Information Society (band)
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Information Society (also known as InSoc) is an American band from
The group's breakout single was 1988's "
The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[3] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[4] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[5]
History
Founding, influences, and initial albums (1982–1992)
The band was formed in Harland's dorm room in Dupre Hall at
Two years later it released "
InSoc was the only Tommy Boy act to have all of its albums released through major-label distribution channels rather than independent distribution, since the label, a former subsidiary of
In addition to "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)", the group's
The audio samples from Star Trek were authorized for use on the album partially thanks to the efforts of Adam Nimoy, fan of the band and son of Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy. The album sold out its initial pressing in the United States in two weeks. Information Society peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold within five months of its release in the US. The disc was one of the few to use CD+G, which included digital graphics on the compact disc version in addition to the music. The graphics for the CD+G portion can be seen on the Information Society Web site along with computer-based information which has been included on other releases. The songs "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" and "Walking Away" were used in a sampler disc bundled with the Sega CD to showcase the console's CD+G capability, using the same graphics as the album.
During this time the band released an anonymous single (composed of two tracks from their forthcoming second album) under the name Think Tank. Years later, Robb would release tracks under the name Think Tank through the formerly-fictional record label
They also had a song – the instrumental track "Hit Me" – placed on the soundtrack to the film Earth Girls Are Easy. By 1989 Information Society joined the "Club MTV Tour" which also included Paula Abdul, Milli Vanilli, Tone Loc, Was (Not Was) and Lisa Lisa.
The second release,
The group's third release,
Don't Be Afraid and Cleopatra Records (1992–1999)
In 1997 the band released a fourth album,
There was also a carefully orchestrated digital
A remix album, InSoc Recombinant (1999), was produced, featuring vocals to the band's earlier hits remixed by various artists. The vocals to songs pre-Don't Be Afraid were not the originals, they were new versions re-recorded by Harland alone specifically for the remixers' use. Included on a bonus, unadvertised CD-ROM were digital copies of most of the band's officially-produced promotional videos, including a copy of the "Peace and Love Inc." video of higher quality than that distributed with Don't Be Afraid. This CD-ROM, however, did not feature the "How Long" video.
Compilations and Bands Reunited (1999–2005)
In 2001, strange haircuts // cardboard guitars // and computer samples was released including all the hits from 1988 to 1992.
In 2004, Cleopatra Records released a compilation titled Pure Energy. The release consisted of tracks from Don't Be Afraid and InSoc Recombinant, supplemented with a slightly altered mix of "Are Friends Electric?" and two new remixes of "What's On Your Mind", one by Effcee, and one unattributed mix labeled "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" which attempted to emulate the original Tommy Boy version of the track. Robb called the album "an insult to both the band and the fans". Harland, despite being credited as producer in the liner notes, had nothing to do with the release; and while declining to either "endorse or un-endorse" the album, he did take particular issue with the cover art, both for its low quality and for its portrayal of him holding a gun. [4]
The group was featured in an episode of
The VH1 show was followed by a period of relative quiet, although Harland, Cassidy, and Robb gave two performances at a weekend music festival in New York City on August 20–21, 2005.
Oscillator, Synthesizer, and Modulator releases (2005–2009)
In 2006, it was announced that Paul Robb and James Cassidy had decided to reconvene Information Society without Kurt Harland's full participation in the recording process. From Kurt: Harland's absence in the studio line-up was cited as being due to family and work obligations. Harland ultimately contributed lead vocals to one track, "Seeds of Pain".
The new lineup included Christopher Anton as lead vocalist on Oscillator and Synthesizer and co-wrote several tracks on each including the title track of the latter. They were also joined by Sonja Myers who played additional keyboards and provided a return to female background vocals.
Christopher Anton performed live as the lead singer for Information Society throughout 2006–2008, including shows in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, and São Paulo, Brazil. By mid-2007, the band began to return to its original lineup of Harland, Cassidy, and Robb, who performed on July 21, 2007, at the Freestyle Reunion 2 Concert at Madison Square Garden. After the release of Synthesizer, the trio performed a series of concerts in Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco and Austin. The concert in Philadelphia was filmed for a forthcoming DVD.
On 19 March 2007, Information Society self-released an
Information Society commissioned chiptune/micromusic artist 8 Bit Weapon to remix "I Like the Way You Werk It". 8 Bit Weapon remixed the song using both a Commodore 64 computer and a Game Boy Classic handheld console. The remix was titled "I Like the Way You Werk It – 8 Bit Weapon Remix". "I Like the Way You Werk It" was also remixed by LA-based indie promoter and electronica artist Jon Hershfield. The remix is titled "Werk It V.2." Both Robb and Anton have been guests on Hershfield's internet radio program Isgoodmusic.com.
