AUTOMATIK EDEN Interview by DANIELLE SIPPLE All images by CHRISTOPHER JELLEY & PASCAL PAYANT
ALIAS: Automatik Eden FAVORITE CEREAL: A friend went on a no-carb diet and gave us about a dozen boxes of corn flakes he wasn’t going to eat. So, anything but cornflakes. FAVORITE CARTOON: Bugs Bunny, Jem and the Holograms FAVORITE SUPERHERO: The Arch Villain, Mr. Jelley, who fights justice with fashion. All superheroes are at his mercy, because as soon as they try to do something good, he berates them on their horrible fashion and mentally destroys them. “You’re wearing tights and a cape to this?!” Mr. Jelley is one of our stylists. We want to be his fashionable henchpeople. GIVE YOURSELF A TAGLINE: We’re from California, we’re weird, we’re awake. FAVORITE DESIGNER OR INDIE CLOTHING BRAND: Christopher Jelley and DeAnn Dallas. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT AS A MUSICAL GROUP: We showed up to an out-of-town bar gig expecting the place to be packed, but we found out that a regular bar customer had committed suicide, and most people were at his memorial service. It took Cela all of setup to remember that she was wearing the most inappropriate T-shirt possible that said, “Get Killed, Get Noticed”. She ended up wearing a merch shirt onstage, playing to 10 or so people who were not amused by the initial impression she made.
We felt terrible about it. SO FAR, WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT 2012: Sean Beavan (NIN, Marilyn Manson, A Perfect Circle, 8MM) has signed on to be the Executive Producer of our first full-length album! We are excited beyond belief! PAPERCUT KUDOS: The easiest way to get carried into the winds of far off lands is through the notes of a well-composed song. Ethereal vocals mixed with just the right seasoning of emotional rhythms can cast even the hardest of days into a daydream. Complexity of composition can aid in creating this energy but the real ingredients are the musicians themselves and their drive to create. LA-based duo Automatik Eden spin webs of alternative stylized music that steals beautifully from the heart strings and pilots you into a sea of wonder. Splitting the task of creating Automatik Eden’s unique sound, Cela Scott and David Crocco both add their own personal vocal styles to each song. Scott captures the essence and mystery of PJ Harvey while Crocco emits the raw range of Jack White mixed with the bravado of Chris Isaak. Each of these artists had successful careers in their respective fields, Scott in theatre/film and Crocco in music post-production, all which set the stage for the birth of Automatik Eden. Like a sweeping grand gesture, Automatik Eden reinvents the idea of alternative music with their spin on the idea that the genre can bend at will. Digging deep into roots grounded in cinematic fantasy, their music reads like a soundtrack to the movie you are living in at the exact moment you are listening to it. With such ease, Scott and Crocco mastered their own version of a time machine, sending us all back into memories that are vivid, raw and full of desire. Automatik Eden is gulping the magic that makes music mysterious. Finally.
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