This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ballardian: In the wake of Ballard’s death, 032c mag asked me to re-interview Simon Reynolds – here it is, Reynolds on Ballard: http://bit.ly/8amDsf...

http://audioh.com/projects/InnerSpaceMemorial.html

It’s interesting to contemplate Ballard, a writer inspired by painters, inspiring musicians. If it was not for music, as an American I maybe would have never discovered Ballard. It was basically the Buggles that turned me on to Ballard. Trevor Horn (who wrote the Buggles’ lyrics) has stated that Ballad is his favorite author, in fact, hints of Ballard’s prose are all over both Buggles albums, a lot of Ballard’s pet words show up such as terminal, chromium, half track, diesel, and the subject matter is Ballardian as well, especially on The Age of Plastic which is a concept album about a not too distant dystopian future. Consider the song I Love You Miss Robot, is it really such a jump from sex with a car fender to sex with a robot? Of course Video Killed the Radio Star was inspired in part by The Sound Sweep, but so is the tune Astroboy and the Proles on Parade, where we find the lyric “radio stations their faders in dust/all their transmitters are crumbling with rust.” (you may remember the derelict radio station from The Sound Sweep) On the second Buggles album Adventures in Modern Recording is the song Vermilion Sands, which mentions sand yachts and thermal rollers, has a car crash sandwiched in between parts of the song, and ends with a quirky dance hall beat which may well represent the fox trot Ballard describes as playing on a phonograph in the opening scene of Say Goodbye to The Wind. (Horn was at one point bass player for the house band at the Hammersmith Odeon.) It’s too bad we didn’t get to hear more from Trevor Horn the musician, he has a lot more talent than a lot of the acts he has produced!