Man or Astro-man?
Man or Astro-man? is an American surf rock group that was formed in Auburn, Alabama in the early 1990s and came to prominence over the following decade.
Primarily instrumental, Man or Astro-man? blended the surf rock style of the early 1960s, like that of Dick Dale and The Spotnicks with the new wave and punk rock sounds of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Man or Astro-man? was known for their anachronistic dedication to science fiction themes, audio samples, obscure electronic devices (such as theremins and tesla coils), and high-energy live performances. Their earlier albums like Is It ... Man or Astroman? and Destroy All Astromen! were known for their traditional surf rock instrumentation and sci-fi sound bite song introductions, whereas their later albums like EEVIAC... and A Spectrum of Infinite Scale were known for their use of synthesizers, printers (like the Apple ImageWriter II), and their more abstract, experimental sound. Their recordings were often peppered with sound bites from obscure science fiction films and TV shows.
It is largely believed that the group took its name from the poster of the U.S. release of the Japanese film The Human Vapor, which includes the tagline "IS HE MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?", the line seemingly appropriated as the title of their first album, Is It ... Man or Astroman?.
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