Why the Moog Prodigy Was Essential to My Album Upside Down
When I first picked up the Moog Prodigy, I didn’t expect it to become such a key part of my sound. However it ended up shaping a huge chunk of my latest album. Despite how simple it looks, this little synth opened up a whole world of sonic possibilities I didn’t see coming. So I wanted to share a bit about why the Prodigy means so much to me, and how it helped define the feel of the record.
At first glance, the Prodigy seems kind of bare-bones: just two oscillators, basic modulation, no MIDI or built-in effects. Compared to modern synths, it’s stripped down—but honestly, that’s what makes it special. It forces you to really listen and get hands-on. You have to work with it, twist the knobs in real time, and shape the sound through feel rather than programming. Weirdly enough, those limits actually helped me feel more free creatively. Without all the distractions, I could just play. The Prodigy has this raw, gritty character that’s hard to find anywhere else. I leaned into that hard for the album.
What I love most is how alive it feels. Even slight detuning gives the leads this drifting, human quality, like the synth is breathing with the track, and once I started treating it more like an acoustic instrument it really came alive in a different way. Using the Prodigy wasn’t just a gear choice—it felt emotional. There’s something comforting and imperfect about its tone, especially in a world where everything’s becoming too clean and perfect. Upside Down is an album about imbalance and being out of sync, and the Prodigy’s slightly unstable, worn-in voice felt like the perfect match for that story.
Susanne Kuhnke of Malaria! performing with a Moog Prodigy. Source
If you’re curious to hear how it all came together, the album’s up on Bandcamp. The Prodigy might not have all the flashy features of modern synths, but it’s got soul—and for this record, that meant everything.
Listen to Upside Down here
