NASHVILLE ||
DT: JULY 22, 2016 FR: ALEXANDRA GREENBERG/BARI LIEBERMAN
MSO PR
MSTRKRFT’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM
‘OPERATOR’
OUT NOW ON LAST GANG RECORDS
LISTEN HERE
NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
 Following the 10-year anniversary of their debut album The Looks on July 18, Canada’s MSTRKRFT today (July 22) return with their third album–the follow-up to 2009’s Fist of God–with the much-buzzed-about OPERATOR on Last Gang Records (see critical praise below). The group has also announced a round of live show dates in North America.
For OPERATOR, MSTRKRFT–who is JESSE F. KEELER and AL-P–invited noise and hardcore pioneer Sonny Kay [Angel Hair, The VSS] to add his visceral chant to “Priceless,” which, as JESSE puts, is “about being an artist.” Iconic Converge screamer Jacob Bannon drives the dystopian electro punk of “Go On Without Me” through a dryly jarring and instantly recognizable scream. Meanwhile, Ian Svenonius vocally powers the gallop of “Party Line.” There is also Jonathan Bates of Big Black Delta who lends his voice to “Runaway.” Check out the track’s video which is in rotation now on MTVu here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtICAtp3lp0.
Listen to the full album on Spotify here.
In support of OPERATOR, MSTRKRFT will hit the road later this summer with their new live show they debuted earlier this year at SXSW. Look for JESSE F. KEELER and AL-P–accompanied by a custom set-up of analog machines and synths–to perform material from the album alongside classic MSTRKRFT cuts. So far shows in Seattle, Portland, Calgary, Las Vegas, San Diego and others have been announced with more dates to come leading into the fall. The current routing follows below.
MSTRKRFT was last heard from in 2011 when they released the single “Back in the USSA.” It capped off an incredible run for the Toronto electronic dance music disruptors that began with their Juno Award-winning debut album The Looks in 2006. Electrifying festival appearances at Bonnaroo and HARD Summer followed, in addition to high-profile official remixes for everybody from Katy Perry and Kylie Minogue to Wolfmother, Justice and Bloc Party. 2009’s Fist of God boasted collaborations with the likes of John Legend, Ghostface Killah, E-40, N.O.R.E., Lil’ Mo and more as it predicted an eventual crossover between hip-hop and electronic music on the horizon.
In the press, MSTRKRFT‘s new direction has garnered rave reviews:
“All of MSTRKRFT’s juxtapositions make Operator a far more interesting listen, as well as a healthy reminder of dance music’s rebellious, envelope-pushing roots.”
– Glenn Gamboa, Newsday (7/21/16)
“MSTRKRFT (pronounced master-craft) is one of the more refreshingly experimental electronic dance music duos in recent memory…For their forthcoming album, Operator (due out this Friday, July 22 via Last Gang Records), they moved away from the computer and went analog, using machines to generate their electronic sound. The resulting ten tracks are danceable, yes, but they’re also raw, dark, and even a little cerebral.”
– Matt Mullen, Interview (7/19/16)
“Operator sounds like the work of a band-one with punk DNA coursing through its army of analog synths. The new record’s stripped-down take is clear from the first single, ‘Little Red Hen,” whose glitched-out tones evoke Contra if it were fed Adderall instead of quarters. More aggressive is album closer ‘Go on Without Me,’ which thunders and throbs like it belongs inside the S&M club from The Matrix.”
– Nathan Reese, Pitchfork (7/19/16)
“It’s a testament to years of a carefully curated arsenal of hardware and synths, a journey that saw them not only try to accurately represent where they were sonically, but figure out how to replicate it during a live performance. The result was a mad scientist’s lab of equipment, with a spaghetti-like sea of cables connecting stacks of 808s, 909s, and other apparatus (seen dynamically at work in the video for “Party Line”). …As an album, Operator is jarringly different from MSTRKRFT’s other releases. It’s dark, industrial, and post-punk with elements of electro mixed in, lending a dystopian feel to a very raw soundscape. “
– Dani Diehl, NYLON (7/6/16)
“Operator finds MSTRKRFT eager to explore new vistas. ‘Wrong Glass Sir’ begins in a flurry of rat-a-tat beats before evolving into percolating electropop smudged with grime; ‘Runaway’ is sizzling house music with swerving keyboards and slo-mo funk vocals; and highlight ‘Little Red Hen’ boasts colorful programming featuring siren-blare effects and tumbling keyboards that squeak like sneakers on linoleum.”
– Annie Zaleski, AV Club (7/22/16)
Track listing for OPERATOR:
Catch MSTRKRFT on their just announced tour dates:
Follow MSTRKRFT:
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For more information on MSTRKRFT, contact MSO PR:
Alexandra Greenberg agreenberg@msopr.com
Bari Lieberman blieberman@msopr.com
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