Heavyweight producer Marcus Lambkin aka Shit Robot is finally out with his full-length debut. It’s filled to the brim with guest vocals from Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Nancy Whang among others. The influential Irishman is known for his unique danceable mix of disco and synth-pop, electro and punk-funk. He got his pseudonym from the Shit Robot party; named after a crap robot drawing by James Murphy. After nearly two decades of DJ’ing and a handful of 12-inch releases, Lambkin has unveiled a superb album, with one of the best titles of the year; From The Cradle To The Rave.
URB: Music journalists keep saying that your debut album has been a long time coming. Has it really, or did you just never find the right time?
Shit Robot: It’s been a little while coming, yes, but not as long as some people have been saying. Some of the quotes have been 20 years in the making, but that’s just how long I’ve been listening to dance music. In reality, it’s been more like 3 or 4 years in the making. I had a baby girl two years ago, so that slowed things up a bit.
How does it feel to be called “The Godfather of DFA” by James Murphy?
Haha, that’s ridiculous. I think James is being very generous there. I mean, I have been around since day one and I did introduce James to some good dance music, but I haven’t had a lot to do with DFA’s popularity.
Did you make a conscious decision to feature vocals on every track?
Yes, I really didn’t want to have an album of dance instrumentals, which is what I’m mainly known for. Having said that, I also didn’t feel the need to have vocals on EVERY track, but that’s just the way it turned out.
Some of your songs have a tacky feel; does humor belong in your music, or do just play with irony?
No, I believe humor has no place in music… or journalism.
How do find your signature production when there are so many types of genres to be inspired from?
I have no idea to be honest, that’s just the way my stuff sounds. It’s basically an amalgamation of all the music that has influenced me over the years, which is mainly that acid house, warehouse sound mixed with some Kraftwerk, etc.
Do the crowd react very differently from Dublin, New York to Stuttgart, or do you have a typical following?
Oh for sure, it’s always different wherever you go. Dublin and NY are like chalk and cheese, but I love playing in both those cities. It’s always interesting to work out the crowd wherever you go. If the crowd was the same everywhere it would get boring very fast.
Being a DJ since 1992; how do feel about the current state of music in 2010?
I think the music is fine, there is some great house music coming out right now. I’m not a huge fan of the noisy electro stuff that has been popular for a while, but I enjoy the challenge of playing to those crowds and converting them to some decent house or old school rave, which is basically where this Nu-Rave stuff comes from.
Have you gone digital, or do you still play vinyl and cdr’s?
No, I’m still playing vinyl with a couple of CD’s. It’s wreaking havoc with my back and often times when I show up to play the turntables haven’t been used in six months, but I think it’s worth it. You can’t beat the sound of vinyl.
Leave A Comment!