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AutoKratz are an electro-indie band based in London. CO+K caught up with them to hear some music and find out more. Their debut album ‘Animal’ is out in June on Kitsune/Co Op. Who are you and where do you come from? Russell - I'm from Manchester; but now live in London, near to David, who is from London.  Where does your name come from? David - the name was given to us by the Ancients of Mu Mu.... via the KLF of course. Russell - The name holds a dual meaning for us; combining a shared fascination with the future as seen by Orwell with the idea of a musical autocracy; autoKratz being the result of two people who are tyrannous over the music they create.   Who's in the band and where did you meet? R - It's Me & David. I was stumbling around outside a club and was feeling extremely worse for ware, and was violently and uncontrollably sick. Unfortunately through my druken haze, I realised that it was all over this mans shoes, and that man was David. He was probably about to beat the shit out of me when he notiecd my devo t-shirt - probably saving my life (he has a crazy look in his eye). We started to talk about music, and our tastes were strangely identical.   How would you describe your music? D - Electronic Rock & Roll
 What makes your band unique? D - We dont try to fit into any scene or movement, and just aim to make honest music that makes us genuinely excited. We let our songwriting run wild and don't restrict what approaches we can take....We don't create any musical boundaries for ourselves. Therefore we can achieve a variation that is not seen in a lot of other electronic bands.
 Who are your musical influences? R - We don't ever really try to create a particular sound, or to emmulate anyone else or a particular scene. We couldn't do it like that - as a band we need it to be fresh and innovative... it needs to be music that we can get excited about.    Tell us a bit about your current album and the themes behind it? D - We are extremely proud to have created a diverse and varied album. It has lots of different levels yet something the ties it all together. It's an honest album about us as people, and I think thats why it works. But there's no overall theme. If you tread the road of concept you may well find yourself on Bat Out Of Hell corner. Which is more of a junction. With all the signs facing in wrong directions. And the scent of a fat man with breasts wafting in the breeze.
 Where are your favorite places to tour? R - We love every show, everywhere. The live thing is so important to us as a band; and we are really passionate about it. It's great to have the opportunity to play your music to people and convey some of the energy in the tracks at the same time through our performance. I'm so bored of faceless electronic musicians stood static behind banks of machines; for autokratz playing live is about 10000 mile an hour rock and roll. Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, UK...; people are great to us everywhere so to pick a best place isn't what its about for us.   Where do you look for inspiration when songwriting? D - It's simply our lives and the people around us. It has to be natural, or the music won't work for me.
 Are there any ways the band try to be DIY or crafty? R - We do want it to be very much about getting close to people, and our fans. That's why we love being in direct contact with them, whether that's in intinate shows, or online or just out and about at shows. We want to be inclusive, and make people feel involved in what we do, because it's the fans that have got us this far and that warms my heart. There's therefore no chain of major label bureaucracy, and we are properly involved in the band constantly on a day to day basis.We are really passionate about our band and excited about our music, and want people to feel  part of it. What would you be doing if you weren't in a band? R - Watching my soul rot away.
 What was the last record you bought? R - Super Furry Animals - Dark Days / Light Years What's next for you? R - Continuing our year of non stop touring at festivals throughout the Summer, and doing full tours of UK, France, Germany, much more of Europe and then Japan and Australia from September! Hope to see you along the way.