The compilation from Philip King, known for his time with Lush and The Jesus & Mary Chain, gathers obscure underground synth pop gems from the late 1970s and early 1980s. That era marked the arrival of affordable analogue synthesisers from Moog, Arp and Korg. While bands like OMD, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Ultravox and Gary Numan brought synth pop into the mainstream, All The Young Droids documents a parallel world. These are the junkshop singles that slide between jangle pop, post-punk, new wave and cold wave, all within a resolutely DIY aesthetic. King’s liner notes, rich in detail and enthusiasm, add sharp context and real depth to the listening experience.
There’s the wide-ranging vocal on »I Tune Into You« – which nearly led Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins to sign John Howard – or the warped, surreal track by »Gerry & The Holograms«, once named a favourite single by Frank Zappa. »I Am Your Master« stands out for using a jazz organ rather than a synthesiser, chosen for its soft menace after inspiration struck via a Dracula film. According to artist Dee Jay Bert, the organ had previously been played by Arnold Schwarzenegger at the opening of a gym in Bruges. Elsewhere, the cheesy blast of »I Am A Timebomb« delivers sharp synth stabs, while »Alien Girl« embraces its theatrical excess, and Harry Kakouli’s »I’m On A Rocket« propels punk rhythm into orbit with cosmic flair.
