Hot Face Release Debut Album ‘Automated Response’

London trio Hot Face have released their debut album Automated Response on Speedy Wunderground. The album was captured live in one take at Abbey Road Studios in front of an audience.

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 3 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 at Abbey Road Studios. The resulting 25 minutes is what happened that day. A raucous ode to live music, blemishes and all. Within these songs, Hot Face (with Dan Carey manipulating the band’s sonic mayhem live alongside them) bring their feverish live performance to you. Committed to tape and mixed by Dan Carey for your pleasure. Meeting their audience eye to eye, you can almost hear the sweat dripping off the walls.

Hot Face have shared two singles from the record, ‘Pink Liquor’ and ‘Bumble Been’, each of which saw the band proudly plant their flag in the sand, and declare their biting garage-punk the order of the day.

Guitarist and vocalist James Bates comments on the album: “Automated Response 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. 

We had the opportunity to do this with Dan acting both as producer and 4th member, in Studio 3 at Abbey Road, in front of an audience, straight to tape. Real cool fun time.”

Automated Response was recorded live at Abbey Road Studios as part of their annual Amplify initiative, which is designed to empower the next generation of artists, producers, composers and creatives through a free festival of invaluable insights, direct engagement and practical skill development.