Archive for the ‘Real Genius’ Category
Robot Rock du Jour: Bernard Fevre aka Black Devil – Dali(1975)
Then the French said, “Let there be dark disco.” And it was really, really good.
Right?! 1975. Whoa.
As a music genealogist, moments where new musical (sub)genres are born are pretty much the stuff of dreams.
Within this span of 84 seconds, from an offbeat library (ie music snippets) album “The Strange World of Bernard Fevre,” foundations are laid for the deepest, darkest, most esoteric disco album ever made, Black Devil’s”Disco Club” in 1978.
SCHEMATIC: The entire legendary “Disco Club” LP and a live performance! Read the rest of this entry »
Bucky – Expo ’67 Pavilion
Bucky Ist Über-Nerder. What I wouldn’t give to ride these escalators!
Who makes stuff like this anymore? No one. Everything is so damned commercial and self-conscious now. Oh wait, Greg and I did resurrect The Imaginarium at Stanford. I guess that counts.
Thanks to Jer for spotting this.
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Robot Rock du Jour: Leon Theramin
Leon Theramin, electronic music pioneer and russian spy. Awesome.
Great article in the BBC yesterday.
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Robot Rock du Jour: Factory Floor – Real Love (2010)
I interrupt your regularly scheduled whatever to bring you this uncut diamond from the London underground.
Factory Floor has future classic written all over them. Shows in NY and Philly in late September and early November.
SCHEMATIC: Real Love (Album Version), Lying and Wooden Box… Read the rest of this entry »
Robot Rock du Jour: LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great (2007)
So, I pretty much avoid big time acts and there are very few “modern” bands that make what I deem to be exceptionally rad music. LCD Soundsystem, however, is the king + queen of them all.
I created this stop-motion video as part of my graduate program thesis work. 100 hours of wood cutting and photographing. If you dig it, peep my process photos.
SCHEMATIC: Videos for Home, Daft Punk is Playing at My House… Read the rest of this entry »
Robot Rock du Jour: Daft Punk – Derezzed (2010) (TRON: Legacy)
TRON: Legacy + Daft Punk. Full coverage of the original film and remake soon.
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Robot Rock du Jour: Units – High Pressure Days (1979)
There is no substitute for the unadulterated, analog muskiness of an über rare, private pressing 7″ from a pioneering synthpunk band.
These recordings were digitized from near mint copy of this seminal work. Each track is mind-blowing and considerably more raw than the versions found on the 1980 LP, Digital Stimulation. Make sure to check out iNight, too
SCHEMATIC: Original recordings of Cowboy and Cannibals…
Read the rest of this entry »
Robot Rock du Jour: Alexander Robotnick – Problèmes D’Amour (1983)
Close your eyes.
Picture Rusty Griswold at a topless disco in National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985). Do you hear that song playing in the background? How awesome is it??!! Well, this was the track.
Alexander Robotnick, aka Maurizio Dami, rewrote Italo by attaching a ground wire to Electro and letting the current rip. He also set the bar for performance names. This fellow is a legend who still exercises his servos and gives one hell of a live performance.
SCHEMATIC: Rare dub and live versions, an interview and a very special song…
Read the rest of this entry »
Snort: Sesame Street – Yip Yip Martian Radio
Robot Rock Du Jour: ‘Lectric Workers – Robot is Systematic (1982)
I assure you, my friend, that this robot is indeed systematic.
Nearly 30 human years ago, this track was putting hairy-chested robots into full-frame meltdown on space disco floors all over Planet Italy. ’Lectric Workers members Franco Rago and Gigi Farina were also responsible for Decadance’s considerably darker, yet ultimately synthulescent On and On (Fears Keep On).
SCHEMATIC: Instrumental version, album cover art and record label scans…