sound artist: Syd barrett

Roger Barrett (also known as Syd Barrett) was a song writer; artist and front man to the progressive rock band pink Floyd. During his time with pink Floyd Syd experimented with many different elements in rock music such as echoes.

 

Syd Barrett grew up in Cambridge England and study art at a young age and listened to many different forms of music. He attended art school with his friend roger waters (bass player to pink Floyd) there he studied painting.  Syd formed pink Floyd with waters on bass and fellow friends nick mason (drums) and Richard Wright(keyboards). In my previous post I mention how Jimi Hendrix used colours to get his ideas across; well Syd Barrett also used unconventional ways to express his musical ideas. Barrett often used what is known as light machines, mechanisms that alter light to make specific patterns that are famously associated with the psychedelic scene. Barrett would often ask the band to play along to these light patterns and even incorporated these patterns in pink Floyd live shows. Barrett also experimented with echoes by running his guitar through and echo machine; in fact Barrett was one of the first to popularize this concept. Pink Floyd released their first album pipers at the gates of dawn in 1966. The album help define the psychedelic era and even introduced a new genre of rock known as art rock. Despite the band having successes with their singles “see Emily play” and “Arnold Layne” Syd was beginning to have nervous break downs. Syd did not enjoy the popularity of the bands success and often took large amounts of LSD to cope with it. Eventually Syd behaviour became too uncontrollable leading to him sabotaging shows, and his departure from the band.  Though Barrett did attempt a solo career and released two albums he eventually gave up on music. Barrett lived in recluse until his death in July 6 2006 (age 60).

 

source: the pink Floyd and Syd barrett story

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~ by sivaram on April 6, 2009.