Revisiting the Classic: Return of the Jaded Talks ‘Mr. Roboto’ and the Future of House Music

Canadian producers Return Of The Jaded and Martin Villeneuve have been making their impact on the dance music scene for decades; individually renowned for their innovative production styles and daring musical output. Teaming up to revisit Martin’s classic rendition of Styx’s Mr. Roboto, which reached Beatport #1 in 2006, their explosive rework is out now on Jaded Recordings, and we chatted to ROTJ about the release and the future of House Music for HMWL.

What inspired you to collaborate with Martin Villeneuve to rework his iconic 2006 rendition of ‘Mr. Roboto’? How did the partnership come about?

I’ve known Marty for ages—he was my mentor back when I first broke into the scene around 2008. Every now and then, we catch up over dinner, and during one of these chats, the topic of “Mr. Roboto” came up! I had actually done an electro house remix of it about 12 years ago, but under a different alias, not as ROTJ. After that dinner, I pestered him relentlessly to give the idea a modern twist. He was hesitant at first but eventually caved and sent over the stems. Once I sent him the initial concepts, he saw the spark and was all in on bringing this project to life.

 

When reimagining ‘Mr. Roboto,’ how did you approach balancing its classic elements with your own production style?

Marty and I were on the same page from the start—we didn’t want to lean too heavily on the classic elements and end up with an ’80s pop track slapped with modern house drums. Instead, we chose to keep it sleek and forward-thinking, using only the vocoder for that nostalgic touch. In my mind, I already had a vision: I wanted it to sound massive, blending indie dance vibes with a fresh, cross-genre appeal. Something versatile enough that tech house, melodic techno, and straight-up techno DJs could all spin it.

 

 

Can you walk us through your production process for this track?

I must’ve gone through six different versions before landing on this one. I’ve got a feeling electro house is making a comeback, so I threw in some crunchy, distorted bass stabs for that extra bite. I kept the drums clean and rolling, with a big, punchy indie dance snare and tons of textured layers. I made a point to avoid any Roland TR-909 samples, just to steer clear of that typical tech house drum vibe. The bassline took the longest to perfect, mainly because of the track’s key—I had to meticulously layer the mid and sub-bass to get the low end just right. The lead is pretty straightforward and progressive, but it ties the whole track together. What really makes this one stand out, though, is the vocoder in the break. I actually put a vocoder through another vocoder (yeah, double vocoder!) and crafted a lead from it that I’m absolutely obsessed with!

 

As a producer known for creating energetic and powerful house music, how did you ensure that this rework maintains that energy while paying homage to the original?

Maintaining the “ROTJ energy” was not a challenge here. I think I actually had to tone that energy down a little bit to make it more progressive and “underground”. We wanted this to be a serious record. The 2006 version by Marty has a ton of vocals, the organ lead, and a funky electro house bassline. Our new version relies heavily on the vocoder saying “domo arigato Mister Roboto” sporadically to maintain a connection with the original.

 

Given that Martin Villeneuve’s original version of ‘Mr. Roboto’ reached #1 on Beatport in 2006, did you feel any pressure to live up to the success of the original? How did that influence your creative decisions?

There’s definitely some pressure not to desecrate a successful track when remixing it. Martin and I made a few creative decisions such as leaving the organ lead out to appeal to today’s market. But we were lucky enough that the creative juices flowed organically. We were able to finish this version pretty fast because we thought it sounded great pretty early on. For me, the real pressure isn’t so much in the quality of the production but in how it’s released and marketed. The music scene is way more cutthroat than it was 18 years ago, so the real challenge now is making sure the track gets the attention it deserves.

Return Of The Jaded & Martin Villeneuve in the studio

Nostalgia and rave culture seem to play a key role in this rework. How important do you think it is to connect with these elements in today’s electronic music scene?

A little bit of nostalgia never hurt anyone. It’s about crafting an experience—something unexpected yet familiar—that sparks curiosity and makes you listen closer. I’m a big fan of creating original work. You cannot rely on regurgitating the same old samples over and over again. The industry needs a constant infusion of new music to keep it fresh. However, as someone who also goes to events as a patron, I do enjoy the occasional throwback or familiar sample in a set.

 

Did you face any challenges with this project?

Surprisingly I did not face any real challenges. So far the DJ support on this has been very positive. Doing this with Martin was an absolute breeze and good experience.

 

Your productions have received support from major industry names like Pete Tong and Nora En Pure. What do you hope the wider DJ and fan community takes away from your take on ‘Mr. Roboto’?

I just want people to appreciate this new direction that I’m taking and enjoy this modern take of a classic. I just want people to enjoy my music and maybe trip them out a little bit with some vocoders. I hope this sound draws people in, gets them to appreciate the artistry, and, at the end of the day, just enjoy the ride.

 

With this exciting release on Jaded Recordings, can fans expect more collaborations or remixes of iconic tracks in the future?

Expect more tracks that fuse tech house, indie dance, and progressive house—it’s a direction I’m really leaning into. I’ve got some exciting collaborations lined up for the label, but it’s a bit too early to spill the details. My aim is to push the boundaries of tech house and bring something fresh to the table. Let’s face it, we’ve sampled almost everything, and most melodies have already been explored. The future of originality, in my opinion, lies in pushing sound design and innovative synth work, rather than just rehashing tracks with a Fergie sample.

 

What other projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a ton of new material for 2025. I have a few collaborations in the works with Karsten Sollors, MC Dread, Rumpus, Dark Heart, Haylee Wood. The plan is to continue to build Jaded Recordings with solid releases and start getting other artists on there as well. I’m also in the process of creating the second ROTJ t-shirt with a graphic from the tallen Jerry Wei Chen. Details coming soon!

Stream / Purchase: Return Of The Jaded x Martin Villeneuve ‘Mr. Roboto’