(August 2009) It is always a mystery what Mighty Robot Recordings will come up with next; as the label moves on it seems like anything could come next. But the Glaswegian label has always managed to assign a level of excitement to their new releases. There never seems to be a feeling, to quote Benjamin Desrali, of a “leap in the dark.” Wherever Mighty Robot bring their listener, there is an element of security. This is not to say the label has in anyway stagnated; the opposite is the case with the Glasgow imprint pushing boundaries with two new 12’s, one by the tried (but not recently tested) Junior Rafael and a new release by Operator.
Operator with, his gruellingly titled, How to Make Bombs and Influence People, comes from the Scottish electronic scene. To many readers Benbecula, rather than the island, will be known as one of Scotland’s electronic imprints. In 2003 Operator graced its vinylolium catalogue; since then he has been a tad quiet. Now Operator has reawaken, but in a new guise. Much of the electronics of his Benbecula days have been shelved and adapted for Mighty Robot. The new EP is not easily slotted into the Mighty Robot catalogue, but no release really is. This new outing branches into electronica, electro and all pushed through with a vocoder. The record meshes dub, electronics, electro, vocoders into a blundered uneven balance. As soon as the needle touches it is apparent that Mighty Robot are again traversing new ground, and the label adopts a new freshness. Operator starts his latest outing under a haze of uneasiness before dropping some reliable beats which duck and dive under lilting vocoders. The sound is hard to pinpoint, it refuses to stick (but does.) The impenetrable vocals bully a melody, forcing it to form without letting it settle with the two coming together to create something unknown. Dilation over contraction. A moustache of smoke and full beat bring in “Seven Years Over a Mirror” and the listener grips to cascades of chord break over now tamed beats. Beats melt into synthesizers and a wonderfully vivid soup ensues as vocoders become a backdrop and beats meet an end.
On the restart bloated tones come in as an acidified marine voyage begins. It seems like Drexiya might have pulled the plug on “Peglegged Vampire Armies Of The North” but some new warnings morph underneath a remedy of analogue abrasion. This unhealthy underground escapade, pulling the listener through the squalid layers of Detroit, Chicago and Glasgow, demonstrates the depth of this record as an indefinable 12″. Fiendish friendship returns with the seat adjusting “Ceiling.” The track builds as expected, calling on some of Operator’s electronic past whilst creating a new sphere of influence within the same bandwidth. Vocoded lyrics fall and the track takes on a new aspect, bordering on the horrid and the divine. Machine fights with man and neither comes out on top, both battling in an unconquerable mêlée to create a meek and powerful back alley gentleman’s brawl. The insatiable undefinable tone of this record comes to a climax with Operator’s take on Rude 66’s vocoder homage to his TR 909. Mr 66 gave a prayer like call for his beloved drum machine, Operator, with the help of Jesus H. Kristall And The Cash Generators, has turned this on its head to create a Johnny Cash style acoustic rendition of the hard hitting original.
From unknown territory of Operator the recognisable, if not mysterious, jackhouse that is Junior Rafael. A return has been made to the 90’s underworld Chicago bunker to resurface with Darkroom Traxx II, following on from 2007 Darkroom Trax. This four-tracker features material dreamed up and programmed out by Rafael between 1990 and 1996. The EP opens with “Anything 4 Ur Love,” a sinister 909 beat driven work with a wonderfully mournful 90’s piano melody. Rafael keeps the track under control, unleashing snares over bass whilst keeping the underhandedness ever present. “Promise Me” reads like a stepped up and sleeked up take on “Drug Me.” Vocals are looped as hypno tones blend and swirl across melodies and lyrics to create a spiralling psycho jak work. “Satisfaction” tells of a sex centred house rendezvous. Lyrics are deep and dark with undertones of underworld Chicago clubs, undertones that are further illuminated by the lyrics of “4 All Da Men In My Life,” “…Pedro, Louis, Mark, Peter, John, Martin, Fred, Eddy, Frank, Richie, Vince, Rick, Antoine, Luther, Michael, Pat, Nicky, Chris, Zack, Andy, Alex, Bill, Gene, Leon, Miles, Kenny, Leroy, Omar, Ross, Simon…” Think a blend of Man Parrish and Frankie Knuckles.
MRR have done it again. The Glaswegian label never stands still for too long, new releases are always on the horizon and styles are never rigid. This constant reshuffling, whilst maintaining quality, has made Mighty Robot Recordings one of the most exciting electronic records releasing today. With one new troop, Operator, and Junior Rafael gaining his stripes, Mighty Robot Recordings are strengthening and proving this position in the world of electronics.
Both releases are out now on Mighty Robot.
