published: 11 /
4 /
2002
Label:
Catmobile
Format: CD
"Effervescent pop sparkle" on the debut album of Canadian electronics wizard, I am Robot and Proud
Review
The cover illustration neatly captures the spirit of this record, depicting a musician, who looks as serious as every young guy in a band tries to, crouching over his amp, out of which pours brilliant white stars.
Shaw-Han Liem, the knob-twiddler behind I Am Robot And Proud, has altered the electronica template by lifting the individual sounds and samples that help to define the genre – the electronically manipulated beats of the serious producers found all over the Warp label that sound familiar to everyone who has listened to Autechre or LFO – and, possibly bored of the po-faced (dare I say it?) pretence, cooked up some effervescent pop sparkle.
The opening title track sets the scene for the record; a sweet, cheerful track. Three minutes of fun electropop that doesn’t try to be challenging. The rest of the album is similar, with hints of drum’n’bass and more pop as it continues to offer a less laboured listen than the electronica commonly constructed out of the same ingredients.
There are moments, however, where Liem does lose his grip on what makes this record so good, such as on ‘James’s Equation’, which fails to create a whole from the assembled sounds. The following track, ‘Eyes Closed Hopefully’, really does make up for this by creating an atmosphere that could soundtrack a dream.
‘The Catch’ offers respite from the relentless obliqueness that rules over electronica, allowing the rest of us to have some fun while Autechre brood over their awkward time signatures.
Track Listing:-
1
The Catch
2
Read and Re Read
3
Saturday Afternoon Plans
4
James Equation
5
Eyes Closed Hopefully
6
The Heart of Things
7
The Satellite Kids
8
Julies Equation