I’m not sure how most IVM readers feel about new wave and synth-driven music. It’s extremely nostalgic for me, having grown up in the 80s. The 1980s also comprised the decade where contemporary Christian music came into its own as a marketable industry. While you could argue the merits of that, or against them, it’s a simple fact. But where there is ‘progress’ or marketability (read: money), there will also always be an undercurrent–an independent protest against the mainstream.
Marc Plainguet–and his alter egos Gadget and Crazed Bunnyz–were spearheading lo-fi and experimental synth-driven music in the underground tape-trading scene. Marc’s music toyed with new wave, post-punk, synth-pop, and industrial, overlapping them and weaving in and out of them.
Lyrically, he was always pushing boundaries as well, often critiquing mainstream society. Case in point is “Barbie’s Lament,” which blasted societal standards of beauty and the contemporary dating scene:
Barbie, what’s your trick?
Barbie–it makes me sick
Spend your time looking for a Ken
It won’t last, in the end
Up until recently the best way to find Marc’s stuff was to try to track down the rare cassette releases, but fortunately they’ve released most, if not all, of the back-catalogue digitally recently. Check out the bandcamp page here: https://marcplainguet.bandcamp.com/. In the meantime, here’s a rare live performance.
Keep em coming!