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KING AUTOMATIC "lorraine exotica"
LP: VR1287 (EAN-CODE: 7640148980463)
CD: VRCD87 (EAN-CODE: 7640148980548)
FRENCH 'UNE HOME' GARAGE PUNKER AND RUDE BOY ORCHESTRA GOES EXOTICA FARFISA MARRACAS FUZZ GUITAR ROARING DRUMS AND A LEG FULL OF RHYTHM N BLUES
The setting : a nightclub in the tropics. The walls and seating covered in midnight blue velvetan albino tiger shark loops around a room-sized aquarium. What would you hear playing on the jukebox? Deconstructed blues, basement exotica wasteland rocksteady and Cuban sounds from outer space. Lorraine Exotica is King Automatic's 4th album - and without a doubt his most musically versatile record to date. He summons musical style from all four corners of the globe, his vocals are as self-assured as never before, his trademark live sampling and looping techniques are in place yet on Lorraine Exotica, there is a far greater diversity of flavours and shadings to be explored. Lorraine Exotica is a classic rock 'n roll record with a dash of pop sensibilities and more than just a hint of multi-ethnic influences.The end result is hypnotic, tribal and utterly danceable. Marc A. Littler (Slowboat Films)
The King goes Exotica !!! inspired from tours trou the South of America and the East Of Europe the King took a big sniff of their Folk Music and mixed it up with his very own Unique AUTOMATIC SOUND , we can say the King is Todays One of thee best and Most Breathtaking (everybody who saw him live knows what im talking about) and Unique DANCE ONE MAN BANDS he mixes up French YEYE Garage Beat-Punk with Rude Boy Jamaican Rocksteady, Rhythm n Blues Exotica and Trash Rock'n'Roll.... how can you get wrong with that? Born in the East of France but the Native Roots are in the Ukraine the King use to play in such bands as THE THUNDERCRACKS the SQUARES and this is his 4th Album on Voodoo Rhythm records
On this album he tells his Ukrain Root Story in 'All crossed out in red ' or in 'La vampira del Raval' jumps into a Latino Roots 'What's your poison' is classic Automatic Garage and the Killer 'Lorraine Exotica' or 'En passant par la Lorraineis' is new Breed Rocksteady Exotica !!!
1 King outomatic from auto space
2 La vampira del raval
3 What's your poison
4 Lorraine Exotica
5 Plan B (adopt a lap dancer)
6 Lee Marvin
7 Bathroom Furnishings
8 The Beginner Witch
9 Des barbelés sur la prairie
10 All crossed out in red
11 Drunk friends
12 Les Dalton
13 Ringtones, Sirens and Bells
14 En passant par la Lorraine
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REVIEWS
Vive le Rock No 26, May 2015
Roll up, roll up for King Autmatic's rapido fire rock ‚n' roll circus of gritty-fisted garage and international hipshakers that run from sleauzebucket boogaloo to Serge Gainsbourg grooves and Sergio Leone soundtracking. ‚What's Your Poison' is a high firing wig-out where Wild Billy Childsh riffs and rucks with The Sonics. Title track ‚Lorraine Exotica' is Kid Creole strung out and drunk on hallucinogenics, ‚Beginner With' a dark hearted burlesque-beater and ‚Drunk Friends' is slinky spy-fi for your hi-fi. Closer ‚En Passant Par la Lorraine' ist he sort of salty ska stomper that will get your bovver boots bouncing. A home-brewed collection of non-stop exotica that's as raw ‚n' rowdy as a Lenny Kaye Nuggets compilation, so all the more impressive then, that King Automatic is a one-man dance band generating this full buffet of beats international single-handedly. (Dave Collins)
Abous Dangereux Face 136 Julliet 2015
La Lorraine a son roi et il est de retour. Verson Alien pour commencer (‚King Automatic from Auto Space') avant une espagnolade bien sentie – ‚La Vampira Del Raval' – histoire de donner davantage de créance à cet exotisme annoncé en titre. Mais il a gardé son inimitable tour de main pour le garage punitif et le riff qui découpe. Qualités de toujours auxquelles s'ajoutent désormais une volonté d'étendre son propos tout en se revendiquant enfant de sa région. ‚Lorraine Exotica', le morceau ne parle de rien d'autre. Et il récidive avec, de notre point de vue, beaucoup de réussite en s'acquittant de nouveaux titres entièrement chantés en Français. Que ce soit ‚Lee Marvin', hommage débraillé à ce dur du cinoche ricain, tronche comme l'on en fait plus, ou à l'occasion du westernien ‚des Barbelés sur la prairie', rappel concis d'un homérique épisode de la grande histoire de l'Ouest. Parfait pour nos préparer au choc des Dalton, la pochade de Joe Dassin, qui délestée ici de ses contours variétoche, prend soudainement une tout autre dimension. Et il n'est pas illogique, ensuite, que l'album se termine sur une version rock-steady pour le moins inattendue d'En Passant par la Lorraine', qu'il se réapprochprie avec un vrai toupet. Le rock anglo-américain s'est longtemps nourri d'airs traditionnels, rien ne s'oppose à ce qu'il en soit de même ici. Ajoutons, à l'adresse des mordus de Baru. Qui connait mieux que personne la force du rock'n'roll travaillé aux tripes. Ici, l'adresse est bonne. Le roi est loin d'être mort, vive le Roi! (AF)
Razorcake 87, July 2015
King Automatic is an ingenious one-man band from France who borrows from tons of musical stylest o create catchy, beautiful boppy songs about pertinent topics like Lee Marvin and adopting lap dancers. Kitsch soundtrack-esque packaging can't adequately prepare the listener fort he extreme goofiness contained therein. It's all so endearing, though. Lounge, salsa, rockabilly, punk, and many other forms are represented in this outlandish blend. Lorraine Exotica is exotic, that's for sure, but it's also captivating. It's not for everyone, but it's an interestin release nonetheless. Supposedly Lorraine Exotica is his fourth full-length, so there must already be a fanbase waiting for this ridiculousness to land. (Art Ettinger)
DER WARSCHAUER (DE)
Die französische Einmannarmee ist zurück und rock´n´überrollt die Lande mit dem vierten Longplayer. Am dreckigen Lo-Fi-Sound hat sich zum Glück nichts geändert. Auch die eingesetzten Stilmittel aus der Genre-Trickkiste bleiben vertraut vielseitig. KING AUTOMATIC muss sich nicht erst selbst finden, er war schon immer so.
