Deux – Decadence LP (2010)
Vive La Synth Baguette!!!
The life of an anachronist is no picnic: One’s soul (do robots have souls?) is spread across time like brie on pain chaud. Fortunately for those of us stuck surfing time-space, there is music this good to keep us afloat. Minimal Wave nails it again with another anthology repress, this time by French duo, Deux. Might as well double-up on the vinyl while you’re there buying Futurisk Player Piano LP to save on shipping. If you’re feeling flush, I would pick up the Medio Mutante EP, Inestable single, too.
SCHEMATIC: Not convinced?! Check out the full Deux posting HERE!!!
Robot Rock du Jour: Futurisk – Player Piano LP (2010)
Hot off the press!!!
Aptly-named revival label Minimal Wave has compiled Futurisk‘s entire catalog and pressed it on collector-quality 180g vinyl, including this alternate take of their signature track, Meteoright. Destined to be a collectible. At $22, you’d be crazy not to pick one (or two) up.
SCHEMATIC: Need more Futurisk videos??? Get your fix HERE!!!
Robot Rock du Jour: Crash Course in Science – Flying Turns (1981)
This EP/12″ gets me all wound up with some serious non-goth electro industrial madness!
Crash Course in Science was formed in 1979 while the three members were attending art school in Philadelphia.Flying Turns is off their 12″ Signals from Pier Thirteen originally published on Press Records in 1981.
SCHEMATICS: More videos and MP3s from the 12″…
Robot Rock du Jour: The Units – High Pressure Days (1979)
High Pressure Days is a filthy, gnarly animal.
Let Uncle Rico’s time machine teleport you back to 1977 San Francisco. Eschewing guitars in favor of synths (good move, fellas), The Units become one of the very first synthpunk bands. They then start tearing it up, self-releasing the original version of this track in 1979 on what is now an absurdly rare 7″ record (sells for about £100). This video features the album version, released in 1980 on the Digital Stimulation LP.
SCHEMATIC: The ENTIRE Digital Stimulation album, band portrait and flyer (via synthpunk)…
Robot Rock du Jour: Freeez – I.O.U. (1983)
This video somehow manages to aggregate nearly everything that was so boss about the early 1980s: 7″ records; boomboxes/ghettoblasters; BMX bikes; popping and locking; synthesizers; fashion; and even a healthy dose of naïve sexuality. If this song sounds like a cross between Afrika Bambaataa and New Order, that is because legend Arthur Baker produced it! Thanks to fellow nerdbot Tom in the UK for the heads up on this one.
SCHEMATIC: Acapella & Dub Versions…
Equipment: Speak & Spell
Jack Burton once advised: “You never know when you may need to call upon the vocal synthesis wizardry of the Speak & Spell.” Disappointingly limited vocabulary aside, here is a web emulator for use on those occasions where nothing else will quite do the trick.
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Dans La Rue: Bay Area Maker Faire 2010
The Maker Faire is like an engineer’s craft show on acid. There’s dudes riding around in go-carts that look like cupcakes, sixty-year-olds playing Jules Verne in the Steam Punk pavilion and lots of fire. This first video features Mark Galt’s intoxicating “Quadruped” kinetic sculpture at the Bay Area Maker Faire in May 2010.
SCHEMATIC: More videos and photos from Maker Faire 2010…
Keyser Söze Alert: Magnifique – Magnifique (1979)
There is absolutely no fronting on this straight-up funky disco track from Canada (Ontario, I think)! The video, which features clips from the terrible 1979 flick Roller Boogie, is a stroke of genius. Now, the first three minutes of this song may not do much for you, but when the breakdown begins, the song deconstructs into some pretty trippy disco.
VIdeodrome: Patrick Jean – PIXELS (2010)
This video is remarkably awesome.
Robot Rock du Jour: Zwischenfall – Flucht (1983)
Chew on this dark wave nugget for a while.
SCHEMATIC: Limited edition repress, original female vocal version and more videos…