Various Artists - Penguin Mechanics Vol. III
Kracfive Records
By its very nature, electronic music has always been inextricably linked to machinery. From the first tone-wave generators to the newest samplers and keyboards, electronic music has relied on mechanized products. Throughout electronic music history, the fad of the moment has often been the direct result of some technological advance or new piece of machinery. The Roland 808 drum machine had a profound effect on hip hop and techno of the 1980s, while in the 90s, the advance of digital signal processing and samplers led to a new wave of abstract electronic music. While most electronic musicians have used machines to make music about other things, a small contingent of artists has always sought to make music that sounds deliberately machine-like. From Einstürzende Neubauten's seminal work in the mid '80s to Björk's Selmasongs to Jan Cardell's 'rytmobile,' electronic artists have strived to represent the sounds of machinery itself.
Penguin Mechanics Volume III follows this tradition. Kracfive asked the "mechanics" to make songs in which the finished result sounded like a machine. Versh Gear Choir's "Full Baz Pts" sounds like some repetitive steel-bending machine; Freeform's "Square Wheels" is the perfect soundtrack for a ride through the neighborhood in Bizarro's car; Phthalocyanine's 'Metalo-meld-mechano' lives up to its name with its undeniably industrial and mechanical sounds; brothomStates's "Not Kava," sounds, well, not like Kava. (Perhaps it's meant to be an espresso machine?) Well, you can make up your own machines for each of these songs. Other artists on the album include Octopus Inc, Baurl, Lackluster, Miragliulo, Pacman, Colongib, V/VM, Proem, Chaircrusher, and Cex. No two copies of the album are the same, as each features a different machine on its cover.
Noel Morrison
last updated:
12/20/01
Similar Artists:
Jan Cardell, Versh Gear Choir, Freeform, Brothomstates, Phthalocyanine, Octopus Inc, Baurl, Lackluster, Miragliulo, Pacman, Colongib & Christopher Graves, V/VM, Proem, Chaircrusher, Cex
Other Suggestions:
Einstürzende Neubauten,
Harry Partch,
Aphex Twin,
Autechre,
Console,
Hrvatski,
Slicker,
Lesser,
Kid606,
Gescom,
Jega,
Boards of Canada,
Prefuse 73,
Max Bill,
Kit Clayton,
Pole,
Lowfish,
Critters Buggin,
Local Area Network,
Commercial,
TRS-80,
Phonem,
Four Tet,
Gold Chains,
Capitol K,
Adult.,
Twine,
VS_Price
