Robots In Disguise

(Recall)
by Evan Solochek

“At the height of our disembodied digital era, two robots came disguised as girl humans to deliver their electro-rock message to humanity,” reads Robots In Disguise‘s press release. Alright, whatever. A gimmick is a gimmick, and I’ll let that slide. Stripping away the robot fantasies, Robots In Disguise are just a female, electro duet: Nothing more and nothing less. They sing through megaphones, dance like playful maniacs, and distribute D.I.Y. art. Their press release claims that this attitude “smashes through all electro preconceptions.” However, in my experience, this behavior wholly fulfills every electro preconception.

These antics are completely on par with those of bands like Le Tigre, Chicks On Speed, and Tracy + The Plastics. Bear in mind, this analysis is not meant to be negative, for I absolutely adore all the aforementioned bands. Where Robots In Disguise seem to diverge from the crowd is in their more subdued approach. They don’t have the unbridled and raw energy that most female electro outfits possess. A lot of their tracks are more melodic and reserved, which is a nice alternative to have in the electro-clash/electro-rock field. While this difference inherently makes them slightly less entertaining and interesting, they have enough talent and magnetism to prevent me from writing them off completely. Also, the fact that they are from Europe instantly gives them an air of credibility in the electro world, but only to a degree. They’re good, but not unique. Robots In Disguise need to come to the realization that they’re not doing anything new or innovative and just bask in the fact that they’re keeping up in the amazing, fast-paced electro world. Once they strip away their perceived level of superiority, then they’ll garner, at least, my respect.
(www.recallgroup.com)