Autolux is a Los Angeles based Avant-garde Rock band mixing in elements of … Read Full Bio ↴Autolux is a Los Angeles based Avant-garde Rock band mixing in elements of Shoegaze and Alternative Rock, formed in 2000, (comprised of Eugene Goreshter: vocals/bass, Carla Azar: vocals/drums, and Greg Edwards: vocals/guitar, has just recently signed to TBD Records in the US for the release of their sophomore album, Transit Transit, and ATP Recordings for the rest of the world. The album was released on August 3rd, 2010. The band’s first record, Future Perfect, was released on T Bone Burnett s label, DMZ, under Columbia. Future Perfect was released in the winter of 2004 and began with "Turnstile Blues", featuring one of the most distinctive drumbeats and musical atmospheres of any album in recent memory. A Pitchfork review stated, "In the first 10 seconds of the album opener, Carla Azar shames most every beat-maker with her ridiculous Leibezeit-cum-Bonham percussion." The song created a vacuum of precise tumult that pulled you in, stretched you out, and spit your altered shape through a flawless cycle of songs. The album's otherworldly moods and eclectic makeup of songs made it difficult to categorize and gained the band much deserved respect. Four and half years have passed since the band stopped touring on Future Perfect. But the space since then has been filled with activity - in spite of any obstacles thrown their way, including the process of freeing themselves from Columbia and escaping with full ownership of Future Perfect.

As part of the long build up to the release of Transit Transit, they made available, "Audience No.2", as a 'pay what you will’ track on their website. Soon after, they joined PJ Harvey for a tour of Russia. During this time they also continued to play their own shows, trying out new songs live, and in some cases revisiting the recorded versions to make necessary alterations or, in some cases, total deletions. In the summer of 2009, they collaborated with the painter, Kill Pixie (Mark Whalen) for 'Future Spa', an art exhibition/sound installation in Los Angeles. In more recent months, the band has toured extensively, including an appearance at All Tomorrow's Parties in upstate New York and an opening spot with Thom Yorke's Atoms For Peace.

Now, the much-awaited follow-up, Transit Transit is finally here. It begins no less uniquely than its predecessor, although this time the subtler concussion of rhythm that starts the title track is an announcement of change, and the following mood and vocal-- a metaphysical sorbet. If you have been waiting, somewhat impatiently, for this record, Transit Transit has yielded an unexpected mix of material, but has everything you had hoped for. And if Autolux is a band you are just discovering, here is a deep and profound world of noise and emotion to immerse yourself in.

The band produced Transit Transit themselves with guitarist/vocalist Greg Edwards serving as engineer. The record was recorded - at Space 23, the bands makeshift studio in their rehearsal room near downtown Los Angeles. The title track "Transit Transit" (the last song to be recorded) was started in Denmark by Edwards, using a virtually unplayable upright piano and a sample of a coffin-style freezer found in a nearby basement, and then finished back in Los Angeles. There is a notable sonic progression to Transit Transit: samples, vintage synthesizers, and manipulated ambience glue central song components together. There are a lot more vocal harmonies and piano driven songs, even a bit of trumpet. Vocal duties are shared by all three members throughout the album - their voices strangely similar - but each having a definite emotional character. Bassist/ singer, Eugene Goreshter continues to innovate his bass style, effortlessly modernizing the instrument's melodic role on songs like "Census" and "Supertoys", while still providing an on-edge rawness and groove-filled momentum. Edwards' guitars serve to modulate the moods throughout the record, constantly evoking feelings found in the space between emotions. And Carla Azar's sturdy, creative drumming (a phenomenon to behold on stage) continues on record with plenty of hook beats - ferocious and orchestral, at once.

The majority of the album was mixed by Kennie Takahashi, three of the tracks being mixed by Dave Sardy, and then mastered by Bob Ludwig. Artist Kill Pixie and Carla created the artwork for Transit Transit.

Supertoys
Autolux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everything so faraway No control and nothing stays
Scrap your inside out and keep a quiet empty mind
So much you're not good enough for
A world that drowns you're on the shore
Scatter words and cut up code
You read beneath the lines

Arms won't raise eyes won't move

A flash of light to comfort you
Sounds off now So get up now
And go where you can think

It's alright You're O.K
Just let it be Broken
It's alright You're O.K
It's in your Future
Broken

Now you're living the wrong life
Someone else fell on your knife
Boiling stretch flat-a-line days
follows on a crutch

It's alright You're O.K
Just let it be Broken
It's alright You're O.K
It's in your Future
Broken

It's alright You're O.K
Just let it be Broken

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Autolux's "Supertoys" are quite abstract and open for interpretation. The song seems to be about feeling disconnected from the world around you and struggling with a sense of inadequacy. The opening lines "Everything so faraway/No control and nothing stays" depict a feeling of being lost and powerless in a world where things are constantly moving and changing.

The lines "Scrap your inside out and keep a quiet empty mind/So much you're not good enough for/A world that drowns you're on the shore" further reflect this sense of not fitting in and feeling overwhelmed. The idea of "scraping your insides out" could be interpreted as eliminating anything that makes you unique in order to fit in with others, while the metaphor of being "drowned on the shore" suggests being stuck in a state of limbo.

The chorus provides a glimmer of hope, with the repeated refrain "It's alright, you're okay/Just let it be broken/It's in your future." This could be seen as a message to accept imperfection and realize that failure and struggle are a natural part of life, and that they can ultimately lead to growth and success.

Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to find one's place in the world and the need to accept imperfection and embrace the future.

Line by Line Meaning

Everything so faraway No control and nothing stays
Life seems distant, beyond your reach and control, constantly in flux.

Scrap your inside out and keep a quiet empty mind
Strip away self-doubt and maintain a calm, clear consciousness.

So much you're not good enough for A world that drowns you're on the shore
Feeling inadequate and struggling to stay afloat in a society that is overwhelming.

Scatter words and cut up code You read beneath the lines
Having a deep understanding of subtext and hidden meanings.

Arms won't raise eyes won't move A flash of light to comfort you Sounds off now So get up now And go where you can think
Feeling paralyzed, seeking comfort and inspiration to break free from mental stagnation.

It's alright You're O.K Just let it be Broken It's alright You're O.K It's in your Future Broken
Accepting imperfection and brokenness as a part of life, having optimism for the future despite challenges.

Now you're living the wrong life Someone else fell on your knife Boiling stretch flat-a-line days follows on a crutch
Feeling trapped in a life that does not align with personal desires or values, struggling with boredom and relying on vices to cope.

It's alright You're O.K Just let it be Broken
Reiterating the message of accepting brokenness and facing life's challenges with optimism.

Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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TRACKS