Title: Celeste
Artist: Auto-Auto
Genre: Electro Pop
Release Date: 24th October 2008
Label: Out of Line
Album Review
The multi-art project AUTO-AUTO whose “main purpose is to try to change and encourage change in your local community, thus from small changes ultimately making the world a better place for all of us to live in” was born in 2004 and ever since that year, they’ve released a string of releases all of which didn’t get that much attention over here. ‘Celeste’, their second album, released on Out of Line is most likely to change that fact.
Clap your hands one-two-three and move to this beat for me; no I’m not completely nuts. Actually ‘Do You Need Some Space?’ in its first 90 seconds sounds just like one of those Euro Dance Tracks from the early 90s and after a small yet heavy drift into Industrial-laden territory it’s going to return to that sound, just to travel back in time to the 80s. It’s a strange combination of styles, that’s for sure; maybe it’s that what makes it so intriguing in the first place. ‘Shadowlands’ was featured already on the most recent ‘Awake the Machines’ issue and it was revelled, justifiably if you ask me. It’s surely not the most innovative concept of the day to fuse danceable beats, a little bit of melody and some decent vocals together, but you have to attest them to make it sound better and fresher than many others on the market. ‘Hastwerk’ was one of my favourites on the newest ‘Advanced Electronics’ compilation. It’s taking a minimalist basic rhythm, adds many 80s-tinged sound elements and a few modern ones to build another floor-filler, that’s nevertheless sounding completely different than ‘Shadowlands’.
‘Toadboy’ I heard for the first time on this year’s Out of Line Festival and the greatest strength of the track is - more than anything else - that sweeping chorus, there you’re gonna nod an there you just wanna sing along. Just a great vocal performance! OK, why not using guitars end especially if they’re sounding that nice as on ‘Lazer Beam’ but I can’t think what came over them using these 80s hip-hop styled vocals and ‘The Pathetic Mr. Schneider’ is the strangest case of speech sample use I’ve heard in a long time. Let’s just assume those two have a waggish sense of humour. I must say I was extremely surprised what came to many ears when ‘Celeste’ started - mild and skilful piano and even a harmonica if my ears aren’t deceiving me + a top-notch rhythm section and mournful chant that it’s softening the heart.
Fresh and diverse are the attributes to describe ‘Celeste’. OK, it’s mainly focussing on dance-floor appealing rhythms - except ‘Celeste’ - but no track is sounding like the other one and that can’t be said about every band. Highly recommended!
Tracklist
01. Do You Need Some Space? – 3:47
02. Shadowlands – 3:29
03. Empire Home – 3:56
04. Russian Reflux – 4:15
05. I Like It – 3:49
06. Where The Buffalo Roam – 3:23
07. Hastwerk – 3:47
08. Mirror – 4:28
09. Toadboy – 2:58
10. Arm Yourself – 3:43
11. Lazer Beam – 3:22
12. The Pathetic Mr. Schneider – 2:46
13. Celeste – 3:56
Line-up
Johan Hellqvist
Erik Frankel
Website
http://www.auto-auto.se/ / http://www.myspace.com/autoautose
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10
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