Music
Press
"Electric Laser People take on old-school rap style in a whimsical manner by draping absurd lyrics over minimal electronic sound effects and guitar crunches, like a sonic merging of Ratatat and Licensed to Ill."
- All Music Guide / Billboard.com
"1980s inspired dance rock with a good beat and hooks a crowd can sing too."
- Boston Globe
"... innovative lyrics that look into the lives of teenagers."
- BostonNOW
"... fun electronic jams that punctuate each note with a finesse bands with millions of dollars in a budget aim for."
- smother.net
"Holy crap! People love your music... Everytime I play it I get calls. Not angry calls either."
- KXLL Excellent Radio 100.7 Program Director, Juneau AK
"Electric Laser People is a party band to say the least. Their sound blends the hip hop stylings of The Beastie Boys with the production and song writing abilities of The Flaming Lips and The Police."
- The Noise
”...minimal electro garage punk like early Beastie Boys meets The White Stripes meets LCD Soundsystem...” -COPACETIC ZINE
“While any girl these songs are directed at has reason to be disturbed, The Makeout Song EP is a decidedly enjoyable experience.” -NE PERFORMER
"Fans of the Product are smart enough to spot something that is rooted in punk's rebellious spirit, but [isn’t] pretending to be punk, pop, or anything in between.” -INSITE BOSTON
“... everything good that ever came of 80's music, with awesome vocals and great stage presence. ” -EMERGENZA MAGAZINE - various...
ELECTRIC LASER PEOPLE
Straight Talk on Raising Kids
13-song CD
These MIT graduates know how to do more than just build robots and design prosthetic limbs; they can also arrange and produce music to par with Warner Bros. Studying engineering and scientific theory not only results in lucrative careers but in this case it helped produce artistic conceptualizations. Straight Talk on Raising Kids, recorded and produced by the band, is an extension of their brilliantly trained minds, now motivated to produce melody and rhyme. Electric Laser People is a party band to say the least. Their sound blends the hip hop stylings of The Beastie Boys with the production and song writing abilities of The Flaming Lips and The Police. They also have a sense of humor that stands out most with “The Makeout Song” and “Words Couldn’t Do Justice” (which is a short bootleg). The CD starts off and finishes strong with some minor snags in between. It contains a plethora of styles ranging from hip hop to bluegrass to country to blues. This is for fans of early Beck and Talking Heads. (Leonid) - The Noise
Electric Laser People — Straight Talk on Raising Kids
Recorded by Electric Laser People
Mastered by Carl Rowatti at Trutone Mastering, New York City, NY
Nowadays, people expect to hear rock music down near Central Square in Cambridge due to the presence of MIT graduates Electric Laser People. Formerly known as The Product--, this band delivers the goods with its latest 13-track release — from the mob mentality of "It Ain't Over" to the comically slick "Disco 3000," set in a future where scientists, with nothing important left to do, attempt to make the entire human race beautiful.
Of course, beauty is not a pre-requisite for the lads (and now, lass) of Electric Laser People, considering they are rather taken with first base regardless of looks ("The Makeout Song"), as well as subsequent bases; "TYCO," an MIT acronym for "Take Your Clothes Off," features lead vocalist Dan Paluska's lust-filled wails. "The Makeout Song" would be an excellent ice-breaker at any party, complete with Paluska's amusing lyrics insisting that not only does he want to make out with you, but he also wants to do everything that rhymes with it, including but not limited to "get steak take-out," have an "acne breakout," and "filet lake trout."
A man of boundless energy, Paluska stretches out his voice, filling each song to the brim with his eccentric personality and a range of old-school rap, garage-rock scat and disco voiceovers. He even emulates the emphatic vocals of Dave Macini (circa Lot Six) in "Yer So Confident." Overall, Straight Talk on Raising Kids is an infectious record — from the power-soaked "Machine" to the directive "Move Right, Move Left," Electric Laser People definitely know how to rock. (Self-released)
www.electriclaserpeople.com
-C.D. Di Guardia
- Northeast Performer
It’s hard to type, because I’m bouncing around in my seat while I listen to Straight Talk on Raising Kids by Electric Laser People. I keep wanting to wave my hands around in silly fist pumps and knock my head from side to side.
“It’s the year 3000. Scientists have cured hunger and disease. Now they spend all their time making people look beautiful,” intones the voiceover that precedes “disco3000.” There is some excellent tongue-in-cheek funk happening on this album; the songs are beautifully serious in that hipster way that doesn’t take itself seriously at all.
