Robots Riot Act One - Elektropunkz Records - Album Review

From the opening salvo of glitched electro bass from Synapse, you know you're in for a ride of pure uncompromising music from the latest compilation release from Poland's Elektropunkz Records. 'Robots Riot Act One' dropped just a few days ago and brings it in proper for the winter for 2010. There's an overall feeling of despair contrasting with whispers of hope on these records. Case in point, listen to the brilliantly sequenced and haunting sounds of 'Even If They'll Recycle Me' and 'Forgotten Spacecraft'. These are the kind of cuts that get stuck in your head days after you've listened to them. On the other side of the coin from those dope head phone grooves, you definitely get your dose of  bangin' electro content from Robodrum and Cody Commando. On 'Retrolectroboteknoise', crazed drums weave in and out of the mix, with an aggressive style that hints of classic darkcore sounds vis-a-vis Metalheadz. Pure fire. 'Kontrol' brings that straight kopfnicken vibe from the first opening bars - this is the very definition of hypnotic electro. The stand-out track for me on this release has to be Aurora Surrealis 'I Wonder How It Works'. Getting TB-303 acid sounds to sit in a mix properly isn't an easy feat without veering into cliche acid territory - this track does it right and just grooves from beginning to end. Closing the album, Croatia's DJ Xed brings it home with 'Something', a positive up-beat vibe that was totally unexpected, and completely welcome. That my friends, is how to wrap up a compilation of dope sounds.  100% pure unkut on this one, and inspiring to hear so many different takes on the electro sound in one release. I don't have any issues buying digital music, but this is one of those albums I'd be happy to have sitting in the crates, on the strength. Recommended. Robot Riots Act One is available now via Juno Tracklisting: 1. Robotox - Synapse 2. Retrolectroboteknoise - Robodrum 3. Kontrol - Cody Commando 4. How Can Any Race Be So Stupid - Robots On Acid 5. Freiheit - Darxid 6. Forgotten Spacecraft - Moztostal Rekords 7. Even If They'll Recycle Me - Loyal Plastic Robot 8. I Wonder How It Works - Aurora Surrealis 9. Implosion - q600 10. Something - DJ xed Related: Interview with Elektropunkz label-head Elektromonter; Interview with Robodrum City of Bass: blogging daily about the electro music scene. Follow along via twitter or the RSS feed