MP3: Auton - El Dorado
Still hung up on crust and jazz. Yep, crust and jazz. Last night: went and saw Corrupted, Asunder, Thrones and Samothrace here in Oly and while none of those bands fit into IAT's geographical coverage area, the wardrobe of choice was black with dreadlocks. Maybe not as ripe as those upcoming Amebix reunions will be, but there were definitely some folks there in need of a shower. Anyhow, back to the jazz. Malmö threesome Auton isn't a traditional jazz combo playing on the standard set of acoustic instruments, but their music is most certainly in the jazz tradition. Like label-head Viktor Sjöberg's own New Jazz Ensemble, the sounds are slow and drifting and the track "El Dorado" captures the group at their best. Melodies come and go, interweave and shift across voices, trade back and forth. It's a gorgeous piece of music; incredibly moody, yet also warm and lush, gentle and floating. It's the rare that I find a song ends too soon, but Auton never ever overstays their welcome, never overplays their hand. Viktor said that touring with them this past month was "special" and I can't think of another word that describes them better. It's rare to hear new groups in jazz with a fresh, distinct sound, but Auton pulls it off.
Auton - El Dorado