"Little Pretty Automatic" - Solar XWritten 2001/01/05
Let me tell you what prompted me to pick up Little Pretty Automatic by Russian artist Solar X. A certain track of rapid pounding kicks, squelchy, clangorous synth noises, and a sampled voice proclaiming "this is super-techno". Indeed it is. "Supertechno" caught my ear immediately, but would the rest of LPA be half as compelling?
The CD opens with a distorted melody I could swear I've heard used in commercials for The X Files on Space. "Dasha 1,2,3,4..." unfolds as one of those hyper-percussive-yet-mellow- and-melodic tracks that have almost become a genre of their own in recent years. The squarewave in "Bullet Gum" matches the frenzied pace of the percussion, speedily squirming and twisting like an organism made of liquid rubber. No kung fu fan will be able to resist the pseudo-oriental lines and disgruntled action samples of "Xiao Jie", which would make a perfect soundtrack for the classic Street Fighter games. The title track sports and almost indeterminate sounding rhythm, possibly stemming from the artist's background in programming and AI research. It's not so esoteric as to be inaccessible though. "Koroleva" is the only track on LPA with singing, and the performer strains to hit the lower notes at that. Still, the song will stick with you, and the vocals aren't nearly Joe Meek.
"Supertechno" is still my favourite track on Little Pretty Automatic, with all its intensity and malice. Other than that many of the tracks are lighter, and you'll probably detect a rather Aphex Twinnish vibe when you've listened through. And that's not necessarily a bad thing... Solar X rises above far less original and engrossing acts out there, not unlike the smiley cosmonaut in orbit on the cover art.
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