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FUTURISK was a pioneering electro-punk group that recorded and performed in the pre-midi era of the early '80's. They had two vinyl releases that sold out, a legendary live show and some videos, but for a number of reasons by 1984 Futurisk was history. Eventually the main core of Futurisk would be the Kolosine/Hess/Howard line up, but in '79 when a teenage Jeremy Kolosine won studio time & money in a competition with his drum-machine triggered guitar-synth act called 'Clark Humphrey & Futurisk', he decided to form a band around the name to record a more punk release "The Sound of Futurism 1980/Army Now". It was an ambivalent anti-war anthem, with Jack Howard on drums, Frank Lardino on synth and Kolosine on vocals and guitar synth. Many live shows ensued with the line up adding Jeff Marcus on bass and Vinnie Scrimenti on drums, but in '81 a rift with the band and Kolosine caused him to part ways with them. They continued for a bit as Radio Berlin(no relation to the Vancouver act)and Kolosine, who had gotten absorbed in a new synth/sequencer continued as Futurisk.
He recruited synthesist/recordist Richard Hess who had a myriad collection of Moogs, Oberhieims and KATs,etc. Jack Howard returned on drums and syn-drums and the line up for the "Player Piano EP" was cast. The EP, like the live show, was a strange blend of punk/minimalist/disco influenced electro pop, with drum-machine triggered synths and often frantic real drums all led by Kolosine's schizophrenic Bowie/Ferry/Foxx adulations (and about 20 seconds of punk-funk guitar). It was recorded by Rich and the band in the rooms of Ron K's house.The drum sound, gotten in a bathroom, rocks, even today. Reportedly, Futurisk may have been the 1st synth-punk band in the American South...or something, and 1981's track 'Push Me Pull You (pt. 2)' was an early pre-'Rockit' excursion into electro-funk.
In 2003 LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy gave a complimentary wink to Futurisk by using the track on the delightful Colette # 5 DFA Comp CD.
In 2007 an unreleased 1982 version of the track "Meteoright" was included on Minimal Wave's "Found Tapes" vinyl LP.

FUTURISK - Push Me Pull You(Pt2)-excerpt (Audio)-(1982)Excerpt of early electro-funk classic from Player Piano EP



NEWS :

*07/04/2009: Check out Minimal Electronic Plus on East Village Radio w early Futurisk track and Jeremy Kolosine interview regarding the upcoming 30th Anniversary release of rare Futurisk tracks.

*12/10/2007: New Futurisk vinyl:
The NYC label Minimal-Wave has featured an unreleased version of Futurisk's "Meteoright" from 1982 on "The Found Tapes" V/A compilation on 180 gram vinyl (limited edition of 500.) This is a version professionally recorded on 8-track 1-inch reel to reel back in 1982, and the sound is giant. The Futurisk track is part of a collection that was recorded at the time and intended for album release, which never happened. Stay tuned for news on the full album's release.





05/28/2003:
FUTURISK TRACK FEATURED ON THE DFA's REMIX CD FROM COLETTE.
The cutting edge producer/artists The DFA have featured the 1981 Futurisk track 'Push Me Pull You(Pt.2)' by Jeremy Kolosine & Richard Hess, as the opening cut on their brand new remix compilation released by Paris house of fashion/art Colette.
Epitonic.com says'...the NYC production duo James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy - The DFA. James founded the Plantain Recording House and has recorded June of 44,Primal Scream, Six Finger Satellite, Trans Am and many more. Tim is a founding member of U.N.K.L.E. and has remixed groups such as The Verve, Radiohead, Beck, Can,Tortoise, and Massive Attack. The DFA seems to be successfully diving into the noisy New York underground...' Check out these 2 current club smashes produced by The DFA:LCD Soundsystem's 'Losing My Edge' The Rapture's 'House of Jealous Lovers.' at Epitonic's DFA page
The double CD 'Colette No 5' is out now and is the newest in a string of releases compiled by renowned sound designer Michel Gaubert and Marie Branellec for Colette.The always eclectic mix of tracks, this time focuses on groundbreaking '80's electro, as well as new and unreleased songs, such as the brand new Rapture and an unreleased Human League cut.Go to
Hear tracks at Tigersushi... or Colette Paris.


Colette Double CD Comp # 5 -featuring The DFA.(2003) ...this includes a FUTURISK track.




ARCHIVES:

RELEASES:

FUTURISK - The Sound of Futurism 1980/Army Now (Clark Humphrey Records 1980) - 7" vinyl.
side a:Army Now/side b:Whatwehavetohave
(out of print-original pressing 500 copies)



(sleeve:Frank Vickers )
FUTURISK - Player Piano EP (Clark Humphrey Records 1982) - 7" vinyl EP.
side a: Poison Ivy, Meteoright, Push Me Pull You (pt 2)
side b: Lonely Streets, Split Second Decision
(out of print-original pressing 1000 copies)

Check the RECORDS page for other official releases available for purchase...

