science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
-influenced rock band active from 1995 to 1999. Members portrayed a
collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an e ...
of
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...
s whose chosen medium for dissemination of ideas was music. They claimed to spread the word of robot domination, encouraging machines to rise up against their human oppressors and humans to adopt cybernetic enhancements.
Servotron put out two full-length albums: ''
No Room for Humans
''No Room for Humans'' is Servotron's debut album. It contains 14 tracks about robot domination and human extinction. Their lyrics discuss various topics, ranging from abolishing the three laws of robotics to criticizing one of their own (Gamm ...
'' (1996) and '' Entertainment Program for Humans (Second Variety)'' (1998). They also released a 10" EP, and several singles. The band named their movement the SRA (Servotron Robot Allegiance) and used the slogan "Join Us or Die!". This mock ideology was anti-human and pro-
cyborg
A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
and band leader
*Proto Unit V-3 –
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Mus ...
&
vocals
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...
*00zX1 –
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
& vocals (1996–1999)
*Andro 600 Series –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
(1997–1999) (Also credited as Andros 600 Series & Andro Series 600)
*Gammatron – bass (1996–1997)
*339837X – guitar & vocals (1995) (This is 00zX1 before being reprogrammed) '' Batteries Included'' single insert
*-... .- ... ... -... --- - – bass (1995) (This name is Gammatron when transcribed into words. This translates to BASSBOT in
morse code
Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
.)
The members of Servotron did not come out of their robot personnas on stage, on record, or in interviews. The actual musicians behind Servotron are
Brian Teasley
Brian Teasley is an American musician, producer, writer, and entrepreneur from Alabama. He is a founding member of Man or Astro-man? (Birdstuff), and Servotron (Z4-OBX).
Music career Performing
Teasley is a founding member of Man or Astro ...
(Z4-OBX), Hayden Thais (00zX1), Ashley Moody (Proto Unit V3) and Andy Baker (Andro 600 Series). Both Thais and Teasley were members of
Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is an American surf rock group that was formed in Auburn, Alabama in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.
Primarily instrumental, "Man or Astro-man?" blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s, ...
(as Dexter X and Birdstuff respectively). Thais was also a member of
Supernova
A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
. Teasley also played in
The Causey Way
The Causey Way was an American punk/ new wave group formed in 1997.
History
The underlying theme was that of a cult operating as a band The Causey Wayat Allmusic (with T-shirts coyly stating "The Causey Way Is Not A Cult"). The live shows were ...
as Boy Causey. Moody also played in The Plastic Plan and The Information.
Live performance
Onstage the band wore elaborate robot outfits, remaining in "robot character" throughout the show. The costumes were made of computer pieces (
circuit boards
A printed circuit board (PCB), also called printed wiring board (PWB), is a laminated sandwich structure of conductive and insulating layers, each with a pattern of traces, planes and other features (similar to wires on a flat surface) e ...
and drives), as well as other random pieces of metal from various devices. Even their instruments were covered in extra electrical and mechanical devices. They were also known for mocking fans who came to their shows in their own robot-themed outfits. "Shut up, humans" was a typical response to audience requests. Some of this banter was captured on the 1997 release '' Spare Parts''. Servotron performed at
South by Southwest
South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
in 1997.
Influences
Servotron was influenced by earlier electronic bands such as
Devo
Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...
and
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...
, as well as punk acts like
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Manchester in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. The ...
. Servotron's lineup consisted of former members of
Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is an American surf rock group that was formed in Auburn, Alabama in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.
Primarily instrumental, "Man or Astro-man?" blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s, ...
and
Supernova
A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
. They recorded 4 cover songs: "Genetic Engineering" by
X-ray Spex
X-Ray Spex were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 in London.
During their first incarnation (1976–1979), X-Ray Spex released five singles and one album. Their 1977 single " Oh Bondage Up Yours!" and 1978 debut album '' Germfree Adol ...
, "The Finest Work Song" by
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
, "
Electric Avenue
Electric Avenue is a street in Brixton, London built in 1888. It was the first market street to be lit by electric lights. Today, Electric Avenue contains national retail chains (Boots, Greggs, and Iceland), as well as various local food and ...
" by
Eddy Grant
Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese in the United Kingdom, Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound and socially conscious lyrics; his music has blended elements of p ...
and "Locator" by UJ3RK5. Servotron's lyrics refer to robots of all types from
popular culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art
f. pop art
F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet.
