(1951-) Synth and keyboard player who was a major factor in popularizing electronic music in the 1970s and '80s. In the early '70s, Fast attended Lafayette College, where he majored in history, but took several courses in computer science and electrical engineering. Combining these with his existing interest in music, he built some electronic sound devices of his own design. After graduation, he did studio and production work in his native New Jersey, where by chance he was introduced one day to Rick Wakeman. This led to a gig in England assisting with the production of Yes's Tales from Topographic Oceans. While he was there, JEM, a major exporter of European recordings to North America, took interest in what he was doing. JEM signed him to a recording contract with Passport Records, its U