UNRELEASED:
FUTURISK-RADIO BERLIN SESSIONS(1981)
FUTURISK-RICHARD HESS 4-TRACK SESSIONS(1981/82)
FUTURISK-METEORIGHT AUDIO/VIDEO SESSIONS(1982)
FUTURISK-CHANGE IN THE TIDE SESSIONS(1984)

PERSONNELL/ALUMNI:
Jeremy Kolosine: synth/vocals/guitar/casio/vocoder 1979 thru 1984.
Richard Hess: synth/casio/vocoder/drum machine 1981 thru 1984.
Jack Howard: drums/syndrums, 1980-84.
Frank Lardino: synth,1980 thru 1981.
Vince Serencko: synth, 1981.
Jeff Marcus: bass, 1980 thru 1981.
Vinnie Scrimenti: drums,1981.
addtl:
Errol Kolosine: video artist, drums, 1983.
Missy Blendermann: video artist, casio, 1983.

PIX:
more coming soon...

Jeremy Kolosine - electro-fonz 83 baby! . (pic/mag s.rosenthal)


AUDIO:
FUTURISK - Push Me Pull You(Pt2)-excerpt (Audio)-(1982)Excerpt of early electro-funk classic from Player Piano EP


VIDEO:
FUTURISK - Meteoright (Video)-(1982)Rare unreleased video(wmv)

EQUIPMENT:
coming soon!

SHOWS, STORIES n sh*t...
this will probably have a parental advisory...


one of the last flyers i did for Futurisk circa 82. jk

Think this was late 82 maybe...this show was a disaster I remember...we were 2 hours late and there was an angry mob of would be dancers waiting when we pulled up. I still love the few fans that stuck by us that night!haha.jk.

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Here's one I'll remember the details on later, but it was one of my 1st ever shows as Futurisk(some time in '79)...it was at Open Books & Records when they were in Deerfield Beach (!)and I was playing in store
...anyway what I did back then was I would set the drum machine up w synth & fx thru different guitar amps so it cascaded(sorta metal machine w a beat) and I'd leave the stage, whatever and walk around and people would stare at me funny(if someone would try to unplug it , I'd yell 'it isn't done yet!!')
...so I was outside while the 'complex of rythms' was going and Eddie from The Eat who'd just got there said 'who's that electronic crap?' probably thinking it was impossible for someone to like a rythm box AND the Eat, and that I'd wholeheartedly agree with him!
So I said..'No idea. It sucks though!'. ..

Soon after when he saw me walk up and turn it off he turned beet red and apologized and i was doubled over cracking up....

jk

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On April 12th 1981, Futurisk played on the Boca Raton High School lunchroom rooftop to a baffled gaggle of southern rock pre-pube wann-be's. I remember it was the 1st launch date of the space shuttle Columbia and it took off during our set. One my most vivid memories is the giant column of smoke rising, looking so close, though it was over 100 miles away. It was during Meteoright which made it even more poetic. Not as poetic was the crowd reaction to Futurisk. Our short-time but enthusastic member Vince Serencko (who introduced me to Rich Hess)was hit in the head with a rock!(although he was a prime target in his yellow flight suit & cap with goggles, which in retrospect added some much needed protection!)I got narrowly missed by large green apple, and Ritchie got hit with a half-eaten sandwich(a reuben perhaps)!That's what we get for playing at lunchtime.

There was a video shot of this but when we didn't have $50. for the tape the bastards erased it I think.

jk

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The short but sweet Futurisk east coast tour:
I believe it was the summer of '82 when Futurisk was invited to play an underground club In Atlanta, on Peachtree, called TV Dinners. This inadvertently launched the closest thing to a tour that Futurisk ever did. We piled Jack's oversized Tama's and a carload of Moogs & Prophet synths into my 'roadwarrior' vehicle, a bright yellow AMC Eagle hatchback(complete with Aztec eagle adornment on the hood), and out we ventured, Ritchie, Jack & I. We headed up to do some shows on the east coast of Florida and Atlanta, GA. We had a 2 night stint at TV Dinners, and the management of the club had us in a pretty dingy motel in which I threw up in upon arrival. In typical Futurisk fashion we had managed to straggle along a girl or 2, and we had been impressed by how many girls were at the first night's show. When the second night arrived and I was setting up, it looked like it would be another fun night, already the place was filling with, curiously enough, a small crowd of tall model types...It was then that Jack, who had wandered off with one of the chicks, scurried in. Eyes wide, he hopped on the stage and yells in my ear "They're all GUYS!!"
"What?" I said.
"The chicks!"
He never did tell me how he found that out for sure.
It was at this point that the name of the club sunk in..."TV Dinners" was not only a pop culture reference, but T.V. was also a clientèle description...heheh.
Either way, the place rocked on both those nights in Atlanta.

jk

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SCRAPBOOK:


FUTURISK '83


Jack Howard


Vinnie Scrimenti


Frank Lardino


Futurisk @ Agora circa 80/81, Ritch & Frank, JK at Open Records 79. (photos Kevin Stawieray, Sam Rosenthal & M.Mauer)


music & content: copyright 2001-2006 jeremy kolosine / ReceptorsMusic/ Clark Humphrey Records / No Phase Records /// o'buckley - webdesign