The future was indeed 1982. Nerd of nerds Thomas Dolby laid out "Windpower" on his seminal LP The Golden Age of Wireless, which featured the über hit She Blinded Me With Science. This song is an intellectual call to arms; a utopian nerd manifesto. If anyone wants to build a new city (or take over a cool one like Denver) I'm IN!

SCHEMATIC: Two more versions and inspiring lyrics...

Windpower (Top of the Pops Live Version) (c.1982)

Crappy sound and video quality, but a great version nonetheless!

Windpower (High Powered Extended Play) (1982)

This particular cut is off the eponymous 12" single. Readily available on vinyl and cheap.

Windpower Lyrics

Switch off the mind and let the heart decide who you were meant to be Flick to remote and let the body glide There is no enemy ! Etch out a future of your own design Well tailored to your needs Then fan the flame and keep the dream alive Of a continent A continent a continent a continent a - There is no enemy ! Switch of the mind and let the heart decide We're a continent A continent a continent a continent a - Shatter the lens and grind it into sand One measured exposure Scatter the seed and furrow in our land The future is roses! Roses! Switch off the mind and let the heart decide There is no enemy! Lift up the hearts of this your only tribe We're a continent A continent a continent a continent a

I'm HOOKED! Now this is some real Aussie nerdness! Nearly five minutes of minimal synth industrial perfection from legendary Sydney band Severed Heads. Disgustingly rare in its original wax format.

Lamborghini (Live at Metro TV, July 1982)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd6e7RELnRo

SCHEMATIC: Recording details and a later concert version...

There is some confusion regarding the actual name of this track: Is it Lamborghini or Petrol? My hunch is that Lamborghini is actually an early version of Petrol. The earliest example of Lamborghini is off the 1982 French compilation Entrave et Étouffement, whereas Petrol doesn't show up until 1985 on a 7".

There is a cut of Lamborghini on a compilation CD called Can't Stop It! II (Australian Post-Punk 1979-84) that was published in 2007. This version, with female vocals is sort of a disappointment and the compilation is just OK, although that track from Centerfold is good, too. Might as well pick it up digitally because Severed Heads early recordings will cost you from $50 - $2,000!am (CD Version)

Lamborghini (Can't Stop It! II) feat. female vocals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUpMIaz3XJQ

Petrol (Live at Rock Arena, 1986)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OjAnr4dsLs

Moroder is the undisputed progenitor of Italo. The uncanny resemblance to SNL's Father Guido Sarducci notwithstanding, Moroder is a synth god. More machine than man, Moroder is to Italy as Kraftwerk is to Germany.

Although Moroder made some Taleggio over the years, From Here to Eternity is an early Italo masterpiece. First published as an LP in 1977 on US-based Casablanca Records, near mint copies of this album are still widely available for about $20. Synthspotters love this video...

SCHEMATIC: Some Moroder TV appearances, a Casablanca Records promo video, more details...

Moroder's discography is longer than the Dead Sea Scrolls. Among other massive hits, Moroder was behind Donna Summer's 1977 smash, I Feel Love.

He also did the theme song for the crazy-ass movie Midnight Express in 1978. Below is a classic German TV show (check out those mics!) introducing Moroder and his oscar-winning track, The Chase, which is 13 minutes of mind-warping synthesizer amazingness. In this all-too-brief clip, Moroder goes from laying it down in German to working a Minimoog in an ultra-rare LIVE performance.

Here is the original 8-minute 45RPM version of the track. I can't seem to find the 12" version, so will upload mine.

Here is the Casablanca Records promo where Moroder demonstrates his vocoder skills.

Moroder produced everyone and everything in the 1980s. Beyond rescoring the 1920s Fritz Lang film Metropolis, he was responsible for Top Gun (along with German protégé Harold Faltermeyer), Blondie's Call Me, Irene Cara's What a Feelin' LP which included Romance '83 (and Flashdance), The Neverending Story and so forth.

This is far, far out, man. Kyle Evans' digeridoo-synthesizer hybrid could single-handedly create sound effects for every sci-fi vehicle and spaceship ever imagined.

SCHEMATIC: A straight up demo video...

This video via Make via MatrixSynth

As thrilled as I am by the prospect of pretending to be the fellas from Daft Punk, I'm not sure the thousands of imminent mash-up train wrecks are worth it. Daft Punk and scratching? Really? I'm skeptical at best. Now if, for example, I can mix components of their tracks freestyle using this funky setup, then we've got something to talk about. Riddle me this...Why not make a serrato-compatible version so people can use real decks?