JOCKSTRAP AND INJURY RESERVE MAKE EACH OTHER WEIRDER WITH “ROBERT”

Oh yeah, let’s get funky.

Except not funky at all. Strange robotic vocals, all sorts of offbeat industrial noises and yet a tempo(s?) that somehow still manages to make you want to dance. Almost despite of itself. I want to say that this is just how Jockstrap operates, but that’s not really the case, is it? After listening to the entirety of their new Wicked City EP (with four other much more restrained tunes (I’d even go and call them all beautiful, check out “Acid” especially)) I don’t really know what to make of “Robert.” 

This song ain’t right (by any traditional sense at least). “Robert” plays like a Kraftwerk and TNGHT collaboration, which YES, is a complete and total complement. While strange, it all seems to click together. Many could have the potential to be disturbed by Taylor Skye and Georgia Ellery’s errant bubbling soundscapes, but not us. We’ll just lean even harder into the corner of erratic electronic pop that we love so much. I guess what really even is normal for Warp Records, the British record label who broke Aphex Twin, Autrechere and Squarepusher?

This, yes? Then maybe, let’s go.

“ROBERT” - JOCKSTRAP & INJURY RESERVE

Let’s not call this experimental, because that would be maligning music that takes chances as lesser than ‘safe music.’ “Robert,” is not safe.  It is innovative.  It takes pieces of many daring precedents left before it and turns it all into one bizarre mess of fascinating musicality.

Injury Reserve, the alternative hip hop trio from Arizona (who always seem to have bold production in their own right), hop on the track bringing it back to Earth for a second before Jockstrap glitches the strings out and turns “Robert” back to a space opera by way of dimensional time travel.

At the end of the song, when the synths start to break apart by the drum patterning and Ellery repeats “Robert” through what I can only assume is a vocoder. it really sounds like someone was finally able to capture what it felt like for Hal to get shut down at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.  If that’s a new genre--the death of AI?--then count us in.

Here’s one for those who aren’t afraid to take chances with their music.  Let’s get weird y'all..

From deep within the murky depths of the Los Angeles River emerged a creature: 50% raver, 50% comedian, 10% Robotcop. Kurt Kroeber doesn’t own a dog, operates Soundbleed (the world’s only dance party comedy talk show rave), and is down to party with you. Come up some time and say “Hey dude!” But definitely make sure to casually drop the secret Illuminati password.