Since its 2008 launch, My Favorite Robot Records has carved out a signature space in the electronic scene with their brand of moody, artistic machine music. At the heart of My Favorite Robot Records lies a production outfit of the same name, a trio formed by co-owners Jared Simms, Voytek Korab, and James Tee. While managing the label, the Canadian group has been releasing records for over a decade as well, landing deals with labels like Visionquest, Crosstown Rebels, and Sasha's new Last Night On Earth. In celebration of MFR Records' 100th release, they're returning to their own imprint with a four-track EP called Mirror Image. Out May 26, we're premiering its final track, "Other Storm," a [description of track]. It's a free download, so don't miss it!THUMP: You're celebrating six years putting out music on your label. What have been some of your favorite and most exciting releases thus far?
My Favorite Robot: I don't think there is one or even a few releases that stand out for us looking back. For us, its been more about the milestones that the label has achieved over this journey: our first 12" after releasing the previous releases as digital only, the first album projects after only having done singles, and the first label showcases in places like Miami for WMC and Barcelona for Sonar. Even though we are always trying to look to the future and what's next, I'd be lying if I didn't say that looking back on our first 100 records is extremely satisfying for us.What do you think is the "sound of the moment?" Is there a specific sound or piece of gear that is currently standing above the rest?
We release music that tends to be a bit more synth-driven, melodic, and musical, with a bit of a new wave edge that has always been a part of the music we sign. That said, I don't really see us as having a "sound of the moment" as we tend to be very open-minded about the music we release and have always enjoyed throwing a few musical curve balls to keep thing interesting and keep people guessing whats coming next. I find that labels that get pigeonholed as having a particular sound dont tend to have the longevity that we've always wanted to have.We are premiering your standout EP track "Other Storm." What would be the best environment outside of the club to listen to this cut?
A lot of the music we make and release can be played at home as easily as it can be in the club. When we sit down and write, we are rarely thinking about where the music will actually fit, how to classify it, and whether it will work well on a dancefloor. For us, it's just about making music and melodies that we love and enjoying the ride in the studio. "Other Storm" definitely fits within that ethos. We hope you like it!You guys love robots, obviously. If you had to be either C3PO, HAL from Space Odyssey, The Iron Giant or The Terminator (I know he's an android) who would you be?
I guess we would be HAL, as we enjoy his soothing melancholy voice as he quietly plots to destroy us and anything standing in his way of mission success.There's been a lot going on in the Canadian dance music scene as of late. What's your take on the scene currently? What do you love and what still needs to be improved?
The Canadian scene has grown a lot over the last few years with lots of Canadian talent getting on the international radar. That being said there's still work to be done. I think Canada could improve on the bookings side as it seems it's mostly the same international acts that keep getting re-booked and lots of more cutting-edge producers and DJs get overlooked. The audience is fairly young for the most part, so I think it could benefit from a more diverse booking policy as that would expose them to different styles and sounds that they just don't get exposed to on the Canadian market very often. There are obviously a few crews out there already doing that type of thing and hopefully we'll see more acceptance for some of the lesser known talents to get the proper exposure they deserve.The Mirror Image EP is out May 26 on My Favorite Robot.My Favorite Robot Worldwide Tour Dates
May 10 Playa del Carmen, MX @ La Sanatanera
June 6 Dubai, AE @ Story Rooftop Lounge
June 11 Barcelona, ES @ MFR Off-Sonar Crossing Wires Showcase
June 13 Barcelona, ES @ H.O.T
June 29 Toronto, CA @ Digital Dreams FestivalConnect with My Favorite Robot on Facebook and SoundCloud
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My Favorite Robot: I don't think there is one or even a few releases that stand out for us looking back. For us, its been more about the milestones that the label has achieved over this journey: our first 12" after releasing the previous releases as digital only, the first album projects after only having done singles, and the first label showcases in places like Miami for WMC and Barcelona for Sonar. Even though we are always trying to look to the future and what's next, I'd be lying if I didn't say that looking back on our first 100 records is extremely satisfying for us.What do you think is the "sound of the moment?" Is there a specific sound or piece of gear that is currently standing above the rest?
We release music that tends to be a bit more synth-driven, melodic, and musical, with a bit of a new wave edge that has always been a part of the music we sign. That said, I don't really see us as having a "sound of the moment" as we tend to be very open-minded about the music we release and have always enjoyed throwing a few musical curve balls to keep thing interesting and keep people guessing whats coming next. I find that labels that get pigeonholed as having a particular sound dont tend to have the longevity that we've always wanted to have.
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A lot of the music we make and release can be played at home as easily as it can be in the club. When we sit down and write, we are rarely thinking about where the music will actually fit, how to classify it, and whether it will work well on a dancefloor. For us, it's just about making music and melodies that we love and enjoying the ride in the studio. "Other Storm" definitely fits within that ethos. We hope you like it!You guys love robots, obviously. If you had to be either C3PO, HAL from Space Odyssey, The Iron Giant or The Terminator (I know he's an android) who would you be?
I guess we would be HAL, as we enjoy his soothing melancholy voice as he quietly plots to destroy us and anything standing in his way of mission success.There's been a lot going on in the Canadian dance music scene as of late. What's your take on the scene currently? What do you love and what still needs to be improved?
The Canadian scene has grown a lot over the last few years with lots of Canadian talent getting on the international radar. That being said there's still work to be done. I think Canada could improve on the bookings side as it seems it's mostly the same international acts that keep getting re-booked and lots of more cutting-edge producers and DJs get overlooked. The audience is fairly young for the most part, so I think it could benefit from a more diverse booking policy as that would expose them to different styles and sounds that they just don't get exposed to on the Canadian market very often. There are obviously a few crews out there already doing that type of thing and hopefully we'll see more acceptance for some of the lesser known talents to get the proper exposure they deserve.The Mirror Image EP is out May 26 on My Favorite Robot.My Favorite Robot Worldwide Tour Dates
May 10 Playa del Carmen, MX @ La Sanatanera
June 6 Dubai, AE @ Story Rooftop Lounge
June 11 Barcelona, ES @ MFR Off-Sonar Crossing Wires Showcase
June 13 Barcelona, ES @ H.O.T
June 29 Toronto, CA @ Digital Dreams FestivalConnect with My Favorite Robot on Facebook and SoundCloud