Canadian electronic duo MSTRKFT, comprised of Death from Above 1979 bassist Jesse Keeler and Alex "Al-P" Pouddziukas are back in the fold with their first single in five years. The unapologetic "Little Red Hen" was first premiered on Saturday via A-Trak's Beats 1 show "Day Off Radio" and now has been officially released on iTunes via Last Gang Records.
The song comes right out of the gate without any mercy. It stays relentless right until the end with a warbling, pitched synth lead and a growling undercurrent of bass. It is a long way off from their 2009 hit "Heartbreaker" with John Legend.
"It's probably the most accurate reflection of how we work onstage," Keeler said in a statement about the new track via Rolling Stone. "We had to be very creative with very few elements. It took time to figure that out. 'Little Red Hen' is an honest representation of where we're at right now."
"A big part of the sound is the curation of equipment," added Al-P. "There's no trickery - what you hear is what you get and we're not manipulating anything afterward. We set limits for ourselves sonically and stylistically as far as the palette goes."
This is the first fans have heard from MSTRKRFT since their loose singles "Back in the USSA" and "Beards Again" in 2011. They released their second and most recent LP, Fist of God, in 2009.
In addition to the new single, they have announced five tour dates for SXSW in Austin, which could hint at a return to form in 2016, though Keeler is going on tour with DFA 1979 and Eagles of Death Metal across Canada starting at the end of April.
We will see if there is more to come from the duo and if they have plans for a third album.
