Getting reaquainted with an old friend

In 2006 I bought a second hand Casio CZ3000 from eBay for the princely sum of £100. However, I didn't really get chance to use the synth before life changes forced me to put it into storage. 

Fast forward to 2011 and I resurrected my plucky old Casio CZ3000 and put it back into my new studio set up. Whilst I had every intention of finally digging into this thing, life got in the way once again and this board was stacked up in my garage for another twelve years.

A couple of weeks ago I was walking past my unused gear when I noticed there was a battery compartment on the bottom of this synth. "That's weird," I thought. "I have never noticed that before." 

At this point the penny dropped. 

When the CZ3000 was in my set up I used to find it frustrating that it couldn't hold any of my patches. A quick Google search confirmed the battery for the SRAM of the CZ3000 is not a CR3032 buried in the innards like most synths, but three AAs in a compartment underneath the board. I looked through the user manuals but found no mention of a battery compartment in any of them.

Having pulled the Casio out I plugged it in and prayed it still worked. Happily the LCD screen flickered into life and all of the lights were illuminated. As Jean Michel Jarre used the first preset "BRASS ENS.1" on his track "Fourth Rendez-Vous" (albeit from a CZ5000) it was compulsory to play it at this point.

Duly set up I decided to read the manual and give this synth the attention it deserves. The first thing I noticed in the manual is that this unit is described as a "CosmoSynthesizer". Casio tell us the synth is "totally digital" and is, "designed using the same principles that apply to analog synthesizers, thus eliminating the frequently heard complaint about digital synthesizers that they are too complex." I wonder which contemporary digital synthesizer they could be talking about? I'm sure there will be a 7 in there somewhere.

Personally, I'm still trying to get my head around phase distortion synthesis and despite what the manual might say, I don't find it as intuitive as analogue subtractive methods. Yet as I jab at the various buttons on the synth, I can't help but think that it is the interface that is the issue rather than the approach to sound creation.

Another revelation came as I read through the operation manual. On the penultimate page there is a box titled, "Use as a multi-timbral expander". Reading this flawed me. I have owned this synth since 2006 and had no idea it was multi-timbral (I know right). Once I rigged it up to MIDI it would indeed sound multiple presets simultaneously (all be it monophonically). Bizarrely the manual tells users to connect the MIDI out directly to the MIDI In and manually assign patches to channels rather than sending program change data.

So what of the patch memory? Well, once I placed the required batteries in the compartment the Casio did indeed retain my changes and I was free to edit sounds with confidence. Strangely, the only memory the manuals seem to mention is the RA-3 RAM cartridge and I used to use one of these to store patches when the keyboard was in use. It turns out that these cartridges are relatively hard to find now so I was determined to find mine. After an hour of rooting around in the loft I found the cartridge complete with box. I changed the battery on this a few years ago so it still had some old sounds on it (be careful when replacing the battery in one of these, the screws that hold it together are very soft). Storage in the synth is limited to 32 presets and 32 user sounds. The RA-3 RAM can also store 32 sounds but they need to be imported into the user memory before they can be accessed.

As for the sound, you'll be unsurprised to hear it is reminiscent of FM synthesis and remains quite thin (there's even a built in stereo chorus effect to help combat this). Like most synths of the time, it can sound a bit dull when dry, but some outboard effects add some sparkle. The Digital Controlled Wave (DCW) function is a direct attempt to mimic the filter of subtractive synthesis but it takes some getting used to. When it comes to creating patches I find I'm mainly creating bass sounds or weird effects. The noise and ring modulators can add some new ingredients that take sounds in a whole new direction. One of the manuals included with the synth is a "Sound data book" that lists the parameters for all of the presets along with another 50 sounds. There's even blank charts to record your own creations; how very 1980's.

The keyboard action is quite light and is not velocity sensitive. Judging by my own experience and the listings for these synths on eBay, the keys are very prone to breakage too.

There are eccentric touches such as a button to turn the modulation wheel on or off and the write protection for the memory is engaged using a switch on the back of the keyboard. I have always found it strange that the power button for this unit is on the right of the keys too - I've put my hand down to rest and turned the synth off more than once. The MIDI implementation on this thing is pretty basic as it only seems to respond to programme change data and some SysEx commands - it ignores velocity, aftertouch and volume commands.

