SONG: Move It Close to You.

SONG:

“Move It Close to You.” [Download]
(To download: double right-click & “Save As”)

ARTIST: grant.

SOURCE: Based on “Mind-guided robotic arm lets paralyzed man touch girlfriend”, CBS News, 10 Oct 2011, as used in the post “Touching robot fingers”.

ABSTRACT: It’s funny – whenever I play this song with just an acoustic guitar, it kind of turns itself into a Western swing thing – one of those songs where the drums sound like a steam engine, you know? And yet recording it turned it into a faster-than-usual surf song. With, of course, some beepy swoopy robot additions. I like the way it sounds like some of my favorite Unrest songs put through a Granddaddy filter. I also like that I managed to keep it short for once. (I often aim for the two-minute count of early Beatles songs and often can’t resist adding just a little more and just a little and now it’s six minutes long and too much.)

The story is a great one – and it’s even greater that it’s likely to be more common in the months to come. We can move machines with our minds now. Welcome to the Information Revolution, phase II. It pleases me that, unlike the Industrial Revolution (which started with metalworkers and their kettles), this one is starting with paralysis patients moving again. And, you know, doing it to reach out to loved ones.