‘Resynator’

Directed by Alison Tavel

Starring Alison Tavel, Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Jon Anderson, Fred Armisen, Money Mark, Gotye, Mike Gordon, Brian Kehew, Christian Castagno

When all else fails, music is there. Resynator is the story of trying to find a connection with someone who you never knew. That is the whole purpose of music, finding a connection to bring people together. 

“I think the first time that I started to gain insight on who Don was to me, my opinion, my perspective was through this box [the Resynator], essentially,” said Alison. 

The Resynator, as its inventor Don Tavel called it, is an analog/ digital synthesizer hybrid. Created in the late 1970s, the Resynator had the potential to make its mark on the music industry. There was one problem, they never made it to production. Filled with stories of demoing it for the likes of Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney and even an agreement with Peter Gabriel, this film follows filmmaker and the inventor’s daughter, Alison Tavel, as she yearns to learn more about her father, a man she lost when she was only ten weeks old. This documentary becomes not only a story about this machine and the man who invented it but doubles as a biography for Alison. 

“Maybe I have the most unique and maybe the most authentic perspective of my dad, because and I learned this many years later,  I am a part of him genetically,” said Alison. 

Posthumously, Don gave Alison some of what she was seeking. A connection, a method of communication, and a relationship…all through music, well a machine that helps produce music. Music, a cacophony of sounds that come together and create meaning. Music gives us a sense of place, time and can create connections between people.

As a concert photographer and music enthusiast, I knew as soon as I saw the trailer I needed to see it. Music is my escape and helps me connect with the people closest to me. This film was insightful, impactful and eye-opening. 

For more information about Resynator, visit https://www.resynator.com/. 

SXSW additional screenings: 

• Wednesday, March 13  at 6:00 p.m. at the Rollins Theatre
• Saturday, March 16 at noon at  AFS Cinema