My recent Google searches have also made me grateful that the cover for the battery compartment was present on my keyboard as these seem to go missing quite a lot. As part of this mini-overhaul I have also bought a 3D printed cap for the volume slider as this had been missing since I bought it. One surprise survivor is the original dust cover which I will endeavour to use going forward.

Today the Casio sits in splendid isolation as the only hardware in my set up which should mean it finally gets some attention, seventeen years after I bought it. The fact that I do not plan on moving house or enduring any other traumatic life events also counts in its favour.

One record at a time: 179. The Human League - Fascination!

"The Human League: The Virgin Years" box set includes a copy of the North American release "Fascination!". I'm guessing that this record is included as it provides a convenient way of presenting non-album material from the band's commercial peak. 

This compilation is a product of a time when music wasn't released globally and the output of an artist varied from territory to territory. In order to release material available in other countries, record labels would sometimes make unique compilations. Examples include "In Depth" by Pet Shop Boys which was produced by EMI Japan, "People are People" by Depeche Mode which was made by their American record company Sire or even "Yesterday and Today" by The Beatles.

This particular compilation kicks off with the extended version of "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" which made for a catchy and memorable single. This track represented something of a change of sound for the band with Ian Burden's classic bass guitar adding to the synth and vocals.

"Mirror Man" was the follow up single to the phenomenally successful "Don't You Want Me" and we are presented with the familiar single mix here. I seem to recall Philip revealed the song was written about Adam Ant but my memory may be defective. Regardless of the subject matter this is a great tune that somehow harnesses electronic instruments to give a new take on the Motown sound. I don't like Motown much, but I do like this.

Next up are two b-sides that hadn't previously been released in North America: "Hard Times" and "You Remind Me of Gold". "I  Love You Too Much" was re-recorded for the next album "Hysteria", but this original version produced by Martin Rushent is much more compelling. Things finish off with the "Improvisation" mix of "(Keep |Feeling) Fascination" which was originally released on the 12" single in the UK and Europe. This mix is akin to the dub mixes featured on the "Love and Dancing" remix album and makes a fine ending. 4/5

One record at a time: 178. The Human League - Love and Dancing

Whilst this record is credited to The League Unlimited Orchestra, I consider it to be The Human League's fourth album. Here I am playing an original copy of the album from 1982 which is in very good condition.

As I've mentioned in these posts before, there were lots of remix albums in the eighties, but along with "Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing", this album is a progenitor. Remix albums were such a new phenomenon in 1982 that they even felt they had to add the following text to the sleeve, "This Album contains instrumental versions of previously released songs by The Human League specially remixed and produced by Martin Rushent". 

The album starts with the "Instrumental Remix" of b-side "Hard Times" which was previously included on the 12" single of "Love Action (I Believe In Love)". This mix has a great bassline which drops off just before it becomes annoying and there are various synth squiggles and vocal lines flying in and out to keep things interesting. 

The running order of the "Love Action" single is reversed and the instrumental remix of the title track comes next with its dubby drum delays and edits. "Don't You Want Me" is a bit too long but has some great effects that might be considered standard now, but were difficult to execute in the early eighties.

One of the more extreme remixes on the album is "Things That Dreams Are Made Of" which is stripped back to its Linn LM-1 rhythm and each element of the backing track given a moment in the spotlight. These 'dub mixes' are a bit like peeling back the layers of an onion - they reveal elements of the original song that you may not have heard or fully appreciated before. The version of "Do Or Die" sounds much faster than the album version and is a little bit messy. The tempo does relent a little bit for the remix of "Seconds" but the delay unit is still getting a severe workout. The last three songs are all under three minutes in length so songs like "Open Your Heart" and "Sound of the Crowd" don't quite get the same room to breathe as earlier tracks. Whilst some of the aural gymnastics and edits may not sound as impressive today as they did in 1982, this album is both entertaining and culturally significant. 4/5

One record at a time: 177. The Human League - Dare

Whilst the reasons for the break up of the original band are variously documented, they remain strangely opaque. Whatever skulduggery that brought about in the line up changes, there is no doubt the version of the band that produced "Dare" in 1981 were not the earnest young men writing songs about Philip K Dick novels and clowns on drugs. 

