspired to move forward and to sit still, and listen.

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