Tone Set ‎– "Cal's Ranch" (Zia Records ‎) 1982

Synth Punk from cowpoke country in Arizona isn't the most obvious thing you'd expect.Such practices ,you would think, could easily attract a drunken crucifix waving mob determined to stamp out this faggot/nigger music spawned by Satan himself.
I once drove through Arizona, and stopped to ask a Dungaree and baseball cap wearing  Redneck, who was creosoting a fence(Stereotypes are largely deserved?), which was the way  to Flagstaff. He just turned slowly in my direction and looked at me as if I had just landed from Outer-space, jaw dropped in incomprehension.Not many Flares and Hawaiian Shirt clad Skinheads with English East Midlands accents happen this way often I guess. I repeated the question to be met with silence again. I thanked him, and got back in the car and wheel spun out of there.
This was the same trip, where I entered a redneck hostelry, attracting a disapproving salvo of stares from the locals at the bar.Decided to pay pool and selected something on the jukebox that they could probably like.....AC/DC right?....but instead of 'Hells Bells' the machine decided to play "I'll Tumble For Ya" by fucking Culture Club. I felt in imminent danger of a severe Hill-Billy arse-raping as portrayed in that John Boorman film "Deliverance".So I supped up my Coors Light and my partner and I slipped out the side entrance before Bronski Beat's version of Dueling Banjos came on.
The people who make art in these circumstances are the real heroes of Punk Rock in my opinion.And Tone Set(Galen Herod and Greg Horn) are fine examples of not only that, but of prime minimal wave electronica.
Their early sound was ostensibly synthetic, mixing very 'clean' analogue synthesizer sounds with taped dialogue. This was the sound of their debut release, the 1982 cassette called "Cal's Ranch". It almost completely lacked vocals, which is generally a good thing is it not?

Tracklist:

A1 Introduction 0:08
A2 Out Out 3:56
A3 He's Got A Little Dog 5:42
A4 Predictions 5:25
A5 Such Heavy Conviction 3:20
A6 The Devil Makes The Loudest Noise 6:38
A7 Waiting For Oatmeal 3:20
B1 Indeed 3:28
B2 Relax 4:00
B3 What Good's A Hit Song? 3:24
B4 Time Travellers 2:36
B5 The Tone Set 3:38
B6 Appeal To Them 3:16
B7 Wigglin Around In Middletown 6:56
B8 Close 0:20

DOWNLOAD and set the tone HERE!

Galen Herod ‎– "Patterns for the outside surface of a cube" ( pegna 5) 1981

Galen Herod's pre-Tone Set escapades date back to the days when infinite synchronization wasn't available to destroy the human in the machine.The rhythm units didn't try to sound like drums or even like other drum units.No Overdubbing, a very 'Punk' concept rarely used by 'Punk' musicians, is a under-utilised method for keeping it real, as is No Keyboards; read as, used no conventional instruments.
Above all, it sounds great; primitive electronics laid down on slightly muddy analogue tape that you can't really dance to, unless as a soundtrack to a contemporary ballet.
It's the kind of electronica that presaged the work of Panasonic in the 1990's.

DOWNLOAD from inside the outside surface of a cube HERE!

Tone Set - " VOD Box Set Promo's" (2015)

The very good theoretical combo from Arizona.Tone Set, have a box set thats just come out on Vinyl on Demand. Galen Herod, of said minimal synth legends, has kindly sent some rather entertaining promotional tracks to,hopefully, encourage you to purchase the aforementioned potential material possession.Which,if you're bourgeois enough,will cost you just a small percentage of your swollen wallet.But; if you're at the sharp end of the austerity measures from those fucking wankstains who call themselves politicians,then it will be unattainable....but these lovely Promo's are an example of that rare adjective in these grey days...FREE STUFF!

I'll let the great man, Mr Galen Herod himself, explain further in an e-mail i cut'n'pasted hither:

"hello again,

you (thats me.JZ) posted a bootleg tone set cd a few years back,

The only problem being it was a bad transfer. No bass.

vinyl on demand is reissuing the stuff on that cd as

well as 62 previously unreleased tracks in a 5LP box with bonus single.

We made new good transfers of everything.

i have made 3 promos for the box. The first is an overview featuring "cal's ranch"

so you can hear the quality difference. The other 2 feature the unreleased tracks.

They are done in tone set style with inbetween found clips."

DOWNLOAD these promotional items HERE!

BUY it HERE!

Tone Set - "Calibrate" ( Pegna Records ‎– PEG1) 1983

Long forgotten minimal synth classic from Arizona! This is just fantastic, full of no-nonsense basslines,taped dialogue, and classic drum machines.......guaranteed MIDI free.

Track Listing:

A1		Life Is Busy	3:58
A2		Living In Another Land	5:53
A3		Slim	4:38
B1		Out Out	3:58
B2		What Good's A Hit Song	3:25
B3		Wigglin Around In Middletown	6:46

Plus 
Bonus tracks:
7 - He's Got a Little Dog
8 - Relax


DOWNLOAD and calibrate HERE!