Hexstatic When Robots Go Bad CD

The dynamic duo, Hexstatic, return to the fray with "When Robots Go Bad," their finest album yet. Taking their electro obsession to greater heights than ever before, "WRGB" finds Robin Brunson and Stuart Warren-Hill mashing up sounds and influences in search of the ultimate machine groove. From first track "Red Laser Beam" they lay out their wares - crunching guitar samples, huge drum box beats and enough synths to drown a nation beneath a sea of (sine) waves. Its such a euphoric opening that its hard to imagine how they can keep the pressure up. First single "Roll Over" quickly lays any fears to rest. Featuring new vocal find Sabirajade, this is a swinging groove of heavily-layered keyboards and soulful, sultry vocals. "Tokyo Traffic" takes the tempo up again for an acidic, glitchy, serialist pop-locker of a tune that just about makes sense of the term "future-retro". "Freak Me" features B+, a female MC from Oz, who effortlessly rides a more minimalist, sexy, funky riff. Continuing the sexy theme, "Prom Night Party" is a complete re-work of a classic lost track from Mike Ladds "Majesticons" project. Electronic ode to love "TLC" gives the boys an opportunity to take the tempo right down, whereas "Move On" (featuring Edinburgh MC Profisee) starts to drive us forward again. B+ returns on "A Different Place", a floating electronic groove that shows she can do much more than rap. "Subway" is another tune for a new generation of breakers, Profisee offering a paen to underground music inspired by the forced fears of a nation. From "Lab Rat" onward the vocoder takes over - "Newtons Cradle," "Newaves" and the superb "Bust" offering an object lesson in the contrasting ways in which synths and drum boxes can be used to create superb, funny, funky, driving dance music.

Hexstatic are best known as the multimedia arm of the Ninja Tune collective-cum-label. Providing 3D animation for the likes of Coldcut, EBN, and other remix culture kingpins, they seek to mine similar territory for their own music productions, as evinced by the album WHEN ROBOTS GO BAD! Drawing influences from electro, acid house, and old-school hip-hop, Hexstatic take an irreverent, slightly tongue-in-cheek approach to their brand of nu-rave dance music. Mixing crisp analog drumbeats with driving synth stabs--all bubbling over with a barely contained over-the-top energy--this is dance music sans the high-minded seriousness of the I.D.M. set.

Additional personnel: Profisee, Ema J., B Plus, Sabirajade.