Six Finger Satellite

Six Finger Satellite (a.k.a. 6FS) are an American synthesizer-based post-punk band, based in Providence, Rhode Island.

History

The band formed in 1990 around a line up of J. Ryan (singer/keyboards), John MacLean (guitar), Peter Phillips (guitar), Chris Dixon (bass), and Rick Pelletier (drums). They submitted a demo of rock to Sub Pop Records, who, signed them and released the demo as the four-song Weapon EP in 1992.

Six Finger Satellite's first full-length album, The Pigeon Is The Most Popular Bird, was released in 1993, with Kurt Niemand replacing Dixon on bass. The record more accurately represented the band's vision of cyborg-esque post-punk, and was recorded by Bob Weston, whose band Shellac named their 1994 single, The Bird is the Most Popular Finger in tribute. In 1994, 6FS released the Machine Cuisine EP, which was recorded entirely with synthesizers, suggesting the band's future direction. Their 7" single supposedly recorded "live at the A.C.I." was not actually recorded live at that prison, though its tongue-in-cheek liner notes so purport.

In the meantime, Phillips had left the band and Niemand had died of a drug overdose.^[1] James Apt (bass) joined for the 1995 album Severe Exposure, which represented a fusion of their synth- and guitar-driven sounds. It was during this time that the band began using their advance money from Sub Pop to buy recording equipment and build their own studion called The Parlour. Over the course of the next 3 years, the studio underwent a few physical renovations and upgrades in recording gear. The band became adept at recording and Ryan, Pelletier and MacLean were involved in recording projects with local Providence bands; Les Savy Fav,Astoveboat, Landed,Men's Recovery Project, flicker, The Olenyville Soundsystem, to name a few. The low-budget music video for the song "Parlour Games," from "Severe Exposure" and directed by Guy Benoit of Thee Hydrogen Terrors,was featured in an episode of Beavis and Butt-head.

"Paranormalized" was a quick follow-up to "Severe Exposure" and while a few of the songs became live set staples ( "Slave Traitor", "The Greatest Hit"), the album was decidedly less guitar focused. The touring for this record was much more effective as the band played with Shellac, The Jesus Lizard, and Trans Am and was on the road for most of that year.

The band's final full-length was Law of Ruins, released in 1998 and produced by James Murphy. It was marked by a spacier sound, and was heavily influenced by Krautrock. The CD came in an entirely clear jewelcase with minimalist neon green graphic design/writing. Murphy had joined as live sound engineer the previous year as the band was increasingly aware of the importance of having its own soundman. Murphy had been recording bands in Brooklyn at Plantain Studios and playing with the band Speedking. The 'death from above" moniker was one that Speedking had appropriated from a US military logo. The band and Murphy mutually influenced each other and the punishing live show took on another sonic dimension with Murphy at the board. MacLean quit the band in late 1998 soon after the release of "Law of Ruins" and was replaced by Alex Minoff from the band Golden for the few tours dates the band had committed to that year. Minoff played live for a second short tour and then the band went on hiatus. In 1999, Ryan and Pelletier reformed the group replacing Minoff and Apt with Joel Kyack (guitar) and Shawn Greenlee (bass) from the group Landed. This incarnation of the group performed until 2001.

Reformation

The 2008 edition of Six Finger Satellite include long time members J. Ryan and Rick Pelletier with Dan St. Jaques (Landed/Olneyville Sound System/Thee Hydrogen Terrors/Von Ryan's Express) on bass and Jon Loper (Made In Mexico/La Machine/Ghosts of Waco) on drums.^[2] The band announced that a previously unreleased album named "Half Control", recorded in 2001, would be released on Load Records with new recording in the summer of 2008. A handful of live dates were announced with the new lineup.

The 2009 edition includes long time members J. Ryan and Rick Pelletier with Dan St. Jacques and Brian Dufresne.

Influence

Six Finger Satellite attracted a significant underground following during the 1990s, and are today recognized for their somewhat prophetic fusion of electronic and post-punk music. In 2005, Jonathan Galkin remarked that "if a band came out today that sounded like Paranormalized, they'd be signed to a huge record deal, sight unseen."^[1] Similar bands that existed alongside 6FS in the 1990s included Trans Am, Brainiac, The V.S.S., and The Dismemberment Plan.

J. Ryan, his brother John Ryan, and Dan St. Jacques—Guy Benoit would come into the fold later—formed the spazzy, scuzzy, garage band Von Ryan's Express, named after the 1965 Frank Sinatra movie. He is commonly mistaken for the Chicago based illustrator and poster artist of the same name. John MacLean has since recorded as The Juan Maclean and Rick Pelletier played in The Chinese Stars and plays in an ongoing dub-esque project called La Machine. James Murphy has gone on to form LCD Soundsystem and DFA Records. The label takes its name from his tour set-up for 6FS, which was known as "death from above."^[1]

Discography

Albums

• SP215 The Pigeon Is The Most Popular Bird (Sub Pop, 1993)
• SP261 Machine Cuisine (Sub Pop, 1994)
• SP299 Severe Exposure (Sub Pop, 1995)
• SP366 Paranormalized (Sub Pop, 1996)
• SP428 Law Of Ruins (Sub Pop, 1998)
• LOAD 125 Half Control (Load Records, 2009)
• A Good Year for Hardness (Anchor Brain, 2009)

EPs

• Weapon (Sub Pop, 1992)
• "Declaration Of Techno-Colonial Independence" (split EP with Green Magnet School) CD/ 2x7" (Sub Pop, 1993)
• Machine Cuisine 10" (1994)
• Machine Cuisine Companion (cassette) (self-released, 1994)
• "Massive Cocaine Seizure" (b/w "Human Operator") 7" (1996)
• Clone Theory 12" (Load, 1996)
• "Man Behind The Glasses" (b/w "War Crimes" & "Dark Companion") [a.k.a. "Live At The A.C.I."] 7" (Sub Pop, 1996)

Singles

• SP299D Rabies (Baby's Got The) / Mistaken Street / Swing Alone 12" (White label 12")
• SP327 Massive Cocaine Seizure / Human Operator 7"
• SP362 Man Behind The Glasses / War Crimes / Dark Companion 7"

References

Vinylnet Record Label Discographies. link. - Sub Pop Catalogue Numbers and Singles.

External links

• Myspace page
• Sub Pop's old page on Six Finger Satellite
• Sub Pop's new page
• Trouser Press entry
• 6FS at Allmusic