5/10

During the heydays of electro from around 2007 to 2009, MSTRKRFT were one of the biggest names on the scene. Their abrasive sound mixed with a progressive structure gave them this vintage yet new and unexplored style, and now they are bringing all those memories back with their latest full-length 'Operator', the band's first in seven years.

From the get go, 'Operator' is a hard record to get into. The opening track 'Wrong Glass Sir' is a glorious mess of synths and percussion that only sets up the rest of the album. From there, you can expect nothing else but full-on bass-tones and wobbly high-end frequencies that match the French electro sound of Justice and Mr Oizo that the pair were originally inspired by. Only this time there seems to be a lack of memorable material to take away from here, not to mention the overall dated direction.

It's fair to say that electro has moved on since a decade ago, but it seems MSTRKRFT never got the message. Rather than returning with something new and interesting, they have fallen back on old ways that just doesn't pack the same punch in today's musical zeitgeist.