Astropop pioneers

Starbean launch a spacebound disc

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

1973: NASA launches Pioneer 10, an unmanned spacecraft that will ultimately escape the sun's gravity, shooting out into the vast void of deep space. On board is a metal plaque engraved with the images of two human beings, male and female, as well as detailed directions to our planet.

1997: Montreal's minimalist astropop trio Starbean launch Refuting the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis, their first CD on the local Derivative label. The stripped-down, low-key pop melodies and abstract analog tonalities house a message that is nothing less than the obvious follow-up to the plaque on board Pioneer 10. The songs speak of our awareness of life beyond our world, our yearning to encounter these lifeforms, to communicate with them, to discover their worlds and to show off our cool Gary Numan bootlegs.

As the Plateau's ambassadors to the stars, Starbean have been shouldered with the tremendous responsibility of representing our species, our triumphs, failures and dreams. The Mirror asked each of Starbean's three members to formulate a list of items that would accompany their disc on board the next capsule to be sent out into space.

John (guitar)

"Spaced Out Disco" LP

a full line of Alien Workshop threads

Gary Numan (cryogenically frozen)

an assortment of analog synths for Mr. Numan to play upon being thawed out

Reese's Pieces (E.T.'s fave snack)

a videotape of Close Encounters (to serve as an instruction manual)

a Goldorak action figure

a scale model of the alien craft allegedly stored at Area 51

a silver jumpsuit

a roll of Charmin toilet paper

Miss Kim (keyboards)

a videotape of the best of Hockey Night in Canada

Thrills chewing gum

a videotape of Repo Man

an all-terrain skateboard

an audio tape of the original War of the Worlds radio show

a CD of Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade

moon boots

David Suzuki (on loan)

a videotape of The Game of Death

a full set of Transformers and a Transformers lunch kit

Bruce (drums)

a Sea Monkey kit

a disco ball

a 45 of the Carpenters' "Calling All Occupants of Interplanetary Craft"

McCain's Deep N' Delicious cake

maracas

Gordon Hashimoto

a Ouija board

a box of Canadian Tire money

a Garden Weasel

Starbean's CD launch takes place at Isart (263 St-Antoine W.) on Friday, Aug. 1, with "visitors" Saturnine and Ladybug Transistor (both from planet Brooklyn). $5, 9pm