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.

Little else is known about the group other than that they grew to 4 members by 1987. Founding member Mark Wilde died in 1987.

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 played bass and wrote songs with DeSoto Rust, who charted on the #1 on European Americana charts around 2010.

"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. He was invited to tour with a Ministry "supergroup" that failed to materialize (later arising as Pigface?). He left EP around 1985-6.

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 as a document), but has an audio hum.

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, and there were some updated mixes by contemporary DJs.

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 also provided some of the live and other bonus material re-released on Vinyl On Demand.

Contact was lost with Michael Gross after 2009. He was last known to be living in Washington state. Mutschler started releasing music as "Northern Lights eXperience" in 2005, releasing "Advance to Peak" at the alleged final Phish concert. "Atmosphere" was released in 2012, to much favor amongst his tight group of professional music acquaintances, as well as a limited circle of listeners. Earnest work on the next third release "Moment" began in mid 2016, with talk of Mike Simmons arranging and engineering tracks. A broader, official release is being explored, with interest from 70s-90s synthesizer "giants".

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. 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 (1982)

References