Every so often here on Synthspotter I'll be featuring noteworthy (synthworthy?) independent releases. I'm kicking things off with an e.p. by The Manitou (otherwise known as yours truly).
"Let's Build Mecha!" features seven tracks, most of which were composed for Brokensea Audio Productions' "Doctor Who: Mechalution." It is of course the very same Doctor Who made famous by the BBC, in this case produced and written by and for fans who just can't get enough of the show.
There are a couple of moody experimental pieces on this release, but the rest is techno-pop with an industrial edge. The songs are crafted using sampled circuit-bent gear (such as a modified Texas Instruments Speak & Spell), synthesized & sampled percussion, a Novation K-Station analog-modelling synth, and a Crumar Performer string synthesizer.
Doctor Who: Mechalution, in a nutshell, is about a planet where robotic lifeforms are evolving out of the entropy left by its former inhabitants. The Manitou's music has investigated similar themes in the past, so it was fun to do an entire e.p. in that vein.
Best of all, the podcast episode is available for free at the Brokensea link above, and the e.p. is also free at www.manitouslair.com. To further entice you, here's a video promo:
The Manitou - Let's Build Mecha (Promo), courtesy of wireslave.
Here's an album I recently rediscovered, and which was big with me when I was a kid. Into The Gap is certainly the Thompson Twins most successful album, and with good reason. The songs are catchy, well-executed, and full of diverse sounds and instrumentation. The band, at this stage in their career, consisted of:
It was revealed in a 1984 issue of Keyboard magazine that 95% of the synth parts on the album are thanks to an Oberheim OB-Xa. A Prophet 5 and a Pro-One were also used, both manufactured by Sequential Circuits. (Thanks to Micke @ Vintagesynth.com forum for the info). Also of note is the rare Movement MCS Percussion Computer (which combined analogue drum synthesis and 8-bit digital drum samples with computerised sequencing) and the Movement Mimic (an early monophonic sampler with keyboard control) both made in Britain by Movement Systems.
Let's start with the opening track, "Doctor! Doctor!" which features some incredible moody synth sounds and an awesome multitracked solo.
This is the song that most people remember, even though it charted lower in the UK (#4) than other singles from the album. Nevertheless, it's a fine song for a band to be remembered by. The 12" version is especially good, by the way. You can find it on "Thompson Twins Greatest Mixes," along with three other 12" singles from this album.
This track's a little lighter on the synths, but was always a favourite of mine. You can hear the Mimic in action, providing some mechanical sound effects.
Five singles were released in total from the album - quite a number considering two or three is the norm these days. Sister Of Mercy was another ballad:
Unfortunately I couldn't find the studio version of "Day After Day." Here's a live version instead, from their 1983 Into The Gap tour. Sorry about the sound quality.
I'll round this post out with a slow number. I managed to track down all but one track from the album on youtube (actually "No Peace For The Wicked" can be found if you search for it, but embedding has been disabled for that particular track).
What we have here is an oddity and an undiscovered treasure: a space-disco concept album. It works surprisingly well. Quaint spacey synth-sounds play off against funky rock-guitar and solid disco drum beats. Dee D. Jackson's voice alternates from angular, to angelic and beautiful, to strong and powerful throughout. The album was produced by Gary and Patty Unwin. Synths unknown.
Here's the opening track, Automatic Lover, which was a single and reached #1 in several countries. The only complaint I have about it is the faux-robot voice that repeats far too often. The video is suitably cheesy.
Let me begin with a bit of back-story. Growing up in the 80s, with synth-driven music and its strong and catchy melodies, I spent most of the 90s thinking good music had come to an end. I listened almost exclusively to music from the 70s and 80s during that period, with few exceptions. Music TV and radio were my only sources for discovering new music, and try as I might, I just couldn't enjoy anything current.
