AutoCad / Pantheist Audio - "Penultimatum" (2000 Demo CDR)
From Aural Innovations #14 (January 2001)
AutoCad is the solo project of Thomas Park, an electronic musician who has a rather interesting philosophy and system of music creation. Using a variety of gear, Park creates upbeat electronica that is sometimes ambient but usually includes spacey dance/hip-hop influences. With an eye toward the relationship between math and music, Park says,
"The band focuses on Fractal Ambience (often danceable) of the Jackson / Strohbeen school. Generally, natural or mathematical data are used to generate logarithmic music. For example, biosequence data, dinosaur evolution data, and data derived from the logarithm / cosine sequence were used to the generate songs on this CD."
Among my favorite tracks are "Delta Atmos", "Dino Rock", "Amphibia 116", and "Comets 124". The rhythms say dance, but everything else says way too freaky for any serious attempt at cutting the rug. AutoCad build electro constructions around repeating frenzied rhythmic patterns. There's a lot happening with several layers of electronics joined together to produce a primordial stew of semi-techno styled space beats. "Dino Rock" is a standout on which head boppin' beats set the pace while a multitude of sounds do a tribal techno dance around it. And "Comets 124" is a quirky tune with keys that give it a symphonic, almost prog rock feel.
"Our Skies 1", "Our Skies 2", and "Bioseq 1" all feature the more ambient side of AutoCad. On these tracks we take a turn into the space ambient realm with floating cosmic dronescape type stuff. I enjoyed it enough but it was the more energetic beat-oriented tunes that I felt give AutoCad their character. Space fans who like techno but feel it's too bland would enjoy the adventurous bent AutoCad gives to the mix.
There are LOADS of samples at AutoCad's Mp3.com web site.
Contact via snail mail c/o Thomas Park; AutoCad / Pantheist Audio; 6026 Mardel; St. Louis,
MO 63109.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz