Video: Computer Jay Programmed a Robot to Rap

Hey, it's Friday, which means it's time to switch tracks from the utterly depressing news cycle, and into drugged-out fuck-everything party mode. Right? With Halloween inconveniently appearing in the middle of next week, it seems a lot of people are making the best of things and throwing parties on both of its book-ending weekends. So, check out this brand new music video, because you may have to play it somewhere.

Having just released his album Savage Discotheque Vol 2. on Weird Science/Pugilista Trading Co., here's Computer Jay's video for "Binary Fix," in which featured artist, Orfeo sings along to the rap robot Jay built.

Known as "The Computer," that deep voice you're hearing isn't Orfeo's—it's Jay's handmade rap robot. The rapping, talking supercomputer is just one of the artist's patented electronic music contraptions. And it isn't just the result of some half-baked Saturday circuit-bending party. It's operational. And it sounds pretty rad.

It's far different from the robot-based music I've run into in the past, like Captured! By Robots, but Jay brings some pretty serious chops to the table. The Echo Park-based artist has a long résumé, including stints as a music engineer, producer, DJ, video editor, and director, and has worked alongside Shafiq Husayn and The Pharcyde. He also designed an incredibly bassy, 8-bit-style online video game, Savage Planet Discotheque. As someone who has always experimented with audio, sound, and some weird gear, Jay is the one of those artists that proves to me it needn't all stay confined to a bedroom.

“I've always had a special place in my heart for theremins and eeriness. Horror movies and horror music definitely shaped me,” Computer Jay says. "Savage Planet Discotheque is supposed to soundtrack for the music of tomorrow; it’s music for the discotheque and Earth is a savage planet. I’m a futurist at heart."

@danstuckey