{"product_id":"automatic","title":"Automatic","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Mildlife’s debut album, \u003ci\u003ePhase\u003c\/i\u003e, was released in 2018 it didn’t so much explode on to the scene as ooze. Their mellifluous mix of jazz, krautrock and, perhaps more pertinently, demon grooves, was the word of mouth sensation of that year among open - minded DJs and diggers searching for the perfect beat. Their emergence was backed up by European tours that demonstrated a riotously loose - limbed approach to performance that was every bit as thrilling as Phase’s tantalising promise. What was more impressive was how lightly they wore influences that took in Can, Patrick Adams and Jan Hammer Group, while primarily sounding precisely like Mildlife. By the end of 2018 they’d been nominees for Best Album at the Worldwide FM Awards (Worldwide’s Gilles Peterson was a notable champion) and won Best Electronic Act at The Age Musi c Victoria Awards back home in Melbourne. Their progress post - \u003ci\u003ePhase\u003c\/i\u003e was cemented with a UK deal with Jeff Barrett’s Heavenly, who released\u003ci\u003e How Long Does It Take?\u003c\/i\u003e replete with Cosmic doyen Baldelli and Dionigi remixes, while last year they were officially a nointed by DJ Harvey when he included \u003ci\u003eThe Magnificent Moon \u003c\/i\u003eon his Pikes compilation \u003ci\u003eMercury Rising Vol II\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith \u003ci\u003eAutomatic\u003c\/i\u003e, the band have made a step - change from their debut. It’s more disciplined, directional and arguably more danceable. As on\u003ci\u003e Phase\u003c\/i\u003e, they are unafraid to let a track luxuriate in length without ever succumbing to self - indulgence. The arrangements, tightly structured thanks to Tom Shanahan (bass) and Jim Rindfleish’s fatback drumming, permit space for the others to add spice to the stew, topped off with Kevin McDowell’s ethereal vocals as Mildlife effortlessly glide between live performance and studio songwriting. The centrepiece of \u003ci\u003eAutomatic\u003c\/i\u003e is the title track where the band sound like Kraftwerk and Herbie Hancock on quarantined lockdown in Bob Moog’s Trumansburg workshop. It’s both a departure and quintessentially Mildlife. This is music you can dance to rather than ‘dance music’ and it’s all the better for it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Heavenly Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50416681091403,"sku":"1094472","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50416680403275,"sku":"1094473","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/31648452-3189-440f-b0cb-df46010e7417_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726708560","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/products\/automatic","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}