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Calculators Prepping First LP In 30 Years

News posted Friday, August 27 2010 at 09:00 AM.
Related: Primitive Calculators.

Calculators Prepping First LP In 30 Years

Melbourne’s resurgent “vicious noise merchants” Primitive Calculators are preparing to record their first album in 30 years.

The band released a string of EPs and 7”s, including the seminal techno-punk single ‘I Can’t Stop It’/‘Do That Dance’, in their late ’70s heyday, but have yet to commit a full-length LP to tape. While they haven’t booked studio time in just yet, they’ve been rehearsing new songs in their practice room. Here’s what frontman Stuart Grant told M+N about the recording:

Whilst we’re not a real band, we do believe, with all the true humility that the statement entails, that we are the greatest rock and roll band of all time.

Having accidentally begun playing again against our better judgment, we find ourselves compelled to continue through the impetus of the force of a destiny beyond our control. We have no choice. We don’t understand. Whatever it is that is driving us, it is plunging us down to greater depths of nihilism and pointlessness. The thing about being old and nearly dead is that you truly understand what it means to not give a fuck about anything. There is absolutely no reason for what we do but we can’t stop it.

To see this band play is to watch a spiralling, rapidly dying thing expending the little that remains of its worth and value for no apparent reason other than the extinguishment of its own life force. We are playing ourselves to death. We would rather be dead but we keep writing new songs and are recording a new album against our will. It is an embarrassing destiny. We have lost control of our bowels. We are drowning in own shit but we are one fucker of a hard-driving boogie band.

The best rock music is fuelled by the empty delusion that it is somehow changing the world. If people listen to us, their lives will change as a result of the expenditure of our life and breath.

To watch the pointless, worthless, scintillating spectacle of our death is to face the eternal. To listen to the Primitive Calculators is to live for ever. Our squalid demise is your salvation. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.

Old people smell like shit.

The Calculators will play their only show for the year at Yah Yahs in Melbourne on September 3. Supports from Paul Kidney Experience, a “seven-piece coagulation” featuring members of The Stabs and Baseball; and a rare coupling of saxophonist Adam Simmons and percussionist Bryan O'Dwyer with special guest Kris Wanders (Global Unity Orchestra).

In other news, the Primitive Calculators were recently interviewed by ABC Radio National as part of a series on Australian post punk. You can listen to it here.

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Your Comments

Block  said about 1 year ago:

The Calculators will play their only show for the year at Yah Yahs in Melbourne on September 3

Fuck. I'm going to miss this.


PooPeeTaste  said about 1 year ago:

They were excellent opening for Lightning Bolt. This is exciting news.


FrankieTeardrop  said about 1 year ago:

Best press release / interview ever. Stuart Grant for PM!


shaun  said about 1 year ago:

Should get him to submit a monthly column, like Dave Graney.


FrankieTeardrop  said about 1 year ago:

Fuck yes!


fowltonmeans  said about 1 year ago:

If they have yet to commit a full length LP to tape, what's that full-length LP I've got?


happycow  said about 1 year ago:

Excellent news, excellent press release.


happycow  said about 1 year ago:

If they have yet to commit a full length LP to tape, what's that full-length LP I've got?

It's a compilation of 7''s and live bootleg stuff.


__v  said about 1 year ago:

d'you reckon they'll call the album CUNT LIFE? that song is an anthem for our times.


fowltonmeans  said about 1 year ago:

It's a compilation of 7''s and live bootleg stuff.

I guess it wasn't 'committed to tape' then


happycow  said about 1 year ago:

To summarise wikipedia:

  • Calculator's (sic) only studio recording, in December 1979, was a 7'' single with the tracks ''I Can't Stop It'' and ''Do That Dance''
  • self-titled live album came out in the early 1980s
  • The Primitive Calculators' album (the live one) was reissued on CD by Chapter Music in 2004, with extra tracks from related projects (The Moths!, other live recordings from 1979 and an unnamed Primitive Calculators/Whirlywirld hybrid recorded in London, 1981).
  • In March 2007, Chapter Music released ''Primitive Calculators and Friends, 1979 to 1982'', a CD which contained the only studio recordings of the band (the 7'' single from 1979), the ''Little Band'' single, also from 1979, and live tracks from Little Band nights. It also contained other recordings from bands the members formed after 1980 such as a single called Zye Ye Ye (recorded in London, 1981 with Ollie Olsen and John Murphy), and bands formed after the return of some of the band members to Australia, from Europe, in 1982.

fowltonmeans  said about 1 year ago:

To summarise wikipedia:

* Calculator's (sic) only studio recording, in December 1979, was a 7'' single with the tracks ''I Can't Stop It'' and ''Do That Dance''
* self-titled live album came out in the early 1980s
* The Primitive Calculators' album (the live one) was reissued on CD by Chapter Music in 2004, with extra tracks from related projects (The Moths!, other live recordings from 1979 and an unnamed Primitive Calculators/Whirlywirld hybrid recorded in London, 1981).
* In March 2007, Chapter Music released ''Primitive Calculators and Friends, 1979 to 1982'', a CD which contained the only studio recordings of the band (the 7'' single from 1979), the ''Little Band'' single, also from 1979, and live tracks from Little Band nights. It also contained other recordings from bands the members formed after 1980 such as a single called Zye Ye Ye (recorded in London, 1981 with Ollie Olsen and John Murphy), and bands formed after the return of some of the band members to Australia, from Europe, in 1982.

