For the most part, Euro synth pop of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s registered as a mere blip stateside. Head honchos such as
Kraftwerk and
Gary Numan may have ruled the roost in other parts of the world, but in the good ol' U.S. of A., aside from a hit single or two (and some spins on MTV), no dice. But the aforementioned movement certainly left an impression on succeeding generations, a case in point being
the Super 8 Bit Brothers. Sounding like the soundtrack straight out of an early-‘80s video game, the two-man group -- comprised of
Tub Ring members Rob Kleiner and Kevin Gibson -- mines this very electro-pop field throughout its 2010 release,
Brawl. But to their credit, Kleiner and Gibson draw upon a wide variety of electro influences. Want some proof? You got it! "The Shadow Me" comes off as a
Kraftwerk meets
Nine Inch Nails hybrid, "2600 Refugee" reeks of the early ‘80s (both sonically and lyrically, with its reference to Space Invaders), "Goodbye Cruel World (of Warcraft)" contains some very
Devo-esque music, the title track is a synth symphony for beddy-bye time, and "Geeks No More" would have sounded perfect played over the end credits of the 1984 comedy classic Revenge of the Nerds. With a heavy sense of nostalgia for the big '80s in the air,
the Super 8 Bit Brothers picked the perfect time in the early 21st century to start a synth-heavy
Brawl. ~ Greg Prato