There are eclectic bands, and then there is Replaced By Robots. Some albums break the rules, and then there is The Experiment. There are artists who are happy to follow fads and fashion, and then there are those who beat a path through the sonic undergrowth, daring others to follow. Replaced by Robots are certainly the latter.
In their own words, the band came together “as a sound and vision laboratory, where they search through the wreckage and noise of modern life to find unusual combinations and create moments of beauty.” As mission statements go, that is a brilliant attitude, as deliveries go, The Experiment is all that and more.
Having said that, “The Laboratory” aptly kicks us off with two minutes of sensational surf sonics, vocals acting as instruments, 50’s guitars set to stunning, and echoes of B-52’s running riot.
Contrastingly, “All The Lonely Nights” fuses doo-wop-inspired vocals with gritty, futuristic indie-pop guitar work—less a nod to nostalgia and more a leap into a sound yet to fully arrive. Splicing established musical forms with future sonic potential? It’s what they do. (They should put that on their business cards or the back of their merch stand attire!)
The fantastically titled, “Are We In Love or Am I Just Losing My Mind” ventures into an alternate timeline of glam rock, one where the genre evolved and thrived beyond its heyday and remained a force to be reckoned with right up until…well, now. Glam for a satorially unadventurous age, why not? Meanwhile, “Air of Uncertainty” offers a brief yet captivating cinematic vignette, haunting in its restraint.
The journey concludes with “Since You Broke My Ouija Board” because, while Replaced by Robots certainly know how to title a track, even they couldn’t follow one that great. This EP’s closer again channels the spirit of 1950s music but filters it through a jagged, industrial-pop lens, creating a retro-futurist finale that’s as evocative as it is unpredictable.
Bands claim to be creating the sound of the future all the time. Not many bands can claim to be doing so whilst reimagining the past, making music for the present, and exploring alternative sonic timelines and musical histories. Replaced by Robots can.
The Experiment album order
Bandcamp
Apple Music
All The Lonely Nights
Are We Falling in Love or Am I Just Losing My Mind
