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Tonto's Expanding Head Band was a British-American electronic music duo formed in the early 1970s by Malcolm Cecil and Bob Margouleff. The project centered around their custom-built multitimbral polyphonic analog synthesizer, T.O.N.T.O. (The Original New Timbral Orchestra), which featured prominently on their two albums and several records by notable collaborators, including Stevie Wonder. T.O.N.T.O. was developed using two Moog Series III modular synthesizers, merged and housed in curved wooden cabinets. Cecil worked with various technicians to maintain the complex system, which required constant recalibration. He met Margouleff in early 1971 during a session at the Record Plant Studio in New York. In the early 1970s, they expanded T.O.N.T.O. with modules from other manufacturers, inspired by a new Serge Modular system. In June 1971, they released their debut album, "Zero Time," which received critical acclaim despite limited commercial success. The album gained a cult following among audiophiles and experimental electronic music fans. Their work caught the attention of Stevie Wonder, leading to collaborations on several of his albums, for which they served as associate producers, engineers, and programmers. In December 1974, they released their sophomore album, "It's About Time," in Europe and the UK. The T.O.N.T.O. synthesizer made a cameo in the film "Phantom of the Paradise" in 1974. In
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