John Bender – Pop Surgery LP

Description

Following the release of lo-fi electronic masterpiece I Dont Remember Now / I Dont Want To Talk About It and his brilliant follow-up Plaster Falling, Cincinnati-based artist John Bender began assembling his third and last album, Pop Surgery, in late 1982.

While all of Benders work draws from intimate home recordingsfeaturing the artist alone with various keyboards, analogue sequencers and tape delaysPop Surgery remains the one that perhaps best distills his arrant deconstruction of the pop concept. These twelve frenetic tracks, meticulously stitched together with dubbed-out vocals and disjointed drum machines, stretch the boundaries of bedroom electronics.

Bender would forgo the handmade LP sleeves typical of his Record Sluts imprint. The cover depicts an imposing scrapyard crane, ready to pick up discarded objects with its bright red electromagnet, while the center labels dtourn Columbias classic 70s style.

I pressed a single run of 500 copies, Bender recounts. The only review I remember railed at the poor production quality. The DIY era had clearly come to an end.

This first-time standalone reissue is recommended for fans of Suicide, TGs 20 Jazz Funk Greats and early Cabaret Voltaire. Liner notes by John Bender.