Death by Robot

If the title Death by Robot appeals to you, you may rest assured that Feed Me’s new EP will be to your liking as well.

The new release from London-based electro house artist and producer Jon Gooch is short and sweet—a collection of only three songs, clocking in at just under thirteen minutes total. This makes the release only slightly longer than this reviewer’s attention span, and puts its retail price at just under three bucks.

The title track “Death by Robot,” which kicks off the shindig, is the EP’s strongest track by far. Imagine a piece with the tenacious drive displayed by Deadmau5 at his best. Add Skrillex-like staccato and voice sampling (only toned down so that you don’t feel like you need to punch someone after the first minute of the song). Now add the large and full sound landscape found in Nero’s best work, and robotic vocals recorded by the artist himself. Death by Robot would be the result, and it’s a definite must-hear.

The next piece, “Gravel,” starts off with a pretty basic hook that vaguely resembles  something you might hear in an 8-bit video game. Over time, however, bass and filters take over your headphones, and before it’s over “Gravel” has become grimier than the restroom facilities at the Office.

The EP’s final track, “Dialup Days,” brings back childhood memories from, well, the dial-up days. Spiced up with the agonizingly shrill sounds of a classic dial-up modem, the piece is a cool novelty, albeit more than a little annoying after the third or fourth listen. The beat itself is good enough, but the high-pitched hook is likely to keep this song off most dance floors.

All in all, Death by Robot is a pretty neat little release. The title track is phenomenal, but the other two have their charm too—even if they fail to live up to the high bar set by the first. 

The cover art (which is designed by Gooch) is available as a print—if you’re into that sort of thing.