Autotelia - I (2020)

Autotelia - as originally coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - describes a process by which someone has a purpose in, rather than outside of themselves. Those who are autotelic depend less on external rewards for their satisfaction, being driven instead simply by purpose or curiosity.

Such was the genesis of a new project put together by The Oscillation’s Demian Castellanos and Tomaga’s Tom Relleen. Started purely as an exploratory audial voyage with no expectations, no boundaries and no context. Autotelia’s sound - as chronicled on ‘1’, their debut release for Rocket Recordings - evolved purely of its own volition, as its makers were happy to allow their own chemistry and interplay to take its course. This zen-like simplicity of approach has been more than rewarded, as the impulses and intentions blossomed into meditative extrapolations both sonically rich and spiritually captivating (bewitching).

“This project was started as an opportunity to play more freely, with less of the process, consideration and production we both associated with our main projects” relates Tom. Yet although all the tracks on ‘1’ follow similar neural pathways to their destination, there’s in fact a ten year gap between the guitar-scorched heat-haze of ‘Thinking Makes It So’ and the extra-terrestrial soundscape of ‘Storm At Tucanae’. The former track was recorded “completely live - just bass and guitar and effects - and lots of booze - in a rehearsal room in Stoke newington” says Tom. “That’s totally where we are at back then. The other tracks are from sessions in the last two years and obviously we have a load more gear now, so drum machines, mellotron, vibraphone and various synths are where we are now, but the emphasis is still on more textural and less song based ideas, and a shared love of kosmische, drone and ambient.”

Yet although some observers may be able to detect parallels with the blissful drift of Cluster’s ‘II’, the overheated ampstacks of prime Spacemen 3 or the becalmed modernism of Eno in these radiant trance states, the core sound of Autotelia remains in splendid isolation, an unearthly tapestry of echoes and vibrations channeled direct from the id and the ether. “Personally for me I don’t think anything from my personal life or current events were an influence for Autotelia, unlike The Oscillation which is very intertwined with my personal dramas, reality and life” reckons Demian “Autotelia is more been about allowing emotions, feelings and sonic spaces to do their own thing with a sense of freedom, and not wanting to impose myself or my ego on them too much”.

“These tracks are pure escapism - zoning out and not worrying about anything” adds Tom. “I think that when playing music for a completelynew project it can be really liberating since there is no expectation and no baggage associated with that you might have already released. the slate is blank. Hence Autotelia.”

Or - as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi himself put it - “It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were.”