Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…
If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch that there are a lot who know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.
The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!
Our Mystery Date is feeling like Margaret Sullavan’s character in The Little Shop Around the Corner…
I listened, but that type of music is so far out of my realm that I don’t even know the reference points to zero in on. It sounds like something from 1979-1981 and that’s about all that I can glean from it.
Is it early Cabaret Voltaire or something like that? If I’m not mistaken, that’s very primitive synth technology, with just LFOs, i.e., before there were sequencers.
You have the timeframe and synth technology down, I believe.
I’m going early Human League or British Electric Foundation.
It sucks, so I think it’s Depeche Mode. I’m not sure it’s music without guitars (that goes for you too, Beethoven!)
It seems a bit too “unorganized” to be British synth pop. Maybe it’s just me, but it doesn’t seem to have the same drive as early OMD or Human League. At first I thought it could be some Daniel Miller thing, but he’s usually got a rigid beat going. But also, just from the general nature of these threads, I’m wondering if it’s an artist we wouldn’t usually associate with this sound and possibly an American?
Depeche Mode’s Violator is a great album, I don’t care what anybody else says.
Mystery Date has been revealed. I figured ladymiss or shawnkilroy would nail this one.
Well, dang, I was totally wrong!
Ah, Mod, you know I love a good synthesizer.