I guess it wasn't 'committed to tape' then


Hellzapoppin  said about 1 year ago:

Happy times. Fuck I love this band.


happycow  said about 1 year ago:

To summarise wikipedia:
* Calculator's (sic) only studio recording, in December 1979, was a 7'' single with the tracks ''I Can't Stop It'' and ''Do That Dance''
* self-titled live album came out in the early 1980s
* The Primitive Calculators' album (the live one) was reissued on CD by Chapter Music in 2004, with extra tracks from related projects (The Moths!, other live recordings from 1979 and an unnamed Primitive Calculators/Whirlywirld hybrid recorded in London, 1981).
* In March 2007, Chapter Music released ''Primitive Calculators and Friends, 1979 to 1982'', a CD which contained the only studio recordings of the band (the 7'' single from 1979), the ''Little Band'' single, also from 1979, and live tracks from Little Band nights. It also contained other recordings from bands the members formed after 1980 such as a single called Zye Ye Ye (recorded in London, 1981 with Ollie Olsen and John Murphy), and bands formed after the return of some of the band members to Australia, from Europe, in 1982.
I guess it wasn't 'committed to tape' then

To summarise wikipedia:

* Calculator's (sic) only studio recording, in December 1979, was a 7'' single with the tracks ''I Can't Stop It'' and ''Do That Dance''
* self-titled live album came out in the early 1980s
* The Primitive Calculators' album (the live one) was reissued on CD by Chapter Music in 2004, with extra tracks from related projects (The Moths!, other live recordings from 1979 and an unnamed Primitive Calculators/Whirlywirld hybrid recorded in London, 1981).
* In March 2007, Chapter Music released ''Primitive Calculators and Friends, 1979 to 1982'', a CD which contained the only studio recordings of the band (the 7'' single from 1979), the ''Little Band'' single, also from 1979, and live tracks from Little Band nights. It also contained other recordings from bands the members formed after 1980 such as a single called Zye Ye Ye (recorded in London, 1981 with Ollie Olsen and John Murphy), and bands formed after the return of some of the band members to Australia, from Europe, in 1982.

Bob Saget  said about 1 year ago:

Can someone summarise the summary?


batman4eva  said about 1 year ago:

If anyone has seen them live you really know that everything in that interview is true!!


__v  said about 1 year ago:

one of my favourite things last year was watching the primitive calculators upset the lightning bolt fans by being horrible & australian

having said that i don't reckon they had their best ever night, i saw them at the workers club in melbourne and they were unbelievable


cooper.  said about 1 year ago:

prim calcs fucking rule.

also 'techno-punk'? i don't think so, maybe you meant 'synth-punk'.


batman4eva  said about 1 year ago:

__v I saw them there, so fun hey, like 10000% more energetic and fun than everyone half their age.


FrankieTeardrop  said about 1 year ago:

10000% more energetic and fun than everyone half their age.

This is true. Maybe it's because they don't care about being 'cool' or impressing their mates. Youth really is wasted on the young.


Ben  said about 1 year ago:

agreed frankie. Calcs rule


djbollocks  said about 1 year ago:

Hey which Primitive Calculators track (a live one) starts with them telling the audience ''we get to go home after this song'' ?


__v  said about 1 year ago:

pumping ugly muscle innit?


djbollocks  said about 1 year ago:

it is too. thanks v


Ben  said about 1 year ago:

friday's gig is going to slay!

the PKE will have 2 drumbers!


Ben  said about 1 year ago:

tonight!


Ben  said about 1 year ago:


Ben  said about 1 year ago:

Adam Simmons (sax) & Brian O'Dwyer (percussion) with 60s legend of free jazz and unstoppable saxophonical force Kris Wanders (Global Unity Orchestra) play tonight at Yah Yahs, Supporting Paul Kidney Experience and Primitive Calculators


Block  said about 1 year ago:

GUH.


Hellzapoppin  said about 1 year ago:

How is Queens Blocko?


Block  said about 1 year ago:

It's OK. Hot. And it's very late here. But we have aircon, and a sixpack of Tecate, so, you know.
I wish I could be at this show, though. Can I borrow your Concord, hellza?


Hellzapoppin  said about 1 year ago:

I crashed into a creche unfortunately, stupid hard on when flying again. I've heard of this ceaseless heat/humidity and feel happy in the knowledge that I'll never leave this country. This show is going to be grand, we'll miss you Silverfox.


Block  said about 1 year ago:

naaw.
bumps knuckles


Hellzapoppin  said about 1 year ago:

sheds quiet gay tear


yokota  said about 1 year ago:

Ben said 1 hour ago:
Adam Simmons (sax) & Brian O'Dwyer (percussion) with 60s legend of free jazz and unstoppable saxophonical force Kris Wanders (Global Unity Orchestra)

Rad! Also keen to see Primitive Calculators


mic  said about 1 year ago:

you goin mate?


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