Not too long ago we featured Android Automatic. You may remember me whining about how much I miss the days of Valerie and that short era of awesome, heavily synthesized disco. And how I was so thrilled to come across this guy who seems to be bringing it back. If you missed the first feature, check here. Anyway, I asked the man a few questions and today I’ve got those answers.
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DE (HOUDINI): Tell us about Android Automatic the project and who you are as an individual. What’s a day in the life like?
Android Automatic: Android Automatic is just one person, me, Michael Gene and I am based out of Detroit, Michigan. I started out playing in indie bands during the mid 90s and then moved into the electronic genre a couple of years ago. Being a child of the 80s, it just felt kind of natural to write 80s influenced jammers. When I write, I usually have old, 80s television shows on in the background. Lately I have been writing a lot of my music to old episodes of Falcon Crest and Hill Street Blues, which seems to help the creative process a lot. When I am not writing disco tunes, I keep myself busy with beach cruising, wind jamming, and casino gambling.
Who are your biggest influences as an artist?
80′s motion picture soundtracks, Joy Division, Tangerine Dream, The Pointer Sisters, and anything that has synthesizers. When I was in my youth, we decided to go see Beverly Hills Cop. The opening scene of the movie has The Pointer Sisters’ “Neutron Dance” in the background, creating the perfect music score for Eddie Murphy’s destructive journey through the streets of Detroit, as the actor clings to the back of a semi tractor-trailer. As soon as that scene started, I can remember wanting to jump out of my seat and boogie down. That Movie still gets me hyped to this day!
What’s it like being a musician on the grind in Detroit?
Detroit’s music scene is thriving right now. There is such a diverse amount of really talented artists who are writing tunes from all kinds of genres. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of nu-disco/synthwave artists. Detroit has a lot of house, techno, and indie electronic artists, but not very many people are creating disco jammers. The nightlife in Detroit is chalk-full of entertainers doing their thing. You will not have a hard time finding a show to check out, so the city definitely has a lot of action for all you thrill seekers.
What’s the next step for you? More releases? Touring? Videos?
I am currently working on some new material, maybe have something out later this year or early next year. Might do some fun stuff with video next year, maybe a few shows. I never know what I am gonna pull out of my hat of tricks until the last minute. One thing’s for sure, it aint gonna be a rabbit, well, maybe a disco bunny.
What’s the craziest show you’ve played? Tell us about some of the weirdest, coolest, funniest things you’ve seen in the business.
We used to play some crazy shows back in the 90s with my old indie band. There were always lines of people waiting to get into the bathrooms to have sex or do coke. Just after finishing our soundcheck, I made my way to the restroom. As I was standing at the urinal, taking care of business, I heard this male voice coming from down below, whispering all this sexy talk. Taking a gander towards the floor, I noticed a hole in the wall with a mouth sticking out of it. Needless to say, I zipped up and made my way out of the bathroom, laughing hysterically. Of course I had to tell the band about it, and sure enough, they all made their way into the bathroom to get a glimpse of this mysterious and intriguing event, only to find an empty hole. Where did those anxious lips go? I’ll never know.
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Say what’s up to Android Automatic on Facebook or Twitter, and definitely check out more music on SoundCloud.
