MSTRKRFT

The Looks (Last Gang)

By Chris Pacifico
Published: August 13th, 2006 | 2:50pm

On his most recent side project Jesse F. Keller of Canadian spazz-dance duo Death From Above 1979 along with fellow Canuck Al-P have created an album with a backbone of electro beats and bleeps. The record also takes the listener on a global trip through the realm of electronica — the Krautrock of Germany, the techno of Detroit, and the house music of Chi-town. While The Looks may remain danceable and kitschy, it is nonetheless grimy and seedy on par with that of a strip-club lunch buffet with a punk edge.

Included is an omnipresent robo-voice, which at times renders MSTRKRFT campy like an old Atari game. But the duo still effortlessly spurts out pop hooks on the most disco/breakbeat oriented tracks like “Easy Love”. While not just electronica indulging, The Looks contains throwback elements not only of booty tunes, but those from the synthesizer-loving funk paladins from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s such as Cameo and Zapp and Roger.

To say that MSTRKRFT is doing something that hasn’t been done would be a topic of much debate among dance music aficionados, but in 2006 it is refreshing to hear an album that inspires the robot dance.