SIX FINGER SATELLITE

'Six Finger Satellite' (a.k.a. 6FS) were an American synthesizer-based post-punk band, based in Providence, Rhode Island.

Contents

History

Influence

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

References

External links

History

The band formed in 1990 around a line up of J. Ryan (singer/keyboards), John MacLean (guitar), Peter Phillips (guitar), Chris Dixon (bass), and Rick Pelletier (drums). They submitted a demo of watered-down grunge rock to Sub Pop Records, who, to their surprise, signed them and released the demo as the four-song ''Weapon'' EP in 1992.
Six Finger Satellite's first full-length album, ''The Pigeon Is The Most Popular Bird'', was released in 1993, with Kurt Niemand replacing Dixon on bass. The record more accurately represented the band's vision of cyborg-esque post-punk, and was recorded by Bob Weston, whose band Shellac named their 1994 single, ''The Bird is the Most Popular Finger'' in tribute. In 1994, 6FS released the ''Machine Cuisine'' EP, which was recorded entirely with synthesizers, suggesting the band's future direction. Their 7" single supposedly recorded "live at the A.C.I." was not actually recorded live at that prison, though its tongue-in-cheek liner notes purport thusly.
In the meantime, Phillips had left the band and Niemand had died of a drug overdose.C. Carioli, "Both sides now," ''The Boston Phoenix'', 11-17 March 2005 (online). James Apt (bass) joined for the 1995 album ''Severe Exposure'', which represented a fusion of their synth- and guitar-driven sounds. The low-budget music video for the song "Parlour Games," from this album, was featured in an episode of Beavis and Butt-head. The synths became more dominant still on 1996's ''Paranomalized'', especially on the porno/elevator-music song "Coke And Mirrors."
The band's final full-length was ''Law of Ruins'', released in 1998 and produced by James Murphy. It was marked by a spacier sound, and was heavily influenced by Krautrock. The CD came in an entirely clear jewelcase with minimalist neon green graphic design/writing. Murphy's growing influence on the band, and his sexual relationship with MacLean, led to tensions, and as a result MacLean left the group. He was replaced by Alex Minoff from the band Golden. In 1999, Ryan and Pelletier reformed the group replacing Minoff and Apt with Joel Kyack (guitar) and Shawn Greenlee (bass) from the group Landed. This incarnation of the group performed until 2001.

Influence

Six Finger Satellite attracted a significant underground following during the 1990s, and are today recognized for their somewhat prophetic fusion of electronic and post-punk music. In 2005, Jonathan Galkin remarked that "if a band came out today that sounded like ''Paranormalized'', they'd be signed to a huge record deal, sight unseen." Similar bands that existed alongside 6FS in the 1990s included Satisfact, Trans Am, Brainiac, The V.S.S., and The Dismemberment Plan.
J. Ryan has performed as Von Ryan Express, named after the 1965 Frank Sinatra movie; he has also worked as an illustrator for album art and concert posters. John MacLean has since recorded as The Juan Maclean and Rick Pelletier plays in The Chinese Stars. James Murphy has gone on to form LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records. The label takes its name from his tour set-up for 6FS, which was known as "death from above."

Discography

Albums

★ 'SP215' ''The Pigeon Is The Most Popular Bird'' (Sub Pop, 1993)

★ 'SP261' ''Machine Cuisine'' (Sub Pop, 1994)

★ 'SP299' ''Severe Exposure'' (Sub Pop, 1995)

★ 'SP366' ''Paranormalized'' (Sub Pop, 1996)

★ 'SP428' ''Law Of Ruins'' (Sub Pop, 1998)

EPs

★ ''Weapon'' (Sub Pop, 1992)

★ "Declaration Of Techno-Colonial Independence" (split EP with Green Magnet School) CD/ 2x7" (Sub Pop, 1993)

★ ''Machine Cuisine'' 10" (1994)

★ ''Machine Cuisine Companion'' (cassette) (self-released, 1994)

★ "Massive Cocaine Seizure" (b/w "Human Operator") 7" (1996)

★ ''Clone Theory'' 12" (Load, 1996)

★ "Man Behind The Glasses" (b/w "War Crimes" & "Dark Companion") [a.k.a. "Live At The A.C.I."] 7" (Sub Pop, 1996)

Singles

★ 'SP299D' ''Rabies (Baby's Got The) / Mistaken Street / Swing Alone'' 12" (White label 12")

★ 'SP327' ''Massive Cocaine Seizure / Human Operator'' 7"

★ 'SP362' ''Man Behind The Glasses / War Crimes / Dark Companion'' 7"

References

''Vinylnet Record Label Discographies''. link. - Sub Pop Catalogue Numbers and Singles.

External links

★ Sub Pop's old page on Six Finger Satellite

★ Sub Pop's new page

★ Trouser Press entry

★ 6FS at All Music Guide

★ 6FS on Youtube: Race Against Space Live Clip 98

★ 6FS on Youtube: Man Behind the Glasses Live Clip 98

★ 6FS on Youtube: Surveillance House Live Clip 98