Here’s some proof I have been making music a long time. I’m the one in black of course next to Peter Lopez and Jay Serken. I don’t know that exact year but it’s somewhere in the late 80s. The photo was taken at Suny Purchase in one of the music building’s practice rooms. Imagine sequencing on an IBM PC? You don’t know how good you have it these days. The Roland Juno-106 in the photo was later stolen. This photo is also proof that extreme hair styles dont make you go bald (I still have a full head of hair). Before you ask… no I never smiled back then.
“Suny Purchase offers a unique education that combines programs in the liberal arts with conservatory programs in the arts in ways that emphasize inquiry, mastery of skills, and creativity. It is dedicated to creating opportunities for transformative learning and training in a community where disciplines connect, intersect, and enhance one another. Purchase College is included in the Princeton Review’s Best 371 Colleges (2010)” – Wikipedia
photo credit: Josh Saitz
This entry was written by , posted on October 29, 2011 at 6:42 am, filed under hardware, synthesizer and tagged 1980's, Jay Serken, Oliver Chesler, Peter Lopez, Roland Juno-106, Suny Purchase. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Another video example of a world I once lived in. What has been exploited and homogenized by Hot Topic’s in Malls across America once was underground and newsworthy. I think I need to raid my mothers closet again soon!
“Go inside this secret place tonight where black is in and the music is industrial strength and it’s always Halloween. On this Friday night we are going to take you to a nightclub you probably never knew existed. It’s a place where they dress in black and dance to Industrial Disco.” – Channel 9, Orlando
This entry was written by , posted on September 29, 2011 at 5:20 am, filed under music, political, video and tagged 1980's, 80s, Channel 9, Eyewitness News, Florida, industrial, Orlando. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
As record stores disappeared and cassettes disintegrated we lost access to some obscur electronic music from the early 80s. You can find tidbits on iTunes, Spotify and assorted blogs. Youtube on the other hand has become a treasure trove of underground material. Not only is a large portion of early recorded material being uploaded but it seems anyone that had a local electronic band is posting their demos. I’ve started a playlist of my findings. So far I have 35 videos in the playlist that runs over two hours. Of course there is a huge amount more that can be added. Feel free to post links of songs you think I should include. The more tape hiss the better!
“The domain name www.youtube.com was activated on February 14, 2005, and the website was developed over the subsequent months.” – Wikipedia.org
For more info: youtube.com/user/thingstocomerecords
This entry was written by , posted on September 7, 2011 at 4:32 am, filed under music and tagged 1980's, playlist, synthpop, YouTube. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
A friend of mine asked if I would check out the Looking at Music 3.0 exhibit at MoMA (The Yoshiko and Akio Morita Media Gallery, second floor). As a New Yorker who lived and breathed music in the 80s and 90s I’m definitely going to get my nostalgia on.
“Looking at Music 3.0, the third in a series of exhibitions exploring the influence of music on contemporary art practices, focuses on New York in the 1980s and 1990s. In this dynamic period, imaginative forms of street art spread across the five boroughs, articulating the counter-culture tenor of the times. As the city transitioned from bankruptcy to solvency, graffiti, media, and performance artists took advantage of low rents and collaborated on ad hoc works shown in alternative spaces and underground clubs.” – moma.org
For more info: moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1147
This entry was written by , posted on April 28, 2011 at 12:17 pm, filed under music and tagged 1980's, 1990s, exhibit, Looking at Music, MoMA. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
I was there then and I am there now. The heart of the universe. Every night it looses it’s soul and every day it gets it back. New York City.
