Systems of Romance

Based in Montreal, Xavier Paradis has been a forerunner of the recent North American resurgence of minimal synth music since his days as Arnaud Lazlaud, active since the 1990s. Under new moniker Automelodi, Paradis has once more unveiled a succinct handful of ice cold, yet infectious tunes ripe for the masses.

The freshly released Fait ses Courses EP, available via Wierd Records, is heavily influenced by the original French coldwave movement. The EP shares a deliciously similar aesthetic once explored by the likes of Martin Dupont, Babel 17, and Trisomie 21, while injecting the moody atmosphere with fun and fancy-free dance grooves and minimal electronics that call some of the best Italo Disco to mind. Despite these touchstones, Fait ses Courses is remarkably transcendent, flirting with a sound that will both shed light on past triumphs and influence many to come.

Paradis’ vocals, primarily recorded in French, still convey emotion even at the lightest, spoken whisper. The result is a highly romantic, fresh, and imaginative offering that not only swells the heart, but stimulates the body. It’s damn near impossible to sit still while listening to Fait ses Courses, as each of the EP’s main tracks are polished and primed for even the grittiest of dance floors. For those paying attention, there’s even a hidden track nestled between a few moments of ambient street noise, a classic instrumental interlude in its own right, and a welcome addition to an otherwise short, but sickly sweet collection.

On the wake of this tremendous release, Automelodi is gracing New York’s own underground minimal synth and coldwave scene, and aims to take the city by storm for two performances this week. The first takes place this Wednesday at Home Sweet Home, an East Village haven for Wierd Records’ own weekly minimal gathering. As previously mentioned, Wierd Records founder Pieter Schoolwerth continues to cultivate and educate in the ways of cold, analog electronics, and many of the bands on the Wierd roster have worked wonders for the necessary fostering and rebirth of the genre. Wednesday’s heavily anticipated recital begins at the stroke of midnight, but Automelodi will also be offering a repeat performance at The Annex this Saturday, joined by Xeno and Oaklander, one of the very best acts this city has to offer. Not convinced yet? Take a listen to “Schéma Corporal,” one of Automelodi’s most striking tracks:

This entry was posted on April 6, 2009 at 11:46 pm and is filed under Uncategorized . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.