Shit Robot: From The Cradle To The Rave

Shit Robot: From The Cradle To The Rave
Hearing the name Shit Robot makes me laugh. I am not that immature but it just naturally evokes images of that scene in Kevin Smith’s Dogma with the shit monster. Shit Robot has been around since 1992, so he has been around longer than the shit monster, but that is just what the name reminds me of. Despite being around since 1992, From The Cradle To The Rave is the first proper album from this veteran of the NYC club scene.
Marcus Lambkin, aka Shit Robot, moved to NYC from Dublin Ireland in 1992. With nothing but a love for London’s acid house scene to keep him company, he began DJing gigs in New York clubs. But despite his nightly gigging around the city, his big break came from building cabinets for LCD Soundsystem frontman and DFA Records‘ owner James Murphy’s recording studio. The two forged a friendship based on dance music but still not until a decade later do we receive From The Cradle To The Rave.
Shit Robot works on the premise “slow and steady wins the race”. The album is a mish-mash of Lambkin’s London house roots, DFA Records-style dance-punk, and modern electropop. The album’s comparisons are easy to make just by virtue of the guest vocalists on the album. The album features vocals from Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, Nancy Whang and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Juan Maclean, Ian Svenonius from The Make Up, Planningtorock, and Saheer Umar of House of House. Yes that list pretty much sums up all the bands I would compare Shit Robot to.
Despite all the myriad of guest vocal appearance, my favorite track on the album might be the largely instrumental closing track “Triumph!!!”. After sitting through an electro-pop album that can at times be a little moody, the album’s closer is a straight balls-to-the-wall anthem. The track features anthematic rock guitar riffs over a straight dance beat that makes you want to get up and pump your fist like a champ. The track is the perfect album closer.
Overall, the album is probably worth the 18 or so years wait. The album might be amongst the most engaging dance records DFA has ever released and that includes Mr. Murphy’s critically acclaimed LCD Soundsystem records.
Rating: 8.9/10
MP3: Shit Robot “Triumph!!!”
Buy: iTunes or Insound!