★★☆
After a five-year hiatus, MSTRKRFT’s low-key return takes the duo back to its roots.
Operator is predictable, almost retro electro-punk, complete with traces of calculated madness.
While Operator offers up a quick dose of nostalgia, the album is mostly nauseating, repetitive in a way that resembles a broken dentist’s drill.
John Legend is nowhere to be seen on MSTRKRFT’s third mix of old-school house, as Jesse F. Keeler and Al-P strip their sound right back to its early days. The album hints at Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers influences, transporting the listener back to a time where the latest Ministry Of Sound CD was enough to get a house party right off.
‘Priceless’ does serve to break the monotony with manic, shaky vocals and stop/start keys, while ‘Death In The Gulf Stream’ serves up a piercing synth, reminiscent of Psycho. There are even some distorted, death metal vocals incorporated into the last track. Yet while these are interesting interims, they don’t mask the stale sound the rest of the albumreverts to.
Operator is a dish best served with a hefty dose of party pills and undying love for techno’s past.
MSTRKRFT’sOperatoris out now via Last Gang/Warner.
