Automanikk
| Automanikk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Automanikk.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1990 | |||
| Genre | House, acid house | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Producer | Ricky Rouge (Gerald Simpson) | |||
| A Guy Called Gerald chronology | ||||
| ||||
Automanikk is an album by the English musician A Guy Called Gerald, released in 1990.[1][2] It was one of a number of albums to come from the Madchester scene of Manchester, England.[3] The album peaked at No. 68 in the Official Albums Chart.[4] A Guy Called Gerald supported it with a North American tour.[5] Automanikk was A Guy Called Gerald's only album for a major label, as subsequent efforts were turned down.[6]
Production
[edit | edit source]"FX (Mayday Upgrade)", which was remixed by Derrick May and Carl Craig, sampled the American girl group First Choice.[7][8][5] Elsewhere, A Guy Called Gerald made use of samples of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" and Snap!'s "The Power".[9]
Critical reception
[edit | edit source]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Calgary Herald | D[10] |
| Chicago Tribune | [11] |
| Coventry Evening Telegraph | 2/5[12] |
| New York Daily News | [9] |
| South Wales Echo | [13] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music | [14] |
The Chicago Tribune described the album as "laid-back New Age house", concluding that "the mind-numbing drum beats and endlessly repeated synth riffs and overdubs must be this tame for a reason."[11] The New York Times said that the vocalist Viv "suggests a latter-day Donna Summer... She sings about being powerless—against the beat, against emotions, against undefined forces."[15] The Calgary Herald dismissed the album as "merely disco dressed up in a paisley shirt."[10] The South Wales Echo said, "Cleverly put together as ever, but more wholesome and less tinny than 808 State and the like."[13] Factsheet Five noted the "heavy repetitive beats [and] occasional ethereal vocal".[16]
AllMusic called Automanikk "a journey through sampladelic [sic] acid house with a few haunted melodies gained from Gerald's exposure to Detroit techno".[8] In 2024, the album was included in Gary Graff's 501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide.[1]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "To the Other Side" | |
| 2. | "FX (Mayday Upgrade)" | |
| 3. | "Automanikk" | |
| 4. | "Emotions Electric 2" | |
| 5. | "Eyes of Sorrow (Viv Version)" | |
| 6. | "I Feel Rhythm" | |
| 7. | "Stella" | |
| 8. | "Blame the Artist" | |
| 9. | "Untitled" | |
| 10. | "I Won't Give In" | |
| 11. | "Voodoo Ray Americas" |
References
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