Modulator, an EP of remixes from Synthesizer, was released in digital-only format in September 2009. It was also included in its entirety on the "25 Years of Information Society" DVD released later that year. Notable remixers on the Modulator EP included Dave Aude and Tommie Sunshine. Modulator also included a live version of "Wrongful Death" and a brand new song, "Don't Touch The Devil" with Kurt on vocals.
Reformation of classic lineup and subsequent material (2009–present)
In September 2014, Information Society released their first album of new material featuring the old Harland/Cassidy/Robb line-up since 1992, _hello world. Robb and Harland worked on this album throughout 2013 and the first half of 2014, as well as another project, still unannounced as of October 1, 2014.[14] This album, with Harland back at Lead vocals, brings the band closer to its classic sound, yet with a modern edge. Much like the Easter egg on the last track on Peace and Love, Inc., this album also has a secret track, when rendered using a spectrogram provides a URL and login credentials (now defunct) to 3 bonus tracks.
Information Society released the aforementioned project,
.The single "Nothing Prevails" was released on the Tommy Boy Records label on June 29, 2018. Two versions were made available: one with vocals in English, and one with vocals in German. A video was also released, featuring mostly still art but with some slight animation.
The singles "World Enough" and "Bennington" were released on the Tommy Boy Records label on January 11 and May 17, 2019 respectively.
In August 2021 the band released ODDfellows, their eighth album, in both a standard mix and in THX Spatial Audio, optimized for headphones.[15]
Side projects
Information Society's members Kurt Harland and Murat Konar's brother Mithat collaborated under the name A.K.A. They recorded two songs ("Cruel Lovin'" sung by Mithat, and "All You Ever Told Were Lies" sung by Harland) that were produced by Harland.
Band members
Information Society is a musical collective which has been recording and performing since 1982.[16][17][18]
Current members
Session/touring members
Former recording members
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Former touring members
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Timeline
Discography
- Information Society (1988)
- Hack (1990)
- Peace and Love, Inc. (1992)
- Don't Be Afraid (1997)
- Synthesizer (2007)
- Hello World (2014)
- Orders of Magnitude (2016)
- ODDfellows (2021)
Articles and reviews
- 2014: Information Society Hello World – Review of '_hello world' album in The Agit Reader
- 2009: Soundtracks by Information Society – interview with Paul Robb, plus 2-tracks for listening
- 2007: Plaza of the Mind – an interview with Paul Robb
- 2006: New Information Society Revealed; synthpop.net
- 2002: Beyond Society Synthpop.net interviews Paul Robb
- 1999: Multiple Personality – Sound on Sound interview with Paul Robb
References
- ^ Johnny Loftus. "Best of Information Society". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
- ^ "Kurt Larson of Information Society Talks Trek Cruise II". Star Trek. 25 July 2023.
- ^ "The Stars". First Avenue & 7th Street Entry. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ Bream, Jon (2019-05-03). "10 things you'll learn about First Avenue in new Minnesota History Center show". Star Tribune. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ Marsh, Steve (2019-05-13). "First Avenue's Star Wall". Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved 2020-05-10.
- ^ "Minnesota Historical Society | Minneapolis Music Collection | Band Histories". Mnhs.org. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "The Official Information Society (InSoc) site". July 8, 2007. Archived from the original on July 8, 2007. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Belter, Matthew (21 July 2021). "Paul Robb of Information Society, the TVD Interview". The Vinyl District. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ [2] [dead link]
- ^ [3] [dead link]
- ^ "Sean Rowley". Variety.com. 17 November 1992. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ "Google Groups". Groups.google.com. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
- ^ "Minnesota-bred Information Society's still making music – on its own terms". Twin Cities. 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Information Society's Oddfellows is a creative marvel". PopMatters. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ "The Official Information Society (InSoc) site". www.insoc.org. Archived from the original on October 13, 2006.
- ^ "Information Society FAQ v2.0". Music.hyperreal.org. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "Information Society Discography v3.1". Music.hyperreal.org. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "InSoc vs. TV!". December 30, 2007. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ @InSoc (June 5, 2015). "RIP, Sally Venue Berg" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Information Society – Kurt Harland Interviews Ed Potokar". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "Correio do Povo" (PDF). Hemeroteca.ciasc.sc.gov.br. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "New Information Society Revealed". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.
External links
- Official website
- Information Society at AllMusic
- White Roses – More information regarding the track "White Roses"