Hybrid Kids — A Collection of Classic Mutants (side A)

From reading the liner notes, the Hybrid Kids LP appears to collect 13 different bands from a small midwestern city, as if it were a cousin to Red Snerts.  Unlike Red Snerts, all 13 songs are clearly covers of well-known songs, ranging from the Stranglers to Eurovision winners Brotherhood of Man, with Kate Bush thrown in for good measure.  In fact, all 13 bands featured here consist solely of longtime English session keyboardist Morgan Fisher, who is only credited as producer.  The styles vary some from song to song, but consistent elements include heavily pitch-shifted vocals, drum machines, and distorted rock sounds that I think originate with keyboards.  The slightly lo-fi recording quality is also very consistent between tracks.  Morgan Fisher's performances here are charming and excellent, and I prefer Hybrid Kids to Daniel Miller's similarly-conceived LP as Silicon Teens.  The fake bands also have excellent names, like Combo Satori and  The Incestors!