Archive for the ‘Synth Pop’ tag
Robot Rock du Jour: Real Life – Send Me an Angel (1983)
RAD is to BMX what Gleaming The Cube is to skateboarding.
An instant cult classic when it hit theaters in 1986, RAD is an absolutely essential piece of 80′s history.
This next clip features a sick “bicycle boogie” set to Send Me an Angel by Australian band Real Life. I watched several versions of this clip on youtube and this one presents the best clip length, video and sound quality. Keep your eyes peeled for the Crimson Twins, Xamot and Tomax!!
SCHEMATIC: RAD BMX credits and three versions of the Send Me An Angel music video… Read the rest of this entry »
Robot Rock du Jour: Taxi Girl – Paris (1984)
Pain chaud! I’m not sure what the hell is going on in this video…but I like it. It’s a damned time capsule from 1984 Paris wrapped in a warm baguette synth line.
Paris features a very young Mirwais (!!) and Daniel Darc walking around town and ragging on their home city.
SCHEMATIC: Videos for Mannequin, Cherchez le Garçon, an early band portrait and Paris album cover art…
Robot Rock du Jour: Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science (1982)
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… Read the rest of this entry »
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: Deux – Paris / Orly (1985)
Hot Girls Singing Over Synths (HGSOS).
This French duo were really onto something with their minimal synths, stripped-down rhythm compositions and suitably cold female lyrics. This prime example of French minimal synth pop was no doubt influenced by their proximity to Germany as the cool synth-laden air traveled down from Les Alpes. Presented here is Paris / Orly the b-side from their Europe 7″ published in 1985 on André Records.
SCHEMATIC: Videos for Felicita and Game and Performance…
Robot Rock du Jour: La Bionda – I Wanna Be Your Lover (1980)
Back in 1980, these Italian brothers gave Daft Punk a blueprint for combining vocoder-laden electronic music, cosmic story lines and robot animé. Be kind, please rewind.
SCHEMATIC: Candid photos, original cover art and record scans…
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: Vocoder – Amor de Robot (1985)
Manchego munching synth-pop group Vocoder emerged from the silicon matrix in the mid-80s to release some quintessential nerd tracks, then disappeared forever back into the ether.
SCHEMATIC: Additional release info, high quality cover art and record scans…
Robot Rock du Jour: Vocoder – ¿Que Sucede Ahora? What Happens Now? (1984)
¿Que Sucede Ahora? (What Happens Now?) was Vocoder’s first single, released as a 12″ on Neon Danza in 1984. I wish I could find a Roland TB-303 in the cereal aisle…
Keyser Söze Alert: Fric – Erreur Erotique (1982)
A synthy, robo-erotic slow jam created by two guys that look (and sound) like perverted middle school math teachers. Sung in Québecois French and vocoded to perfection. Need I say more? Pretty robo-heady lyrics, so check out the SCHEMATIC section for the original French and English translations.
Here is their (not so) live performance on Musi-Video from the early 1980s.
SCHEMATIC: Hot cover art, original record scans, Montréal distributor’s sticker and LYRICS… Read the rest of this entry »