Colossus

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This album has become a valuable rarity primarily because of a case of mistaken identity. Rumor spread among fans of the Detroit techno/dance band Cybotron that an early or bootleg album was available, and rare record shops and websites sold out of whatever copies they had on hand of Colossus. One can only imagine the feelings of the people who bought this album and then discovered that they had purchased a record made in 1979 by an obscure Australian band of the same name. If the buyers were at all adventurous, they may have felt that they got a good deal for their money. The Australian trio had a powerful sound that was slightly reminiscent of high-quality Krautrock or middle-period King Crimson. Colossus consists of just four tracks, all based on complex synthesizer interplay over jazzy drumming, sometimes accented by Steve Braund's frantic saxophone playing. Pulsating rhythms are laid down with the drums, sequencers, and a synthesizer playing heavy basslines, while saxes and keyboards power out dueling melodies. The album was expertly produced and engineered, with some sound techniques that are best appreciated while wearing headphones. It's unfortunate that this band didn't get more widespread distribution, as Colossus has a very accessible sound that might have won the band fans if it was ever widely distributed. None of the Australian Cybotron's three albums were ever released in the U.S.A. or Europe, and if not for the accident of the Detroit band's fans seeking these albums by mistake, they would have probably been relegated to complete obscurity.
© Richard Foss /TiVo