ROBOTZ

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I asked this on tumblr and got only ONE response (from Kat!). Pfft! Better use LJ while it's still around.

"I want examples of pop music (in the widest sense) made last year that was by, for or about robots (in the widest sense). This will either be turned into a marvellous column in a widely-read interweb music publication near you, or will be forgotten about. Hopefully the former!"

Comments

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

There is always the 'beautiful robots dancing alone' line from 'Untouchable' by Grills Aloud but that's obv. metaphorical.

Stars released the 'Sad Robot EP', wot is all about emotionless little machines seeking love in an uncaring world. I'm not totally sure you can count that, though, because, err, it is Stars so that's business as usual.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Oh and Danity Kane are kind of robots. As are Girlicious. Sex robots from the planet whoreon but still.

And I guess Brandy calling her album 'Human' is a deliberate reference to the inhuman, ie: OUR MECHANOID FRIENDS.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The incipient column is kind of an excuse to write about Danity Kane.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

OIC. They are very robotic. Tragic, pornographic robots but nonetheless.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the Disney bots...Vanessa Hudgens in particular. Though again, not sure if "has no personality" = "robot." (If so, Rihanna must be involved in this column!)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Ciara's 'Go Girl' video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXpz0PeA1q4)

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

there is a deeply annoying song by f.zappa called "sy borg"

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Stretching the "made last year" criterion a little bit though....

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

the wounds are so raw it feels but yesterday blah blah

[ijgrieve.livejournal.com]

The 'Womanizer' video?

[ijgrieve.livejournal.com]

OOh thought of another one. (Less metaphorical this time):

The Ting Tings - 'Great DJ'. Does this (both the song and the video) bring to mind the word "robotic"? (Or is it just me?)

[ijgrieve.livejournal.com]

As for actual hit songs, I guess The Killers - 'Human' could be interpreted as having to do with robots, in a metaphorical sense.

Other than that (and that's reaching a bit), I'm drawing a blank.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Reaching is fine! I have considered the Killers, certainly.

[poptasticuk.livejournal.com]

But surely The Killers are not saying that by not being human they are robots. They are inventing a human vs. dancer opposition. They are just as likely to be aliens as robots.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes, this was my conclusion too - I only considered them!

[poptasticuk.livejournal.com]

I thought of one - My Secret Lover by Private, which goes "man, I'm a man machine"

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Sasha Fierce's Robot Hand!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

I keep telling y'all, but you jus' won't listen: the Destination Space LP by Jean-Jacques Perrey & Dana Countryman is your friend.

Linky: http://www.oglio.com/webs/pages/destinationspacepresspage.shtml

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

There was a news article about this the other day, strictly it started in 2002 but is still going! http://longplayer.org/what/overview.php

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

it is still GONG moar like ;)

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I think Lady Sov sounds a bit robotic on 'I Got You Dancing'!

[sbp.livejournal.com]

"Barbie is a Robot" from Space Heroes of The People's "Motorway to Moscow" EP. But that might be incredibly obscure, given it's my friends' band.

http://www.spaceheroes.net/release.htm


Also the Music For Robots blog second compilation
http://www.amazon.com/Music-Robots-2-Various/dp/B000NA6F3S/
(although that was released 2007)

http://music.for-robots.com


What else? Let's see. Stuff that's actually been released properly in the past year.

"Robot Synth Attack" by Elliot Wright
Redking Records

"Do The Robot In Cyberspace" by Giant Panda
Tres Records

"It's My Beat Now" by Pirate Robot Midget
Hell Yeah Records

Dunno what any of those sound like, mind.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

aaaaaaaah well you see,in the Focker video a giant cartoon robot erupts out of the ground and attacks the band with sticks

hello there. i have heard of other musics.

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

Robots In Disguise released an album last year. I have a vague memory they sound like the Ting Tings though maybe I've never actually heard them and am confusing them with the actual Ting Tings.

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

Also Squarepusher 'A Real Woman' sounds like its sung by a robot ("please show me what it's like to be real").

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Lessee, does Lil' Wayne jacking Dr. Octagon w/ Autotune make it an alien robot?

Janelle Monae's Metropolis might barely count toward 2008, since her label changed (I think) at the beginning of this year. Cyberfunky, though not really that cyber OR funky (discuss...).

Does being emotionally stunted count as being a robot? If "I just need to feel something" counts, I would suggest the Veronicas' second album.

I'd like to think Rihanna's "Disturbia" counts for some reason. (Maybe it's because I secretly suspect she is a robot?)

[darkpigeon.livejournal.com]

Los Campesinos! reference robots...

[darkpigeon.livejournal.com]

And surely anything involving autotune

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

Well, La Casa Azul who should have been Spain's entry for Eurovision, are actually androids!!!

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I wish Servotron were still going. They were robots.

[weasel-seeker.livejournal.com]

Janelle Monae, indeed. Label change and TWO re-releases of Metropolis, which is a very very awesome piece of cyberfunk at any rate, and is EXPLICITLY about being a Robot in Love with a Human. It's kind of amazing.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

And it's about 2 years old, but you'd be totally remiss not to mention "Robot Song" by Margaret Berger!