There is an undeniable connection between the South and occurrences of extra-terrestrial form.
From other worldly jazz guru Sun Ra, to German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun, Alabama has always had more than an ample share of connections to outer space.
Such is the case with Man or Astro-Man?, who arrived in a small college town in Alabama some years ago.
Man Or Astroman? | TV Appearance
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=FrSRC08qxg0
In order to integrate into human society, they would have to downplay their true identities and take on aliases, most conveniently in the form as students.
While studying industrial design and film, the group began formulating a mode in which to learn more about their new earthly environment.
Man Or Astroman? | Gargantua’s Last Stand
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=cTmIBo9laLs
Soon the group became immensely attracted to pop culture and decided that the cliché of a being a rock band would provide a perfect vehicle in which to traverse the globe and further their research. Full integration into Earth society would thus commence for what was soon to be known to the world as Man or Astro-Man?
A discovery of records long stashed away at various dilapidated thrift stores in Alabama lead the entities of Man or Astro-Man? to the scratched-up sounds of Link Wray, The Ventures, Dick Dale, Duane Eddy, The Marketts, The Safaris, and other instrumental guitar oriented music of the late fifties and early sixties.
Man Or Astroman? | Defcon 3
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=cCVi5p1xtUU
Instrumental music provided a great escape from the sappy, pretentious lyrical drivel emanating from the (then newly christened) ‘alternative’ FM radio.
At the same time, offbeat stage set ups and designs by Kraftwerk, The Spotniks, The Residents, Devo, Sun Ra, and The B-52s had a great impact on the rapidly developing troupe.
Man Or Astroman? | The Miracle of Genuine Pyrex
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=SM5MaMm9Eag
‘Experiment Zero’ (1996) was Man or Astro-Man’s debut for Touch and Go. Recorded in three days with engineer Steve Albini at the Zero Return studio in Alabama, it stands tall among the great modern instrumental guitar records.
After its release, the band began to evolve at a greater velocity than ever before. They morphed by extending their use of samples, computer programming, homemade instruments, electronic gadgetry, tape splicing, and other bits of random archaic technology. Both the ‘1000X’ EP and ‘Made From Technetium’ were darker steps into the futuristic soundtrack music realm.
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Man Or Astroman LIVE
Thursday, 10 October 2013 | 20:00 CET
Lido | Cuvrystrasse 7 | 10997 Berlin/Kreuzberg
astroman.com | lido-berlin.de
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