Austra
Country of origin:
Canada
Type of music generally:
Alternative, beautiful & fierce electronica
Status:
Most recent release, Hirudin (2020)
See also:
Austra's siteThe Ectophiles' Guide's page for Katie Stelmanis's solo work
Comparisons:
Katie Stelmanis's solo work, The Knife
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Katie Stelmanis's new band Austra is absolutely brilliant. It's more electronic (well, more *traditionally* electronic) than her solo album Join Us, so if you don't like that kind of thing, it might not be for you. But if it is, this is massive. (lotterose @ gmail . com)Similar to Katie Stelmanis's solo work, but catchier, more danceable. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Comments about live performance:
Saw Austra opening for Tune-Yards outdoors in Hudson River Park, NYC. I couldn't see well so I just got glimpses of the band based on when/how people in front of me moved. Katie Stelmanis had this way of moving her arms while singing that sort of made me think of a witch conjuring spells. I think on a smaller stage with better sightline it would be mesmerizing. (7/2011, JoAnn Whetsell)
Recommended first album:
I like them all, but Feel It Break and Future Politics are insanely good. \(Neile)
Recordings:
- Feel It Break (2011)
- Beat and the Pulse (ep, 2010)
- Sparkle (remixes, 2011)
- Olympia (2013)
- Habitat EP (2014)
- Future Politics (2017)
- Hirudin (2020)
Feel It Break
Release info:
2011—Domino Recording Co.—WIGCD270
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Katie Stelmanis
Maya Postepski
Dorian Wolf
Guest artists:
Damian Taylor—frequency harmonization, levels balancing, tone mixing
Anna-Sophia Vukovitch—violin (10)
Anissa Hart—cello (10)
Ewan Kay—trombone (9)
Carmen Elle—guitar (10, 11)
Produced by:
Austra; Mike Haliechuk co-produced tracks 1 and 4
Comments:
Another exciting new discovery this year. Lead singer Katie Stelmanis sounds a bit like Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) but not as shout-y. Katie has more control with her voice, which is easier on my ears. :-) Backing that wonderful voice are these dark, sometimes foreboding soundscapes. A few tracks are a little repetitive, but that's a small gripe. This excellent album will surely be one of the best of the year, for me. (lasherboy@gmail.com)NPR's Robin Hilton uses the words "strange," "moody" "haunting" "unsettling and alluring," "sleek analog synths," and "throbbing, beat-heavy mix" in her review. I can't really think of anything to add except "excellent." (JoAnn Whetsell)
One of the best albums of the year. (gordodo@optonline.net, jonwesleyhuff@gmail.com)
Olympia
Release info:
2013—Domino Recording Co.—WIGCD314
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Katie Stelmanis—vocals, synths, programming piano, recorder
Maya Postepski—keyboards, programming percussion, drums, marimba, organ
Dorian Wolf-bass, synths
Guest artists:
Ronny Lightman—backing vocals
Dari Lgihtman—backing vocals
Ryan Womak—saxophone, flute
Ann Sophia—Vukovich—viola
Ewan Kay—trombone
Produced by:
Austra
Comments:
While it's not quite the revelation that Feel It Break was, Olympia is a worthy successor, and has lovely, powerful moments. (Neile)One of these voices I just have to fall in love with: quirky and distinctive. The tracks are solid, albeit a bit repetitive. Maybe one should listen to this album in chunks so it doesn't get boring after a while. (raschee@gmail.com)
Future Politics
Release info:
2017—Domino Recording Co.— WIGCD365
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Katie Stelmanis
Maya Postepski
Dorian Wolf—bass (9, 11); moog sound design and knob turning (1-5, 7)
Guest artists:
Jennifer Mecija—violin (1)
Alice Wilder—guitar (3)
Produced by:
Katie Stelmanis; additional production by Maya Postepski (3-5, 7, 9) and Alice Wilder
Comments:
This grabbed me immediately and hasn't let go. Catchy, danceable but still with that dark, haunting Austra sound. (JoAnn Whetsell)I'm with JoAnn. This has totally grabbed me. I've been listening to this frequently since its release. It's wonderful. One of the best albums of the year. (Neile)
One of the best albums of the year. (timjy@sbcglobal.net)
Hirudin
Release info:
2020—Domino
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Katie Stelmanis
Guest artists:
Kieran Adams—drum programming, drums
Kiran Alonzi, Maria Coltatu, Maggie Dinescu, Akshyata Hamal, Alexandra Haviaras, Athena Haviaras, Phoebe Howson, Emily Johns, Sylvie Newman, Maxime Terray—choir/chorus
Georgia Barnes—drum programming
Cecile Believe—vocals
Allison Cameron Noise—synthesizer
Bram Gielen—bass guitar
Shahriyar Jamshidi—kamanche
Germaine Liu—percussion
Rodaidh McDonald—drum programming
Mocky—drums, bass guitar
Casey Mq—programming
Mika Posen—viola
Raül Refree—guitar
Tom Richards—tuba
RJ Satchithananthan—trombone
Joseph Shabason—drum programming, saxophone, synthesizer, synthesizer programming
Raphael Weinroth-Brown—cello
Produced by:
Katie Selmanis, Katie O'Neill
Comments:
Poppy but also quirky, not all the tracks entirely work for me, but on the tracks it does, it's stupendous. (Neile)
Further info:
Austra contributed a cover of The Strokes' "Alone, Together" to the Stereogum album Stroked: A Tribute to Is This It (2011).
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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