“New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world.” – WIkipedia
via laughingsquid
This entry was written by , posted on March 25, 2011 at 2:48 am, filed under Uncategorized and tagged 1980's, New York City. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
Is this stupid or cool? As big as an 80s nut as I am I didn’t download Stereolizer. I want to but I just couldn’t do it. It’s available in the App Store for $1.99: click here
“If, like me, you sometimes work at a desk with your iPad docked next to you, it is great fun to leave Stereolizer running for some 80s Hi-Fi on your desktop.” – iPad Creative
For more info: stereolizer.com
This entry was written by , posted on March 24, 2011 at 2:48 am, filed under iPad and tagged 1980's, 80s, iPad, stereo, Stereolizer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
What a Valentine’s Day treat to find this graceful acoustic version of New Order’s 1987 hit Bizarre Love Triangle (iTunes Link). Gray haired freshly cut and clothes to fit Mr. Sumner’s decade in this classy video. If your a young one or was sleeping through the 80s check out the original: youtu.be/W2Ii0K77K1k
“Every time I see you falling I get down on my knees and pray. I’m waiting for that final moment. You say the words that I can’t say.” – New Order
For more info: wikipedia.org/New_order
This entry was written by , posted on February 14, 2011 at 5:38 am, filed under live performance, music, video and tagged 1980's, acoustic, Bernard Sumner, Bizarre Love Triangle, live performance, New Order, Valentine's Day. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
In my continual effort to make my music studio into an 80′s time machine I picked up a Boss DM-100 bucket-brigade analog delay and chorus. Similar vintage units have been used on vocals by the Stray Cats and Richard 23 of Front 242. You could spend a lot more on new tape delay pedals such as the Moog 104Z but they aren’t as noisy and sleezy. In fact, a quick forum search on the DM-100 shows this unit is quite coveted. I like that the DM-100 has the input and outputs on the front which will make it quick to get drum machines and iPads through it and back into Ableton. If your not familiar with this type of device watch the video above at 20 seconds in to be impressed. If you want to stay in the box check out Audio Damage’s DubStation or Fabfilter’s Timeless plug-ins.
“The DM-100 uses is together with the compact DM-2 Boss’s first BBD based delay. The DM-100 is also making use of the Roland FCF (Frequency Controlled Filter) to produce its delay sound. The FCF gradually rolls of higher frequencies as the delay time increases. With the mode switch the user can choose whether to use the Delay Machine as a delay or chorus. The intensity of the chorus is adjusted with a control on the back and the effect can be turned on or off with a footswitch (not supplied with the DM-100).” – bossarea.com
For more info: bossarea.com/dm100
This entry was written by , posted on January 31, 2011 at 6:07 am, filed under hardware and tagged 1980's, BBD, Boss, Boss DM-100, bucket delay, bucket-brigade device, delay, DM-100, effect, vintage. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
First off, I apologize for including the Crazy Frog version of Harold Faltermeyer’s wonderful song Alex F in this blog post. The (very European) remix doesn’t hold a candle to the clean fresh sound of the original. However, the remix is a large part of the songs history so here you have it. There are a few reasons the original is so great. I always like music with a strong lead melody and no one can deny this isn’t catchy as hell. Now let’s talk gear: Roland Jupiter-8 (lead), Moog Modular (bass), a Roland JX-3P (chord stabs), Yamaha DX7 (bell/marimba), and a LinnDrum drum machine. I wish Eddy Murphy would make a real comeback and I wish there were more songs like Axel F.
“Axel F is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film Beverly Hills Cop performed by Harold Faltermeyer. The title comes from the main character’s name, Axel Foley (played by Eddie Murphy), in the film. It topped musical charts in 1985 and remains a popular remix track. Mixes of “Axel F” topped European pop charts in 2003, and again in 2005 as the Crazy Frog song. In addition to the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, the song also appears on Faltermeyer’s 1988 album Harold F. as a bonus track. Reportedly Faltermeyer was against including it, but MCA insisted, as it was his most recognizable track.” – Wikipedia
Buy the song: iTunes or Amazon
This entry was written by , posted on December 29, 2010 at 4:52 am, filed under music and tagged 1980's, Axel F, Crazy Frog, Eddie Murphy, Harold Faltermeyer, Jupiter-8, LinnDrum, Moog Modular, roland. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
By a very long mile Jean-Michel Basquiat is the visual artist closest to my heart. Growing up a native New Yorker in the 70s and 80s his paintings and illustrations mean more to me personally than anything I’ve ever seen. If you don’t know who he is you seriously owe it to yourself to watch the documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. Next, go right now and do an Google image search on his name to view some of his amazing work. Being a music based blog I thought I would share an album cover he did for Rammellzee and K-Rob. If anyone asks you which rap album is the most rare or which one would bring the most money at auction now you know.
“”Beat Bop” is a hip hop single by American rappers Rammellzee and K-Rob, originally released in 1983 by record label Tartown. Initially distributed merely as a test pressing, it is notable for being the theme of hip hop culture documentary film Style Wars and having a cover designed by famed New York graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The result of a disagreement between Rammellzee and Basquiat, the track has been cited as having an influence on artists such as Beastie Boys and many modern experimental hip hop artists due to its chaotic, abstract sound, and, due to the rarity of its original pressing, has been called the Holy Grail of rap records.” – Wikipedia
For more info: basquiat.com
This entry was written by , posted on November 17, 2010 at 4:16 am, filed under business, political, Uncategorized and tagged 1980's, Jean-Michel Basquiat, K-Rob, Rammellzee, rap. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink and follow any comments with the RSS feed for this post.
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