Strafe - Set It Off

[1984]

An epic elemental electro-funk masterpiece.

When the differences between funk, electro, house and techno or even post-disco, freestyle and chart dance pop were pretty flimsy. If you added the emphasis on a particular instrument here it may have been categorised as a different sub-genre. A lot of categorisation at the time was geographical. In Australia in 1984 just starting High School it was all just called dance music. 

Set It Off's influence continued into at least the early 00s with the likes of The Neptunes ripping off this aesthetic wholesale and calling it their own. 

 

Still the future. 

Newcleus - Computer Age (Push The Button)

Newcleus - Computer Age (Push The Button) [Club Mix] - (1984) 

A lot of old school electro jamz are amazingly pertinent to today, probably more so than anything actually current in pop music. 

Some theorists say now that AI has been unleashed onto the public that we're doomed. How much more doom mongering propaganda can we take? I suspect AI was released into society to create more havoc, confusion and chaos so that more control can be exerted upon us lowlife masses. It will have you screaming for the government to fuck you harder with regards to your dwindling freedom.

Many people are under the misapprehension that science-fiction books & movies and futuristic electronic music are always cheerleading retarded technological progress but no many of these artist's artefacts have always been about warning us of these incredibly anti-human existential dangers. Enjoying Kraftwerk, John Foxx or Newcleus doesn't equate to wanting to comply with trans-humanism. 

Are we under their control, or are they under our control, or what?
Push the button
Computer age is now
Everyone must have a machine
They say it's gonna make life easier,
well, I can't stand it....
They say we should put them in control
Well, maybe next we'll give them a soul
I guess we must now think that we're gods,
While we're less men than ever
I know the Lord cannot be too glad
In fact, I'm sure he must be quite mad
To see us take His role from our lives
And give it to computers
For here we sit in our easy chairs
As our machines decide how we'll fare
Who will suffer, who will survive?
It's up to the computers
Push the button
Are we under their control, or are they under our control, or what?
Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!
Computing
"I'm no longer in control
I can't program my machine
Now it wants to take my soul
Stop it or it will proceed!"
Why is it you're trying to give me
Programs
I'm in charge and yet you're trying to
Program
I'm metal so you think you have to
Program
But I'm a man 'cause I don't need no
Programs
Now computing...now computing...now computing...now computing...
Are we under their control, or are they under our control, or what?

Totally epic track that gets pretty cosmic at 5:40.

Bonny - Prefab Sprout

Bonny - Prefab Sprout (1985)

Impeccable.

Timeless 80s pop perfection: aged like fine wine. Paddy McAloon's idiosyncratic words and feels ensure Bonny is like nothing else. Wretched grief thoroughly captured in an authentic yet beautiful manner. 

Heartbreaking.

Rev-P - 1994 (1994)

Strangely several elements of Bonny were used here to great effect in this unusual uncanny slice of dark, damp and dubby jungle. This murky tune was created by Pete Parsons aka Voyager aka Static Substance. 

Master C & J - In The City (Devil Mix)

[1987]

Immaculate restrained minimal disco-funk of the future... There's still something rather inexplicable about certain early Chicago house tracks and In The City is no exception with its liminal unnamed vibe. Bleak lyrical content delivered via frightening vocal science intermingled with bouncy bass and exuberant drum machine hand claps signal a somewhat poignant inevitability of 80s urban living. This downcast sensibility is blanketed by warm synth tones leaving feels tilted towards elation rather than agitation, adding a disconcerting dimension. Dystopian psychedelia where danger and excitement are so entwined they're indistinguishable from each other.

Mr. Fingers - Mystery Of Love

[1985]

The enigmatical Mystery Of Love is still fresh to this day and ultimately transcendent. This is the original 1985 instrumental not the later re-recorded version with vocals that came out under the moniker Fingers Inc.

It's funny innit that years later somebody in the UK termed ambient house a sub-genre because house at its inception was already ambient and house so...

That fluid bass swirling like a kaleidoscope giving it a circular momentum, the ace cymbal work and those wistful washes of melodic synth with a euphoric tinge make this primo 80s tune-age from Chicago! 

A flowing atmospheric track like this seems more suited for driving, home listening or headphones than a sweaty dance-floor. Larry Heard created a timeless and indeed mysterious sound here.  

Chip E - Time To Jack

[1985]

More raw stripped down jackin' trax from Chicago. Appearing to be deceptively rudimentary these hypnotic, pounding yet intricate rhythms are sterling elemental beat-science. Chip E uses minimal elements from Italo-disco and electro-pop creating delirious drum machine driven damage, originating one of the finest early house tunes. 

Jesse Saunders - On And On

[1984]

Some people don't realise that house wasn't always a lame genre so here's some house before house got defined. No piano riff-age or acidic squelches here. On And On is still rudimentary and raw utilising specific disco elements but rearranged for maximum pleasure. Unhinged synth lines, primitive drum machine hand clap breaks galore and loops into the future. 

Vis-A-Vis - Obi Agye Me Dofo

[1977]

Rolling golden grooves for miles... Highlife indeed!

I haven't heard this in 15 years but I came across it on the youtubes last night... and wow it's... magnificent! Soundway compiled this tune back in the 00s on the great double cd Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanian Blues 1968-81. This infectious track is highlife merging into afro-synth-funk and it's on another plain innit. 

If you love Nigerian synth legend William Onyeabor you are going to love what Tonny Doziz does with his synthesiser here. This is a hell of an ensemble. A crack percussion team is deployed to give you maximum rhythmic pleasure: On congas of glory George Asante, cowbell extraordinaire Alex Jubin, Danel Asare on maracas and drummer Kung-Fu Kwaku aka Shaolin Kung Fu (Gybson Papra). Held down bass-wise by Slim Yaw Manu.

... hypnotic sweet psychedelic-jazz-funk Ghanian stylee is the Vis-A-Vis highlife way. 

Robbie Dupree - Hot Rod Hearts

[1980]

When falling in love was like being on the run: It was gangster. It was heroic.

Roger's previous single Steal Away was an American top 10 smash and a number 24 hit here but this follow up didn't even crack the top 40 here in Australia but make no mistake this is one of the greatest soft rock radio anthems of all time. 

"Ten miles east of the highway
Hot sparks burnin' the night away
Two lips touchin' together
Cheek to cheek, sweatshirt to sweater"

Yes indeed he wrote and sang that line "sweatshirt to sweater" and somehow made it noble and beautiful.

Hot Rod Hearts lyrics are deceptively simple but are actually brilliantly concise. Coupled with the lightly sophisticated sound it's pop perfection innit, right up there with early Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Phil Spector's girl groups etc. 

Home On Monday · Little River Band

[1977]

Staying in Melbourne zones... What about this west coast classic from rainy Melbourne? Expansive melodies and harmonies galore, adult sentiments, gambling themes, such bleak lonely freedom loneliness, confusing wistfulness and dreary romance. 

I had this on a tape in primary school and the emotions entwined with that immaculate arrangement were just so unusually complex it was incredibly disconcerting yet enticing for a young mind. 

It's also a phone call song like the previous post's I'd Really Like To See You Tonight but much more consummate in its execution.