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Fellow Robot release new album!

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For their brand new album ‘Misanthropioid’, Fellow Robot have teamed up with Andrew Scheps (Green Day, RHCP, Adele, Metallica, Hozier, Johnny Cash) who helped co-produce and mix the album from his home studio ‘Punkerpad’ in Titton, UK. Scheps joined the team during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 and over the course of two years helped the band complete the album remotely. Fellow Robot’s latest album will be released through Scheps’ own ToneQuake Records.

Fellow Robot originally started out as a concept piece in 2016, pulling lyrics from the sci-fi novel “The Robot’s Guide to Music” written by singer Anthony Pedroza. While deeply rooted to its origins, “Misanthropioid” is an album that lives closer to reality than science fiction however blurred those lines are these days.

Fellow Robot named their new album ‘Misanthropioid’, due to its brutally honest lyrics and melancholy feelings surrounding what it is to be a human. “It’s our soundtrack to the last few years” says Pedroza, adding “it’s a diverse take on the perception of emotion, especially regarding how we feel about our fellow humans”. The band does well in reflecting their disappointment of humanity, especially in the opening track ‘Rabbit’ which is a clear reflection of the BLM movement in the US. However dark ‘Misanthropioid’ is, it’s ultimately hopeful within its vulnerable and carefully stitched arrangements. The album at times is theatrical and dramatic, each song seemingly being sung by different characters in a stage production, especially in songs like ‘I’m Going to Hell’ and ‘The People Next Door’. “Society has many voices, and the space in between the harshest opinions are the most truthful”, says drummer, engineer, and cofounder Luis Renteria.

The origins of Fellow Robot are not abandoned as lead singer Pedroza’s novel has been adapted to a graphic novel, its first chapter being released this March through Donut Sounds Record Co. based out of Seattle. The Comic book has been beautifully illustrated by Josh Wolf, and features lyrics from Fellow Robot’s previous musical releases. “FELLOW ROBOT” the comic book takes place in both the future, past and present and is a mind-blowing treat for all loyal fans of the band. Here’s a brief synopsis to whet your appetite:

Among the debris on the outskirts of Saturn is Station FR29. Aboard the station is Fellow Robot, once a magnificent machine, now in disarray with the sole purpose of saving humanity through music. Only Fellow can disrupt the discordant frequencies that his human brother has created. Weak and on the brink of death, Fellow Robot must transfer his melodies and memories to Jason the Musician starting from his creation in 1929. Fellow’s last ditch effort to save humanity is through love, a feeling that his brother Frank Jensen has long forgotten.

In Issue #1 of FELLOW ROBOT, we get a glimpse of a dystopian future and a glimmer of hope and optimism in the past. This 15 Issue Graphic Novel has elements of historical and speculative fiction from a robot’s perspective amidst epic space battles, societal commentary and of course, Science Fiction. Fellow Robot and his human brother, Frank Jensen are diametrically opposed and throughout the run the debate of nature vs nurture is explored. FELLOW ROBOT is the tale of how a machine became a hero, and how a man became a villain.

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Strawhouses Have Made An Album That Needs To Be Heard

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Some records give the impression they’ve been lived with for a long time. Not because they’re nostalgic, but because they carry a quiet confidence that’s difficult to manufacture. That’s the feeling Time in the Light leaves behind.

Strawhouses never sound as though they’re trying to impress with sheer scale. The arrangements expand when they need to, then step aside just as easily, leaving plenty of space for the album’s ideas to settle. That gives the music a natural pace, allowing each track to find its own character without pushing too hard for attention.

The record also avoids taking the same route twice. “Fireworks” opens with a striking historical setting, while “No Other Way Round” explores how timing can change the course of a relationship. Elsewhere, the title track finds meaning in everyday life, before the closing songs gradually shift the focus towards life’s final chapter.

One of the album’s biggest strengths is its sense of perspective. Big themes are approached through recognisable situations rather than grand statements, making the songs easy to connect with without ever feeling overplayed.

Out now via Now Listen, Time in the Light leaves a lasting impression because it never tries to force one. Strawhouses trust the listener to spend time with these songs, and that quiet confidence gives the album a character that’s increasingly uncommon.

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