Largely a phenomenon of the 80's & early 90's, the megamix seems to be making a comeback recently. Between CBS's Megamix Contest to postings of classic megamixes on YouTube, I've noticed a resurgence of the artform. Back in the pre-digital age, the megamixes that were committed to vinyl (as opposed to homemade ones put out on cassettes and sold out of homeboys' trunks at area swap meets), were usually released through limited, unlicensed pressings or for subscription-based, DJ-only labels. Some of the larger alternative dance bands (Depeche Mode, New Order, Pet Shop Boys, etc.) had several commissioned for club use or for diehard collectors. Nowadays, music doesn't have to be manually cut and pasted from tapes to make megamixes - one can simply use some programs to sample and piece things together, and voila, instant megamix (okay, it's still a time-consuming, but not nearly as cumbersome process).

This prompted me to dig out a few mixes from the archives and rip them for your listening pleasure. Also posted are this year's CBS contest winner as well as the entry from RobotSound cohort, Pollo Loco.

Flim Flam Acid Mix

Dave Clarke Old Skool Cut Up Mix

Cocktail 83 [Il Discotto]

Digital Emotion - Super Mega Mix

Dircsen - Small Time Shot Away (CBS MMC Winner 2008)

Pollo Loco - Prepare to Qualify (CBS MMC 2008)

Today's RobotMix™ comes to us courtesy of Mark Archer, of Nexus 21/Altern 8 fame. Mark kicks it wayyy Old Skool here with Thee urban jams of the early-to-mid 80s. Let me be the first to witness that the robots who krafted these songs had some serious soul indeed.

Listening to this mix, I was transported back to my childhood, when I'd tune in to local radio station KDAY when it was still 1580 on the AM dial. I'd eagerly await each day's top hit countdown which for a time nearly always included one of the countless "diversions" of Art of Noise's Beat Box, Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt, Newcleus - Jam On It, Cameo - She's Strange, and invariably, something from the LA Dream Team. KDAY was responsible for bringing the sounds chilly most of West Coast Hip Hop (Electro-hop in particular) from the other side of town to the ears of suburban, fat lace wearin', robot mimes like myself.

So, depending on your flava, break out the linoleum/carboard, don those Adidas tracksuits and Kangol hats, or dig out the rollerskates for the smoov sounds of:
Soul Electro

(Tracklisting after the jump)

There are some purists who like their robots to be totally devoid of emotion. Then there are those, like me, who like the full range of robot "emotion" in their music (call me sentimental). So, let's imagine some sort of robotic "emotion chip" and consider some musical examples...

MELANCHOLY
Let's face it: robots go through existential crises too, whether it be from loneliness, heartbreak, or doubts about their purpose in the world. And humans can sympathize with robots: when the robot sings in Kraftwerk's Radioland, I get a lump in my throat...

= mr_hopkinson's computer™ does a haunting cover of The Smiths song Asleep on the album Mr_Hopkinson's Computer Sings, available here.
= Solvent does a lovely, bittersweet version of Slowdive's When The Sun Hits from Blue Skied An' Clear: A Morr Music Compilation.
= Memory Boy as a broken-hearted "emo" robot in There Is No Electricity from Ghostly International presents Tangent 2002: Disco Nouveau.
= Wolfgang the robot has a touching back story behind Not In Love Not True.
= Microvax - Robarthes is a pensive French robot. Je pense donc je suis.

SWEET
Robots are cute: just look at Astroboy, or real life robots ASIMO and PaPeRo, they're adorable.

= Tobiah's epic chiptune I Love Your Music from the Glitter & Bleep (Joystick Pop) compilation, also available at Micromusic.
= ISAN - Iron Eyes, from the album Meet Next Life.
= Plastik Kettle - Green Travel, from the album Our Toys Are Better Than Yours (a great title). Fans of the Suction Records robots will like this.
= Plone - Plock, from the album For Beginner Piano. Shame on WARP for never releasing Plone's still unreleased 2nd LP.
= Mikron64 - Ikea, from the Etwas Zeit EP.

HOSTILE
Obey these sinister robots or they will crush you. Translation: "Destroy All Humans!"

= Industrial Bass Machine - Devastate The Planet from the excellent album, A Taste of Armageddon.
= Datathief - Night Raid from the SKAM compilation Skam 0161.
= Tinfoil Teakettle - Think Like Us, from the Suction Records compilation Snow Robots Volume 3.
= Datassette - Run Human!, from the Maintenance Werk EP available for download here.
= Mr. Velcro Fastener - Real Robots Don't Die from the album Lucky Bastards Living Up North.

ARROGANT
You have to love a robot with an ego: Pushin' more power than a Duracell. These are "funky" robots, here to give you what you need, and what you need is bass!

= Plaid's fantastic remix of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's Scorpio on their remix album Parts In The Post.
= Man Parrish - Boogie Down Bronx. Just a 'bot from the block. On the real.
= Exzact - Sub.Sonic. Base from the Second Wave EP.
= Solenoid - The Narcissist from the album The Narcissist.
= Multiplex - Rock Robot, from the Pinghaus Frequencies LP.

ROBOTIC
Sometimes robots just sing about being robots, okay? Whether it be data, hard disks, calculations, or being made of metal...or "making circuits" with pleasure bots.

= Console - 14 Zero Zero, from Rocket In The Pocket is one of the best robot songs ever.
= Bochum Welt - Feelings On A Screen. Yes, the title of this article is taken from this song.
= Abfahrt Hinwil - Syntax Data, from the Toytronic compilation, Neurokinetic.
= Hong Kong Counterfeit - Metal Disco [Legowelt vs. Orgue Electronique RMX].
= Gimmik does math in Rc Units from Slow Motion Process.

Okay, so I've been going a little crazy lately with record buying. That's one of the problems of living next to what Rolling Stone [not that I ever listen to anything they say] calls, "The Best Music Store In the World," Amoeba Records. Then you have eBay and online record stores. Makes it waaay too easy for me to spend most of my disposable cash on shiny plastic groove-laden discs.

Here is a list of what's made it into the shopping cart recently:
SebastiAn - Ross Ross Ross
Detroit Grand Pubahs - Black Matters
The Consumer - Financial Advisory
Dynarec - Body Sequencer
Huggotron - Glasshouses
LaTour - People Are Still Having Sex
Egyptian Lover - Dance
Dexter vs. Cosmic Force - Noordhollandsche Ghetto Tracks
8bit & The Calculators - Hound Dog
Dsico That No Talent Hack - City Stirs
Jor-El - Space Tracks
Scan X - Wasteland
Automat - Preludes
Cursor Miner - The 4 Guardians
Debasser - KLS
Si Begg - Revolution
Armand Van Helden - Koochy / Phreeknik
Hong Kong Counterfeit - Counterparts
Kansas City Prophets - Grim Dubs Vol. 3
LFO/AFX - 4 Track EP
Life Project - Present Random Chance