AUTOMATICS is a five piece band from Linares (Jaén, Spain) which started on the early nineties. They released their first single in 1993, and since then they’ve managed to build up a brilliant career based on their high skills at writing superb pop songs with a cutting edge of sharp distorted guitars. They also stand out thanks to their solid, impressive live sets.
They managed to release three albums: “Césarea” (1994), “Space rock melodies” (1997) and “Duty” (1999); hundreds of gigs, some of them as remarkable as their taking part in MTV Eurobaschhh 1997 contest -a sort of alternative Eurovision- in Adrenalin Village in London, or their 1998 appearance at Eurockeenes in Belfort, the most important festival in France. There they shared the bill with GARBAGE, JON SPENCER, PRODIGY, PULP, PORSTISHEAD and many other first-rate names. They have also played in Benicassim Festival (Spain) several times: after the last one (1999) they were chosen best Spanish live act, and fourth live act in general, by Radio 3 listeners.
“Experiments in motion graphics” shows up AUTOMATICS is a daring act, that not only writes excellent songs but also cares for dressing them in new outfits. This time they meant to go beyond the traditional bass+guitar+drums formula. And they managed to get it, with a little help from their friends.
“Experiments in motion graphics” is formed by remixes of old AUTOMATICS’ tracks, made by some of the Spanish finest techno activists. First we have BIG TOXIC, quite an important name due to long years of work in Spanish electronic scene. In this record you can find two remixes made by him, based on two songs from AUTOMATICS’ second album “Space rock melodies”: “Swayfest” (under the aka of ALMAX BROTHERS) and “Lone” (as BIG TOXIC).
ALMAX BROTHERS’ mix of “Swayfest” -the most radio-friendly track in “Space rock melodies”- is frantic and hyperdancey; the vocals in the original song are respected and the rhythmic structure is reinforced, adding a touch of cybernetic madness that turns this remix into something really irresistible.
In comparison, “Lone” sounds more relaxed though equally renewed; here BIG TOXIC preserves again the pop element usual in AUTOMATICS, leaving the vocals in the foreground but improving the rhythm, and the output is another happy marriage of noisy guitars and electronics.
HD SUBSTANCE, another crucial name to understand techno made in Spain, gives a new shape to “Sputnik was sent into space over 30 years ago, in 1957”. This is one of the most outstanding songs in AUTOMATICS’ set, as it sounds very different from the usual sound of the band. Some female samples substitute Lozano’s vocals and the general feeling of the song is very reminiscent to the best moments in German seventies krautrock. This song originally appeared in “Ultrasónica” CD-Single, which is currently deleted. So we have included it as a bonus, hidden track at the end of this record. HD SUBSTANCE’s vision of the song is quite faithful to the original, though he includes some effects and additions to make the track more seductive.
Though BEEF is not a true electronic band, they have always showed more than a simple interest for the most radical and extreme forms of avant-garde music. So the remix David Rodríguez (BEEF’s frontman) has made out of “Sputnik was sent into space over 30 years ago, in 1957” really differs from HD SUBSTANCE’s, or from the original track. It’s based in industrial sounds really claustrophobic and repetitive which create a climax of hypnotic suffocation.
Track number five is not a remix but a live rendition of “They will live forever”, one of the best songs in “Duty”, the previous album. This is taken from their show for Spanish TV Channel 2 on June 9, 1999. We include it here to remind you again how good their live shows are.
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