"He has given up his companions for the companionship of the pop charts," one disgusted fan said. "There was a large protest element to the music back then - he's moving away to 'the other side'," said another. Disgruntled Bob Dylan enthusiasts fumed at the notion of their saviour abandoning his acoustic roots for electricity, but fans of Robotnik needn't trouble themselves with a similar indignance. Why? Well, because the artist formerly known as geeky troubadour Chris Morrin has flung aside his acoustic guitar in favour of electronic gadgetry and a new pseudonym - and has opened up a gaping chasm of possibilities in the process.
'Pleasant Square' is the 27-year-old Dubliner's debut album, and although it suffers from a moderately overlong running time (15 tracks over an hour), it's a thoroughly likeable collection that stumbles through a wide miscellany of styles. Here, you'll find everything from ambient, Avalanches-influenced sketches ('Dog With No Tail'), infuriatingly catchy, effectively simple pop songs dotted with electro doodles ('People Walk Away', 'Lazyboy'), and inventive soft-dance numbers that reference everyone from Depeche Mode to Erasure ('The Master'). As if that wasn't enough, there's also a throwback to Morrin's sound of yesteryear with the dreamy Elliott Smith-esque 'Vinedresser', while the New Order-meets-The Field space-zap of 'Piece of Mind' picks up the pace commendably.
Robotnik has been a fixture on the Irish underground scene for several years, yet not many will be expecting an album of such scope, diversity and simple, unadulterated enjoyment. Morrin can rest safe in the knowledge that he's created a debut that's far from square and certainly pleasant - and who needs acoustic guitars, anyway?
