Video game music plagiarism, Kraftwerk and Brian Eno

Okay, am I insane, or does part of the  music in this game sound totally like Shelia E’s “Glamorous Life”?

The shit you find working at a used game store…

Kraftwerk
Radioactivity (Francois Kevorkian Remix)
Radioactivity (William Orbit Hardcore Mix)
Radioactivity (William Orbit Remix)
My Kraftwerk obsession is getting dangerous. Earlier this year I paid the most I ever paid for a record when I snagged a copy of their entirely out-of-print third album (which I’m going to write about on the new site…which is coming I promise). Then when I went to Japan I paid far too much for a Japanese pressing of The Man Machine, as well as some 12″ singles of “Expo 2000.” Then just last week I bought the German editions of The Man Machine and Computer World, which has led me on a journey to buy the German pressings of Radio-Activity and Trans Europe Express as well.

I already own The Catalog box set that came out a few years ago, but I’m always nervous that I’m going to cave and buy Der Katalog, the same box set but with the German editions of the albums. Even worse, someone has the black box copy of it on Discogs right now! It’s crazy expensive! There’s nothing different about it aside from the fact that the box is black! But I want it! Someone slap some sense into me!

So yeah…I like Kraftwerk. These are some pretty great remixes that I found from a 12″ single that I picked up a few weeks back. The hardcore mix is shockingly hardcore, and pretty rad.

Brian Eno
Fractal Zoom (Up River Mix)
Fractal Zoom (Naive Mix II)
Fractal Zoom (Separate Time Mix)
Fractal Zoom (Mary’s Birthday Mix)
Fractal Zoom (Small Country Mix)
Fractal Zoom (A Cappella)
This is a Brian Eno song, but I don’t really have much to say about Brian Eno. Instead, I want to talk about Robert Fripp. He plays guitar on this this track as well as several other songs on Nerve Net, the album from which the original version of this song is from.

I’m a latecomer to the wonderful world of Robert Fripp, having only recently got into King Crimson and the more ambient experimental work that he did with Eno back in the 70s. However, after looking into the diverse discography of Fripp, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I’m a latecomer to being consciously aware of Robert Fripp. I’ve been unknowingly listening to his guitar work for most of my life.

While what I’m going to say probably isn’t a shock to most fans of the guitarist, it was a shock to me: Robert Fripp, is like, everywhere. Own one of Peter Gabriel’s early solo records? Fripp is probably on that. How about Bowie’s Heroes or Scary Monsters? Fripp plays on those. Like The Talking Heads or Blondie? So did Fripp, he turns up on some of their records. He’s been married to Toyah Wilcox forever, so you can bet he shows up on her albums from time to time. He dropped in on The Future Sound Of London’s ISDN; he’s on a live Stranglers record; he’s done some stuff with David Sylvian of Japan; and he’s worked with electronic artists like The Orb. Shit, the dude even co-wrote and produced some tracks on a fucking Daryl Hall album. And guess what? It’s a really good record!

Robert Fripp is the Kevin Bacon of guitarists. He’s everywhere and has worked with such a bizarre variety of musicians, that I bet you could tie anyone to him in six steps or less. For example, through this song along you can tie him not only to Brian Eno (who himself has worked with a billion or so different artists), but Moby as well, since he’s credited for most of these remixes. Between those two alone you can probably connect Fripp to nearly every popular artist from the last 30 or so years. And that’s just from one song.

Now, it would be really impressive if someone could tie Robert Fripp to Kevin Bacon’s band The Bacon Brothers in six steps or less. Anyone up for that challenge?

13 Responses to “Video game music plagiarism, Kraftwerk and Brian Eno”

  1. KiDG says:

    Links not working? ;-(

    “ERROR 404 – PAGE NOT FOUND

    Oops! Looks like the page you’re looking for was moved or never existed.
    Make sure you typed the correct URL or followed a valid link.”

  2. Lost Turntable says:

    Oops! They work now. My bad.

  3. Hingehead says:

    You should try and get a hold of Robert Fripp’s solo album Exposure (1979) with guesting from Eno, Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall, Barry Andrews and the Roches it runs the gamut from ambient to quasi punk, with some almost jazz and faux soul. So good it sold 17 copies in it’s initial release in Australia (including mine). Interspersed with priceless little sound montages, of which my fave is Eno commenting on a Fripp demo “What a dismal pathetic chord sequence.” It even has a screen door solo.

    While I’m rambling psychotically I loved this Chris Martin (Coldplay) quote “I love Brian Eno, if he held a fart convention I’d go.”

  4. Lost Turntable says:

    I have that record! But it’s scratched to hell. I’m going to pick up the CD/MP3 soon I think.

  5. Digiki says:

    (from wikipedia)

    In February 2009, the Bacon Brothers were the special guests for Episode 16 of “Live From Daryl’s House”… Daryl Hall’s show.

    Robert Fripp produced Sacred Songs, Daryl Hall’s first solo album.

    BOOM

  6. Checker Can says:

    Fripp also works together with Steven Wilson, who is the head of Porcupine Tree, one of my favorite bands!

    http://www.discogs.com/Porcupine-Tree-Fear-Of-A-Blank-Planet/release/951362

  7. KiDG says:

    Thank you!

  8. Snowy says:

    You are indeed….Insane!!!

  9. Tim says:

    Wow, you’re right! I hear the verses in that game!

  10. Marvin says:

    That game music’s a total rip-off of Sheila E’s tune!

  11. Drain says:

    Yeah i can hear it also. Although wouldn’t it be funny if Sheila E.’s tune ripped off the games music instead?

  12. Lost Turntable says:

    Glamorous Life came out first, I checked.

  13. Matt S says:

    Those Kraftwerk mixes are just AWESOME! Thanks very much for posting..

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