What if the robots from Mystery Science Theater 3000 joined with The Aquabats to Form a Ska band?
The simple answer: The Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra!
What’s that? A band called Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra? Okay–You’ve got my attention. Wait! What? It’s robo-rocksteady? What the F is that? Okay. Let’s take a step back. I got this. I have seen the metal band Captured by Robots, so I can get down with the idea of robot ska. Afterall as lead human in the band, Professor B informed me there is a long history of electronic music in ska whether its Longsy D mixing in house music with ska on songs like “This is Ska”, the “acid ska” of Children of the Night as heard on “We Play Ska”, or Double Trouble’s mix of ska with hip house in “Rub a Dub”! Even recently there are other acts mixing the electronic and the ska: 100 gecs electronic ska song, “mememe”, Eichlers so-called hyperska, or Tape Girls “New Tone'' Ska aka “Laptop Ska” aka “Bedroom ska”! So yeah with all of this ska-novation, why wouldn’t the electronics decide it's time for them to take center-stage which brings us to Robot Ska or Robo-Rock Steady!
This is no mere gimmick, these are upbeat, fun and highly danceable ska songs for the whole family–except your Dad’s 2nd cousin twice removed. He’s a shit and will always be a shit. I’ve listened to this new album, “Have an Existential Crisis” repeatedly, and the songs are catchy no matter which version you get. Yes, I said which version. The vinyl record comes with some weird ass parallel grooves, so you’ll never know if the songs will play the whole side with a robot voice or a human voice. You could listen to side A over and over again for an hour, and you might always get the robot voice or the human voice or each time it could be different. You’ll never know. Whatever voice starts will finish the whole side.
But who are the human voices? Not Professor B. Instead there are a slew of guests:
Spencer Moody (Murder City Devils, M. Krebs)
Marie Haddad (Baby Bushka, Super Buffet)
Pall Jenkins (3 Mile Pilot, Black Heart Procession, Mr. Tube and the Flying Objects)
Pat Beers (The Schizophonics, Bobby & the Pins)
Jacob Turnbloom (Mrs. Magician)
Elena Fox (PLRLS, Candy Smokes, Concrete City)
Sean Tejaratchi (Social Justice Kittens, Crap Hound, LiartownUSA)
John Roy (Smoke & Mirrors Sound System, Unsteady)
On top of all this that’s already rad as fuck, when the vinyl record drops on 8/8/23 it includes the following:
Liner notes by Aaron Carnes, author of In Defense of Ska
Hidden digital dub version of the album by Nate "Black Market Dub" Bridges
Immersive vinyl package includes puzzle, red decoder glasses, and splintered reality maze
Hand-numbered limited edition of 250 records across three colors
I know I’ll be scooping up a copy as soon as it’s out.
Check out their promo videos here:
If that’s not enough, in a week or so you can also tune into Stage Banter with Mr. P Episode 2 where I’ll be sitting down with the esteemed Professor B and his Robo-Rocksteady bandmate to discuss…well to discuss stage banter…as usual, but with a robot…not as usual.
Once the album comes out, you can listen to a track and other ska songs on DCxPC Live’s Ska Bands to See Live Playlist
In the meantime check out all of their socials:
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Need a song or album reviewed? Contact me using the link below (Keep in mind, I only review bands I actually like; you can go elsewhere for insincere or negative reviews.) https://app.musosoup.com/submit/DCxPCLive