Chosen by Monk

The London garage-punk trio offer up the the second taster of their imminent  debut album, which was recorded live in one take in front of an invited audience at the legendary Abbey Road studios, and the results of which can be heard in full next week:

Guitarist and vocalist James Bates comments on the single:

‘Bumble Been’ is a 70 second blast of straight up garage rock delivered to the main line.

Half rebel outcry, half call for the plight of the bumble bee – a short lived assault that doesn’t stop stinging until it does.

The story of Hot Face’s debut album takes them from recording in their bedrooms, to gracing one of the most hallowed studios in existence.

It all begins after a chaotic midnight headline show at Left of The Dial in Rotterdam, when producer Dan Carey and the band renewed their vows (having previously linked up for former single ‘dura dura’) to record an album. The premise was simple – the album was to be captured over the course of one day in three takes straight to tape, with the last unfolding in front of a live audience.

A short while later, after yet another show, on a cold London night, Hot Face received a call from Dan in the early hours of the morning. Cramming themselves into the green room toilet to escape the noise, the band were offered the chance to record the album at Abbey Road Studios, the very next week. While a daunting proposal, the band accepted and Hot Face entered Studio Three and the resulting 25 minutes is what happened that day.

Speaking about the process and the result, Bates continues:

[It] was put together with the live show in mind. We wanted it to be a powerful jab to the cranium – a sonic freight train that leaves you spinning long after it’s passed. With the premise laid out by Dan, it kinda had to be that way! Despite our best efforts we weren’t exactly going to be coming out of Abbey Road with ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ under our arms after one day of recording – so a garage-punk record it was.

However, the songs that make up ‘Automated Response’ are us focusing not so much on a particular sound but more an energy. A kind of pent up explosive kineticism that is the result of leaving the garage and sharing a body of music with the world after what felt like an aeon. An energy that we were letting loose at every show we were playing whether the room was empty or full – pedal to the metal no matter what.

Having the opportunity to do this with Dan acting both as producer and fourth member, in Studio Three at Abbey Road, in front of an audience, straight to tape… [It was a] real cool fun time.

  • ‘Automated Response‘ will be released on 23 January via Speedy Wunderground Records.
  • Hot Face tour at the end of the month.
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