Primitive Calculators
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Primitive Calculators | |
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Origin | synth punk, noise rock |
Years active | 1978–1980, 2009 to 2018 |
Labels | Chapter Music |
The Primitive Calculators were an Australian
History
First era
They met as teenagers in Springvale, a working-class outer suburb of Melbourne,[2] and moved together in 1977 to St Kilda, then the centre of the punk rock scene. The band in its initial form was Denise Rosenberg, Dave Light, Frank Lovece and Stuart Grant. Despite socialising with the likes of Nick Cave from The Boys Next Door they remained outsiders to this scene, and in 1978 moved to Fitzroy.
In Fitzroy, they settled on a four-piece lineup for recording and found like-minded friends, such as
The band were instrumental in organising a series of gigs named "
The Primitive Calculators played their last gig in March 1980, though their self-titled live album came out in the early 1980s. The band reformed briefly in 1986 to perform a version of their song "Pumping Ugly Muscle" in the
Second era
In 2001, a 1979 live recording of "Pumping Ugly Muscle" was included in "Can't Stop It", a compilation of Australian post-punk bands from 1978 to 1982, released by
The Primitive Calculators' album was reissued on CD by Chapter Music in 2004, with the inclusion of extra tracks from related projects (their first band The Moths from 1978 and other live recordings from 1979). In March 2007, Chapter Music released "Primitive Calculators and Friends, 1979 to 1982", a CD that contained the only studio recordings of the band (the 7-inch single from 1979), the "Little Band" single, also from 1979, and live tracks from Little Band nights. It also contained other recordings from bands the members formed after 1980, such as a song called "Zye Ye Ye" (recorded in London in 1981 with Olsen and Murphy), and bands formed after the return of some of the band members to Australia from Europe, in 1982.
In January 2009, the band reformed for the inaugural Australian
The album is called The World is F---ed because that's what we believe. The world's not any better now – in fact, it's worse. I can remember when the hippopotamus and rhinoceros weren't endangered species. I can remember when there was opposition, and when Chicago School economics wasn't a naturalised reality of life. And the anger in our music is because it doesn't need to be like that – and we don't need to be this nasty society.[2]
Grant revealed that the band intends to record another album and stated: "I want to make a psychedelic-space-folk record about taking hallucinogenic drugs."[2]
Midway through recording their third LP Primitive Calculators were invited by Genjing Records and Split Works to play Jue Festival 2015 in Beijing and Shanghai. The band toured China also playing Xi’an, Yiwu and Wuhan and released a tour edition split 7-inch with activist noise artist Torturing Nurse.
In 2016, it Records released 'On Drugs', a single from Primitive Calculators forthcoming album by the same name. On Drugs, a boogie-rock soul inspired track, focused around the central character, Stuart Grant, signaled a change in the band's direction. The album was released in 2018 and the band in its new format, with Stuart Grant the only original member left, played a few times but dissolved soon after that.
Personal lives
Grant stated in 2013 that he enjoys reading, drinking coffee and tea, and "being of use in other people's lives".[2]
References
- ^ True, Everett (8 January 2009). "True Tales: Melbourne's musical treasures", The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Patrick Emery (6 December 2013). "Calculated moves". The Age. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
Citations
McFarlane, Ian (1999). The Encyclopedia of Australian rock and pop. St Leonards, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin.
Spencer, Chris (1989). Who's who of Australian rock. Fitzroy, Vic.: Five Mile Press.
Walker, Clinton (1996). Stranded: The Secret History of Australian Independent Music 1977–1991. Sydney: Pan Macmillan.