Dead Boy Robotics
DEAD BOY ROBOTICS have been Limbo favourites since they made their live debut at the club in August 2008 and have been little short of a revelation in the ensuing period, immediately standing out in the Scottish scene. Sounding like no one else on the local circuit and hardly anyone from the wider UK scene, DBR are one of a handful of bands espousing this very distinctive, experimental electronic kind of pop internationally right now.
BAND’S BIOG:
Dead Boy Robotics, a three piece from Edinburgh, Scotland, incorporate laptop, synths, guitars, tribal drumming, vocal harmonies, yelps and screams to create atmospheric new wave that is both epic and intense.
Influenced by many bands and musical styles including Animal Collective, Subtle, Liars and HEALTH, the trio of Gregor McMillan, Mike Bryant and Paul Bannon have been highly praised on numerous blogs and online zines for their avant-garde take on electronic music.
Since becoming one of only 16 acts cherry-picked from over 1400 entries to play Scotland’s T in the Park festival unsigned band stage in July 2009, Dead Boy Robotics have received air play from renowned DJ’s including Vic Galloway, Jim Gellatly, Tom Robinson and in May 2011 recorded a live session for Ally McCrae’s BBC Introducing show.
Dead Boy Robotics self-released their debut EP, ‘Tale of the Winter Kids’, in May 2010, to much critical acclaim.
May 2011 saw the release of the single ‘Ever’, a split 7” vinyl with Edinburgh band The Machine Room, as part of Tape Singles Club. This release was again met with much acclaim and was seen by many as another exciting taster of the bands highly anticipated first album.
Their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album was recorded and mixed during the Autumn and Winter months of 2010 at Tape, Edinburgh, by Stephen Watkins. It was released by the Brothers Grimm art collective on 28th November 2011 and preceded by the single ‘Gatherer on the Threshold’, a download only single on 31st October 2011.
‘DBR have the attack of Intergalactic-era Beastie Boys, without being so brattish about the beats. Both epic and economical, this is the soundtrack for heroics and esoterics. Scotland is bristling with new modern groups, and this trio have what it takes to make their mark and leave a lasting impression. Release of the week – 4/5 stars’ (Scotland on Sunday)
‘If Blade Runner was re-imagined by Videodrome-era David Cronenberg then this debut would provide a perfectly menacing soundtrack’ (www.stv.tv)
‘Like 65daysofstatic hacking at the innards of the original Dr. Who theme. 4/5 stars’ (The Skinny)
‘A dark beauty, indeed, with moments of big, dramatic yearning, and evidence that there is at least one band in Scotland other than Errors willing to lead the musical charge without resorting to guitars as weapons. Album of the week’ (Sunday Herald)
‘We can’t think of anything else currently playing in Scottish music that resembles Dead Boy Robotics – not everyone sticks slavishly to the guitar/bass/drums template but a synth and drum combo with vaguely spooky vocals feels particularly original to these ears…. original tunes for keyboards pounded hard and drums pounded even harder’
(thetidalwaveofindifference.com Blog)