Then, in 1999, Eiffel 65's 'Blue' was played on the TV. I'd never heard anything like it. I remember thinking that dance music had suddenly risen to new heights. The odd thing is, it's a very simple song - almost too simple. But the impact it had was enormous. Thanks to the internet, which was new to me at the time, I discovered that bands like Eiffel 65 were thick on the ground overseas. The problem was they weren't played on Canadian radio, nor were they likely to be unless they had a crossover hit.
Another band that changed my outlook was Canada's Front Line Assembly. They too were absent from the airwaves. Nevertheless, I picked up a compilation of theirs called 'Reclamation.' It proved to me that good music had not died. They'd been making music since the early nineties, but was it being heard? Certainly not by me. And they weren't the only band out there making industrial synth-music.
Front Line Assembly - Provision, courtesy of MetalKael
A world of new music opened up to me. I no longer had to wade through angst-ridden 'alternative' bands pushing swaths of distorted fuzz around and singing dirges over the top of it. Thanks to these two bands, and the internet, I discovered electro-house, EBM, trance, funk, and many genres in-between.
Now, ten years later, I feel I've discovered the next 'revolution' in my musical tastes: Japanese Techno-Pop. My love for Anime has exposed me not only to the Japanese language, but also to the quirky, happy theme tunes. I knew about 'J-Pop' but never really heard anything that caught my attention. I'd been listening to Vocaloid music, specifically Hatsune Miku, and it was via Miku Channel blog that I discovered the band Perfume.
On the surface of it, Perfume are a 'girl group' that sing happy bubblegum songs. But beneath their auto-tuned voices lies a bed of exquisitely-produced techno-pop. The man responsible for writing and producing these songs is Yasutaka Nakata. A little research revealed that Perfume is just one of many acts he writes and produces for, and that his primary project is called 'capsule.' Capsule, as of this writing, have produced 12 albums since 2001. How Nakata-san manages such an incredible output on top of writing and producing entire albums for other groups is amazing enough, but the songwriting remains consistently good as well.
For your enjoyment, here is a selection of Nakata's works, starting with the first song that caught my attention:
This last track isn't by Nakata, but sounds like something he'd do and I like it a lot:
Aira Mitsuki - China Discotica, courtesy of otarutomoe13
The only problem with these bands is tracking them down. Capsule's most recent albums are available on iTunes Canada, but everything else has had to be sourced from either eBay or CDJapan.co.jp at great expense. They're worth every penny, though.
Adam Ant isn't generally associated with synthesizers - having based his career on energetic rock/punk and a flashy look - nor would many consider this his best album. 'Kings of the Wild Frontier' (recorded as Adam and the Ants) is generally regarded as his enduring classic. Personally I give the honour to the follow-up 'Friend Or Foe,' his first solo release. All his solo records to date have been recorded with the Ants' guitarist Marco Pirroni, and for Manners & Physique they were joined by producer Andre Cymone - who was in Prince's band, and produced Jody Watley (of Shalamar) among others.
Cymone mixed Adam & Marco's strengths for percussion, guitar, and vocal melody with synthesized bass, brass, and lush chords. The result is a funky dance-pop vibe, which works very well. The vocals on Manners & Physique are some of Adam's most refined and showcase his exceptional voice. Marco's guitars chug along on the verge of being at odds with the rest of the music, but this juxtaposition adds to the appeal of the record.
I wanted to share the title track, which I consider one of the best pop songs ever written, but unfortunately it wasn't to be found on Youtube at the time of this posting. Check it out if you get a chance. This album has been freshly remastered and reissued with bonus tracks. If you like what you hear, I highly recommend it.
I'm a writer, nature photographer, and composer of electronic music. I compose music 'on-spec' for Brokensea Audio Productions, release the occasional synthpop album as 'The Manitou,' and generally tinker with sound design and studio gadgetry.
When time allows, I hope to produce a full-cast audio drama of my all-ages novel: 'Tales of Elves and Trolls: The Crystal Goblin.' In the meantime, I continue to write the sequels and bring you posts on audio geekery.
