MSTRKRFT | |
|---|---|
_(3986307737).jpg) Keeler and Al-P performing inPerth, 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Dance-punk,electro house |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Last Gang,Ministry of Sound Australia,PIAS Recordings,Dim Mak, ORO Records |
| Members | Jesse F. Keeler Al-P |
| Website | Official website |
Mstrkrft (stylized asMSTRKRFT;disemvowelment of "master craft") is a Canadianelectronic music duo fromToronto. The group was started in 2005 byJesse F. Keeler ofDeath from Above andAl-P (Alex Puodziukas) formerly of theMississauga, Ontario[1]electropop groupGirlsareshort.[2][3][4] Al-P was also the producer for Death from Above 1979's albumYou're a Woman, I'm a Machine as well as several of (Jesse's former band) Black Cat #13's records. The duo have been close friends, as well as work partners, for a long time.[citation needed] Mstrkrft also producedDie Mannequin's first EP,How to Kill, andMagneta Lane's second LP,Dancing With Daggers.[5]
Mstrkrft has been commissioned to remix songs by such artists as Death From Above 1979,Justice,Kylie Minogue,Katy Perry,Bloc Party,Ayumi Hamasaki,Metric,Wolfmother,[6]Annie andThe Kills.[7]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(October 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Their first single was "Easy Love", released in 2006 onLast Gang Records. They released their second single, "Work On You", on 6 July. In contrast to the "Easy Love" music video, "Work On You" featured animated robots, similar to those found in classic cartoons (similar toVoltron andTransformers). The band has created remixes from a variety of other artists ranging fromBuck 65 toThe Kills toDeath from Above 1979.
Mstrkrft released their debut album,The Looks, on 18 July 2006 in the United States and 2 February 2007 in Britain. Keeler and Al-P toldEye Weekly weeks before the release ofThe Looks, that as the album was being finished, the planning stages for a follow-up record had already begun. Describing the upcoming album's new direction, Al-P said that the album would be "darker, underground disco and house with elements of American rock music."
The 2007 version of their song "Street Justice" was also released as a single. On the band's website message board, Keeler mentioned they were also working on a compilation album composed of their remixed tracks. "Street Justice" was also featured inSaints Row 2. "Neon Knights" was also featured onNeed For Speed: Pro Street, their remix for Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." was featured in the filmMeet the Spartans, and "Work on You" was featured inDirt 2.
Their song "Paris" was featured in a 2006 commercial for theonline music storeURGE. In 2007, Mstrkrft appeared at the WEMFWorld Electronic Music Festival.
In September 2007, Mstrkrft performed at an Australian spring music festival "Parklife" inBrisbane. They performed their remix of the song "Woman" from Modular label matesWolfmother.Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother appeared on stage and sang live while Mstrkrft performed the remix.
In 2008, they released a mix CD withZ-Trip through Obeygiant.com. In conjunction with this CD, Obey offered the Artwork print, entitled Soundclash of the Titans. On 24 May 2008, Mstrkrft was featured on BBC Radio 1 show,The Essential Mix. Mstrkrft later performed at the 2008Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, which included a diverse group of artists ranging from Metallica to Jack Johnson.
In 2009, their remix of "Woman" byWolfmother was featured in the filmLesbian Vampire Killers. On 17 March 2009, Mstrkrft released their second LP,Fist of God. Initial critical response was average, with major periodicalsSpin,Rolling Stone, andBlender giving the album less-than-stellar reviews. The album features guest appearances by John Legend, E-40, N.O.R.E., and Lil' Mo, among others. In 2010, their song “Bounce’ featuringN.O.R.E. was featured inDJ Hero 2.
In 2011, they released two new singles, "Beards Again" and "Back in the USSA". "Beards Again" was later featured on theInjustice: Gods Among Us video game soundtrack in 2013.
The band's third LP,Operator was released on 22 July 2016. The singles "Little Red Hen" and "Party Line" were released in March and May 2016 respectively to promote the album.
Starting in May 2019, MSTRKRFT started releasing a single every month on ORO Records, including "City Violence", "La Chiaccherona", "All Night, All Night", "Buffalo Fat" and "Dorsia".
The bandtook out the vowels from their name in order to avoid trademark infringement withMastercraft, a Canadian tools company. The 'C' was changed to a 'K' in order to maintain the pronunciation and image of the original name.[8]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Dance [9] | ||||||||||||||
| The Looks |
| — | ||||||||||||
| Fist of God |
| 12 | ||||||||||||
| Operator |
| 17 | ||||||||||||
| Black Gloves |
| — | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Runaway, Vol. I (Remixes) |
| Runaway, Vol. II (Remixes) | |
| 2019 | Sunshine of My Life |
| 2020 | Spirit of Truth |
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [10] | BEL (Fl) | UK [11] | US Dance | |||||||||||
| 2006 | "Easy Love" | — | — | — | — | The Looks | ||||||||
| "Work on You" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2007 | "Street Justice" | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 2008 | "Bounce"/"Vuvuvu" | 75 | — | — | 14 | Fist of God | ||||||||
| 2009 | "Heartbreaker"(featuringJohn Legend) | 63 | 53 | 50 | — | |||||||||
| 2011 | "Beards Again" | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||||||
| "Back in the USSA" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2016 | "Little Red Hen" | — | — | — | — | Operator | ||||||||
| "Party Line" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Priceless" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Runaway" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2019 | "City Violence" | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||||||
| "La Chiaccherona" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "All Night, All Night" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Buffalo Fat" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Dorsia" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Let Me See You Move" | — | — | — | — | Sunshine of My Life | |||||||||
| 2020 | "Black Gloves" | — | — | — | — | Black Gloves | ||||||||
| "ALEXYSS" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||||
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
