The electronic band that hid secret messages in modem tones
In short: Before the internet was a household staple, Information Society was already using it as a playground for avant-garde art. From hidden spectrogram URLs to interactive scavenger hunts, they pioneered a way to turn music into a multi-layered digital experience that required listeners to be more than just passive observers.
Formed in 1982 at Macalester College, Information Society blended avant-garde electronics with hip hop and dub. Their name was a nod to the dystopian 'Newspeak' of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. While they achieved mainstream success with 1988's 'What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)'—which featured an authorized vocal sample from Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy—the band's true innovation lay in their technological experimentation. The group first gained traction in New York City's Latin dance clubs with their 1984 single 'Running'. They eventually signed with Tommy Boy Records, the only act on that label to receive major-label distribution through Reprise Records. Their early sound was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk and Gary Numan.
They were early adopters of interactive media. Their 1988 debut featured CD+G technology, allowing digital graphics to appear on the compact disc. By 1992, they released 'Peace and Love, Inc.', which was notable for containing a track of modem tones. When played into a telephone connected to a computer, these tones would trigger a secret bonus message from the band. This level of 'hidden' content continued with their 1997 album 'Don't Be Afraid', which featured a digital scavenger hunt and a CD-ROM with a program to generate specific border graphics. The band's 1988 debut sold out its initial US pressing in just two weeks. They also collaborated with the Sega CD to showcase CD+G capabilities. Their 1997 release included a cover of Gary Numan's 'Are 'Friends' Electric?' and a track later used as a video game theme.
The band's obsession with hidden layers persisted into the modern era. Their 2014 album 'Hello World' included a secret track that, when rendered using a spectrogram, revealed a URL and login credentials for bonus content. This commitment to 'brain food' over simple consumption defines their legacy: a musical collective that treats the medium of audio as a gateway to complex, interactive experiences. The 2016 album 'Orders of Magnitude' featured several covers of songs by Devo and The Sisters of Mercy. In 2021, they released 'ODDfellows' specifically optimized for THX Spatial Audio. The group is recognized with a star on the mural of the iconic First Avenue nightclub.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Information Society (band)
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