inner nerd » 1982

Robot Rock du Jour: Futurisk – Player Piano LP (2010)

beaker — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:20:36 +0000

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!!!

Pssst...pass it on!

Robot Rock du Jour: Neil Young – Trans LP (1982)

beaker — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:55:17 +0000

In 1982, Neil Young was abducted by robot aliens who grafted an organic neural-net processor onto his existing human brain and sent him back to Earth to make vocoder-infused, heavily distorted guitar rock. Five of the nine tracks on Trans were recorded by this Neil Young Beta Unit, who also remixed Mr. Soul as the b-side on the Sample and Hold 12″ single.

SCHEMATIC: Other Neil Young Beta Unit videos and cover art…

So, the actual story here, according to Wikipedia, is that Neil Young’s son was born with cerebral palsy. Somewhere along the line, Mr. Young found that he was able to elicit a better response from his son when using the Moog vocoder. Pretty awesome. Not sure if this album is a result of Mr. Young pushing the creative envelope or just ruminations on technology and communication. Either way, this album was a really, really pleasant surprise.

Sample and Hold (LP Version)

We R In Control

Computer Age

Transformer Man

Computer Cowboy

Mr. Soul (Dance Remix)

Trans LP Cover Art

Pssst...pass it on!

Robot Rock du Jour: Thomas Dolby – Windpower (1982)

beaker — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:32:09 +0000

The future was indeed 1982. Nerd of nerds Thomas Dolby laid out “Windpower” on his seminal LP The Golden Age of Wireless, which featured the über hit She Blinded Me With Science. This song is an intellectual call to arms; a utopian nerd manifesto. If anyone wants to build a new city (or take over a cool one like Denver) I’m IN!

SCHEMATIC: Two more versions and inspiring lyrics…

Windpower (Top of the Pops Live Version) (c.1982)

Crappy sound and video quality, but a great version nonetheless!

Windpower (High Powered Extended Play) (1982)

This particular cut is off the eponymous 12″ single. Readily available on vinyl and cheap.

Windpower Lyrics

Switch off the mind and let the heart decide
who you were meant to be
Flick to remote and let the body glide
There is no enemy !
Etch out a future of your own design
Well tailored to your needs
Then fan the flame and keep the dream alive
Of a continent
A continent a continent a continent a -
There is no enemy !
Switch of the mind and let the heart decide
We’re a continent
A continent a continent a continent a -
Shatter the lens and grind it into sand
One measured exposure
Scatter the seed and furrow in our land
The future is roses! Roses!
Switch off the mind and let the heart decide
There is no enemy!
Lift up the hearts of this your only tribe
We’re a continent
A continent a continent a continent a

Pssst...pass it on!

Robot Rock du Jour: Severed Heads – Lamborghini/Petrol (1982/1985)

beaker — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:32:52 +0000

I’m HOOKED! Now this is some real Aussie nerdness! Nearly five minutes of minimal synth industrial perfection from legendary Sydney band Severed Heads. Disgustingly rare in its original wax format.

Lamborghini (Live at Metro TV, July 1982)

SCHEMATIC: Recording details, the original studio cut and a later concert version…

There is some confusion regarding the actual name of this track: Is it Lamborghini or Petrol? My hunch is that Lamborghini is actually an early version of Petrol. The earliest example of Lamborghini is off the 1982 French compilation Entrave et Étouffement, whereas Petrol doesn’t show up until 1985 on a 7″. To complicate matters further, although the embedded Live at Metro TV July 1982 clip you already saw is clearly a live performance of Lamborghini, it is tagged on youtube as Petrol.

This next cut of Lamborghini was taken from a compilation CD called Can’t Stop It! II (Australian Post-Punk 1979-84) that was published in 2007. The compilation is just OK, although that track from Centerfold is good, too. Might as well pick it up digitally because Severed Heads early recordings will cost you from $50 – $2,000!

Lamborghini (CD Version)

Petrol (Live at Rock Arena, 1986)

Pssst...pass it on!

Robot Rock du Jour: The Neon Judgement – The Fashion Party (1983)

beaker — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:43:19 +0000

If Robert De Niro were a robot and went on a rampage, this is the song that would be playing in the background. Hyperactive, aggro-nerd breakdance music at its finest. The Fashion Party is some hard-rocking Electronic Body Music from Belgium off the Cockerill-Sombre 12″. Love that post-punk guitar around 2:50!

SCHEMATICS: Videos for TV Treated and Tomorrow in the Papers…

TV Treated (1982)

Where NIN came from…

Tomorrow in the Papers (1985)

Pssst...pass it on!

Robot Rock du Jour: Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science (1982)

beaker — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:03:12 +0000

This video was an integral part of my nerdlinghood. Visually rich to the nth degree: Besides the sweet sidecar motorcycle and lunatic scientists, you have the superhot lab assistant, Ms. Sakamoto, who doubles as a cello. Classic nerd track. BTW, Dolby has been the Musical Director of the TED conferences since 2001.

SCHEMATICS: Album artwork and other gems from Dolby…

Hyperactive! (12″ Version) (1984)

The beginning of this track always makes me think of The Bestie Boys. Great video.

Hyperactive! (Album Version) (1984)

Taken from Beta tapes, which is really cool. This version is much more in the vein of The Talking Heads.

One of Our Submarines (Live) (1982)

Pssst...pass it on!

Snort: Phoebe Cates – Paradise (1982)

beaker — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:27:03 +0000

Despite becoming the center of millions of pubescent fantasies that very same year, Phoebe’s Paradise didn’t quite launch her musical career into orbit. Strip the crappy music, run the vocals through a vocoder, add some beats, change that dress to skin-tight silver lamé and…VOILA!!…instant classic.

Pssst...pass it on!

Party Time: Saturday Robot Party @ The Idle Hour (Baltimore, MD)

beaker — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:52:53 +0000

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…

Pssst...pass it on!

Keyser Söze Alert: Trophy – Slow Flight (1982)

beaker — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:24:30 +0000

This unstoppable Italo electro-disco jam from 1982 spawned the fabled Fuzz Dance label. Italo master Maurizio Dami (aka Alexander Robotnick) was heavily involved with this label as both a producer and remixer. Does anyone out there know if he produced this track, too?

Here’s the spacey instrumental version ripped from my vinyl copy.

SCHEMATIC: Record scans and Alexander Robotnick dropping some disco knowledge…

This video spurred me to go on a one-year rare disco vinyl collecting rampage and start this blog. Consider yourself warned!

Pssst...pass it on!

Keyser Söze Alert: Gay Cat Park – I’m a Vocoder (1982)

beaker — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:18:57 +0000

Wait…Who? Don’t let the peculiar name distract you from the raw genius of this track. This masterpiece marked the genesis of Italo thoroughbred label Il Discotto Productions in 1982. By the way, you can learn a ton about vintage vocoders by watching our vocoder youtube playlist or checking out our friends over at Matrixsynth.

SCHEMATIC: More vocoder intel…

Pssst...pass it on!