1982 - _Tron_ (vhs/ntsc)

The use of computer-generated graphics in movies took a step forward with Disney's release of "Tron." One of the first movies to use such graphics, the plot of _Tron_ also  featured computers - it followed the adventures of a hacker split into molecules and transported inside a computer. Computer animation, done  by III, Abel, MAGI, and Digital Effects, accounted for about 30 minutes of the film.

Technicians illustrated movies with computer-generated graphics on computers such as the Cray XMP, also first produced in this year. The XMP almost doubled the operating speed of  competing machines with a parallel processing system that ran at 420 million floating-point operations per second, or megaflops. Arranging two Crays to work together on different parts of the same problem achieved the faster speed. Defense and scientific research institutes also heavily used Crays.

• Tron - the video arcade game

• track _Discotron_ MP3 by Stasis off of _Headz II A_ compilation CD on Mo Wax (1996)
• hip hop track _Tron Man Speaks_ MP3 (192k) by Anti-Pop Consortium off of _Arrhythmia_ on Warp (2002)
• underground hip hop track _Freestyle (Live Radio Show)_ MP3 by Naptron, Supernature & Peace off of _Wake Up Show Freestyle Vol.5 by Sway & King Tech
• math rock track _Tron_ MP3 (192k) by Rodan off of _Aviary_ demo cassette
• IDM techno release _Atomitron (possibly truncated 6:28) MP3/Perdition_ 12" by Scorp on Scorp #001 (2000)
• track _Gaiatron_ MP3 by Byzar on Asphodel (1997)
• stoner rock track _Gravitron_ MP3 by Wrench off of _Oscillator Blues_ (2001)
• track _Tickle My Dolphin_ MP3 by Flowtron off of _Tickle My Dolphin_ 12"x2 on Darla (1999)
  • minimal tech house track _Tickle My Dolphin (Flowdub Mix By Pete Moss)_ MP3
• track _Orgasmatron_ by Sandoz off of _Dark Content_ 12" on Touch Tone Recordings #004 (1993)
  • Sandoz aka Cabaret Voltaire
  • Sandoz is the name of the laboratory where Albert Hofmann discovered LSD
• track _Master Control_ MP3 by Mathlete off of _Lincolnwood Tech_
• metal track _Orgasmatron_ MP3 by Motorhead off of _Orgasmatron_ 12" picturedisc on Castle Music (1986)
  • produced by Bill Laswell
  • scandanavian death metal cover MP3 (truncated 4:58) by Satyricon off of _Megiddo_ CD on Moonfrog (1997)
• 604 track _Tron_ MP3 (192k) by Saikopod aka Psychopod

Tron (1982)

All the computer-generated images were rendered in black and white on a VAX, and colored later.

Tron, 1982 was a first in several ways. It was designed in conjunction with the release of the Disney film. The  game became critical to the plot of the movie and influenced the look of the computer graphics. While Tron the  movie marked a beginning of computer animation in film, the game itself actually out-grossed the film.  This 1983 sequel Discs of Tron was originally planned to be a part of the first game. Due to time and  technological constraints, Discs of Tron was released a year later following the original's success. The idea of "sequels" was a concept developed from games like this, Defender and Pac Man.

Wendy Carlos composed the electronic part of the score which was later fused with the sounds of an orchestra.  Carlos was previously known for designing early synths and composing the soundtrack to _A Clockwork Orange_ (vhs/ntsci)(avi)(1971).

• release _Tron_ soundtrack 12" on Disney (1982)
  • 4. _Wormhole_ MP3 (160k)
  • 6. _Water, Music & Tronaction_ MP3 (160k)
  • 7. _Tron Scherzo_ MP3 (160k)
  • 9. _Magic Landings_ MP3 (160k)

• About 3/4 of the way into the movie, there is a scene where the Solar Sailor is flying over various digital terrains. If you look carefully, you will see Mickey Mouse's head done in a grid pattern.
• All the live action that occurred inside the computer was filmed in black and white, and colorized later with photographic and rotoscopic techniques.
• Flynn's program is named "Clu". CLU is an old programming language.
• After Flynn escapes from the light cycles arena, it is possible to hear a _Pac-Man_ video game and see a graphic on the map he is watching.
• There is a deleted love scene with Tron and Yori in the I/O Tower that never made the final cut.
• The light cycle sequence originally had background music. This alternate scene is present on the special laserdisc edition.
• The original plan was to have the circuit lines of the "good" programs glow yellow, and the "bad" programs would have blue circuit lines. At one point this was changed to where good programs are blue, and evil ones are red. Some of the original coloring remains, mostly in tank programs (Clu has yellow lines on his uniform, and all of Sark's tank commanders are blue).
• Some non-USA versions of the film have a brief prologue of text explaining the difference between the computer world and the real world right before the starting credits.

