Here’s a name that we haven’t heard in a while, and they’re back with a banging new album. MSTRKRFT joins forces with the mau5trap family to bring their latest offering, the ‘Sunshine of My Life’ EP. Jesse Keeler and Al-P make up the Canadian electronic duo, better known as MSTRKRFT (pronounced “Master Craft”). Formerly gracing the golden era of dance-punk and electro house, MSTRKRFT delivers an all-new craft of their sound. This album features four tracks of raw and big-room MSTRKRFT techno that will light up any dancefloor, from the underground to the mainstage.
Following their recent releases ‘Doria’ and ‘Buffalo Fat,’ MSTRKRFT is leading us into an all-new evolution of their sound. The former Toronto-based, DFA 1979 members have graced the golden era of 2005’s booming indie-electronica scene. This acclaimed duo has been crushing it in their genre-pushing crossovers since the days of Daft Punk, LCD Sound System, Chromeo, and Boys Noize to name a few. MSTRKRFT’s early days in electronic dance music stem from a more abrasive, funky electronica side of things. The duo has done remixes for several artists like Justice, Metric, Kylie Minogue, and John Legend. It’s rejuvenating to see and hear how MSTRKRFT can effortlessly crossover to an array of different genres. They are truly masters of their crafts.
Jumping into their latest offering, ‘Sunshine of My Life’ EP tells us a tale surrounded by exhilarating after-hours techno vibes. Think back to those foggy, late nights spent inside an underground warehouse, living the night away with your friends. That’s what this album feels like, and it’s a musical intoxication that you can only shake off by dancing the night away.
1. Oh Yea
Here’s the opening song that you’re looking for as the theme song leading into your fondest memories of late nights spent at your favorite afters. ‘Oh Yea’ is the first track on ‘Sunshine of My Life’ that greets you with classic, pounding techno kick drums. Ascending notes and a chord melody pave the path into a provocative flurry of synths. This song is like hearing a train of a low-end bassline fading in and out, playing tricks on your ears, just before a heady drop hits. ‘Oh Yea’ is the perfect song to start out any night or prolong an intense night of debauchery. It’s sultry, dark, and progressive in every way.
2. Ear
The song beings with a classic, whirling, MSTRKRFT style electro-synth that meets with more familiar faces of the industrial, underground. Packing classic boots and cats to a four on the floor beat paired with a reverberating myriad of acid, ‘Ear’ is definitely an earful (in an addicting way). If you’re familiar with the abrasiveness of synths and sounds from MSTRKRFT’s electro-house days, you’ll definitely enjoy this. ‘Ear’ is a marriage of MSTRKRFT’s old sounds meeting new sounds that lead into a breakdown of ricocheting acid zings that overlay a pulsating bassline. Chittering, high-frequency synths meet crashing waves of cymbals like a symbiotic, parasite meets host relationship that you can’t help but get down to.
3. Let Me See You Move
Continuing our descent into the rabbit hole, ‘Let Me See You Move’ greets us with a haunting, dripping beginning. If a cinematic trailer could play aside this album, this is a track that plays for the true creatures of the night. ‘Let Me See You Move’ is the first track on this EP that was revealed earlier this month, prior to the full album release. The intro leads into a snare of drumline claps and hi-hats that resonate beside orbing synths. There’s an eerie whispering vocal that breathes “I can’t stop” repeatedly over a rolling bassline, manifesting a special kind of discordant symphony. If this album should have an all-star track to it, this would be the one.
4. Fit n Finish
Wrapping up the album, ‘Fit n Finish’ is the last track to MSTRKRFT’s latest offering. It’s the dessert at the end of this four-course meal that MSTRKRFT has cooked up. Going deeper into the depths of this gaping abyss, the intro begins with ingredients being added one after the other. Starting with a pounding techno kick drum, followed by the hi-hats, raucous rising synths, and topped with a heaping sprinkle of acid–this is ‘Fit n Finish.’ It’s the black charcoal activated soft serve ice cream you got instead of the apple pie you didn’t need all along.
Catch MSTRKRFT on tour now by checking out their upcoming dates here: http://www.mstrkrft.com/
