THE PORTABLE INFINITE: Mnemonic Devices Interview with Kevin King 2023

4/15/2023

Mnemonic Devices Interview with Kevin King 2023

Interview by Alexander Laurence

I interviewed many bands from the early 1980s LA punk rock and new wave scene, like Red Wedding, The Germs, Saccharine Trust, Suburban Lawns, Kim Fowley, and more. There were many bands that were on New Wave Theater, that were in URGH! A Music War, were played on KROQ by Rodney Bingenheimer, and were omnipresent at all the LA Clubs in the 1979-1984 period. This was the Pre-MTV and the Pre-Internet age. If you didn't tour or weren't on a big record label, you needed to be on TV or be championed by a major publication. There were also local cable TV and small clubs. There was something in the air that needed to be experienced. But the time of 1979 to 1984 which are loosely referred to as POST-PUNK is under-represented.

Mnemonic Devices was one of those bands. They are a Post-Punk band from Huntington Beach, California. They released one EP, Playing On The Dark Keys, on Bemisbrain Records in 1982. They played shows with Lords of The New Church, The Minutemen, Suburban Lawns, Red Wedding, The Fibonaccis, X the Band, The Go-Gos, The Crowd, The Flesheaters. There was a small vibrant scene of small clubs that isn't well documented. A bunch of old flyers is the only record of some of these times. Mnemonic Devices started around 1977, and had most of their success between 1980 and 1984. After that they broke up, and lead singer, Ann DeJarnett, went on during the 1980s to record more records for Dr Dream Records.

Mnemonic Devices were Ann DeJarnett, Gabriel Quinto, Geofry Kaa, Kevin King, Linnea Ahms, Michael Jorgensen. That was the lineup on the record although there were many members over the years. They never got to record a proper album although now all their songs and demos are available on Bandcamp.