Clear
Song by Cybotron
No Daw It's Old School Bangers
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No Daw It's Old School Bangers 〰️
Cybotron, a Detroit-based electro duo, is probably one of the most significant projects in Electro and Techno formed by Richard Davis and Juan Atkins in 1981. Heavily influenced by the sound of Kraftwerk and with the mindset created by the innovation and industrial landscape of Detroit, they crafted some of the most critical pieces of Electro music.
"Clear" is the third single released by Cybotron and probably the most recognizable one.
Clear is a perfect example of American electro innovation. It is a blend of Kraftwerk and Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaata. Many stated that "Clear" contains samples of the rising sine waves from two Kraftwerk songs, "The Hall of Mirrors" from 1977 and "Home Computer" from 1981, although Juan Atkins replicated that sound.
The drum programming is done on a Roland TR 808, and it carries a classic electro beat pattern 1-7-11-14. The beat itself is a monster, a sharp, hard-hitting 808 with the crystal crisp snare-drum snap layered with the open hat. Spooky chords that sound like they came from Kraftwerk's "Home Computer," all along with almost atonal sine wave gliding, create a hypnotic soundscape pattern that influenced the upcoming Techno genre.
The bassline is perhaps the most "valuable" part of the song in terms of further evolution of the genre. Juan Atkins did a tremendous job crafting the squeaky Kraftwerk type of bassline with Korg MS 10 and Sequential Circuits Pro-One. At a higher tempo than Kraftwerk compositions, the bassline is the pure bliss of future funk, which influenced many new school Electro artists.
Aside from the Man Parrish which, sound-wise is crafted with a significant influence of Kraftwerk, "Clear" is probably the closest piece of music composed by the artists from the US to the concept of Kraftwerk.
Clear is a groundbreaking masterpiece with a futuristic concept that emerged in post-industrial Detroit. Many would say that Clear is a pioneering Techno track, but it is a pure Electro banger and an important piece for the history of both Electro and Techno.
"Clear" is mixed by Jose "Animal" Diaz, who also worked with Jonzun Crew in New York. The single EP was released in 1983 on the US record label "Fantasy." There were several issues in 1996 on a label ZYX Music in 2007 on Juno Records and Fantasy. There are also a couple of remix releases on various record labels. At least fifty thousand copies of the record were sold.
The song was sampled by many upcoming artists of the era working on Electro, Miami Bass, and Hip Hop. Still, the most recognizable usage of the song is in Missy Elliot's "Lose Control."
Cybotron's Clear is almost 40 years old, and it still sounds stunningly fresh and inspiring.