CYBOTRON

Cybotron is an Australian cult spacey age electronic trip. This album is the first one published under the name. After several listenings I must admit that this one is reminiscence of Klaus Schulze / Tim Blake's golden analog-synth era but Cybotron's original sound features much more propulsive-energetic vibes into the brainey synthscapes. This is surprisingly punchy and epic at the same time. Consequently this is not relaxation music but an inspired-kinetic and atmospheric voyage through inner spaces. It opens with the epically-moving and rhythmical sci-fi soundscape "arrakais". It sounds a little bit dated but the inter-sidereal energies are penetrating and beautifully catchy. Mumbo Jumbo develops epic driven electronic rythms, including cosmic-jazzy grooves. Gods of Norse is a true cosmic peacefulness with strangely grandiose melodies, frenetic hypnotic noises and perpetual drum moves. Parameters of Consciousness is in the same mood, always comibining distinctive sonic-new agey synthesised melodies, sci-fi noises and pulsating hypno-rythms. Sonic Overdrive is an eerie-tranquil textural soundscape for large mellow synth waves and static sound forms. No essential but a pleasant curiosity that deserves a listen for fans of kosmische-astral psychedelica of the 70's.

Cybotron was one of the first,if not the first,electronic rock bands in Australia.This duo was formed in 1975 in Melbourne by keyboardists Steve Maxwell Von Braun and Geoff Green,after Von Braun had already put up a solo album a year earlier.Heavily influenced by the electronic/kraut acts of Germany like Kraftwerk,Neu,Tangerine Dream or Ash Ra Tempel,Cybotron released their self- titled debut in 1976 on the small Aussie label Clear Light of Jupiter,the same which released Von Braun's personal effort.

The album opens with ''Arrakis'',a track progressing as it unfolds,offering double analog synth attacks with a KLAUS SCHULZE-vibe and ''Mumbo Jumbo'' follows,this one being an electronic piece with an ethnic touch on saxes and heavy use of percussions.''Gods of Norse'' is a nice piece of Psychedelic/Space/Electronic Rock with a repetitive rhythm and intense loops,maybe the best track of the album.The 9-min. ''Parameters of Consciousness'' is rather too long,very hypnotic with little changes,before the saxes of Von Braun deliver some extra energy after the middle.''Sonic Overide'' will close the album with 10 minutes of pure Electronic/Space Prog with grandiose work on ARP 2600,but again with not much going on,not to refer the very dissonant KRAFTWERK-like middle part.

If I see this album from a historical point of view,its significance to the Aussie Electronic/Prog scene is of great interest.But if I see it from the objective side,this is rather mediocre Electronic Music,and the most important,very unoriginal.Headed only to dedicated fans of Kraut/Electronic..

Cybotron's self-titled album is my first exposure to this '70s-era Australian electronic duo, and my first impression was a dissatisfied "meh". Unfortunately, my view of this album hasn't really changed since I've been listening to it off and on for the past few months.

Cybotron would be best described as classic experimental electronic music if only other artists (Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, etc.) hadn't already been doing it better. That's not to say this music is bad, but compared to it's contemporaries, it is just kind of bland and uninspired. Here we've got the synths, sequencers, propulsive krautrock beat, and spacey melodies. The only two points about this album that stand out are that the krautrock beats are considerably energetic compared to most work by Schulze or others, and the occasional saxophone. Unfortunately, neither of these elements make the music sufficiently more interesting than anything else of this same style and don't really make for anything other than a "hey, that's kind of different for a minute" realization that is quickly washed over once the boredom sets back in.

If you want some '70s-era electronic music and are tired of the classic artists in the genre, then this album might be for you. If you're looking for something different and more compelling, or at least equally as compelling as the classic artists, then you should look elsewhere.

My impression of Cybotron's music has always been that they largely relied on what were then novel sounds to carry what were otherwise quite conventional compositions. This first album doesn't entirely dissuade me from that view - the harmonic language is almost consistently tonal (apart from a section in "Sonic Overide") and the rhythm reasonably conventional, it's generally failry conventional minimalist composition, though that's not necessarily a bad thing, minimalism at it's best has a hypnotic effect on this listener and that's often the case here, helped by the consciously cosmic sounds. The best tracks are the longer works on the second side, "Parameters of Consciousness" and "Sonic Overide". The CD re-release by Dual Planet has a completely unidentified sixth track which is also quite interesting. It's probably not that outstanding in the context of 70s electronic prog more generally, but if you're at all interested in that sub-genre you should enjoy this.

First release of the band formed by Steve Maxwell Von Braund and Geoff Green, often referred as the australian TANGERINE DREAM. To be honest, I find more similarities with TIM BLAKE's approach: rapid-psych sequencers with a melodic feel... plus a saxophone.

The best moment of this record is the opening track "Arrakis". It really delivers and hyptonic, mesmerizing atmosphere. "Gods Of Norse" is an enjoyable slow and melancholic piece. "Mumbo Jumbo" and "Parameters Of Consciousness" have nice saxophone parts. As a closing track, "Sonic Overdrive" is unequal, as it features soft passages and repetitive sequences.

While certainly not as groundbreaking and impacting as other electronic formations of the same period, "Cybotron" nonetheless proposes a pleasant and a little bit different experience. Give this album a listen if you enjoy TANGERINE DREAM, TIM BLAKE or KLAUS SCHULZE.

Australia is not the first country you think of for electronic music, but here you go! Although Steven Maxwell von Braund had already released a solo album in 1975 with Monster Planet (an album that I enjoy although those cheesy vocals, as well as that cheesy cover, more looking like a cheap late '70s private pressing than something out of the mid '70s are a bit cringeworthy), this was officially the debut from Cybotron as he got help from Geoff Green, plus Gil "Rats" Matthers on drums on the opening cut. The cover is obviously a tribute to Salvador Dali, with a chameleon, a serval (that yellow spotted cat with the big ears you see), and some donkeys on the cover. Since Steven Maxwell von Braund was born in Germany, it seems no surprise that the Berlin School would be a big influence in the music. Certainly there's a bit more of a rock approach than TD (outside of Cyclone and Force Majeure), this album is totally up your alley for those who enjoy this kind of music. It's one of those albums best listened to as a whole as I really can't pick out a highlight for me because the quality is held up throughout. Really, this album is very much a worthy addition to your collection, but in the case of electronic music of this sort, it's often hard to do a more detailed review.