This year has been rough for keyboardists of great repute. We've lost Bernie Worrell, Keith Emerson, Prince, synth inventor Don Buchla, and most recently, the wonderfully whimsical French analog-synth prankster Jean-Jacques Perrey, who succumbed to lung cancer on November 4. He was 87.

Perrey, often in tandem with fellow synth pioneer Gershon Kingsley, created playful, buoyant compositions with the Moog synthesizer and the Ondioline that abound with utterly charming and disarming tonalities. His music flirts with kitsch, but remains just on the right side of quirky. And in the case of "E.V.A.," a tune that's been sampled dozens of times by hiphop and electronic-music producers, Perrey hit upon a supremely funky groove that's suggestive of interstellar travel. Among the many artists who've used portions of "E.V.A." to animate their own tracks are Gang Starr's DJ Premier, DJ Spooky, Schooly D, Dr. Octagon, MC Lyte, Pete Rock, Pusha T, Luke Vibert, Reprazent, and Primal Scream.

As I wrote in a 2006 Data Breaker column in The Stranger:

The signature Perrey sound is delightfully unhinged, texturally kooky, instantly memorable. He was one of the first musicians to capitalize on the late-1960s Moog-synthesizer phenomenon. From that marvelous instrument, Perrey coaxed an amazing array of goofy sounds while composing insanely cheerful ditties—twee, psychedelic curios built to last. In his songs, the avant-garde and kitsch clash, resulting in an exalted novelty music.

In 2006, Perrey performed at the Triple Door with Everett-based synthesist/composer Dana Countryman, offering a rare opportunity for Americans to hear the Frenchman's peculiar, enchanted excursions live. It was a dazzling bucket-list experience, for sure. RIP, Jean-Jacques Perrey.