Description:	7" on Happy Robots
	Format:	7" (vinyl)
	Genre(s):	Experimental Indie
	Label:	Happy Robots
	Price:	£3.39
	Availability:	In stock. Dispatched in 1 working day.

4
...according to our Brian on 11 April 2008.

From old dogs to new pups, Arthur & Martha are a duo based dahn Sarf, a lady called Alice & a chap called Adam yank the reins, steering this beautiful debut 'Autovia' into the realms of greatness. It references some great early 80's wistful electro pop such as OMD, the Wake , early New Order and also some of the more innovative Sarah records stuff. The vocals are hazy & slightly dispassionate, beamed in from another era seemingly whilst the tune, is pure retro pop but really fresh & engaging unlike 90% of the crap filling my lugs every day. That may be something to do with Adam being a former member of austere Stereolab acolytes Saloon who had such a wonderful way with an icy pop tune. The flip triggers dreams of 'Power Corruption & Lies' era New Order, my fave phase from them, all burbling electro synths, spartan drum machine & lilting keyboard motifs. A smashing double header that should appeal to all those old Track & Field & Sarah collectors. Wicked sleeve too featuring a Haynes manual exploded diagram of a Reliant Scimitar! (GEEK!)

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What their label says...

“Gilbert & George, disguised as The Carpenters, steal the hits of Kraftwerk and bash them out on an old moog in the style of Section 25" Zoot Magazine Arthur and Martha are stage names. Arthur and Martha are Adam Cresswell and Alice Hubley. Adam was the founding member of beard-stroking folkatronica indie-band, Saloon. They played lots of gigs, made some records, shot to number 1 in John Peel’s festive chart and then fell off the side of the world. Alice was in party-girl band The Duloks (she was the one who played the music) but wanting to wear something onstage other than a PE kit or slutty nun’s outfit, one night she jumped ship and also fell off the side of the world.  They met, picked themselves up and on the side of a European autovia somewhere were born again as Arthur and Martha.  By bringing together their rag-tag collection of moogs, melodicas and an antique drum-machine, they penned the songs on this disc for you now. ‘Autovia’ is a foot to the floor 4/4 driving song; like something Tom Petty would pen were he possessed by the brain of Kraftwerk and the soul of a maladjusted robot. ‘Japanese Kiss’ is the soundtrack to a messy break-up and inevitable argument over custody of the Pet Shop Boys CD’s. ‘Squarewave to Heaven’ is the song that Led Zep would have made had Jimmy Page been influenced by Morton Subotnick rather than Muddy Waters.