Autolux

Autolux
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, USA
Genres	Alternative rock Art rock Shoegaze
Years active	2000 – present
Labels	DMZ Epic Records Full Time Hobby (UK)
Website	autolux.net
Members
Carla Azar Greg Edwards Eugene Goreshter

Autolux is a Los Angeles-based trio comprising Eugene Goreshter (lead vocals, bass), Greg Edwards (guitar, vocals) and Carla Azar (drums, vocals). The trio formed in 2000 and has since recorded one promotion EP, Demonstration, and released one full-length studio album, Future Perfect, in 2004. Autolux is currently working on a second studio album.^[1][2]

History

Formation and Demonstration

Autolux formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California. Goreshter and Azar met while writing the score for Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo's play Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Azar had met Edwards when her (former) band Ednaswap toured with Edwards' (former) band Failure.^[3] In August 2000, Autolux made their debut, playing two shows at the Silverlake Lounge. On March 1, 2001, the band released a self-produced EP entitled Demonstration. It contained five songs recorded on an 8 track in their rehearsal space.^[4]

After impressing legendary producer T-Bone Burnett during a performance, Autolux signed to DMZ, a small label created by Burnett and the Coen Brothers.^[3][4]

In May 2002, Azar fell from a stage after Autolux had opened for Elvis Costello. Her elbow was shattered and she was told she would "probably never play drums again".^[3] However, due to an experimental surgery involving eight titanium screws, she made a full and complete recovery^[4]. (Picture: [1])

Recording Future Perfect

In November 2002, Autolux entered the studio to record their first full-length album, Future Perfect, and finished primary recording in January 2003. In contrast with the 8-track recording method employed during the making of Demonstration, Burnett wished to capture the band's live sound on the album. Following the initial recording, the band continued recording and overdubbing additional music at their rehearsal space/studio (Space 23) to flesh out the songs^[4]. The song "Asleep at the Trigger" was completely recorded at Space 23^[5] At the beginning of 2003, the album was mixed numerous times, with Dave Sardy, former front-man of Barkmarket, creating the final mix. The album was released September 21, 2004 and was generally met with critical praise.^[3].

Touring for Future Perfect

Autolux began promoting Future Perfect in January 2005 by touring with the The Secret Machines. Throughout the rest of 2005, Autolux continued to play and/or tour with a number of bands, including Clinic, Broadcast, The White Stripes, Shellac and Beck^[6].

In May 2005, the band played Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival^[7][8]. Soon after, they played All Tomorrow's Parties Music Festival BFH England^[4].

Autolux was then invited by Trent Reznor to open for Nine Inch Nails on their With Teeth tour from September to October 2005^[3]. After touring with Nine Inch Nails, the band ended the year by opening for Queens of the Stone Age at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles^[9].

After the dissolution of the DMZ label, which was under Sony Music, Autolux moved to Epic Records, also under Sony.

2006

In January 2006, Autolux played on Jimmy Kimmel Live^[1][10].

In February 2006, the band wrote a piece, "Tears for an Inhaler", for an exhibit called "Sonic Scenery" at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County^[11]. The exhibit also included artists such as Matmos and Nels Cline.

2007

On April 30, 2007, UNKLE released a limited edition remix 12" called Surrender Sounds Session #3 & #4 (Autolux/Black Mountain), containing a remix of the track "Turnstile Blues" from Future Perfect^[12][13].

"Turnstile Blues" also appears as the opening song in the 2007 movie The Air I Breathe.

In July 2007, the UNKLE record War Stories was released in Europe, Australia, Japan and the US^[14]. In June, 2006, Autolux was approached by James Lavelle of UNKLE to collaborate on his next record. The band was given an acoustic guitar track with a simple drum machine beat. From that, they wrote the song, overdubbed various other tracks and vocals in their rehearsal space, and then gave the finished song, "Persons & Machinery", back to the UNKLE camp to arrange and mix. Additionally, Goreshter played bass guitar on a few of the other tracks on the record.^{[citation needed]}

In August, 2007, the band played the Sunset Junction Street Festival in Silver Lake, California.

Current

Autolux is currently working on their second full length record, Transit Transit, which does not yet have a release date. According to a blog entry on the band's MySpace website by Robert Densworth dated November 27, 2008, the delay is due to the band "getting the business end of the music squared away".

The first single, titled "Audience No. 2", was uploaded to the band's MySpace page on May 1. The single was released on digital download services such as Napster, eMusic and Amazon MP3 on May 3, and is also available for download on the band's website.

A second new instrumental song, titled "Fat Kid", was uploaded to the band's MySpace page on November 27, 2008. According to the accompanying blog entry, the song will not appear on Transit Transit.

It was confirmed in the latest issue of "Wired Magazine" that "Transit Transit" will be released sometime in January, 2010.

Sound

This section requires expansion.

Although classified as a rock band, Autolux has an eclectic sound have drawing from Shoegaze, Post Punk, and Krautrock, an been compared to artists such as Can, Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine^[3].

Performance

For their stage performances, Autolux has consistently employed hand-made lighting rigs. In 2007, the band offered to sell the "framed amber lights" they toured with throughout 2005 to any interested fans on their official website and eBay^[1].

Recording

Discography

Albums

• Future Perfect (2004)
• Transit Transit (2010)

EPs

• Demonstration (EP) (2001)

Singles

• "Here Comes Everybody" (2004)
• "Audience No. 2" (2008)

References

Official Autolux news page

External links

• Official Site
• Autolux at MySpace
• Fan Site
• New Angeles Monthly interview
• Liberation Frequency Interview March 2008