Zugegeben, der größte Sänger ist er nie gewesen. Doch er braucht auch keinen Stimmumfang von vier Oktaven, denn er hat Authentizität, Street Cred, Realness. Und ganz nebenher spielt er ja auch noch Gitarre, Schlagzeug, Bass, Mundharmonika, Percussion, Keyboard und was sonst noch so anfällt. Mit allen Tentakeln voll zu tun zockt Mr. Octopus auf „Lorraine Exotica" insgesamt 14 knackige Nummern runter. Highlights über Highlights. Von Rock´n´Roll, Ska, Pop über Punk bis hin zu Reggae oder Blues flechtet er dabei alles in die Arrangements ein, was ihm gerade einzufallen scheint. Mal sind die Saiten das tragende Motiv, mal bestimmt die flinke Orgel, mal blubbert der Bass bestimmend. Es passiert so viel Spannendes gleichzeitig. Zunächst wirkt es ungeordnet und willkürlich, doch alle Elemente fügen sich zu einem großen Organismus zusammen. Die Platte ist quasi das musikalische Äquivalent zur Rush Hour auf einem indonesischen Wochenmarkt.KING AUTOMATIC ist einer der stärksten Künstler bei Voodoo Rhythm Records. Des Labels selbstironisches Motto „records to ruin any party" funktioniert bei ihm aber einfach nicht – wenn zu dieser genialen Platte nicht bis zum Schweißleerstand abgetanzt wird, ist man schlichtweg auf der falschen Party oder sollte sich flott neue Freunde suchen.
BOPPIN AROUND (BE)
Op de hoes staat vijf man, maar da’s vijf keer dezelfde: King Automatic is een Franse one-man-band, al klopt dat technisch gezien niet: hij bespeelt niet tegelijkertijd verschillende instrumenten maar speelt zelf gitaar, keyboards, drums, percussie en accordeon in, met daarbovenop op deze CD extra gasten op backing vocals, banjo en trombone. Geen flauw idee wat dat live geeft, maar zijn vierde Voodoo Rhythm release sinds 2006 opent met moderne trashy rock en sixties garagerock waarbij de stem ons doet denken aan Nigel Lewis (GB). Die lijn wordt evenwel niet doorgetrokken want binnen de kortste keren vermengt King Automatic die genres met Sonics, bluesrock, sixties orgeltjes, flamenco beat, easy tunes, Franse sixties pop met echos van Jacques Dutronc en protestzanger Antoine, ska en rocksteady, waarbij Oost-Euopese melodielijnen worden verweven met Franse chanson accordeons. Als je dat zo leest denk je “onmogelijk”, maar het werkt wel degelijk en is veel minder trashy dan je zou verwachten, al heeft het uiteraard geen sikkepit met rock ‘n’ roll te maken, laat dat duidelijk zijn. Ook uit op LP VR1287, Nederlandse en Belgische verdeling via Clear Spot. (Frantic Franky)
THE NOVEL SOUND (USA)
The Man that Challenged the World: A review of the new King Automatic album
The most difficult part of listening to King Automatic's new album Lorraine Exotica (Voodoo Rhythm), is getting past the first track. "King Outomatic from Auto Space"** is a full-on floor-stomper which sounds as though it's been beamed from an ancient alien relay station and rebounded through a set of bakelight speakers. It's an invasion of sound with no way to stop it. It commands you to hit repeat. After the third or fourth go-round, its nothing but explosive engines of sound waiting like reinforcements among the vinyl grooves.
King Automatic has built a reputation on being the one-man band with a full sonic sound. Not only does he back himself up on organ, banjo, harmonica, etc, but he slides across genres with flawless ease creating danceable garage, fuzz-stained exotica, and Latin beats that sizzle with alien electricity. If it wasn't for a live show surrounded by loop machines and live samples, you'd swear he had rows of arms like something from a dingy back-galaxy cantina. Lorraine Exotica peels back like an alien egg sack revealing "La Vampira del Raval" and "Lorraine Exotica", songs layered in Latin roots and bringing a range of sounds not often connected to garage punk and even more rarely to one man bands. "Plan B (Adopt a Lapdancer)" (one the best song titles of 2015) slams down some Chicago style blues with an unmatched ferocity. "Lee Marvin" pays tribute to the actor in a song as bad-ass as he was and "All Crossed Out In Red", an ode to King Automatic's Ukrainian roots, is just as hypnotic and mesmerizing as anything label-mates The Dead Brothers have released.* This album makes no effort to play it cool for anyone. It expertly collects sounds from across the globe and brings it all together in a display of sheer talent and diversity.King Automatic knows how to rock in any language. This album isn't a test for your speakers – It's the fucking exam.
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