Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Radio Free Hipster Ep. 16: Robot Friends Module A

Doctor Popular is the artistic equivalent of an atom bomb; his scope is broad and his effect astounding. Whether he's drawing comics , dropping rhymes , bending circuits , or letting a yo-yo fly , he always brings two things: quality and creativity. To say that I'm a fan is an understatement.
Doc is also one of the nicest cats you'd ever want to meet. He's not merely friendly, he's genuinely pleasant. He is an independent thinker, a man of principle, and, luckily enough, a fellow lover of all things robot.
Doc and I try and keep tabs on each other's endeavors. We exchange emails and read each other's blogs and generally try to be supportive and helpful. And when we realized that both of us were on the same track with our respective podcasts, it only made sense to combine our efforts.
Submitted for your approval is my half of a project we've dubbed Robot Friends – in homage, if you must know, to one of my favorite Drown Radio tracks – and I hope you find it to your liking. Though Doc Pop and I collaborated concerning theme and set lists, our work was mostly independent. After all, we didn't want to ruin the surprise for one other!
This edition of Radio Free Hipster is centered squarely on robots. It contains songs by, about, and referencing androids, cyborgs, bionic men, and hi-tech beasties of all description. It's dedicated to all the technological marvels and fantastic figures that have fascinated, motivated, and scared the hell out of me since my childhood. It's also dedicated to Doc and to all you out there, to everyone who takes part in this fantastic community of like-minded misfits that an eerily similar technology has afforded.
Download Radio Free Hipster Ep. 16: Robot Friends Module A [ mirror provided by Antisocial ] Size: 40.5 MB Running Time: 44:19
Show Notes
Intro: Baddd Spellah (feat. Beefy ) – “Radio Free Hipster Theme”
Is this my favorite song of the podcast even though it ain't robot related? I can neither confirm nor deny these allegations.

Track 1: Optimus Rhyme – “Super Shiny Metal”
Man, I love that kid. That bot's got super shiny metal!

Z's 1 st interlude: “Everything from benevolent automatons to skull-crushing killing machines.”
I love how robots can play such disparate roles; they can be saviors or enslavers. Robots are just like people. Only shinier.

Track 2: Emotron – “1989”
Emotron songs tend to go there own way after a point. Which, I guess, is how you go from robots to Helen Keller to urinary incontinence. Did I mention he catches his dick on fire?

Track 3: Tenacious D (dialogue) / 1337 GEEK BEAT – “ Hutzumi ” / $6 Million Man Theme
How could I do a robot themed podcast without including MC Router? She's like our very own bad-ass Borg Queen !

Track 4: Chris Taylor – “ Robots Are Great
This is not, as far as I know, the same Chris Taylor who developed Dungeon Siege , but we can pretend if you want.

Track 5: 8bit – “ You Ain't No Robot
I am currently working under the assumption that 8bit are, in fact, a Bizarro World version of Emergency Pizza Party . I'm just sayin'.

Track 6: Cartman & Butters (dialogue) / Drown Radio – “ Robot Friend
After Robot Friends has concluded, Doc is doing a podcast about sex. He is a complicated man.

Track 7: Futuristic Sex Robotz – “The Positronic Pimp”
Once again, this track was a no-brainer. You can't talk robots without talking Robotz!

Z's 2 nd interlude: “Z. is Transformers fanboy.”
Guilty as charged.

Track 8: MEATBEE – “ Theme from Transformers
I found this track by accident. Behold the glory of the Intertubes!

Track 9: Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” / The Kleptones – “ Love Song for Yoshimi
Okay, so the Kleptones track ain't exactly robotical. It is, however, fan-fuckin'-tastic. (Plus, it enabled me to sneak a mash-up in there.)

Track 10: Johnny 5 (dialogue) / Captured By Robots – “ Speed Food Pyramid
When one tries to craft servile automatons to do ones musical bidding, one sometimes has one's guts cut out and becomes enslaved by the aforementioned. Let this serve as a warning.

Track 11: Interrobang Cartel – “ The Robot Song (Data Version)
?! Cartel is part Song Fight! , part artistic collective, all awesome.

Track 12: The Protomen – “ Will of One
Am I the only one who finds The Protomen's take on the Mega Man story to be astoundingly poignant?

Z's final interlude: “I'm going out with an exclusive track by Rai Kamishiro .”
I'm a big fan of Rai, and she makes it a point to leak a new track to me now and again, to throw me a bone, as it were.

Track 13: Rai – “Mechanical World”
She's actually Mechagodzilla , in case you didn't know, so her inclusion was mandatory. I really dig this track, and I'd like to publicly thank both Rai and her esteemed producer Karl Olson for allowing me to premiere it here.

I grew up in a robot-heavy era. Maybe that explains my fascination. Or maybe it has to do with what robots represent; a creation cast in man's own image, created to thrive where mankind has floundered, a creation both independent of and ultimately reliant upon a flawed creature. It's quite poetic, actually. Almost biblical.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to see what Doctor Popular has done with his half of the project . You can come with. In fact, I insist that you do.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice one, Z. The Transformers track is a jewel. I'm liking the Rai track. Finally, someone more opaque to me than Ultraklystron!

Now if only part two was up...

Z. said...

Thanks, Church. Glad you dug it!

I’m a huge fan of Rai based solely off the fact that her shit’s so catchy I tend to sing along despite the fact that I don’t understand any of the words. ;)

Anonymous said...

I'll have to remember to bring my headphones to work. This is gonna be a good one.

Anonymous said...

lol Z, thanks for the shout brother! i have definately never heard of those guys before either, weird huh?

-pink

Anonymous said...

