Review Vault – Automation Records / Thrill Jockey Edition

Automation Records

Automation Records is a Seattle based independent record label. The label’s first release was in 2003 and as of 2009 the label has nineteen releases.
Automation Records roster of artists include Abiku, Cex, DJ Strapon, Gonken, Hopen, Kid Camaro, Mr. Messiah, nonnon, Red Squirrels, and Uglyhead. – Wikipedia

Note – All of the label’s releases are available for streaming here.
 
Nonnon – The Entitlement Generation
Nonnon is just one of many alter egos of David  Madden and “Entitlement” is a follow-up to “Death Of Convenience”, which came out in 2005 on Ad Noiseam label.
Its a record made for robots (or aliens, at the very least), which somehow made it into the hands of humans. “Entitlement”  could inspire plenty of giant robotic dance parties,  since its chock full of weird rhythms, electronic effects and jagged beats.
On the other hand, its hard to imagine the kind of circumstances in which robots or aliens would understand a reference to Steinski or Coil, so humans would definitely enjoy this one.

Further Info: Bandcamp / MySpace / Facebook
Reviews: Cyclic Defrost / Slug Magazine / Heathen Harvest / MSSV

Hopen – Shark’s Wife
And more of groovy glitchery – this time from Switzerland’s project Hopen (a.k.a. Childe Grangier). While it shares some of the atmosphere with”Entitlement Generation”, at its core “Shark’s Wife” seems be even more abstract and darker sort of record.
“Sharks Wife” brings together fragments of ghost voices (“Confusions 1”, “African Ships”), samples from old blues records (“Rathmines”) and sped-up electronic sounds (“Misc. Parts”). All of this may sound like a bizarre and unlikely combination, but music on “Wife” definitely makes for one unusual trip (especially if you’re an open-minded kind of listener and/or know the genre very well).

Further Info:  Bandcamp / MySpace / Irrigation Works

Mochipet – Cowgirls Get The Pets
This is the first album that Mochipet (a.k.a. David Wang) recorded for Automation Records and prior to release of “Cowgirls” he worked with Tigerbeat6, Violent Turd and Daly City Records (among many others).
His previous album contained stabs at anything from country to hip-hop (and references to anyone from Master P to Johnny Cash to Cash Money Millionaires).  As song titles on “Cowgirls” indicate, this album is not about specific performers – in there’s two names of imaginary genres, both of which have something to do with dub (“The Dubscrew” and “Dubcore”) and two random song titles (“Dirty Rider” and “Bottom Out”).
The album is almost entirely instrumental (save for a sample in the beginning of “The Dubscrew”) and its far from being a conventional dance record, but still feels dance-floor friendly, strangely enough. With its foundation of glitchy beats and eerie samples and noises, it also sounds like a good candidate for sampling by rap/hip-hop artists.
In any case, those 4 tracks are quite good – and they don’t sound like a parody of something else (which is often the case with breakcore/laptop artists work). Indeed, its a standalone work and it sounds quite bouncy, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear it in the clubs, along with all the crunk/hip-hop and dance stuff.

Further Info: Bandcamp / Blog / MySpace / Last.fm / CD Baby /  Soundcloud
Reviews: Cyclic Defrost
 

Thrill Jockey

Thrill Jockey Records is an American independent record label established in 1992 in New York City by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards. – Wikipedia
Sam Prekop – Old Punch Card
Prekop is best known as a member of The Sea And Cake / Shrimp Boat and this is his first solo album in five years. Those who associate his name with post-rock/indie-rock should look somewhere else – “Old Punch Card” is a record of experimental variety, with nary a vocal or conventional song structures anywhere in sight, but plenty of electronic sounds/noises.
Title track resembles someone playing with a broken toy synthesizer – there’s all sorts of bleeping and blooping sounds but they eventually give way to a melody.  And, in fact, the entire album seems to be built around this idea – there’s plenty of noises, but most of them are playful /non-violent and they serve as a backbone for any melodies that eventually emerge out of randomness.  Indeed, much like press kit points out, this record does owe something to the likes of BBC Radiophonic Workshop and Raymond Scott.
Further Info: Thrill Jockey / Electronic Beats / The POP! Stereo / Resident Advisor / CMJ