robot kill city

Most of the members of indie rock five-piece Robot Kill City may be from a Northern Ontario town known for its nickel deposits, but a collective adolescence spent thinking about, creating and playing music sparked a passion that couldn’t be contained within the city stifling limits.

After relocating from Sudbury to Ottawa for post-secondary, singer Charlie Berger and guitarist Mike Laderoute recruited Chris Pulsifer on bass and Dave Secretary on drums to form Shatnr in the summer of 2001. Defined by an experimental, enigmatic sound, the four-piece played various shows in and around Ottawa, eventually recording at Easter Island Studios in Sudbury in February 2002. David Quesnelle topped off the group at five when he joined as the second guitarist and sometimes-backup singer along with Mike Laderoute.

The dizzying bout of musical chairs began with drummer Dave Secretary leaving the band in November 2002 to pursue other musical ventures. Not skipping a beat, the band took this time to brave extensive self-analysis and decided on a more accessible sound and direction. While the band didn’t yet realize it, meeting with drummer Jay Rasia in December proved to be the first step towards their new sound. Writing songs together during weekly jams, they discovered Rasia shared similar musical influences – ranging from The Dismemberment Plan, Fugazi, Shellac and Gang of Four – a clear sign that this was the right guy. They’d found the perfect match – almost.

It wasn’t until bass player Raff Ceppetelli replaced Chris Pulsifer the next November that the boys were able to externalize the inner beats that had so long been rattling inside their heads. They were soon christened Robot Kill City (after one of singer Charlie Berger’s paintings).

Throughout the ever-changing lineup, the boys never lost hope because disbanding was never an option. Their relentless desire to play music allowed them to perceive the member switches as minor detours on the way to finding their own definitive sound.

Robot Kill City is a success story, having already shared the bill with the likes of Q and Not U, Don Caballero, Enon, Black Eyes and Death From Above. Their sound – instantly familiar yet bravely distinct – is the result of not only formative years spent floating in and out of bands but also enough restructuring to make a clean slate.

Musical influences old and new can be heard within their eclectic sound but never threaten to overpower their innovative work – indie rock married with occasionally danceable choruses, plucky guitars, tight drumming and strong vocals that are actually sung, not screeched.

Known for their energetic live shows – no more shoe-gazing here – the band has attempted to translate that force into a six-song EP entitled “The Unfortunate EP,” recorded in drummer Jay Rasia’s and released by Spectra Sonic Sound records in February 2005. Currently the band is working on a full length album which will be finished sometime soon.

The group – composed of D-I-Y artists, recording engineers and zine writers – is a self-contained musical unit, one that is driven by a passion for music that can’t seem to be stopped.