Like most handmade E.P. art pieces, it was numbered—so I was to have in my possession number 44 of 300. It is the size of your average novel, made of a light sandstone, thin cardboard material and a blood red imprint of the band’s brand, picture, member (Tyler Hayden, Christophe Eagleton, James Cromwelll Holden (the III?) and song listings, cleaning laid out by MATTER.

Much love was also sent out to Mark Clevenger and two studios were listed as the spots were the magic and music took place—The Mortuary Mansion (this sounds like a haunt Disney himself would have drummed up…but it is rumored to be the abode of Mr. Holden) and New Japan Studios.

Upon removing the clear sheath that held the package, I was able to see the CD slid nicely in place next to the song listings, but in the adjacent pocket there was a golden glow, inspiring the feeling of finding the infamous Willy Wonka golden ticket. In fact it was a ticket! Inscribed along side a set of theater curtains was, “Save this ticket for the future” along with a user name and password to access all kinds of secret things and stuff.

Curiosity killed the cat, but I couldn’t wait to see what was in store on the site www.astramoveo.com. But alas (insert disappointed sound sample here), I and those in possession of said ticket will have to wait for the future, as the site only holds a darkened night with ominous status that would appear in an Indiana Jones movie where he’s stealing some ancient possession from a place that is very, very dane-gree-ous.

"So what about the music?," you may ask. Well, we’ve definitely got some tricks-n-treats here and a taste of what’s to come from Astramoveo. It’s not clear if this is a side-project for Tyler Hayden, who has spent the last few years doing the cabage patch with Laylights, and that band has done a stellar job at winning many hearts. But it is clear why band members venture in other directions while still retaining their main gig, and in the case of Astramoveo, this shows that electro indie rock has been rumbling in all their minds for a time.

Saucy, sexy, and dirty-good, both “Doll Face” and “Wrecked” are floor jammers, deeply laden with Tyler’s swooning vocals while pulsing with a force of naughty beats. Delving into the subtle yet layered instrumental, “Situation,” this is a mix of both assessment and escapism, where the brain goes from dormant contemplation to a wandering, daydream at night state.

Then the remixes kick in, girlfriend, it’s time to get out the disco ball for the Luzius remix of “Wrecked,” 'cause this party has started right now. The Denver-SF duo White Girl Lust (Eric Kozak and Clayton Meador) gets hot and heavy on their spin of “Dollah Face,” whipping the track into a frothy delight. Then it’s time to go back to the future for One Ton Gun’s remix of “Wrecked,” which uses a backdrop of distortion and trashcan tricks.

This Maxi (as opposed to a Mini or Micro) single is a loaded package for a first run E.P. I can only imagine what the full length will present. Bravo.

www.astramoveo.com
www.myspace.com/astramoveo
www.myspace.com/whitegirllust

-Kim Owens, August 31, 2007

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