Archive for the ‘1981’ tag
Robot Rock du Jour: Starter – Minijupe (1981)
OK. So, pretend for a minute that lead singer Francis Foss DOESN’T look and sound like Dana Carvey taking the piss out of no wave bands.
In that hot minute, you will surely discover how rad this song is because you, after all, love les minijupes (miniskirts) as much as I do. And Korg MS-20s.
SCHEMATIC: Dana Carvey, record label and cover artwork, some band photos…
Robot Rock du Jour: Marcello Giombini – I Adore Commodore (198?)
Italian film composer and experimental synth maestro Giombini put up this track sometime in the early 1980s as a promo for the Commodore 64. I wonder if this video somehow inspired the seminal film, Weird Science?
SCHEMATIC: Cuts from Giombini’s landmark 1981 LP Astromusic Synthesizer…
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″…
Party Time: Saturday Robot Party @ The Idle Hour (Baltimore, MD)
VIGR is in the house. 4+ hour rare vinyl set. Need I say more? Hope to see you there! I’ll try to keep track of the setlist…
Robot Rock du Jour: Eberhard Schoener + The Police = Why Don’t You Answer? (1978)
I flipped when I found this at the record store today for CAN$8! Are you kidding me?! This incredible track is the result of a long-forgotten collaboration between the Roxanne-era Police and German composer/keyboard player Eberhard Schoener. Seriously!
Sting on vocals and bass, Steward Copland on drums/percussion and Andy Summers on guitar with Schoener laying it down heavy on the synth. Sting’s signature voice and the song’s slow build opens the door for uniquely anxious lyrics. Infectious and awesome.
SCHEMATIC: Weird Video Magic live performance video, cover art and record scans…
Robot Rock du Jour: Liaisons Dangereuses – Los Niños Del Parque (1981)
German EBM (Electronic Body Music) pioneers, Liaisons Dangereuses are goin’ for it full throttle on this track. This particular live version was filmed in Manchester in 1982. Acid synthlines abound, making this track a landmark Chicago/Detroit precursor. iSpy my favorite synth duo the Korg MS-20 and MS-50.
SCHEMATIC: Live in Düsseldorf, synths, famous female band member…
Robot Rock du Jour: Jo Lemaire + Flouze – Je Suis Venir Te Dire Que Je M’En Vais (1981)
Be still my robotic heart! Jo Lemaire’s 1981 cover of the Serge Gainsbourg classic is a sultry, breathy slow burn laid over some tight drum beats and layered, melancholy synths. “I came to tell you I am going…”
Robot Rock du Jour: Logic System – Unit (1981)
From the Hideki Matsutake’s album Logic released in 1981. How can you argue with a hot (french) girl singing over smooth robotic beats? Get the Japanese pressing: It is sonically superior and not expensive (yet).
Oh? What’s that? You liked that, did you? Well, there are over 130 more videos on my painstakingly assembled youtube playlist. If you want to journey even deeper, I’ve compiled two related playlists that delve into the history of and equipment used in the production of early electronica.