The synthesizer is a powerful tool that has suffered much abuse since its entrance into the pop world. Cheese-doodling, lipstick-wearing hairspray bands of the '80s are to blame for the synth's lowly place among "real" instruments like guitars and snare drums. But Stepkid, a.k.a Benjamin Tyler from Portland, Ore., has reclaimed the keyboard's unique ability to create otherworldly audio on his new release, Cosmonauts. The drummer has crafted his Stepkid from a strange musical universe that encompasses the paranormal, mythology and both outer and inner space. His output feels like a musical battle between good and evil, an electronic, synthesized dance night for Rod Serling.

Read the Weekly Volcano's Q&A with Stepkid on its blog, Spew.

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