_Tron_ is a movie that was made about 10 years ahead of its time.   The key to understanding _Tron_ as a personification of computer commands, is to know that in the BASIC programming language of the time "TRON" meant "TRace ON".  That is the "TRON" command in BASIC "traced" the execution of a program, listing each instruction as executed on the screen, so the programmer could debug the program.  The movie _TRON_ is about program debugging on the level of personified imagination.

The key here is that actions are personified as images of persons, or animals, doing those actions.  In the movie _Tron_ the action of "tracing the execution of a program to find bugs" was personified as "TRON".

Tron (1982)
Directed by  Steven Lisberger

Writing credits
Steven Lisberger (story) and  Bonnie MacBird
Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi

Tagline: A world inside the computer where man has never been. Never before now.

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges ....   Kevin Flynn/Clu
Bruce Boxleitner ....  Alan Bradley/Tron
David Warner ....  Ed Dillinger/Sark/Master Control Program (voice)
Cindy Morgan ....  Lora/Yori
Barnard Hughes .... Dr. Walter Gibbs/Dumont
Dan Shor ....   Ram
Peter Jurasik ....  Crom
Tony Stephano ....  Peter/Sark's Lieutenant
Craig Chudy ....  Warrior #1
Vince Deadrick (III) ....   Warrior #2
Sam Schatz ....   Expert Disc Warrior
Jackson Bostwick ....  Head Guard
David Cass Jr. ....   Factory Guard
Gerald Berns ....  Guard #1
Bob Neill ....  Guard #2

Runtime: USA:96
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix: Dolby
Certification: USA:PG / UK:PG / Finland:K-12 / Germany:12 / Sweden:11

gabber/terrorcore DJ Tron

release _Chrome Padded Cell_ CD on Junior High (1999)

• _I'm Going To Hell_ MP3
• _Cerebral Bore_ MP3 (192k)
• _Asylum Turned Nursery School_ MP3 (192k)
• _The Fear_ MP3
• _Murder The World_ MP3
• _Chrome Padded Cell_ MP3 (vK)
• _Cannibal D.J._ MP3
• _House Of Hurt_
• _Torment The Tortured Souls_ MP3 (256k)
• _Blood Pressure_ MP3 (160k)

release _604_ by Ladytron on Emperor Norton (2001)

• _Mu-Tron_ MP3 (192k)
• _Discotraxx_ MP3 (192k)
• _Another Breakfast With You_ MP3 (160k)
• _Cska Sofia_
• The Way That I Found You MP3 (192k)
• _Paco!_ MP3 (vK)
• _Commodore Rock_ MP3
• _Zmeyka_ MP3 (192k)
• _Playgirl_ MP3
• _I'm With the Pilots_ MP3 (192k)
• _This Is Our Sound_ MP3 (192k)
• _He Took Her To A Movie_ MP3 (160k)
• _Laughing Cavalier_ MP3 (192k)
• Ladybird
• _Jet Age_ MP3 (192k)
• _Skools Out..._

garage punk no wave entity Quintron

witnessed Quintron open for Crash Worship at The Troubador in (1996) - Crash Worship ended their show with a marching procession leading outside and breathing fire on a traffic island. the cops were called but we fled the scene just before they arrived. Quintron utilizes his original instrument called The Drum Buddy. also playing this show was Quintron's wife Miss Pussycat who did a puppet show.

• release _The Amazing Spellcaster_ 12" on Bubble Core (1996)
  • 5. _Rockin' Cha_ MP3
  • 11. _Frogs_
• track _Extended Scratch_ MP3 (80k) off of _Drum Buddy Demonstration_ on Skin Graft (2003)
• release _The Unmasked Organ Light-Year Of Infinity Man_ on Bulb (2000)
  • 2. _Mysterious Rangers_ MP3
  • 9. _You Don't Own Me_ MP3
• track _Dungeon Master (Live)_ MP3 (192k) off of _These Hands Of Mine_ on Skin Graft (2003)
• track _Mysterious Rangers_ MP3 off of

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