Dave Tompkins interview on NPR’s Morning Edition discussing his new book: How to Wreck a Nice Beach: The Vocoder From World War II to Hip-Hop.
“A man who wanted to use the vocoder to destroy all Pac Man machines once said to me: “People gotta like what’s going on even if they don’t know what’s going on.” And they did and they didn’t.
Of the World War II cryptology experts I interviewed, none were aware of the vocoder’s activities in the clubs, rinks and parks of New York City. (“It was just analyzing breakdowns of speech energy,” said the Pentagon.) Of the hip-hop civilians I interviewed, none were aware of the vocoder’s service in any war, nor were they surprised.”
Read the full extract and listen to the show on NPR
More info on the book at howtowreckanicebeach.com
Look out, Pack Jam…
One Comment »
Don’t forget about the other machine’s…
You need GAS to ride a car!!
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