The Los Angeles-based post-punk trio Automatic (Izzy Glaudini – synth/vocals, Lola Dompé – drums/vocals, Halle Saxon – bass/vocals) fuses minimalist synth textures, driving basslines, and hypnotic rhythms with a modern energy. Debuting in 2019 with Signal, the band earned acclaim with 2022’s Excess, sharing stages with acts like Tame Impala, Parquet Courts, and IDLES. In 2025, they return with their third album, Is It Now?, under Stones Throw Records.
🔥 The opening track, “Black Box,” sets the album’s dark and urgent atmosphere from the first note. With motorik bass, sharp drums, and icy synths, the song feels like both a confession and a cryptic message. Its title evokes mystery, memory, and hidden truths. Automatic transforms tension into groove, instantly pulling listeners into the album’s world.
🔗 Apartment No: 26 Note:
The track channels a lineage from Kraftwerk’s mechanical rhythms to Stereolab’s hypnotic layers.
Listening, you might find yourself on a foggy highway, headlights flickering in the night.
In a film, it would underscore a dystopian opening sequence, signaling the unveiling of a hidden secret.
