Automatic Writing

Robert Ashley - Automatic Writing
Critic Score
Based on 1 review
User Score
Based on 171 ratings
1979 Rank: #115
Liked by 35 people
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

85
Pitchfork
The faraway melody of an organ and the murmurings of a Polymoog, the latter evoking a crate of old-fashioned milk bottles jiggling against each other in transit, hold the space for the two voices. Layered together, these four sonic elements—or characters in an opera, as Ashley saw them—have a proto-ASMR quality, textural and sensual.
Tristan
100

What shall you focus on? The main course always begging for your attention, or the intricate and imprinting details of the side dishes? Both have been placed on your table, side by side, to offer that important distinction. Automatic Writing will help you appreciate the side dishes, the dessert, the drinks, everything except the main course. The spotlight should not always be shined on the most reaction-inducing part of a work. When the main section is plugged and muted to near silence you are ... read more

cakenator
30

Announcement: Tristan is now banned from giving me recommendations

Houdanny
88

Layered and textured beyond comprehension, Automatic Writing is a sparse alleviation that delves into Ashley’s psych in a strange, yet oddly satisfying way. Beautifully meditative.

Kaijak
85

VERY minimal and stripped back, but it was still very captivating to listen to. its utter intimacy was really uncomfortable to sit through, but it was also a very understandable and melancholic experience. kind of beautiful.

JohnTVU
35

i think i might need some help with this album. much to my disappointment, i found it resoundingly difficult to get anything out of this. i've seen several times people talking about the album being relaxing and beautiful and a one-of-a-kind experience, but instead i was greeted with a feeling of mild discomfort permeating the whole record. it is clear to me that i am missing something, and i don't wish to be dismissive or ignorant of this piece of art that clearly means so much to many people. ... read more

haos
75

heavily layered and atmosphere-intensive work. The album is mainly clacking bottles and a couple a French voices, but in amidst that are faint, fleeting drumbeat passages that provide different tempo and subverts the atmosphere completely, like walking down a neon lit street at night and hearing some band in a hole in the wall play. The album also features a sort of whirring lullaby throughout most of it. It is subtle, yet completely alienating.

Purchasing Automatic Writing from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Contributions By
AkArE1989, patton
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

1Automatic Writing
18:00
79
2Automatic Writing
27:58
65
Total Length: 45 minutes
Sign in to comment
3mo
3mo
3mo
6mo
7mo


Added on: July 29, 2016