Automato - 'Automato' (Labels)
4/5
By: Tim Dellow
Part of a new wave of hip-hop, led by Anticon mavericks Sole and Sage Francis, as well as ClouDdead, who seek to rhyme about more than 'Chains and links, smokes and drinks' (Saul Williams).
The opening gambit, 'This MTV generation can't focus my attention,' obliterates preconceptions formed by the coffee-table cover. Yeah, this is the kind of music listened to by white, middle-class 'Face' readers who think that they can pull off a cap emblazoned with the moniker 'Jesus is my Homeboy', but it's a damned sight better than anything produced by Dre in the past few years. Ahem, and Em.
So how's it different? A jazzier feel, roomy live vibe of a group rapping, all of 'em jamming along on their LIVE INSTRUMENTS which compliment a refreshing range of beats, tidily produced by The DFA who are much better suited to this style than your standard rock band, who they seem to think they can contemporise by bunging on excessive wads of 80's keys and PR cash (we love 'em really).
A spacious record; 'I used to play football, even when I was a foot tall'; flowing around your airy studio flat. 'I take my feet out of my socks and put a pebble inside so even when I walk I've got a rock in my stride', meanwhile, will have you bowling your way around Shoreditch, baiting all those f**king tourists.
Artists in this article: Automato
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