from the LP Give Me Your Love, Uno Melodic Records, 1981What an incredible leap forwards this past week, concerning that announcement of the first synthetically built cells---yes, I think it’s a good thing, even given my penchant for all things relating to a dystopic, cyberpunkish future. Ultimately, this will likely help us in the medical world long before there are warring armies of artificial intelligence or adoptable android kids, ala AI; frankly, I love that movie, and the idea of being able to rent Jude Law for my own devious purposes sits pretty damn well with me. In all seriousness though, many scientists & researchers believe these synthetic (perhaps soon programmable) cells hold more immediate promise than stem cells do, and seeing as how we’ve all been sold a Disney-style fantasy about stem cells solving every conceivable medical issue in the future, it’d be nice to have a product actually deliver while we’re still alive to enjoy its benefit. Predictably, all the religious idiots have their granny-panties in a bind about any potential for man-made life, as if the world may actually go “POOF” the very second living, breathing things are created in a lab. I’m no atheist, but come on people, get the fuck over it! Many of the diva’s who came out of the jazz-funk and disco scenes of the 1970s had solid gospel foundations from youths spent singing in church, often several days a week---this was the case for NYC-based singer Sylvia Striplin. This was her only solo album, a rare disco-funk gem that was produced by none other than Honeypot favorite, Mr. Roy Ayers; mint copies of this catch over $500 on the collector’s circuit. It’s all about the bottom end here, chunky-ass beats with a mad funky bassline, and that synthesizer seals the deal.