XD Sankyuus~ Opacity for the win~

Yes, apparently Rai can't rap worth shit so I have to ensla-err, entice people to the cause with catchy musics, eh?

.....I wants a mp3 of Z singin along to Rai stuffs.
Seriously.

Anonymous said...

Heh. I'll second that Rai. Z?

Doc Pop said...

The episode is finally up now!

Get Model Number 001 here.

Sorry for the delay. I love your's Z.

Z. said...

No problem, GMP. As soon as I read Canberra on their bio page I thought “that’s where Pink lives!” :)

Nah, Rai, you’ve got a perfectly serviceable flow; it’s just that most of us don’t know enough of the language to figure out what you’re talking about! ;) Thanks so much for letting me premiere “Mechanical World.” It’s an excellent track, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.

I dunno, Church… I sometimes do leave the mic on during my podcast mix-down and then have to go back in and edit out some spontaneous sing-alongs. I’ll check the show’s leftovers and see if I caught anything. But don’t ya’ll get your hopes up!

No worries, Doc! Thanks for the props, and I can’t wait to listen to your half. :D

Anonymous said...

Oof. What Z said. Didn't mean to imply that Rai can't rap, quite the contrary. You have to be pretty darn good to hold the attention of someone who doesn't understand a word you're saying (well, I did catch 'cyborg,' but that's about it.)

Anonymous said...

Wants Z singalong podcast NOWs. Hehehe~ happy that you like it~ the album should be out and abouts in April, but I'll be dropping some songs down along the way.

Tis perfectly finze, Rai meant to imply that I can't rap worth shits. Although the practice is paying off.... Mwahaha, time for new rap songs~

....Actually didn't use the word Cyborg. Damn! Should haves.....

Anonymous said...

Ok, finally had a chance to listen. Here's my thoughts.

MC Router - probably more obsessed with robots than we'll ever know.

Futuristic Sex Robots - I just bought Season 6 of Next Generation, and I very recently watched the episode that this sample is from. I have a new appreciation for how difficult mashing that up must have been.

Flaming Lips - Yoshime - this track totally reminds me of Shael Riley. Or rather, Shael Riley reminds me The Flaming Lips. Especially with his track "Bits and Pieces"

I totally loved the Interrobang Cartel track, as well as the Protomen track, and the Rai track as well. Is that a Sonic sample?

Z. said...

I can totally see the Flaming Lips/Shael thing in that track, Soc, though I think Shael could’ve come up with a better rhyme than “takin’ lots of vitamins.” ;)

Glad you dug the show, and I also thought I heard some Sonic in that one!

Anonymous said...

Yay for new theme song!

I have to admit that it took me a couple of listens to get into this cast but because I like you so much I decided to give it a third and fourth listen before passing absolute judgment...

and I have to say, I must have been very distracted this week because I <3 Super Shiny Metal & Hutzumi. I'm not sure how I feel about that Alternative Rock Ballad version of the Transformers theme song but I love those mash-ups as usual and have to agree that Kleptones track is hot. Also, Rai is turning into one of my favorite new artists to listen to. How does one go about getting tracks from the most esteemed Mechagodzilla? I think I have two from the Rhyme Torrents site but she seems to hide in the shadows with no website of her own. T_T

I hunger for more nerdy music so keep 'em comin' =P

Anonymous said...

next theme...ZOMBIES

Speaking of which, I gave Dennis the brilliant idea to create personalized zombie dolls and we thought it would be an awesome idea to create one for you Z. probono like since you said you loved them so much.

You would have choices of:

Level of Gore: 1(lowest) to 3(highest)
Victim or Attacker
Major Wounds specified

and of course we would need a photo of you.

Z. said...

Glad you found some tracks that you like, Denika. I felt like I had a lot to live up to, considering I was partnering this ep. with Doc’s superlative efforts. I know that not everyone is gonna dig everything I play, but I hope everyone finds at least a couple of tracks that they feel are worth their time in each of my submissions.

"Hutzumi" is one of my all-time fave Router tracks, and if you like “Super Shiny Metal” you should totally pick up Optimus’s new album. It is excellent from start to finish!

Rai is pretty secretive about her stuff. I badger her for new shit all the time, and I’ve only heard two more songs than most of her other fans… well, one more now that I’ve played “Mechanical World.” ;)

I’m currently putting together the playlist for my much-belated post Valentine’s show, and it looks to be a bit more nerd rock heavy than a lot of my recent eps. Hopefully folks’ll dig it.

If you wanna hear a few zombie tracks, I did a flesh-eating set back in RFH 8 (part one of my two-part Halloween Craptacular). Maybe that’ll tide you over until I can get another spooky podcast ready.

And as for a personalized zombie plush, I would be positively honored for y’all to make a tiny, gored-up Z! I’ll email you a pic and the specifics. You and Dennis rock! :D

Anonymous said...

- Denika
Sankyuu~
The best way of getting tracks from Mecha-Rai is beating her producerman Ultraklyston to finish somez ~_* There shouls be a new one out on RT6 if Karl has sent it out on time. I should have a few new ones done by the beginning of March, too.
haha, hide in shadow move in darkness tis the uber ninja Rai techno synphonics!
Rai does have a live jouranal though: http://rai-kamishiro.livejournal.com/
He he he ehe he, Zombies. Hmm, must finish that Zombie tracks.

-Z
Kuuu kukuku~ I swear some kind of superlative album wil be here in April!
.....ormayorjuneorpossiblyintimeforZ'shalloweenpodcast.

Z. said...

As long as you keep leaking tracks to me, Rai, I promise not to complain much if the album gets delayed. ;)