The cyborg was never the best metaphor for '80s new wave synth music, because cyborgs always have a bit of human left in them. From Kraftwerk forward, many new wavers aspired to machine immersion, a state where you could hide behind blips and beeps and washes because hiding was easier than dealing with the organic stuff. You were never sure if Human League or A Flock of Seagulls ever needed to go to the bathroom, much less "have relations" (at least "Cars" told us Gary Numan liked to get out of the house occasionally). Contempo electronica offers the ability to build a universe from your laptop: no need to yak with the... More >>>