Seriously sassy n’catchy pop, Stimulator led by sultry singer Susan Hyatt (Pillbox) & guitarist-producer Geoff Tyson (Snake River Conspiracy) play radio-friendly Blondie-meets-Garbage style grinds to seduce with robust hooks & big choruses all buffed to a slinky sparkly sheen” - LA Weekly
The year was 1978 - The hands of America were glued to an Atari joystick, Olivia Newton-John became every boy's fantasy in Grease, and rock n' roll got kissed by seductive synth beats.
For music, it was an era of contradiction in the best possible way. New wave, punk and disco may have had their own fervent -and very separate- followings, but they had more in common than each cared to admit.
“People weren't afraid to have bad haircuts, or wear day glow or sing about ants invading," says singer/songwriter Susan Hyatt - the steamy yet strong female presence of Stimulator.
Stimulator’s quirky retro feel (which helped them score high profile gigs with the likes of Berlin & Missing Persons) is just one layer here. Make no mistake, this is a thoroughly modern musical unit with an impressive array of credentials and an understanding of technology's ever-evolving role in music.
Susan Hyatt, not only had a Top 20 single in the UK with her grungy-rock group Pillbox, she was also a well-known VJ on Londons' MP3TV. More recently, she served as a consultant to Gina Gershon for the girl rock flick "Prey For Rock n' Roll."
Geoff Tyson, the songwriter/producer of Stimulator, best known as the former ax-man for gloomy grinders Snake River Conspiracy, but before that his riff skills were honed and refined by the best: he's worked in the studio with the likes of Mike Shipley and Eric Valentine and he's a former protégée of none other than guitar god Joe Satriani. Geoff Tyson plays Duesenberg guitars.
When these two get together it's pure alchemy. Pulsating electro-pop melodies, razor sharp licks and attitude-laden vocals (not to mention Hyatt's often outrageous, DIY stage outfits) make for a, well, stimulating experience.
Blow up dolls, S&M (physical and emotional) and a tell-it-like it-is take on materialism are just a few of the images and themes that pierce through the band's aggressive yet bubbly cuts.
It’s their infectious sound that's won over the likes of Kerrang (UK) and LA Weekly (US), the CMJ Festival and its what will ultimately garner fans of all tastes and age ranges- even the kiddies. Stimulator did a wonderfully wicked cover of “Magic” in the Disney film “Ella Enchanted” made famous by none-the-other than the aforementioned 70s/80s goddess herself Ms. Olivia. Promoter Kevin Lyman personally invited them on the West Coast leg of the 2004 WARPED Tour.
Fresh off a two month arena tour of the US & Canada, Stimulator tore up the stage opening for new romantic icons Duran Duran.
Look out for the official release of Stimulator's debut CD "78" coming out on Universal Records/The Lab in the US, UK and Canada by years' end. In the mean time, pick up a copy of the indie release at www.stimulatorband.com!
From Geoff, on Stimulator and Macs:
"Stimulator is the ultimate do-it-yourself band of the future. This entire CD was recorded, arranged, mixed, and mastered in my living room on a Mac G4 running Protools. The videos were edited with Final Cut Pro IV, the album artwork finished with Photoshop, and the website done with Go Live. I manage our fan mailing list with Mailings, create promotional materials with InDesign and save them as PDF files so that even the clerks at the corner Copymat can print them without messing anything up. And before any Stimulator song is released to the world, it must go through the final late night-jogging-through-the-Hollywood-Hills iPod listening test."
"For Stimulator's tour with Duran Duran, our keyboardist uses a Titanium Powerbook G4 to generate the synth tones and drum loops. One day after a very long drive and work day, one of Duran's stage technicians accidentally wired the stage with 230 volts instead of 120. We didn't realize it until the bass amp, guitar amp, power conditioners, and wireless systems all fried in a blaze of glory. After the smoke cleared, the last remaining light on the stage was the happy blue desktop of the Powerbook that was completely unfazed by that ordeal. The show went off without a problem using borrowed amps, long mic cables, and my old faithful Titanium G4."
