SHIT ROBOT || From The Cradle to the Rave

Shit Robot
From the Cradle to the Rave
DFA Records
September 21st, 2010

by Neil Miller, Jr.

DFA Records has gone through an exceptional journey over the past near-decade. They’ve given us The Juan MacLean, The Rapture, Black Dice, Hot Chip, and of course LCD Soundsystem. Sadly, what seems to always fall under the radar are the releases of Shit Robot. Marcus Lambkin, an Ireland native transplanted to NY in the early days of DFA, used to DJ alongside future LCD frontman James Murphy. Even better, he literally helped build DFA studios – so next time you listen to your favorite Hot Chip or LCD record, you have Shit Robot to thank for that. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Shit Robot releases are among the highest caliber on DFA Records.

The title of his newest release - “From the Cradle to the Rave” – really says a lot about the sound of the record. Old school House beats abound, you have all the bongos you could ever ask for, and enough analog synths to likely fill a high school gymnasium. While James Murphy is digging deeper and deeper into his Dance-Punk fusion, Lambkin is exploring the nether realms of Chicago House and NY Disco. But whereas Shit Robot has always been for dancefloor enthusiasts and DFA-heads in the past, “From the Cradle…” opens up to a potentially new audience through its accessibility. The guestlist alone will attract some new listeners, boasting Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, LCD Soundsystem/Juan MacLean’s Nancy Whang, and Planningtorock among others.

While listening through this collection of upbeat Disco-House tracks, I couldn’t help but think that it sounds like a record that would be more at home on Warp Records than DFA. Album opener ‘Tuff Enuff?’ reads like a page ripped right out of LFO’s handbook with its sparse and simplistic analog synth bounce and sporadic tom fills. ‘I Got a Feeling’ sounds like one of Aphex Twin’s earliest masterpieces – you know, before he started really breaking into the IDM and Broken Beat genres. But tracks like ‘Take ‘Em Up’ and ‘Grim Receiver’ remind you why this is a DFA Records release through syrupy Disco-esque vocals and arpeggiating synths blended with reverbed drums, respectively.

While this Shit Robot release may not reach an audience the size of DFA trophy wife, LCD Soundsystem, it will certainly be memorable for those lucky enough to be clued in to its existence. Lambkin is a rare gem amongst the DFA roster, producing tracks that sound just at home on a sweaty dancefloor as they do on your home stereo, in your car, or on your iPod. The progression he’s making is obvious – now it’s not only about getting your ass in motion, he also wants you to sing along . . . and with material this good, you’ll undoubtedly be tempted to both.