Biography
It might seem surprising that just two musicians, Roger Manning and Brian Kehew, could generate the layered, intricate sound of the Moog Cookbook. Manning first drew widespread notice as a member of the overlooked retro-rock outfit Jellyfish, whose pair of widely praised albums preceded the group’s 1994 breakup. Shortly afterward he launched two sharply contrasting projects: Imperial Drag, which delved into early-1970s glam rock, and the Moog Cookbook, which rendered hit rock songs in purely synthesized form while wearing space suits and performing under the names Meco Eno and Uli Nomi.
Restless Records issued the duo’s self-titled debut in 1996, an album that reworked recent alternative and modern-rock successes by Soundgarden, Green Day, and Weezer. The record quickly became an underground favorite, earning early visibility when MTV spotlighted the band on a Week In Rock installment and when Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters commissioned original music from them for the opening of one of the group’s videos. Capitalizing on that reception, the Moog Cookbook reconvened to record Ye Olde Space Bande in 1997, this time tackling classic-rock standards originally performed by Kiss, Boston, Led Zeppelin, and others.
Restless Records issued the duo’s self-titled debut in 1996, an album that reworked recent alternative and modern-rock successes by Soundgarden, Green Day, and Weezer. The record quickly became an underground favorite, earning early visibility when MTV spotlighted the band on a Week In Rock installment and when Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters commissioned original music from them for the opening of one of the group’s videos. Capitalizing on that reception, the Moog Cookbook reconvened to record Ye Olde Space Bande in 1997, this time tackling classic-rock standards originally performed by Kiss, Boston, Led Zeppelin, and others.
Albums