Experimental Products

Experimental Products were an electronic group. Founded in 1982 by Mark Wilde and Michael Gross, they were a Philadelphia-based group.^[1]

Career

Experimental Products self-produced the album Prototype in 1982. While it would be their only full album, they released 2 EPs- Glowing In The Dark in 1984, and Experiment! in 1987. "Glowing" proved irresistible to DJs and became a 1985 dance club chart breakthrough. Today, many DJs and collectors consider it a "classic" synth record.^[2] Around the release of "Glowing in the Dark", Mike Simmons played live as a third keyboardist. He contributed songs played live that were never officially recorded.

Mike Simmons's time with the band lasted a year around the "Glowing" era. He has operated MARS recording studio for over 25 years. He later played bass and wrote songs with DeSoto Rust, who charted on the #1 on European Americana charts around 2010.

A rough cut video for Glowing in the Dark was shot at the Kennel Club, and can be found on YouTube. An entire show at City Gardens was videotaped with a single locked camera (just to document), but has an audio hum. A "hand-synched" video with Wilde, Gross, and Mutschler on electric trumpet, an early version of "Work the Beat", was recorded as Bill's video course project. He left EP around '85-'86.

The group other grew to 4 members after co-founder Mark Wilde died in 1987 from pneumonia. Gross carried on with different members, selling out the 2000 capacity Pulsations Philadelphia area nightclub, in one of their occasional live performances. Michael Gross passed away in 2016.

"Visualist" for the band, Bill Mutschler, created elaborate live slide shows. His work with the band was summarized in a video, "All We Can Not See We Call Invisible" (a lyric from the Buggles), and was awarded a Bronze Medal at the 1985 International Film and TV Festival - NYC. EPs first manager introduced him (and he did one show for) Al Jourgenson. He was invited to tour with a Ministry "supergroup" featuring Luk van Akker (guitar), Jah Wobble (bass) and two crazed German drummers on industrial percussionthat failed to materialize (later arising as Pigface?).

In 1990, Gross and Mutschler formed a short lived performance duo "Experimental Cafe", which played in Philadelphia clubs. Gross had new instrumental material and adaptations of original EP material. Mutschler utilized early Macintosh video capabilities mixed with found and treated video edits - including color and image distorted lesbian bondage scenes. These caused a bit of a tussle with Macromedia software, offended by the content and not comprehending the intentional color manipulations.

"Glowing in the Dark" was re-released more than once by Germany's DJ Hell in the 2000s, and there were updated mixes by European DJs.

One of the post Mark Wilde singers wanted to put some type of tribute together in 2016-17. The result is unknown.

Mutschler produced Patrick Moraz's live "PM in Princeton" video/DVD and CD in 1995. It has been re-released multiple times in audio and DVD formats. He started releasing music as "Northern Lights eXperience" in 2005, releasing "Advance to Peak" at the tropical storm soaked 18" of mud "first" final Phish concert in Coventry, Vermont. "Atmosphere" was released in 2012. Patrick Moraz noted it as "high quality sounds. Interesting, different, original", and Ryche Chlanda (Fireballet, solo, and Renaissance) commented "Listening to it every day in my car in long form over and over. I really like it". Bill is recording "Moment" as "NL-X" in 2018. Mike Simmons is producing and audio engineering.

After Wilde's Death

They have no further releases, although 2 compilation albums have been released by Vinyl On Demand. Vinyl On Demand also reissued the album Prototype as a double LP with bonus tracks in 2008. Bill provided some of the live and other bonus live and rehearsal tapes, including an early version of "Glowing".The original version of the album currently sells online for as much at $500. This original album had a release of 100 copies. Different color variations of a circuit board design were personally silk screened by Michael Gross.

Discography

• Prototype LP (1982), Glowing in the Dark EP, Experiment EP.

References