Automotive

Ben Neill

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 3, 2002)
• Original Release Date: September 3, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Six Degrees
• ASIN: B00006HI9X
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,926 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Ben Neill has been one of the more overlooked and adventurous exponents of electronica. In the four years since his challenging Goldbug album, he's been creating the edgy electronica music for Volkswagen commercials. In a reverse of the usual trend, Neill has taken those 30-second and one-minute jingles and expanded them into full-on compositions. Neill has a dark and aggressive approach to electronica grooves, with snarling bass lines and juggernaut percussion loops, that are nevertheless exhilarating. But what really sets him apart are the harmonic and melodic overlays he creates, mostly with his Mutant trumpet. It's a custom device with three trumpet bells, six valves, and a mini-trombone slide, but it also triggers synthesizers, samplers, and effects. Neill seamlessly orchestrates them into music that references Miles Davis and lounge music, urban jungle beats, and space music overdrive. Putting Automotive in the CD player is like setting the cruise control on euphoria. --John Diliberto

Product Description
Ben Neill creates a unique musical universe, melding the worlds of electronic dance culture, jazz, art music and visual media. Automotive features expanded arrangements of music Ben has composed for a series of groundbreaking VW television ads.

Critical praise for Ben Neill:

"9 out of 10 rating...Ben Neill is a mad scientist, and he has discovered the formula that breaks musical barriers."-Mixmag

"An artist in every sense of the word...behind every thought are fat beats and extreme passion."-URB

"Art music for the people..."-WIRED Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Catchy Expansion of Previous Gems, February 26, 2003

By	Jeevan "jsiva" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Anyone who is familiar with the Volkswagon commercials is aware of the catchy electronica that envelopes the viewer and aids the visuals. Well, Ben Neill was the guy who composed those, and for this album he takes some of those gems and extends them into entire pieces. Despite what you may think - that stretching a 30-second piece into a full-fledged song is overdoing it - it actually works well as it gives him more time to build up, strip down, and fool around with the sound a bit instead of just exploding within 30 seconds. An interesting and unique album not to be missed.

4.0 out of 5 stars Not As Innovative But Still Fun, October 28, 2008

By	Benjamin Bradley "benjin78" (Ames, IA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I liked this CD. Ben Neill takes some 30 second commercial spots that he made for VW and extends them out into full-length tunes. Some nice Drum-N-Bass grooves with his handy trumpet licks thrown in. Very spy movie-esque. Makes me think of The Italian Job movie.

I had originally bought the Goldbug album because it was supposedly an innovative album for the drum-n-bass genre. The individual tracks on that album were kind of hit or miss but I really liked the unique feel of the album and some of the unique things he did with the monster-trumpet-thing and his interesting use of the DNB samples. So that is why I was somewhat disappointed with this album: For all it's charm, it is a little tame. Innovative is not a word I would use for it. But I still enjoy listening to it and it would make good chill-out or study music, especially if you enjoy jazzy DNB, so I do recommend it.