This album is something of a landmark in the history of The Human League but also synth-pop in general.  Suddenly Philip is singing about love and relationships in a way that would never have been allowed in The League Mk 1. Whilst Susan and Joanne were probably the most striking visual change to the line up, the addition of Ian Burden and Jo Callis carried most impact on the songwriting. The final piece in the puzzle was producer Martin Rushent who seemed to be able to wrangle electronic instruments to craft perfect pop.

I own an original UK pressing of this record from 1981 and a blue vinyl which was included in the "Virgin Years" box set from 2022. As you can see in the photo, the forty year old copy is looking a little bit grubby and has a few light scratches here and there. The new record is pristine and sounds pretty good to say it is on coloured vinyl.

Opening track "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of" made a big impression on me when I first bought this album on CD. Whilst this song wasn't released as a single it was somehow familiar to me and I thought the synth used on the chorus was amazing. Even though these songs use the Linn LM1 drum machine, Rushent makes it sound infinitely better than on contemporary releases by bitter rivals Heaven 17.

Listening to this album also reminds me of the night I found myself in a nightclub on a "Student Night" where they seemed to play nothing but dismal indie or grunge. Quite what kept me in the club I can not say, but sometime around 01:00 am the DJ suddenly dropped "Open Your Heart". At this point the indie brigade vacated the dance floor and those of us who had been pulling faces in the shadows emerged into the light. The DJ took note of our validation and continued to play dance and electronic music to a sea of happy smiling faces. If only for one night this song fought the good fight and proved that the world didn't revolve around Nirvana in 1992. For that reason alone I will always love "Open Your Heart".

The song that signalled the commercial breakthrough of The Human League was "The Sound of Crowd". The version presented here is a remix with a new bassline but it remains a perfect brooding pop single that has stood the test of time. The next song "Darkenss" sounds like two different songs that have been welded together but the melodies are memorable and it's great to hear Jo Callis on backing vocals. "Do or Die" is a playful number with my favourite lyric on the album: "I'd like to leave, so would you kindly look the other way".

The second side opens with a bizarre, but mercifully short version of the theme to the film "Get Carter" which along with, "I am the Law" make a nice change of pace. Any song that centres on the assassination of President Kennedy has the potential to be pretty disastrous but "Seconds" is both respectful and entertaining. An insistent Linn drum machine and Roland Jupiter 4 propel "Love Action (I Believe In Love)" to dizzying heights of synth pop perfection. Just as you think this album can't get any better you hear the final track "Don't You Want Me" and realise this album is an embarrassment of riches. 5/5

One record at a time: 176. The Human League - Travelogue

"Travelogue" is the second album by The Human League and here I am playing the 2016 180g repressing. As with "Reproduction", this album was made by a different line up to the one that exists today and sits in a kind of limbo. This album wasn't included in the recent "Virgin Years" box set and the current band don't play these songs live (although Heaven 17 played the album its entirety for its 40th anniversary).

The album starts in the same vein as the first with nonsensical space-age lyrics sung over the clacking analogue synths. There's a very enjoyable version of Mick Ronson's "Only After Dark" which only needs a kick drum to be perfect.

Another highlight for me is the magical instrumental "Toyota City" which draws on the influences of Bowie, Eno and the band Japan to great effect. But nothing else on this album really catches the ear in the same way.  

"Crow and a Baby" sounds like a prototype version of "The Sound of the Crowd" and there's a sub-par re-recording of their first single "Being Boiled". The rest of the album consists of a cover of the theme tune to a TV commercial and various unremarkable attempts at synth pop. I have a CD version of this album which features some contemporary non-album singles and the rather funky "I Don't Depend n You", but none of this is included on the vinyl.

The relative commercial failure of this album caused some anxiety within Virgin Records and a split of the band was engineered to try to garner more sales. As the next post will reveal, the plan succeeded. 2/5

One record at a time: 175. The Human League - Reproduction

This is the debut album by The Human League which was originally released in 1979. I own a copy of the 180g repressing from 2016 which sounds clear and has no surface noise or other issues. Purists may note that this record uses the 'remixed' masters which omit the sound effects heard on the original pressing.

