Music Banter - Nea’s ARC Pick: The Units

Units - digital stimulation
A1 High Pressure Days 3:19
A2 Digital Stimulation 3:10
A3 Warm Moving Bodies 3:31
A4 Go 2:10
A5 Mission 1:45
A6 Cannibals 2:44

B1 Bugboy 2:14
B2 Tight Fit 4:03
B3 Passion Or Patterns 2:34
B4 Town By The River 1:55
B5 Cowboy 5:17

I think the title is working along the same lines as other album titles like Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, and The Pleasure Principle by Gary Numan. (Perhaps the band wants to make a connection to those albums with the title.) Instead of "Pleasure(s)" it's "Stimulation." The "Digital" makes it sound more futuristic. Within the context of the lyrics on a whole "Digital Stimulation" perhaps is alluding to computers which take over all aspects of human life including the stimulation of human beings. But then "Digital Stimulation" is also a medical procedure so that makes it a double entendre. idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Units are from San Francisco. The bands set-up is pretty simple just two keyboard players (who also sing) and a drummer. In fact they are the first band from SF not to use guitars. When I think about it, I really don't know any band exactly like them before or during their era. The closest were Silver Apples which had a simple drum and synth sound. However it wasn't a keyboard per se, it was a homemade set-up composed of audio oscillators and telegraph keys. Suicide drove their synths through distortion pedals and used a drum machine, again not exactly the same. The Units had pure unadulterated, warm analog synthesizer sound. Kraftwerk had a percussionist who (in the beginning) played electric drum pads. Minimal Wave bands mostly used drum machines. Synth-(whatever) band still had electric bass and guitars. Note there are no drum machines, no electronic hand-claps on this album. I didn't detect any electronic drums either. For their time, The Units were pretty much unique.

If I had to describe their sound I would say take Devo, minus the bass & guitars, then add the drummer from Missing Persons. The drummer is on par with Terry Bozzio, who btw is also San Francisco. I think what makes this the album it's the combination of (acoustic) drums and analog synthesizers. To me the warmth of the analog synthesizer is just pure ear candy. There is nothing like it. When it comes down to it that is why is my ARC pick, cause I wanted to share my love for analog synths - regardless if you like that stuff or not. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I love the album beginning to end. The whole album is packed with really good songs, but High Pressure Days, Warm Moving Bodies, and Tight Fit take it to whole other level. The first ten minutes the synths are insane. Then some levity, they have a few Devo type songs. The second side is a bit different from the first, they have three instrumentals. They nicely wind down the album with instrumental song, Cowboy. It's slow pace and the drums are absent in the first half of the song, imo it has a sci-fi, other worldly feel to it.

Now it's your turn to either love it or hate it.