Sextile & Automatic Report

Design by Monika Krueger

By Griff Giacchino

Following the release of their newest album, “yes, please,” the genre-bending, synth-punk/industrial EDM duo Sextile hit the streets, bringing high energy and bass pumping so hard, you can’t help but dance. By creating music that sounds like an alien discovered a synth, they have curated an incredibly unique style that has connected with many dark industrial edm enjoyers and is sure to turn some heads for those who have yet to hear it. 

Automatic opened and set the vibe for the night by bringing a very unique retrofuturistic/alternative rock type of energy to their performance. With their new album, “Is It Now?,”released that day , the reception of this performance was critical. The energy they brought to the stage was enthralling, and an excited room of around 350 people only became more enthusiastic as the performance progressed, with the audience becoming increasingly engaged with each song, dancing harder and harder as the set went on. The members of the band expressed their gratitude to the crowd, with the lead singer, Izzy Glaudini, taking a moment to thank everyone and express their appreciation for the overwhelming support they received. “We love you all and appreciate you all so much for coming!” They had a simple setup: just a guitar, bass, drum, and a synth. Glaudini would sometimes switch vocal lead with Dompé, the drummer, whose intense voice was a dramatic contrast to Glaudini’s delicate tone. It was a clash between an ethereal rock type of singing and a harsher, angrier punk style, which when paired together over their synthwave instrumentals, created a special sound that can only be recognized as Automatic. 

The transition from Automatic to Sextile was perfectly timed, with the contrast in their intensity helping to add to a more high-energy experience for the audience. Sextile’s set was extremely entertaining, with both members, Brady Keehn and Melissa Scaduto, taking turns mixing and singing, until the end when they performed together. The pacing of them singing together really made it a special moment when they finally did, it felt like the final step to the rager of a concert. Both of their intensities merged into one sound, and the audience went wild.  The setup onstage was pretty simple—just their mixer board and a guitar—but they did not need anything crazy because of the energy that they brought. They had very similar stage presence, with slight differences. When Keehn was performing, he had an angry aura towards the crowd, screaming at them while singing and pouring water on them. In contrast, Scaduto’s presence was more inviting, as if she was performing with the audience, getting close and dancing with them.  The sole visual element was a screen in the background playing some animations of their band name. It was a dark industrial look to the letters as they blinked on and off the screen. Sextiles’ performance was electric to say the least, it was clear they were having just as much fun as the audience. If you are ever looking for a concert that feels like an evil, futuristic wizard’s basement rave, then it is a guarantee that Sextile is the group for you.