The microcomputer Robotron KC87 was released in the GDR in 1987. It was manufactured by a company for measurement electronics in Dresden called Otto Schön. This company was also part of the publicly owned enterprise Robotron. Originally, the KC87 was designed to be a home computer (HC) for private households. As a result of the shortage economy that followed, the KC87 ended up being used as an instructional computer in educational institutions.
ASMR, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is an online culture phenomenon which developed and spread on YouTube and provides physical stimulation through being exposed to gentle sounds and whispers. Triggered by these aural inputs, the listeners/viewers enjoy a tingling sensation on their skin.
The sight of bend fingernails is notably less enjoyable. In the vi- deo piece Soft Nails ~ ♥ [ASMR] Kleincomputer Robotron KC87 ♥, artificial fingernails made from silicone, also known as Soft Nails, distort the sensory reaction of the viewers. The typically soothing soundscapes of ASMR videos clash with the sight of irritating stimuli. In Soft Nails ~ ♥ [ASMR] Kleincomputer Robo- tron KC87 ♥, Buttendorf gently whispers to us while sharing in- formation about the KC87.
As a contemporary medium, most ASMR videos only use the latest high-tech equipment to provoke a tingling sensation. In Soft Nails ~ ♥ [ASMR] Kleincomputer Robotron KC87 ♥, Buttendorf consciously chooses to work with high tech from the GDR transferring it into a pop cultural format. This video work should be understood in the context of the YouTube series Robotron - a tech opera.