I'm not really sure if Philip, Joanne and Susan regard this album as part of their oeuvre nowadays as it wasn't included in the recent "The Virgin Years" box set. However, they have played tracks like "The Path of Least Resistance" and "Empire State Human" live so it must be considered canon in some way. 

To me this record sounds rather naive and certain sources would have us believe that this is because it was created at a time when electronic music was in its infancy. Yet by 1979 Kraftwerk had already released the highly polished "The Man Machine", Daniel Miller had created the seminal "T.V.O.D." and people like Jarre and Vangelis were nearing their commercial peak. 

I think it is probably more accurate to say that the sound of this album is driven by something more fundamental: money (or lack thereof). Martyn Ware himself has pointed out that some of his contemporaries could afford much better equipment and were able to create better sounding records as a result. There are a lot of good ideas and strong melodies on this album, but the band didn't quite have the resources to polish their creations. Martyn Ware also suggests producer Colin Thurston diluted the sound of the band in what was his first outing as a producer.

"Almost Medieval" dates back to the very earliest days of the group and is a tangled tale about moving back in time. Much like early Heaven 17 material, this song doesn't flow and stutters along whilst Phil sings couplets like, "Jump off the tarmac there's no stagecoach speed limit. Outside the office hangs the man on the gibbet."

"Circus of Death" was originally a b-side but is presented here as a new mix which incorporates a few edits to reduce the running time. Once again Phil spouts some contrived sci-fi themed lyrics as Ian and Martyn tinker away with their synthesisers. The next two tracks "The Path of Least Resistance" and "Blind Youth" continue to deliver stuttering, angular rhythms set against ridiculous lyrics such as, "Dehumanisation, Is such a big word, It's been around since, Richard The Third."

In his autobiography, Martyn says "The World Before Last" sounds weak compared to the version they played live at the time, but I think this track is amongst the best on the album. Another stand out track is the single "Empire State Human" which was a concerted effort to create a hit single that failed. 

One the b-side, "Morale...You've Lost That Loving Feeling" is not a track I enjoy. Whilst I know the band members found inspiration in blue eyed soul and R&B, it isn't a passion I share. I'm not sure where each of the two original compositions included in the medley "Austerity / Girl One" begin and end, but there are some really interesting ideas in here. Things end with the accelerating tempo of "Zero as a Limit" which lacks melody and is a bit of a disappointing end. 2/5

One record at a time: 174. Hot Chip - Freakout/Release

Last year I decided I needed to be more selective about the vinyl I purchased. This decision was partially driven by finances but also by the practical consideration of where to put all of this stuff. Therefore when Hot Chip announced their new album I decided not to pre-order it. 

Therefore, when this copy of the album arrived in the mail (complete with signed art print) soon after release, it came as something of a surprise. Someone really should take my phone off me when I have been drinking.

"Down" is based around a long sample of "More Than Enough" by Universal Togetherness Band. This track features acoustic drums and employs the over saturated vocal sound that Depeche Mode seem to love nowadays. You can tell I'm not a fan. 

"Eleanor" starts very brightly but the acoustic drums sound saggy and drag the whole thing down. "Freakout/Release" is produced by Soulwax and inevitably sounds like it could have been culled from their "Nite Versions" album. 

On the flip side "Broken" is one of the better tracks on the album as it has a lush sound and strong, almost pop, melody. "Not Alone" is a slower and more contemplative effort but it becomes a bit boring. Lyrically  "It's Hard to be Funky" is just stupid but more accomplished from a production perspective.

The second disc kicks off with "Time" which develops into a great dance number that might have befitted from coming at the start of the album. "Miss This Bliss" simply takes too long to get going and when it does gather some momentum neither the groove nor the melody are strong enough to impress. Disappointingly "The Evil That Men Do" sees the return of saturated vocals and seems to borrow the piano riff from Moby's "Honey". 

On the final side of the album "Guilty" has a strong electronic sound and enough eighties touches to be seriously impressive. In fact this is my favourite song on the album. "Out of my Depth" is yet another attempt to produce a flourish at the end of the album. This track reminds me of the sound of early Kraftwerk; all it needs is some flute to complete the sound. A fair effort but not one of their best. 2.5/5