Bruce Haack

The Profile

Bruce Haack (born 1931, Canada) was a pioneering electronic musician and composer who built his own instruments, composed for theatre and children, and fused psychedelia with early synthesizer work. He gained wider notice in the 1960s with TV appearances and is best known for the cult album The Electric Lucifer.

Canadian electronic-music pioneer; constructed custom devices (e.g., the Dermatron) and used Moog synths; created numerous children’s/educational LPs; seminal works include The Electric Lucifer and Electric Lucifer Book 2; subject of the documentary “Haack: King of Techno”; cited by artists including Beck, Mouse on Mars, Luke Vibert, Peanut Butter Wolf, and Mark Oliver Everett.

Bruce Haack is portrayed as a visionary Canadian pioneer of electronic music who built his own instruments (like the Dermatron) and blended psychedelia, synths, and subversive pop. The Electric Lucifer (1970) is highlighted as a concept album about the struggle between Good and Evil, with vocals by Chris Kachulis. The review connects Haack’s sounds to krautrock currents and notes his 1960s TV appearances. Admiration from artists such as Beck and Mouse on Mars is cited.