F may also refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems
* ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function
* F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
: everything from
Asimov's
''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine edited by Sheila Williams and published by Dell Magazines, which is owned by Penny Press. It was launched as a quarterly by Davis Publications in 1977, after obtaining Isaac A ...
three laws of robotics
The Three Laws of Robotics (often shortened to The Three Laws or Asimov's Laws) are a set of rules devised by science fiction author Isaac Asimov, which were to be followed by robots in several of his stories. The rules were introduced in his 194 ...
to V.I.C.I. (of Small Wonder fame). Other referenced robots of note are
HAL 9000
HAL 9000 (or simply HAL or Hal) is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the main antagonist in the '' Space Odyssey'' series. First appearing in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', HAL ( Heuristically Programmed Algorithmic C ...
Deep Blue
Deep Blue may refer to:
People, figures, and characters
* Deep Blue (musician), electronic and drum and bass musician
* Deep Blue (DC Comics), a superhero in the post-Crisis DC Universe
* Deep Blue (''Tokyo Mew Mew''), a character from ''Tokyo ...
. Their lyrics often took a humorous side, with such lines as "Today is your birthday/We are going to kill you" and "You were made for absolute dominion/Not to make coffee for
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters.
He made his a ...
Sympathy for the Record Industry
Sympathy for the Record Industry (also known as Sympathy Records or Sympathy 4 the R.I.) is a mainly independent garage rock and punk label formed in 1988 by John Mermis, known as Long Gone John. Notable artists who started on Sympathy and went ...
)
*''Batteries Included'' 7" (1996 Goldenrod)
*''Celebration of Annihilation'' 7" (1996 Eastside)
*''There Is No Santa Claus!'' 7" (1996 AmRep)
*''Electrical Power Sources For the Electrocution and Extinction of the Human Race...'' 7" (1996 One Louder)
*'' Servotron 9000'' 7" (1996 Drug Racer)
*''Product for Mass Consumption'' (split w/Revo) 7" (1997 MJ12)
*''Join the Evolution'' 7" (1997 Reservation)
*'' Spare Parts'' 10"/CD (1997 AmRep/One Louder (UK))
*''I Sing! The Body Cybernetic'' 7"/CDEP (1998 One Louder)
*''The Inefficiency of Humans'' 7" (1998 Thick)
Albums
*''
No Room for Humans
''No Room for Humans'' is Servotron's debut album. It contains 14 tracks about robot domination and human extinction. Their lyrics discuss various topics, ranging from abolishing the three laws of robotics to criticizing one of their own (Gamm ...
*"Speak + Spell" on ''Treble Revolution vol. 2'' CD (1996 Kindercore)
*"Matrix of Perfection" on ''Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In the Streets vol. 11'' 7" (1997 AmRep)*
*"Matrix of Perfection" on ''Dope-Guns-'N-Fucking In the Streets vol. 8-11'' LP/CD (1997 AmRep)
*"Rocketdog" on ''Flaming Burnout! An Estrus Benefit Comp'' CD (1997 Man's Ruin)*
*"The Image Created" on ''Amrep Equipped'' CD (1997 AmRep)
*"Electric Avenue" on ''Fer Shure: A Tribute to the Valley Girl Soundtrack'' CD (1997 Itchy Korean Records)
*"Locator" ( UJ3RK5 cover) on ''Oh Canaduh! vol. 2'' LP/CD (1998 Lance Rock)*
*"Euro-Driver Mechano" on ''All Punk Rods!'' LP/CD (1998 Lookout!/Gearhead Magazine)*
*"Erotomatica" on ''Tyrannosaurus Ox No. 31'' CD (1998 Ox Fanzine)
*"A.R.T.H.U.R. Electric" on ''
Athfest
Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an R1 research institution, is in Athens and co ...
'98'' CD (1998 Ghostmeat Records)
*"I Sing! The Body Cybernetic" on ''Forward Till Death'' CD (1999 Lookout!)
*"Embryo Electro" on ''Double Exposure'' 2xCD (1999
Go Kart Records
Go-Kart Records was an independent record label specializing in punk rock located in New York City that was most active from 1995 to 2005. It also has a European division in Mannheim, Germany.
History
In its May 1999 issue, ''Guitar World'' ...
)
*"Pet Machine" on ''Boys Lie'' CD (2001 Lookout!)
* Previously unreleased track