With Saturn Strip, Alan Vega swaps the urgency of Suicide for cosmic synth-pop. An elegant, electric turn, between American dream and space drift… Would you stay on Saturn ?
Born in Brooklyn, Alan Vega (1938-2016) was an American musician, vocalist and sculptor and half of the duo Suicide. Emblematic figure of the proto-punk, he began his career as a visual artist, gaining notoriety for his « light sculptures » eventually Vega opened his own lower Manhattan gallery space, which he dubbed the Project of Living Artists. Suicide disbanded in 1980, and both Vega and Rev undertook solo careers. With Saturn Strip, Alan Vega takes a bold turn towards rockabilly-tinged synth-pop. Released in 1983 on Elektra Records, this album marks a notable collaboration with Ric Ocasek (The Cars) on production, and Al Jourgensen (Ministry) on keyboards, bringing a subtle industrial touch to the whole.
About the record…
For Saturn Strip, Suicide frontman Alan Vega signed to a major (his first) and decided to escape the “art punk ghetto”. Except a disco cover Every 1’s a Winner, all the songs are in a four-minute pop format instead of his work on Suicide extended art pieces. All that changes brings a great album, about it, some people said that it is his best career album. The album opens with Saturn Drive, a cosmic invitation to a sonic journey where luminous synthesizers meet Vega’s singular voice. Among the highlights, Kid Congo pays tribute to guitarist Kid Congo Powers, while American Dreamer and Video Babe explore urban and futuristic themes characteristic of Vega’s aesthetic.
