Review: Bootleggers & Hep Cats - Mr Automatic

One of my all-time favourite electro swing experiences was in April 2019, when I travelled over to Chicago for the Roaring City festival. The two days were an excellent showcase of some of the genre’s most exciting upcoming artists, and I loved getting the chance to see many of those whom I had never seen perform before. This whole event came together thanks to two people – Vourteque, and Mr Automatic, who did a fantastic job overseeing it all. It’s such the case then, that I hold the both of them in very high regard, and so I was glad to see this week that Mr Automatic has released his latest EP, Bootleggers & Hep Cats.

The EP opens with ‘Booby Traps’, a remix of the Andrew Sisters’ performance of ‘Strip Polka’. The piece starts with some iconic muted trumpets before delving straight into an electronic beat, and Mr Automatic makes extensive use of samples, each one building on the last. Following the introduction, there are some seriously heavy bass drops, and the contrast between this and the vocal sample is so distinctive – but it fits excellently. There’s many different layers to this one, ending with a robotic, funky bass – and the whole piece reminds me of Green Queen Music’s Ghetto Swing compilation, released back in 2013, of which this could have fit perfectly.

Following this we have ‘The Bogeyman (Goes to Ypsilanti)’. Again, there are all sorts of samples utilised throughout; with the song also featuring a noticeably unusual progression compositionally – with major chords played over a minor bassline – which certainly catches the ear. I can’t help feeling that this song is not quite as directional as the other two however – there are some fantastic ideas, but I'm not always completely sure where they're leading. There is a lot of excitement though, and the overall piece is mastered excellently.

The final track is ‘In the $$$’, in which he once again demonstrates his real knack for finding those samples that give off hugely vintage associations. There’s that great contrast between the heavy bass and the upbeat retro vibes again, which he’s able to achieve effortlessly, and the track can be summed up – more than anything else – as great fun. Through the wacky samples, the distinctive swing-era vibe, the dancey basslines – Mr Automatic has managed to create the exact feel that he's going for. Overall, this one is slightly more laidback than the rest, providing a nice way to finish the EP. It's been a short journey, but undoubtedly – it’s been fun.

On top of everything else, I also feel that it’s worth mentioning the artwork – which Mr Automatic has designed entirely himself, due to his additional work as a graphic designer. It fits the feel of the release incredibly well, and seems to completely encapsulate his sound in visual form. Ultimately, I really enjoyed this one, and was very happy to see that it had been released this week. Fans of Mr Automatic will undoubtedly appreciate it too: whilst taking a slightly new direction, the music is still distinctively his. I very much hope I can get the chance to see him perform live again some day, and if so – that some of these songs make it onto the set list.