“I do what I gotta do to get close so I can make out with you...This is the makeout song! Everybody start kissing!” the singer commands over a foot-tapping beat, while Space Mountain rave sounds whiz by in the background.
Straight Talk on Raising Kids is high energy and a lot of fun. This album would make an excellent soundtrack for a costume party, or for a drive along one of those coastal highways when no one’s around and you can go really fast.
Favorite Track: Track 2, “disco3000”
http://www.onlinerock.com/CDreview/review_electriclaserpeople.shtml - online rock, sept 2007
Discography
The Makeout Song EP(2005)
Straight Talk on Raising Kids(June 12, 2007)
[#132 on RIYL chart, CMJ charting on heavy or medium rotation at over 50 stations in July, Album ranked by THE NOISE as #9 on boston area radio for June 2007]
Photos
Bio
Electric Laser People formed in the fall of 2004. Their debut album, Straight Talk on Raising Kids, brings their influences into sharp relief. From the rap/punk aesthetic of the Beastie Boys to the synth infused disco of LCD Soundsystem, they have taken the tools of electronic musicians and DJ kids to augment their live sound. They recorded in their home studio and produced the album in Ableton Live.
Electric Laser People has performed extensively in the Boston area hitting key indie venues including The Paradise, The Middle East, TT the Bear�s, The Abbey Lounge, Obrien�s, All Asia, and PA�s Lounge. The Six Million Dollar Dan (vox & bass), Grant Kristofek (guitar), and Clark Kemp (drums) formed the three piece core of the group. In 2006, Jessica Riley, a classically trained opera singer, brought her talent to the group with powerful backing vocals on the album and in live shows. In 2007, Kemp moved to Atlanta and Cullen Corley has joined the band as the new drum. Kemp continues on with spiritual guidance and songwriting input.
Dan, Grant, and Clark are all transplants to Boston. The tech and hacking culture has influenced their DIY approach to music and art, as well as their lyrical sensibilities. Dan, originally from small town Michigan, is a recent PhD dropout from MIT, where he worked on robots and prosthetics. Active in both the rock and electronic music scenes, he's been a roadie, a radio DJ, and performer with groups such as the Dan Benson�s Project. He is co-curator of the Boston-based electronic arts group Collision Collective, where he has presented his work including the �The Holy Toaster� and the Fotron2000. Recently, he�s been splitting time with Paris while working on a giant transforming robot car sculpture for Citro�n.
Grant Kristofek holds a Bachelor�s and Master�s in mechanical engineering from MIT. True to his Chicago roots, Grant has been active in the blues jams around Boston. He�s worked closely with local blues legend Silas Hubbard, Jr. Clark Kemp, originally from Dallas, TX, has now moved on to a position as a professor at Georgia Tech focusing on robotics for healthcare. He�s collaborated with Dan for over a decade and performed in local groups, such as Bucky Spins and the Mandala installation at Mobius ArtRages. Jessica Riley is Maryland native who came to Boston to attend the prestigious New England Conservatory. Cullen Corley is a Boston area local and Berklee College of music student. He's played in numerous Boston area bands including Nash Lane and Postage 25.
"Overall, Straight Talk on Raising Kids is an infectious record - from the power-soaked 'Machine' to the directive 'Move Right, Move Left,' Electric Laser People definitely know how to rock."
- C.D. Di Guardia, Northeast Performer Magazine
"Electric Laser People take on old-school rap style in a whimsical manner by draping absurd lyrics over minimal electronic sound effects and guitar crunches, like a sonic merging of Ratatat and Licensed to Ill."
- All Music Guide / Billboard.com
"1980s inspired dance rock with a good beat and hooks a crowd can sing too."
- Boston Globe
"... innovative lyrics that look into the lives of teenagers."
- BostonNOW
"... fun electronic jams that punctuate each note with a finesse bands with millions of dollars in a budget aim for."
- smother.net
"Holy crap! People love your music... Everytime I play it I get calls. Not angry calls either."
- Andy Kline, KXLL Excellent Radio 100.7 Program Director, Juneau AK
"Having seen Electric Laser People’s live show, I can personally testify that this band has got it all. If you want to impress your hipster friends, beat them to the punch, pick this album up and get your own party started."
- What's Up Magazine
"Electric Laser People is a party band to say the least. Their sound blends the hip hop stylings of The Beastie Boys with the production and song writing abilities of The Flaming Lips and The Police."
- The Noise
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