Coming from a punk rock background, it’s hard to imagine that I can be found at many electronic based shows and even giving it a try myself. I’m sure I’ve stated the above a few times now, but this fact is not only my story; but also the story of Jesse F Keeler and Al-P. These two guys form the globally-praised Canadian electro duo known as MSTRKRFT. With Jesse starting his music career as one half of the punky/thrashy/dance band Death From Above 1979, it’s clear that this sector of musical inspiration is still a part of MSTRKRFT’s sound today. Al happened to produce the albums of DFA1979, and spent time in a few short lived punk and electro-pop bands himself before joining forces with Jesse to become the producers and live dj’s under the name of MSTRKRFT.

Alright, so we got the story down in brief. Punk rocker roots + interest in the dance scene + turned DJs + contributions from the finest of electro or rap artists = MSTRKRFT. See where I’m coming from? This is the recipe for a rowdy show, and after seeing them live back in 2008 at Pemberton Fest, I have been waiting for a second serving of their distorted electro goodness.

Last Thursday at Whistler’s finest, Garfinkel's nightclub I had my chance to catch the boys live once more. The place had a really great vibe and the hype was heavy. Everyone was ready to party, and tons of homies were in attendance. MSTRKRFT hit the stage just before midnight, right after an opening set by Dre Morel. I hadn’t been this stoked in a while. I’m so glad that all the new attention to Whistler is bringing in some world class acts to our small town!

After killing it on the dancefloor all night, I have taken some time to reflect on the kick-ass set and come up with an opinion. This is hard to say! The crowd loved it and so did I, their fusion of distorted hard electro with classic Daft Punk-esque original compositions, I’d say that they did the job right. Afterall, the girls do love the whole “All I do is party” thing that JFK and AL-P have planted on us forever. One thing I have noticed compared to the last time I saw them was a few years ago they had more of a pure electro-dance-pop sort of feel, and now they have made a harder comeback with their latest album, Fist of God, and it seems they are going more club-vibe. It’s hard to explain, but I’m not sure how I feel about that.

I feel like I have made the transition from dance-punk to electro with MSTRKRFT, as they were the first electro act I caught onto. That being said, it’s hard for me to diss anything they do as they will always be relevant to my music interest. So yeah, awesome time and it was good to catch these guys again. I look forward to seeing them again and see how they progress in time; they’re definitely here to stay.

Huge thanks to Garf’s for the awesome service and staff as always, MSTRKRFT for killin’ it, Jesse Nelson for the shots, Ryan Kenny rocking the video cam, all the bros that came out and partied, and the local promoters who keep bringing in the freshest acts!