FABLES FOR ROBOTS

The debut album of Mister Robot. A very interesting project of a Russian musician. As far as it is clear from the information, everything was recorded by him alone without assistance. The album consists of two long tracks divided into chapters, passing one into the other. "Fables for robots" is a conceptual album and the first thing that comes to mind is a collection of short stories by the largest Polish science fiction writer and philosopher Stanislaw Lem. But as far as I understand from the lyrics the album is about something else entirely - about the degree of freedom of a person, his programmability, the origins of his goals and desires (this is a quote from his biography on progarchives). Texts in Russian. Now about the music itself.

"In The Laboratory" - The album begins with an intro in which the lab assistant communicates with the engineer (Creator). It turns out that the laboratory has received two robots, and although the robots are similar to the old ones, the laboratory assistant does not know how they (robots) work. And when the engineer asks what sounds are coming from the next room, the lab assistant says that they are robots and they are dancing. The lab technician opens the door for the engineer and sees dancing robots.

"Dance of the Robots" - the play of pastiche, an attempt to portray a little awkward dancing robots. Structurally, this is a three-voice two-part keyboard piece based on the dialogue between an electric piano and a lead synthesizer and designed in a swing style.

"Robot Free Will" - the main theme, the leitmotif of the entire album - "You considered yourself free, but this is in vain, because you did not live a day by your will" - an attempt to understand the beginning and end of human freedom, reasoning about the origins of our motives. Musically, a light piano stylization of vaudeville with vocal polyphony in one of the parts. "Every breath and every exhalation here was played not once" - sings the main voice, "every, every, every breath," adds another.

It doesn't make sense to describe all the music, it is very diverse and texturally heterogeneous, and the author easily moves from one stylistic device to another. From the following chapters, we can distinguish - "Robots Talk" - another stylization, an attempt to portray the dialogue of two robots by musical means. Fully electronic - "Image Creation". "What is Life? (Muddy Waters)" - fusion piece with a beautiful guitar, gorgeous bass and rap as vocals. Awesome instrumental "What Does the Robot Dream Of? (Lucifer's Flight)" where you can even hear jazz be bop in the final.

Stylistically, it is a sympho prog, although quite eclectic, a lot of electronics, jazz, flamenco elements. There are a lot of keyboards, guitars, a flute, and even brass instruments. But the vocals are not given much space. It is difficult to name any direct analogies from famous names, in the title theme I heard echoes of Queen (or rather Killer Queen), in a large number of electronic music by a Russian composer Eduard Artemyev and Ennio Morricone, in the dialogues of keyboards and guitars something from Dream Theater, something from John McLaughlin and Al di Meola ( in "What is Life?)". Sometimes I see Pink Floyd (in "What Does The Robot Dream Of?") and Genesis, Yes. Although all these influences are purely fragmentary, Mister Robot's music is quite original and unlike anything I've heard before. The main feature of the album I would call unpredictability, constant change of themes and melodies. For listeners who will be listening to the album for the first time, I would advise them to have a little patience. It's very difficult to get into all the versatility of this album from the first time. About the vocal. It is not enough, it does not strain. Although confidence is a little lacking. Of the weak points, this is probably mixing, it is closer to jazz than to rock, and some of the volume and diversity inherent in progressive rock , in my opinion, is not enough, the sound is quite dry. Still, it's a very decent job. And in compositional and melodic terms, it is absolutely amazing. 4.5 stars. I strongly advise all fans of symphonic and eclectic progressive rock.