MSTRKRFT (pronounced Master-craft) is the pet project from Toronto, Ontario… Read Full Bio ↴MSTRKRFT (pronounced Master-craft) is the pet project from Toronto, Ontario, Canada of musician Jesse F. Keeler (Death From Above 1979) and studio wizard Al-P (Girlsareshort).

“It all comes down to feel,” states AL-P. “We’re interested in making people feel like they want to dance, at least a little bit, so it’s all about whatever it takes to get people there.”

Formed in 2005, the pair has been collaborating, on and off, since 1998. Though they went separate routes – Jesse taking a brief break from music, and Al moving to New York where he worked at studios like Sound on Sound and Chung King recording artists as diverse as Jay-Z, Wyclef Jean, and David Clayton Thomas – the friends remained in contact, trading tapes of their individual, unreleased forays into dance music.

This studio success naturally led to Al’s being at the helm early in 2002 when Jesse was looking for fresh production ideas to compliment his band, Death From Above 1979. Jesse and Al worked 15 hours a day in the studio together to complete DFA 79’s “You're A Woman, I'm A Machine”, a red-hot masterpiece that fuses the energy of rock and roll with the oomph of disco that received rave reviews and spawned hit singles like “Romantic Rights,” and “Black History Month.” It also gave rise to Jesse and Al’s resolve to start their own project.

Enter MSTRKRFT, a package of house, hip-hop, grime, punk, and all kinds of electronic experimentation rolled into one. In a little over a year they have developed a cult following of dance fans around the world and have remixed just about everyone including The Kills, Annie and Wolfmother’s track “Woman” for which they have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Remix.

“I love DJing so much,” enthuses JFK. “It’s so emotionally rewarding to see a room full of people dancing. That’s better than any experience I’ve ever had.”

With two feet firmly planted in punk rock’s influential past, and two in dance music’s future, MSTRKRFT are the now of now, wow.

MSTRKRFT's The Looks, was released on Last Gang records in North America and on Modular in Australia and the United Kingdom.

MSTRKRFT recently (December 2, 2007) played along with Ratatat, Jay-Jay Johanson, Claude VonStroke and Björk in the Sonofilia festival in Guadalajara, México.

It Ain't Love
MSTRKRFT Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You don't know what love isÃ¯Â»Â¿ baby
You've been runnin' my heart with lies
Played your song and then you were gone
Like the beat goes out at night
You don't know what love is baby
And you're runnin' it outta time
When you wake it'll be too late
I'll have danced you out my life

I'll be dancin', you'll be wishin'
You still had my love
Sweet romancin'
Just me so free
I have had enough

I'll be dancin', you'll be wishin'
You still had my love
Sweet romancin'
Just me so free
I have had enough

It ain't love
What you're doin' to me baby oh
It ain't love
That made me weak baby oh
It ain't love
That I'm dancin' free baby oh no
It ain't love
That I'm dancin' free baby

You don't know what love is
You don't know what love is
You don't know what love is
You don't know no no no

It ain't love
What you're doin' to me
It ain't love
That made me weak
It ain't love
That I'm dancin' free
It ain't love baby

It ain't love
What you're doin' to me
It ain't love
That made me weak
It ain't love
That I'm dancin' free

If it ain't love baby
It's not enough

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to MSTRKRFT's song "It Ain't Love" suggest a romantic relationship gone wrong. The singer tells their partner that they don't know what love is and that they have been lying to them. Through metaphors of music and dancing, the singer suggests that their partner has been playing games with their heart and that their relationship lacked the genuine connection that love requires. Despite this, the singer seems to have moved on and is now dancing and enjoying their freedom while their partner longs for their love.

The line "You don't know what love is baby" sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer seems to be frustrated with their partner's lack of understanding of what love truly is. The metaphorical language of music and dancing is used to convey the idea that their relationship lacked harmony and rhythm, and that their partner was not fully committed to the relationship.

The repetition of the phrase "It ain't love" reinforces the idea that what the singer and their partner had was not the real thing. The final line, "if it ain't love baby, it's not enough," suggests that the singer knows what they want from a relationship (love) and won't settle for anything less.

Overall, the lyrics to "It Ain't Love" criticize the idea of artificial romance and suggest that genuine love requires a deep connection and commitment from both partners.

Line by Line Meaning

You don't know what love is baby
You lack understanding of love, my dear

You've been runnin' my heart with lies
You've been manipulating me with falsehoods

Played your song and then you were gone
You toyed with my heart and then vanished

Like the beat goes out at night
Just like the fading rhythm of a nighttime song

And you're runnin' it outta time
Your opportunities with me are decaying quickly

When you wake it'll be too late
By the time you come to your senses, I'll have moved on

I'll be dancin', you'll be wishin'
I'll be out and enjoying myself, while you'll regret your actions

You still had my love
You'll pine for me, wishing you hadn't lost me

Sweet romancin'
The tender gestures and affections we once shared

Just me so free
I'm now free from the burden that was our relationship

I have had enough
I've reached my limit with you